第三篇issue 121

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121. "At various times in the geological past, many species have become extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. Thus, there is no justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species."


Is there any justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species? The author claims not for the reason that at various times in the geological past, many species have become extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. However, the author overlooks such facts that nowadays inappropriate human behaviors, instead of natural force, have become the chief threat to the survival of other species, and that the extinction of certain species could breed disaster for humans.
Therefore, in terms of either morality or practicality, there is every reason for us to preserve endangered species from undue human interference.

Admittedly, in the geological past most species,
such as dinosaurs and mammoths， were extinct due to various natural factors, especially the drastic changes in climate or geology. More often than not, other species more adaptive to the new world emerged and thrived after that. In fact, such a species succession is the way the ecosystem develops.


However, since human beings emerged on earth, particularly after the Industrial Revolution, humans exert substantial influence on other species. Unfortunately, such influence is mostly negative, even fatal. According to a research, due to the impact of human activities, such as destruction of rainforest and over-hunting, the extinction rate of species is 1000 times faster than the natural extinction rate. Specifically, consider the increasing tension of over-hunting of antelopes, whose wool could make a sky-high price. Few would dispute that the wood of antelopes has little bearing on the survival of humans. Consequently, we humans are morally obligated to save those endangered species that are victims of our greed rather than basic needs

With respect to practicality, the importance of preservation of endangered species is easy to understand. As is well known, the extinction of certain species as a result of human behaviors will be bound to damage the stability of ecosystem and in turn do great harm to humans. For supporting examples, one need look no more than Hunan, a province of China, where people regard frog as delicacy recent years. As frogs nearly disappear there, owing to the over-hunting by local people, their prey, pests thrive and render a huge loss of crop production every year.

In the final analysis, some species are so intimate with people that we cannot loss them, such as panda to Chinese, bald eagle to American and elephant to India. Without doubt, the extinction of any of them will render aguish to certain people. That is way American people spared no effort to save bald eagles, the symbol of America, when they are endangered owing to the excessive use of DDT (a kind of pesticide) in 1960s and ultimately make them thrived again.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that people should determinate which species to protect according to whether they possess human-like characteristics, while it is human nature, because the correlations among species are so subtle that beyond human knowledge. This is, the extinction of those disgusting species, such as mouse and mosquito, will probability pose a great threat to humans as well.

In sum, the optimal approach for human is to strive to avoid exerting negative effects on other species’ survival and let the nature decide which species to be extinct or thrive. But when such effects have been exerted, it is morally and practically justifiable for humans to assume an active role to protect those endangered species.