Kroeker 1

Breanne Kroeker

ENG 1201

Professor Loudermilk

28 July 2018

Humans are Destroying the Planet and its Species

Extinction; it is a scary word. When humans think about extinction, thoughts of asteroids

falling through the sky, erupting volcanoes, or tremendous faults causing everything to fall to the

center of the Earth come to mind. Each of these common thoughts are natural causes of

extinction, but the number one cause of extinction today is not natural at all. The leading cause

of extinction is human interference. Humans are greatly affecting and causing the extinction of

plants and animals by deforestation, pollution, inhumane farming, illegal hunting and capturing,

overexploitation, and introducing invasive species.

According to conservation scientists, earth is now in the middle of its sixth mass

extinction (Center for Biological Diversity). But unlike past extinction periods, this one is not

being caused naturally. “Unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes,

volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by us —

humans. In fact, ninety-nine percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human

activities” (Center for Biological Diversity). Approximately one thousand species have gone

extinct in the past five hundred years, but it is unknown exactly how many species are in danger

of becoming extinct (Center for Biological Diversity).

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Noted conservation scientist David Wilcove estimates that seven to 18 percent of flora

and fauna in the United States and thirty-eight percent worldwide are currently endangered

(Center for Biological Diversity). Currently, amphibians have the highest rate of endangerment.

It is estimated that a third or more of approximately 6,300 species of amphibians are at risk for

extinction (Center for Biological Diversity). Similarly, twenty-one percent of reptiles around the

world are endangered or nearing extinction and twelve percent of the known 9,865 species of

birds are considered threatened, while two percent are facing an “extremely high risk” of

extinction (Center for Biological Diversity). Twenty-one percent of all fish species, including

more than a third of sharks and rays, are at risk of extinction and invertebrates are estimated to

account for ninety-seven percent of all animal species on Earth, and of the 9,526 species

observed, thirty percent were at risk of extinction (Center for Biological Diversity).

Incredibly, an estimated fifty percent of primates are threatened with extinction, half of

known mammals are declining in population, and about twenty percent are nearing extinction

and marine mammals — including several species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises — are

among those mammals slipping most quickly toward extinction (Center for Biological

Diversity). The living things most threatened with extinction today are plants. About sixty-eight

percent of the 12,914 evaluated plant species are seriously threatened with extinction (Center for

Biological Diversity).

Unfortunately, a leading cause of animal and plant extinction is deforestation. All species

in the world’s forests are affected in some way by deforestation, “the cutting down of trees in a

large area, or the destruction of threes by people”. Forests are home to countless plants and

animals and cover thirty-one percent of Earth’s surface land and rainforests themselves cover

about two percent of Earth’s surface, yet they house nearly fifty percent of all plant and animal
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species (Greentumble). Humans often destroy wild land to build homes, factories, garbage

dumps, and much more, and when removing trees from a habitat, many species are affected.

Humans moving into places

where plants and animals were

already living often means

there is no longer enough food,

water, or shelter, which causes

many organisms to die

(Kaplan). Major effects of

Fig.1 Orangutan fights digger destroying its home (Rumble in the Jungle) deforestation on animals

include habitat loss, changing climate, risk of wildfires/droughts, and starvation (Greentumble),

and soon, forest ecosystems may be irreversibly damaged (Runyan and Hopkins). With

increasingly less area for wildlife, and fewer trees, there will be a smaller and weaker defense

against another detriment of human interaction with nature: pollution.

Pollution of the ground, air and water has many recognized sources and are all connected

in some way. The runoff or disposal of chemical substances from farms or farming factories can

cause pollution, so when farmers use pesticides on their plants, they can end up soaking into the

ground and damaging the soil as well as the animals that eat the plants (Kaplan). Air pollution

can take place when fossil fuels are burned, but this does not only damage the air. Air pollution

damages Earth’s environments and its inhabitants. Factories, automobiles, and planes put

chemicals into the air that can fall onto plants and seep into water supplies (Kaplan). Pollution

leads to acid rain, which badly damages the environment, and can harm plants and animals.

When acid rain seeps into the soil, it changes the soil’s chemistry which makes it unfit for many
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things that rely on it for habitat or nutrition (Russell). Acid rain can also change the chemistry of

bodies of water, which in turn affects aquatic life (Russell). Air pollutants called

chlorofluorocarbons

(or CFCs) are

thinning and

destroying the ozone

layer which shields

Earth from harmful

ultraviolet radiation,

eventually harming

all living things

Fig.2 Unhealthy polar bear trapped on iceberg due to global warming (Global Warming)

(Russell). It is known that some amphibian species are disappearing because of ultraviolet light

exposure (Center for Biological Diversity). Ozone molecules not only damage lung tissue, but

they also prevent plant respiration, so the plants are unable to convert all the carbon dioxide that

is released into the air, causing global warming (Russell). Additional greenhouse gases are

causing the Earth to warm at a much more rapid pace than what was expected, and when fuels

are burned, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is released into the air (Russell). This is another

detrimental effect of pollution.

Humans need animals for almost every aspect of life, so there are many types of farms

and farming factories that raise animals. Inhumane farming practices are another way humans

negatively impact the world. Farms raise animals for various purposes, for example, their skins,

bones, shells, or internal organs and meat. There are some places where animals are raised

humanely in clean places, but most of the time, the animals are kept in very tight spaces
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(Kaplan). In these places, animals are often fed foods and drugs that make them grow to produce

more meat, but this is not healthy for them. These drugs can dramatically alter the physical

features of the farm animals because in producing more meat the animals grow to much greater

sizes (Kaplan).

“We illegally hunt and kill animals.” (NHPBS). Although hunting some animals is illegal

and carries a heavy fine, humans still hunt endangered species. Why is that? Well, to put it

simply: money. “Wildlife crime is a big business (WWF). Since the wildlife trade is illegal, it is

unknown exactly how much this industry is worth, but experts estimate that it runs into hundreds

of millions of dollars (WWF). High

demands for animal products, like rhino

horns and elephant ivory, causes more

illegal hunting, trapping, and poaching.

Poaching is “the illegal harming or

killing of wildlife” (MSPCA). Although

hunters often purposely harm and kill

Fig.3 Shark unintentionally caught in fishing net (Animal Rights) endangered animals, they more often kill

animals unintentionally. An example of this is when fishermen specifically fishing for tuna may

accidentally get an endangered animal caught in their net. On land, a hunter setting a trap meant

for a pest may unintentionally ensnare something endangered. This is usually on a small scale,

unlike another environmental problem caused by humans: overexploitation.

“Overexploitation, which occurs when so many individuals are removed that a population

can no longer sustain itself in the wild without intervention, has been a major contributor in the

decline of land-based species over the last 50 years, and the primary driver of biodiversity loss
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in marine systems” (Callahan). “Overexploitation [is] the most prevalent [threat] facing 8,688

threatened or near-threatened species” (Aldred). Rather than only reducing the population,

overexploitation also limits the ability to tolerate biodiversity loss in affected species (Callahan).

Nearly 75 percent of threatened species are affected by overexploitation (Aldred).

Overexploitation can happen as a direct target on the animal, such as overfishing, or the physical

environment can be overexploited, such as continuous farming in the same region. Overfishing is

“catching too many fish at once, so the breeding population becomes too depleted to recover”

(Environmental Defense Fund). The fish cannot bounce back from such tremendous losses to

their populations. When a region is continuously farmed, the nutrients in the soil disappear, and

the animals that depended on the plants and nutrients must find new places to thrive.

Humans are on the move and sometimes bring their problems with them. Globalization of

human interaction brings with it the issue of invasive species, species that have been introduced

to a habitat that they did not naturally come from. The practice of introducing foreign species to

new regions dates back thousands of years (Hill). It is a consequence of globalization because

people traveling and moving across the globe not only transport products but wildlife as well

(Hill). This practice was especially common during the explorations of the New World when

explorers would bring back strange specimens to be examined, hopefully sparking interest in

future expeditions (Hill). Although this practice was and still is popular, in many cases, the plant

or animal cannot thrive in its new alien environment. Lacking proper food sources combined

with wrong climate usually makes for a short lifespan for the animal in its new habitat (Hill). In

other cases, the introduced specimen can thrive quickly and successfully throughout its new

habitat, but the introduction of the new species can have several negative impacts. When

successful in its new environment, the introduced plant or animal can “wreak havoc” on the
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environment (Hill). This demonstrates that a negative effect of an invasive species is widespread

loss of habitat, or killing of large numbers of native species, as happened when Burmese pythons

were introduced in the Everglades, and since have decimated local mammal and bird species

(Hill). It is estimated that about 80 percent of hemlock trees have been destroyed by the hemlock

woolly adelgid, an invasive species from Asia. This insect kills hemlock trees, thus impacting the

habitat in extreme negative ways. Another negative effect invasive species have is physically

altering the habitat. In one instance, 50 beavers were transported to Tierra del Fuego, South

America, from Canada, and multiplied into hundreds of thousands. The beavers gnawed on the

trees like usual, but the trees were not accustomed to the new amount of destruction and as a

result cannot grow back (Hill).

It is a well-known fact that plants and animals adapt to their environments. This has been

understood since Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands. Organisms inhabit nearly

every environment on Earth, ranging from hot vents on the ocean floor, to the ice-cold Arctic

region (Malmstrom). Each environment has resources and constraints that shape the appearance

of the organisms that live in it (Malmstrom). In environments where it is warm all year, plants

can photosynthesize continuously, or until there is no longer enough resources or nutrients.

However, in regions where there is not enough sunlight year-round, like in polar regions, plants

need to cope with extended periods in which photosynthesis ceases (Malmstrom). In fact,

sunlight and temperature are among the biggest factors when it comes to plant and animal life.

Organisms generally slow down or freeze when temperatures are low but sometimes overheat

when temperatures rise. To cope with this, many species have adapted to their extreme

temperatures by growing thicker fur to retain heat, and some cold-blooded animals have

developed dark colorations and position themselves in the sun to increase their temperature and
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energy gains (Malmstrom). Temperature also affects water availability. In freezing

environments, water is frozen, so therefore not readily available, whereas in very warm

environments, water evaporates quickly (Malmstrom). To thrive, organisms must know how to

conserve water in these harsh climates. If plants and animals are adapted to survive in such harsh

environments, then surely, they can adapt to the effects of mankind, right?

Wrong! For at the rate humans are destroying the environment, plants and animals have

no chance to adapt quickly enough to survive. Their continual demise is due to the rapidity of

destruction. A common retort against the destruction of the world is that it is just business, it is

not personal. Humans need to make it personal! Otherwise, “numbers of extinctions are likely to

snowball in the coming decades as ecosystems unravel” (Center for Biological Diversity). If

enough humans act, there are many ways to slow down the rapidly increasing extinction rate by

combating deforestation, pollution, inhumane farming, illegal hunting and capturing,

overexploitation, and the introduction of invasive species.

Greentumble lists four different ways to stop deforestation: combating illegal logging,

reforming trade agreements, protecting forested areas, and educating local communities.

Creating a regulation against logging, communities are forced to reassess their use of forests

(Greentumble). They also state that economies reliant on forest ecosystems should develop ways

to promote forest conservation through trade. Trade agreements could attempt to make

governments only use sustainable products, which in turn would preserve forests around the

world (Greentumble). Planting more trees is a way to sustain forests that are being cut down. It is

extremely important for governments to get involved to educate the community and stop

deforestation and protect the forests still left on Earth.

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Humans need to act soon to combat pollution because not only is pollution affecting

plants and animals, pollution affects humans a great deal. The ozone layer is thinning because of

sir pollution (Russell). The ozone layer shields Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation and with

it thinning, humans are at a greater risk of skin cancer (Russell). Global warming is also caused

by pollution. Additional greenhouse gases are causing the Earth to warm at a much more rapid

pace than what was previously expected (Russell). When fuels are burned, carbon dioxide, a

greenhouse gas, is released into the air. Plants are unable to convert all the carbon dioxide that is

released, causing global warming (Russell). Without cutting down on pollution, Russell warns

about significant changes to the world. Some dangers Russell warns about are polar ice melting,

which changes the habitat for creatures living in polar regions, ocean warming, causing rises in

sea levels which affect marine ecosystems, and less rainfall in the dry interiors of continents,

which limits water resources for plants, animals, and humans. Some easy ways to combat

pollution is to avoid dumping paint or chemicals onto the ground, use compost to feed your

plants instead of chemical fertilizers, and make your voice heard by contacting your government

officials (Kaplan).

Gilbert E. Metcalf, author of Paying for Pollution: Why a Carbon Tax is Good for

America, gives perhaps the greatest combat against pollution. Metcalf believes the United States

should enact a tax on carbon emissions. The creation of this tax will hopefully reduce overall

emissions (Metcalf). This tax would be a rude awakening for Americans who do not care what

they or others are doing to the environment, because who wants to pay more taxes? Certainly not

the factory farms that are responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas pollution.

Farms are where people get their food, but as noted, factory farm animals are often kept

in inhumane conditions. There are many ways to combat factory farming cruelty. One way is to
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sign petitions, which are very effective in showing just how many people are against an issue

(Geer). Another way to combat farm animal cruelty is to support animal sanctuaries. Farm

animal sanctuaries provide care and rehabilitation to animals affected by the farming industry

(Geer). People wanting to fight animal cruelty can campaign for local change by supporting

organizations and local campaigns that are wanting to bring about change (Geer). A final way to

combat factory farming is to educate your peers. Many people have not been informed about the

cruelty factory farm animals endure. It is a problem that has been hidden from much of the

mainstream media, but people can make a noticeable difference by educating friends, family, and

colleagues (Geer).

Although illegal hunting and capturing animals is a dangerous business, there are many

ways the World Wildlife Fund lists that people can do to help stop it. The first thing to do is

educate the public (World Wildlife Fund). Informing people about what they are buying and how

they got those products may discourage them from staying in business with some suppliers.

Discouraging certain unsustainable goods and encouraging sustainable goods can also help

(World Wildlife Fund). The World Wildlife Fund is combating illegal hunting and capturing by

supporting regulations that research illegal wildlife trade routes, the effects of wildlife trade, and

deficiencies in wildlife trade laws. The World Wildlife Fund is asking for help to push

governments to increase law enforcement and strict deterrents, and to reduce the demand for

illegal wildlife parts to help stop overexploitation.

To stop overexploitation, one must learn how to prevent the overall depletion of natural

resources. One way listed by author Brett Smith is to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. With

less dependency on fossil fuels, areas where fossil fuels are mined will cease being

overexploited. Another way to stop the overexploitation of resources is preserving trees and
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forests. Preserving trees will stop forests from being overexploited to create paper and other

goods. Approximately four billion trees are being cut to meet the need for paper alone (Smith).

The most important way to stop overexploitation is to get involved. Contacting representatives at

national, state, and local levels gets public opinions heard. Participating in local activities and

urging organizations to be active supporters also is an important way to fight overexploitation

(Smith).

Like combating the other causes of damage on the planet, there are many strategies to

stop damage caused by invasive species, beginning with educating the public (Hill). Helping

people understand the impact invasive species have on environment would potentially deter them

from releasing their exotic pets into the habitats. Laws have been passed to restrict exotic pets

from being traded, and along with laws regarding exotic pet trade, many laws and regulations

have been put in place to combat the spread of invasive species (Hill). For example, ballast water

in tankers must be decontaminated before it can be released from the boat to not spread invasive

bacteria and organisms (Hill). In addition to passing laws, promoting the harvest of invasive

species is a widely used technique to combat the effects of species invasion. In 2013, Florida

hosted a python hunt that awarded a cash prize to people who killed pythons (Hill). In Argentina,

hunters are encouraged to hunt beavers to eradicate them (Hill).

Though there are many natural causes of extinction, by far the number one cause of plant

and animal extinction from earth is interaction with humans. Human interference is causing an

almost innumerable amount of varying species of organisms to disappear completely, never to

return. Humans are causing far too much damage and extinction from the effects of

deforestation, pollution, inhumane farming, illegal hunting and capturing, introducing invasive
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species, and overexploitation. If too little is done to put an end to these in the very near future,

many of the Earth’s living creatures will disappear forever.

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Works Cited

Aldred, Jessica. “Agriculture and overuse greater threats to wildlife than climate change” The

Guardian, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/10/agriculture-

and-overuse-greater-threats-to-wildlife-than-climate-change-study. Accessed 28 July

2019.

“Animal Rights Groups Hope Graphic Video Will Drive Stricter Regulations on Drift Nets” The

Mercury News, 11 April 2018. https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/11/are-dolphins-

whales-and-turtles-routinely-killed-by-drift-nets-animal-rights-groups-hope-graphic-

video-will-drive-stricter-regulations/. Accessed 28 July 2019.

Callahan, Nicole Barone. “Overexploitation” EnviroLiteracy, 2015,

https://enviroliteracy.org/ecosystems/drivers-of-biodiversity-loss/overexploitation/.

Accessed 27 July 2019.

Center for Biological Diversity. "Extinction Crisis." Biological Diversity, 17 February 2019,

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/exti

nction_crisis/. Accessed 27 July 2019.

Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species. New York: Sterling, 2011

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threat-our-oceans. Accessed 28 July 2019.

Geer, Abigail. “Simple Ways You Can Help End Factory Farming” One Green Planet, 2014,

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/simple-ways-you-can-help-end-

factory-farming-besides-going-veg/. Accessed 21 July 2019.

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“Global Warming: Not Just a Polar Bear Issue” A Medium Corporation, 8 December 2015.

https://medium.com/kaleidoscopic-world/global-warming-not-just-a-polar-bear-issue-

a81b701d42d0. Accessed 27 July 2019.

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