BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE:
While I was deciding what current event to write about this week, I saw many articles on whether or not humans are leading to various mass depletions or extinctions of animals. I thought this was interesting because I recently took a geology class called “Dangerous Planet”, which was about various disasters and ecological events taking place around the world before and after humans have been around. All the various articles pointed to humans being the reason for the mass depletions and extinctions. I saw a few people that debated the articles blaming humans. The other sides refute went around the lines of, this is God’s path was or it’s not every human’s fault, just the ones that poach or hunt. However, in my Geology class, I learned the reason for the climate change, catastrophic storms, animals being kicked out of the ecosystems, plants deteriorating, unhealthy water and many more awful events all have one main thing in common: Humans.
MY OPINION:
Humans have taken over this Earth with overpopulation and overconsumption. One of the main issues with all of the overpopulation is an increased use of harmful gases which cause the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect makes the Earth hotter. Some of these animals and plants are not adapting or adjusting to the climate change. Even though it may be just a few degrees, the animals and plants do not have the adequate time to adjust like they have in the past. According to NASA, global warming has happened in the past, but something unusual is happening with the current global warming epidemic. Global warming is happening 20 times faster than usual. Now, why would it be happening 20 times faster? Because of the increase in humans and the waste we contribute to the Earth. Think about it: Every human needs things throughout their life that contribute to waste like diapers, wipes, a bike (had to be built in a factory), building a house, driving a car. Humans are living longer but babies are still be produced at the same rates.
THE COLD HARD FACTS:
According to Washington Post, Cheetah’s population consists little more than 7,000 total and expected to drop another 50% in the next 15 years. Lion’s population has decreased 40% in 20 years and just look at the polar bears and the penguins who are experiencing global warming at its worst. I am just naming very well-known popular animals but there are many more animals that are becoming extinct because of one very common phenomenon: Humans. How can we change this? Alternative energy, stop building strip malls and roads in wildlife habitats, eliminate poaching, eliminate zoos taking healthy animals out of the wild, and so much more. Do some research on this topic, it is eye opening and to be honest necessary. We live on Earth, but do not have respect for anything that was here before us.
Works cited:
Phillips, K. (2017, July 12). Earth is on its way to the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs, scientists warn. Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/07/12/earth-is-on-its-way-to-the-biggest-mass-extinction-since-the-dinosaurs-scientists-warn/?utm_term=.562481bddc2d
Climate change causes: A blanket around the Earth. (2017, August 10). Retrieved September 21, 2017, from https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
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