Should the Endangered Species Act Be Strengthened - Coursework Example

Strengthening of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) We live in a world where human activity on the environment has led to a lot of destruction. It is saddening that it is the voiceless animal and plant species that have to pay for our mistakes. Today, there are thousands of species that are almost disappearing from the world mainly due to habitat destruction by man. Human survival is pegged on the survival of other organisms and if they were all to die, we would also die. This is why it is important to take seriously any legislation that is meant to help in the conservation of different species. The Endangered Species Act is pone of the most important conservation legislations and it needs to be strengthened to avoid loosing some important organisms to extinction. The Endangered Species Act An endangered species is defined as the population of organisms which is facing the risk of extinction because of its low population or because it is being threatened by predation or environmental constraints. 40% of all organisms are in the class of endangered species. Although many nations have legislation on the conservation of species, many of the endangered species will eventually disappear from the face of the earth. This is because it is not all of them that are recognized as being endangered (Baur and Irvin, 2002). In the US there is a piece of legislation that seeks to protect some of the known endangered species. This legislation is known as the Endangered Species Act, which was passed in 1973. According to section 2 of this act, the stated purpose of the act is to offer protection to species and their ecosystems. The primary objective of the ESA, therefore, is to prevent the extinction of plant and animal species that are in peril of being wiped from the face of the earth. The other objective of this act is to recover and maintain the populations of these species through the removal of factors that threaten their survival (Baur and Irvin, 2002). Protecting endangered species can be a delicate and complicated matter. This paper sets to discuss the impact of the environmental issue on a sustainable world. I will present the opposing arguments on the strengthening of the Endangered Species Act and what this means for the future of endangered species. Arguments Opposing Strengthening the ESA Environmental issues have taken center stage in many parts of the world today. It is these same environmental issues that have been the basis for listing and delisting of endangered species. Some people believe that the ESA is too powerful as it is and it should not be strengthened. One of the reasons given on why the legislation should not be strengthened is that human beings are more worthy than animals (Miller and Spoolman, 2008a). The argument here is that when individuals want to do something, they should not be restricted on the basis of animal or plant protection. A case in point was 1990 listing of the Pacific Northwest forest habitat for the northern spotted owl after it was listed among the endangered species. What followed was uproar from the timber industry who claimed that the home building and real estate industry would be hurt by this act, resulting in a worse economic disaster. A presidential candidate during that period was on record stating that people were more important than owls (Grumbine, 1994). Another issue raised by those opposing the strengthening of the ESA is the individual’s right to own property. The people who are normally affected by the listing of endangered species are land owners. There have been cases whereby people were displaced from their lands in the name of species conservation. This act puts more emphasis on the wellbeing of endangered species than it does on the economic implications of conservation (Easton, 2008). Another argument that is commonly presented by opponents of a strong ESA is that it has the potential of encouraging preemptive destruction of habitats by landowners who may fear having to loose their lands as a result of the presence of an endangered species (Miller and Spoolman, 2008a). While all these arguments have been used to undermine the strengthening of the Endangered Species Act, it is generally agreed that there should be some means and ways of lessening the negative consequences of species conservation. This will enable people to accept the idea of giving up ka part of their property to save a species. Arguments Supporting Strengthening of the ESA The impact of human activity on the environment has had a lot of effects not only on the climate, but also on different species of flora and fauna (Miller and Spoolman, 2008b). Human activities that affect the environment have led to the destruction of habitats of thousands of species. This is what led to the formation of ESA in the first place. There was a need to protect the species that were in danger of extinction together with their natural habitats. Yet it is very hard to control human activity which makes it hard to conserve these species. This is one of the reasons why the Endangered Species Act should be strengthened (Easton, 2008). Proponents of the ESA argue that if species conservation is to continue, the scientific principles in the act have to be maintained. This is to say that there is more to conservation of species than just taking care of the species in their natural habitats. People need to know why there is a need to conserve those animals and plants which are on the brink of extinction; otherwise, nobody may really care. The ESA should be strengthened to include all the scientific principles which will help in species conservation (Miller and Spoolman, 2008a). Many environmentalists do disagree with the argument that the ESA should not be strengthened. They claim that without this piece of legislation, many species would have succumbed to oblivion. Opponents to the legislation normally cite its seeming ineffectiveness in restoring troubled species (Grumbine, 1994). However, it is a well known fact that it takes a very long time to restore a species that is on the brink of extermination. If the act was strengthened through more funding and support, maybe the results would be more tangible. A strengthened Endangered Species Act will allow the relevant authorities to take care of critical habitats in conjunction with local residents of a place. This would definitely slow down the loss of species whose extinction rate has been on the upward trend these past ten decades. People need to realize the importance of conservation and they can only do so if the most important environmental act in the country is strengthened. A strengthened Act should be able to deal with ecosystem-wide solutions instead of relying on the Band aid approaches whereby only one species is dealt with at a time (Easton, 2008). The endangered species act has played a great role in ensuring that species that were on the brink of extinction have increased in population. For instance, the bald eagle increased from 417 to 11,040 pairs from 1963 to 2007. The Peregrine Falcon’s population rose from 324 to 1,700 pairs from 1975 to 2000. These two species have since been removed from the endangered species list. Other species that have increased in population after being placed on the endangered species list include the Whooping Crane, Kirtland’s Warbler, Gray wolf and the Gray whale (Baur and Irvin, 2002). Conclusion The Endangered Species Act needs to be strengthened so that we can save more species from extinction. Today, there are thousands of species that are almost disappearing from the world mainly due to habitat destruction by man. Human survival is pegged on the survival of other organisms and if they were all to die, we would also die. This is why it is important to take seriously any legislation that is meant to help in the conservation of different species. The loss of habitats, over-use of pesticides, and human development activities have all led to the extinction of some species before (Miller and Spoolman, 2008a). The act needs to be strengthened so that some of the activities that lead to extinction can be contained. The importance of the environment on human survival cannot be overstated, hence there is need to have strong legislation that will ensure that every aspect of the environment is well taken care of. The ESA is one of the most important environmental legislations in the US. Strengthening is an indication that the government is ready to support environmental efforts that are geared towards the conservation of different species of plants and animals (Grumbine, 1994). The endangered Species Act should be strengthened so that it can be more organized to allow for the recovery of species. One of the major weaknesses of this act is that it takes so much a lot of time to identify and put organisms on the threatened or endangered species list. This renders the act almost ineffective since only a minimal number of species are actually recovered and stricken out of the list (Miller and Spoolman, 2008a). The Act should not only be strengthened, it should also be reviewed so that the economic consequences of the conservation efforts of different species can be considered (Miller and Spoolman, 2008b). There has been a lot of hue and cry in the past over a lack of insight when it comes to conservation activities. People have lost jobs and property and the economy has suffered as a result. The Act should be reviewed so that compensation becomes an option when there is loss of property during conservation processes. Strengthening of the act will give the relevant environmental agencies the authority to carry out their duties without having to worry about lawsuits that may be lodged against them by angry property owners (Grumbine, 1994). In other words, a strong Endangered Species Act will leave no room for political manipulation. It is will be easier to implement and use it when needed. The Endangered Species Act is without a doubt one of Americas most important environmental legislations. Several species are still on in existence today because of the protection provided to them through this act. However, there are still so many species that disappear from the face of the earth. The world is faced with the worst rate of organism extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. We must do everything in out power to ensure that no more living things have to exit this world. The future generations deserve the chance of interacting with the environment like we do; therefore it is paramount that the Endangered Species Act be strengthened. References Baur, D., Irvin, W.R. (2002) The Endangered Species Act: law policy and perspectives. American Bar Association. Retrieved from: http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=qtNkfFZ68NgC&dq=Should+the+Endangered+Species+Act+Be+Strengthened%3F&source=gbs_navlinks_s Easton, T. (2008) Taking Sides: Clashing views on environmental issues. McGraw-Hill, New York. Grumbine, E. R. (1994) Environmental Policy and Biodiversity. Retrieved from: http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=dH532oahEL0C&dq=Should+the+Endangered+Species+Act+Be+Strengthened%3F&source=gbs_navlinks_s Miller, G.T. and Spoolman, S. (2008a) Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections and Solutions. Retrieved from: http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=5gC9Dy1YWfkC&dq=Should+the+Endangered+Species+Act+Be+Strengthened%3F&source=gbs_navlinks_s Miller, G.T. and Spoolman, S. (2008b) Sustaining the Erath: An integrated approach. Retrieved from: http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=kiq_xp1Ym8YC&dq=Should+the+Endangered+Species+Act+Be+Strengthened%3F&source=gbs_navlinks_s Read More