Mass Extinction - Case Study Example

Mass extinction Humans have the tendency to live their lives the way they desire, always making satisfaction the main priority. We, who claim to be the most intelligent beings on Earth, have been destroying our planet through every possible way. Our home is currently going through a phase where thousands of species are struggling to survive, in regard to their existence. Our ways of living have contributed to the catastrophic effects endangering the beauty of our nature. Through the work of Leopold, he has helped us to live life in a new perspective. A life seen through the eyes of a forever-existing mountain, which has witnessed wonders and ruins forming the current space we are living in today. As a part of this holistic ecosystem, it is our responsibility to respond to the nature’s call. This paper sheds some light on this mass extinction by focusing on its causes to determine the effects brought about by this extinction to find out how man should respond to this phenomenon, and why it is important for man to act quickly. Sea turtles are inhabitants of all worlds’ oceans except for the arctic, and are referred to as marine reptiles. However, they have been listed as endangered, for their reproduction rate is so slow to cover up for its rapid decrease from the ecosystem due to man’s activities that threaten their survival. It is noteworthy that sea turtles play a significant responsibility to two ecosystems that are very important to the turtle’s themselves and to humans too. This is because in the seas they eat the sea grass that grows on the sea floor. This is very important, for they function to keep them short enough to avail breeding and development locations for many fish species as well as other marine life (Elewa, 34). The sea turtle’s meat, shell and eggs ate so precious and forms one of the main reason as to why man continue hunting them at an alarming rate. This has greatly reduced its numbers as St Catherine’s Sea Turtle Conservation program reports that the nesting levels of sea turtles today are less than one percent of those in 1947 (Leakey and Lewin, 46). This is an immense decline that calls for mans attention to reclaim these turtles. Therefore, to prevent the loss of these creature, fishing nets should be designed a way to allow for escape of turtles because if trapped in the net they are bound to drown. This is because they naturally come to the surface of water to breath, and if trapped, they don’t get the opportunity to do this. Beach development should also be monitored so that they do not encroach more into the water bodies. This is because hatchlings are mostly affected b y light especially during the night. As talked about above, the mass extinction of sea turtles is majorly brought about by man and his activities. It is evident that these moral violations of man as well as their practices are set to drive the sea turtles into extinction. It is important for the public to be warned that this is an impending disaster if nothing is going to be done now. The debate as to whether man is capable of slowing the extinction seems to drag on as some opponents claim that it is too late for man to intervene. This happening as little by little man continues to take down the homes of millions of animal species for cultivation, settlement and other infrastructure, and this has doubled since 1960 (Goodale and Black, 22 ). Therefore, this indicates that more habitats will continue to be reclaimed by man as he continues to satisfy himself at the expense of other animals. The current extinction rate in the world over stands at ten thousand times faster than earlier recorded, and the highest for that matter (Garner, 23). Is this the sixth extinction? Scientists are of the opinion that these reductions in biodiversity have already stated having an impact on human life. With the belief that the world is in the middle of a mass extinction, it implies that the millions of people who are indeed contributing to this extinction of animals will face food shortage with the food that will be available prone to pests and diseases (Leakey and Lewin, 50). This is an indication that this loss of species carries with it a major threat to the existence of humans. Therefore, ignoring this interdependence between man and animals it’s like the world’s people signing their own extinction, and if nothing is done, it is bound to hobble. Man is considered to be advantaged from the other animals as rational recognition is concerned, and it is this that separates man from other animals (Goodale and Black, 22). It is the responsibility of man to salvage the world, for it will be sad if the living abundance and the natural beauty of the world is compromised in the face of man as the only thinking beings. Man should thus be capable of standing in the gap and addressing this condition through exercise of animal ethics as well as resorting to other sources of food other than flesh. Imagine the clinical trials that make use if animals in their experiments. These animals are captivated in cages, being poked at every other time and probed. This is what some animals go through especially the guinea pigs. Some face isolation for a long time just for their lives to be cut short so that man can make a meal out of them, with some being trapped and skinned for the sake of fashion and industry. This suffering of animals for human consumption and experimentation leads to the question that where is the ethical humankind who can salvage the animals from all these? The Panthera pardus is a victim to this fashion industry where its fur is a highly valued commodity for manufacture of shoes and belts as well as leather coats. However, this process of its coat to final product produces toxic wastes that can get their way into waters used for human consumption hence a threat to mans life. This means that the use, of animal products does not only affect the animals involved but also the human kind. The same happens in restaurants where most of the dishes have meat as their main ingredient (Elewa, 41). Man should thus be encouraged to the vegetarian way, for apart from saving animals it will also reduce risks of man developing certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. In as much as man has been known to hunt , kill and eat other species, man should be in a position of making a choice , for man can rely on other sources of food other than meat. This will reduce the pain animals go through in the hands of man, a fact that is emphasized by the notion that animals have no free will, and therefore no free will to choose (Garner, 25). Therefore, this remains the task of man to be able to turn around the tables and take their rightful position to salvage the world from extinction. Humans should, thus, respect animals, for they do have a right to live. This is because humans are capable of making a choice whether to inflict plain to animals or not (Palmer, 16). This ability should enable humans to determine that it is morally ethical not to do harm to animals because they have a choice, hence the unique responsibility of doing no harm. Opting for other sources of food other than flesh not only functions to safeguard animals from pain, but also to enable a sustainable environment. This is where the production of meat uses more land meaning that more land will be under cultivation as opposed to the natural forests where these animals reside. This is because grazing land will be needed, thus eliminating the carbon sinks that normally exist in forests (Tudge, 10). This in turn will lead to higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that lead to global warming. Another reason is that it takes a relatively larger space to produce the same amount of calories of plants at a smaller space. This means that meat consumption is not good for humans, as well as environment. Man should, thus, strive to conserve these animals by allowing them their habitat sustainable living, for they require other species of plants and animals too for survival. Therefore, forests should be protected Conclusion Mans activities are a sure threat to animal survival, and something should be done quickly if not now. This means that man should stop depending a lot on flesh as food to alleviate animal suffering thus respecting and protecting them. Mans activities in forests should be stopped, in addition to, protecting the animal habitats from human encroachment that most definitely results into disturbance and loss of ecological niche that is responsible for existence of every animal. Therefore, these efforts come during a time in which man’s population is on a rapid increase, meaning that man will continue being a threat, and of course in a progressing maaner (Tudge, 6). Therefore, it is for man to act now or face the consequences, for if animals become extinct, so will be mankind. This is because man lives in an eco-interdependent system where man and animals and plants co exist for the betterment of each. Extinction of any of the three means a negative effect on others, even if it will be felt a century later. Works cited Elewa, Ashraf. Mass extinction. New York, Springer, 2008. Print Garner, Robert. Animal ethics. Cambridge, Polity, 2005. Print. Goodale, Greg and Black Jason. Arguments about Animal Ethics. Lanham, Maryland, Lexington Books, 2010. Print. Leakey, Richard & Lewin, Roger. The Sixth Extinction: biodiversity and its survival. Weidenfield and Nicolson: London. 1996. Print Palmer, Clare. Animal Ethics in Context. New York. Columbia University Press, 2011. Print. Tudge, Colin. Last Animals at the Zoo: How Mass Extinction Can Be Stopped. Washington, DC. Island Press, 1992.Print. Read More