Do you want to live in a world where plants and animals are the same everywhere you go? Are there things that the diversity of life on Earth does for humanity that are irreplaceable? Do you feel that it is acceptable for humans to push out other forms of life on our planet? In other words, do plants and animals have a right to live undisturbed by us? Do plants and animals, or ecosystems, have rights at all?
This is the link to the article that you will be responding to.
Problem: Extinction Of Plant And Animal Species
http://www.webofcreation.org/Earth%20Problems/species.htm
Remember, you need to write a 300 word opinion/reaction to the article by Friday, July 29. You then have between Friday, July 29 and Friday, August 5 to respond to one of your classmate's posts. Please see the calendar page, the link for which is on the right.
Additionally, you should take a look at the links below to familiarize yourself with the issue a bit more. This will give you some context when you read the article. I don't expect you to spend too much time, but take a few minutes to explore the sites and get an idea for the scope of the issue.
What is biodiversity and why is it important? Short explanation.
http://www.ciel.org/Biodiversity/WhatIsBiodiversity.html
Services the diversity of life provides humans. There is also a lot of other great information on this page.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares#Ahealthybiodiversityoffersmanynaturalservices
This site has a great interactive map showing places in the world where biodiversity is most threatened. Open the map and explore.
http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/Pages/default.aspx
This is from the same site as the interactive map, but is the page for the Central America region. You should definitely check it out!
http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/mesoamerica/Pages/default.aspx
It is scary to think that the last massive extinction that took place was the one of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. However, I think it is scarier to know that we might be living the sixth one within the next hundred years. And by the way, it is mostly our fault. This also affects the genetic diversity of species. Living in a world where plants and animals are just the same everywhere I go would be extremely boring. There would not be variety and everything would look plain and uniform, without any form of rhythm or texture.
ReplyDeleteSome of the resources planet Earth gives us are irreplaceable, and we do not exactly get this. Human beings continue to foster climate change by the increasing population and the production of greenhouse gases. What is even worse is that we do not change and do something, one of the species that will die is our species: the Homo sapiens. However, we do not have the right to push other species out and don’t care. It is our responsibility to take care of the environments and make it a better place.
Changes already started to take place and species are changing their way of life, suggesting that if they are changing now, what will happen within the next hundred years? Urbanization and deforestation are already a problem and what I think is that people think that a little bit will do no harm, but the truth is that all those “littles” build up together and damage the environment. I absolutely think that plants and animals have the same rights as us and as every other form of life. They have the right to live undisturbed by humans because they have the right to live. Furthermore, we, as humans have the responsibility to care for other species.
Do people seriously know that many species are in danger of extinction, or do they really care? I think that this is a serious problem. Many species and plants are in danger of extinction and we don’t do anything about it. It worries me since there are many species all around the world that are dying every day. Some species or plants exists only in some parts of the world, and when people travel they feel strange like in another place since on their own place they don’t see such things. Each place in the world has its unique spot that is differentiated by its environment, which include different species and plants.
ReplyDeleteThis quote impacted me when I read the article, "Every day, an estimated 100 plant and animal species are lost to deforestation". I just can believe that deforestation is taking away the lives of many animals that are in danger of extinction. All of human actions have to stop since we are one cause of this problem. Like deforestation, pollution is also a problem for animal species extinction. For example people pollute on streets by throwing trash and afterwards the rain comes and washes all this wastes to the nearest rivers or lakes. Here animals on lakes or rivers get contaminated by all the chemicals of the polluted things and die. Extinction increases by pollution.
I think that it really is a problem in which all people should collaborate on a plan to save those species and plants. It would be horrible if global warming would occur again where almost 95% of the species alive on earth were killed. This could happen if we humans are not careful with the environment. Worst of all, it took 100 million years for species diversity to return to their former levels. Another interesting question I found was, what might happen in the next 100 years? Dr.Leakey believes that 50% of earth’s species will disappear, including us, Homo sapiens. This might invite people to fight towards our environment and care for it in all the ways possible. (Being GREEN always) Think about your future generation, what will be of them without 50% of earth species?
I thought it was interesting when Glori said: “What is even worse is that we do not change and do something, one of the species that will die is our species: the Homo sapiens.” This might unfortunately come true and people don’t realize it. It would be really sad that we had to reach the point that behalf of animal species and plant, Homo sapiens would also disappear in large amount. I think that we should create policies or plan something for a greater change towards our environment. We have to be able to save many beautiful species that earth support for future generations to enjoy them. Traveling is one of the greatest things on earth, and when doing this people also enjoy the different extravagant species and plants that are not found anywhere around the world.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is probably the one I am most attached to, yet probably one of the ones I am most confused about. I love animals, so it really gets to me when people say that we should forget about saving species. Nonetheless, I acknowledge that the issue is not all that simple and that my mentality is a bit naive. Biodiversity is not exclusive to cute furry mammals and multiple factors must be examined when it comes to making decisions concerning it.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say that humans are no different from all other species. I have this belief that in the end, as different as superior we may feel to other species, in the end... we are all just the same DNA strand only rearranged. Nonetheless... I know, that this is not the way it works. The world is really in the hands of humans, giving them an advantage over all other species. In the end, it is up to human beings if they want to prioritize their survival or the survival of the environment.
I believe prioritizing the environment might be the better idea if we are thinking long term. If we make an effort to save species, we might keep the cycle of nature in balance, which can offer innumerable benefits. If we protect bees from becoming extinct, then we are also protecting plant growth, which offers food to us as well as other animals. Likewise, if we protect other plants, we might just be able to find cures to diseases that are yet to be discovered. In the end, we are doing more for ourselves than we really think.
Still... there are some cons. Sometimes, because we want to save a specie we inhibit people from getting jobs. Let's face it, cutting tress in the Amazon gives people jobs. It provides food to an innumerable amount of families. Likewise, I understand that not all extinctions are bad. As I mentioned earlier in a blog, had it not been for the meteorite that wiped off the dinosaurs, animals like mammals and snakes would not have risen. I can imagine that lots of beautiful life disappeared in that event, and well... "life went on". Maybe this extinction might just be nature adapting to humans' life style.
Whatever it is, I hope human beings, having the power over the Earth's destiny make the right choice and make decisions where both the environment and themselves as individuals can flourish.
I really liked when Gabriela stated a last question in her post that said: "Think about your future generation, what will be of them without 50% of earth species?" This is completely true. People might not really care about the environment and the species right now because they take them for granted. They think that all the resources and all the living things will be here forever to stay. But they are wrong because the truth is that the species are dying. And now, what will the future generations do without most of the species on Earth? Where will they get the resources they need from? These are the things that people do not realize right now and they continue making the same mistakes all over and over again. We all need to change. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteI liked Glori's comment on saying that the world would indeed be very boring if the same plants and animals would be found everywhere. It is also very true what Gabriela says. When we go to a different place, we are fascinated by its unique biodiversity. If there would be no variety in species, what would be the fun of taking safaris to Africa or going bird- seeing. Indeed, the world would be very boring. Regardless, I still feel there's so much more to the issue of extinction. Extinction can wipe out plants, bacteria or even fungi that can serve as cures to diseases. Likewise, it can cause disruptions to nature's natural processes. Without all species, I don't think we can function as easily as we do now.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very easy for people to relate to because everyone including myself worries about the indefinite harm that the human race is causing due to the exponential growth that the homo sapiens race is having, but even though we all worry it is a very small part of the population that is actually doing something to avoid this and those who are helping immediately seem to be located in the "tree hugger" division such as mentioned in the article.. This growth is making humans abuse the natural resources that are needed for species to sustain themselves and they are being used to create new accommodations in order for the human population.
ReplyDeleteI would not like to live in a world that every plant and animals surrounding planet earth is the same in every place because not only would this limit the resources that are created by animals but also it would eliminate the “food web” that is responsible for maintaining the predator-prey idea constant and sustainable. Many things that are offered by in life by Earth are indeed irreplaceable if something as the probable as the sixth extinction was to happen because it would be responsible for shattering and making plant and animal species completely disappear. This wouldn't be the only thing that would be irreplaceable but also if this was to happen the cause of removing almost half of the present plant and animal species would cause a huge climate change that would be felt and affect the entire earth.
I do not feel that it is fair for humans to push out other forms of life that Earth provides for us because even though some forms of life may not seem so important, when removing them they can also affect another living thing by removing their shelter or food source. This would cause a domino effect that could be responsible for many species to extinct. All plants and animals form different ecosystems and they all have the complete right to live undisturbed and unabated by the overly inconsiderate expansion of the human race.
Thinking of the harm that all humans are causing to their surroundings is very hurtful because it is the constant mistreatment of the environment that is creating an exponential extinction of plant and animal species which are ultimately affecting everyone and everything by changing entire ecosystems. I agree with what Isa had to say because as she said in her opening paragraph "this article appeals the most to me" it actually may appeal the most to a large majority because in my case a have to be constantly reminded what we as a human race are causing due to our commodities in life. We are maybe improving our lifestyle but at the cost of others and those who feel it the most are plant and animals who are evidently being pushed away from their natural ecosystem and it is being replaced by that of what humans use it for. This expansion is so rapid that those species that are being pushed away don't even get enough time to adapt to their new surrounding which ultimately causes them to extinct.
ReplyDeleteIn a matter of thirty years, about the half of the species on earth could die in one of the fastest mass extinctions in the planet’s 4.5 billion years history. Global warming is a major effect on Earth and it affects its entire species. The migration is accelerating, the timing of the seasons is changing, and animals are migrating, hatching eggs, and bearing young on average five days earlier than usual. Animals are losing their habitats. And it is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, the habitat loss and fragmentation by deforestation and urbanization. Humans alter approximately half of Earth’s landmass over the past 150 years. More than half of the world’s rainforests have disappeared.
ReplyDeleteAny place you go you are going to see different types of plants or animals, only if you change from one country to another. If you stay in your same country you will likely see the same things over and over again, and by some time it gets boring. The diversity of life on Earth is really amazing. You can see flowers in a part of the world that you can see nowhere else but there. I think it is very unfair and unacceptable for humans to push out other form of life on our planet. Everyone on Earth including the smallest species deserves a chance to live on Earth, and why want to destroy them or kick them out. If it is a bad species that is taking over the world and infecting everyone it would be more than acceptable to push them out from our planet. Plants or animals do not really talk, and we do not know what they are thinking or even if they think at all but it is unfair to just kill them. Everyone has a right to be in this planet including plants, animals or ecosystems. They are a part of the Earth and with out them we could even die because we also require resources from them.