Although extinction is a natural part of
life, humans are taking it to a new level. It was calculated in 2004 by the
IUCN that the annual extinction rate had reached 100-1,000 times that suggested
by the fossil records before humans. Furthermore, this may be greatly
underestimated or may have dramatically increased within the last 9 years, or
at least according to E O Wilson who is a renowned Harvard biologist. He has
stated that the rate of extinction could reach 10,000 times the background rate
in two decades. For a while now, evolution has not been able to keep up with
extinction which has resulted in a huge loss in biodiversity across the globe.
And with that, it is hard for scientists to say if a species is actually “new”
or just had not been discovered in our world yet. Biodiversity is dwindling and
if it gets any worse it will have a larger impact on us than we think.
The human species does not think of the
impacts it is having on the environment as a mass extinction, but it could be
comparable to that within the next few decades. Conservation efforts need to be
drastically enhanced in order to save critically threatened species. Being the
top of the food chain, it is easy for us to forget about anything below us. But
we need to realize that even though we are at the very top of the species, we
are still a species. We are animals. We are just like all of the endangered
species, except we have amazing capabilities that most animals do not. This should
be a positive thing; to be the smartest of the land, but it is really not. We
are becoming too smart for our own good which makes us extremely careless about
anything inferior to us. Extinction has been increased way beyond the rate that
it should naturally be occurring, and its main cause is us.
To
help or donate to conservation efforts, visit the sites below:
Sources:
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