Extinction is Around the Corner
Earth’s creatures and the environment were meant to co-exist.
They support each other. Throughout human existence, we have created an easier
lifestyle for ourselves. This has
created problems with our fellow inhabitants. As a human race, we have failed to
understand what co-existence truly means. We have become the environment, as
animals are nature. Our inability to understand how our choices affect nature
has caused us to break that sacred bond between these rules of co-existence.
Presently, we are living with the knowledge that we are bringing an end to life
for many creatures whom are our fellow inhabitants of the earth. Our ignorance
has steered our planet into the arms of global warming. This obstructs our
environment’s basic needs which allow it to sustain life.
As a result of our failure to respect our planet there are high CO2
levels in the atmosphere. The increase in CO2 creates higher temperatures. We
rarely notice these mild changes in temperature. On the other hand, many animals
are suffering from far more than a simple heatstroke. Consider the Emperor
Penguins; these animals are facing shortages in their food, krill, because the
reductions in ice shelves are diminishing them. Global warming is directly
threatening the penguin’s way of life. Look at the world in the Penguin’s eyes,
your habitable land is diminishing by the second and your food source is
unstable. This is not an ideal situation to be in. For instance, in the 1960’s
an emperor colony at Pointe Geologie declined an average of 70 percent mainly
due to the increase in water temperature and changing currents. These two things
reduced the abundance of their prey.The Emperor Penguins have had to adapt to
a different environment and a different way of life in order to survive these changes.
The Emperor Penguins should have never had to adapt. Instead of us“asking” them to
adapt to a different lifestyle, we should ask that of ourselves.
CO2 levels are not only affecting Antarctica’s ecosystem; they are also
affecting the ocean’s ecosystem. Clownfish, live in subtropical ocean waters and
depend on sea anemones for protection and shelter. They are facing a “Mass
Genocide”. Coral reefs are declining at a rapid rate due to CO2 levels. This is
inhibiting the life of clownfish because their co-dependence with sea anemones
only ensures their survival if coral reefs are present. Coral reefs are crucial
to clownfish because that’s where they live. Sea anemones deter every fish with
their poisonous stings, except for clownfish, who are resistant. Thus, sea
anemones provide them with safety and shelter from predators.
In return, clownfish help keep sea anemone at a healthy state. A single
sea anemone can sustain several clownfish. However, the clownfish will die out
if their environment continues to suffer the consequences of our behavior. Not
only are their habitats being destroyed, there is also increasing acidification
in the ocean. This is impairing the clownfish sense of smell, which is needed to
track down their specific host sea anemone. This disruption of their senses
leaves the juvenile clownfish vulnerable to its predators; their chances for
mating have severely decreased. Although many people believe that climate change
is not an issue, records indicate otherwise. We are seeing the effects of
climate change have a strong influence in the daily lives of animals such as the
clownfish. Sooner or later, these effects will not only have a toll on animals,
but humans as well.
In addition, the CO2 levels affecting aquatic animals are also affecting
animals in different regions of the world. The Koala Bears of Australia are
being threatened by the rising levels of CO2 pollution. Koalas depend on the
eucalyptus leaves for nutrients, but due to the high CO2 levels, the leaves are
being stripped of their nutrients. Carbon Dioxide is upsetting the stability of
nutrients and anti-nutrients in eucalyptus leaves. This causes the toxicity
found in the leaves which disturbs the Koalas digestion of nutrients. The
increase of carbon dioxide in eucalyptus trees favors the production of carbon,
allowing it to produce more anti-nutrients over nutrients. This change of
production becomes toxic to a Koala’s diet. With the present-day levels of CO2,
Koalas can only eat the leaves of 25 eucalyptus trees out of over 600 eucalyptus
species. The changes in toxicity levels found in the trees will further lessen
the trees Koalas can safely eat. Furthermore, eucalyptus leaves already lack
sufficient nutrients to a Koalas diet resulting in their adaptation to sleep 20
hours a day in order to preserve nutrients. Koalas are amazing animals that we
honor and care for, yet we are taking away their comforts and lifestyle. If we
disregard something so important to us, such as the Koalas, what will happen to
the things we do not necessarily care for?
To summarize, we are acting as if we are the only inhabitants of this
planet. We continue to hurt our shared planet; we do not stop because we do not
feel the immediate consequences. The abundance of CO2 pollution in our
atmosphere is a direct result of the carelessness humans have taken part in. The
human race is behaving in a bizarre manner. Its effects are being shown through
the destruction of species habitats and modern day life. Earth’s creatures and
the environment, once thought to have a sacred bond, are now working against
each other. The demise of the Emperor Penguin, Clownfish, Koala Bear and
countless others rests upon humanity and our integrity to distinguish right from
wrong.
They support each other. Throughout human existence, we have created an easier
lifestyle for ourselves. This has
created problems with our fellow inhabitants. As a human race, we have failed to
understand what co-existence truly means. We have become the environment, as
animals are nature. Our inability to understand how our choices affect nature
has caused us to break that sacred bond between these rules of co-existence.
Presently, we are living with the knowledge that we are bringing an end to life
for many creatures whom are our fellow inhabitants of the earth. Our ignorance
has steered our planet into the arms of global warming. This obstructs our
environment’s basic needs which allow it to sustain life.
As a result of our failure to respect our planet there are high CO2
levels in the atmosphere. The increase in CO2 creates higher temperatures. We
rarely notice these mild changes in temperature. On the other hand, many animals
are suffering from far more than a simple heatstroke. Consider the Emperor
Penguins; these animals are facing shortages in their food, krill, because the
reductions in ice shelves are diminishing them. Global warming is directly
threatening the penguin’s way of life. Look at the world in the Penguin’s eyes,
your habitable land is diminishing by the second and your food source is
unstable. This is not an ideal situation to be in. For instance, in the 1960’s
an emperor colony at Pointe Geologie declined an average of 70 percent mainly
due to the increase in water temperature and changing currents. These two things
reduced the abundance of their prey.The Emperor Penguins have had to adapt to
a different environment and a different way of life in order to survive these changes.
The Emperor Penguins should have never had to adapt. Instead of us“asking” them to
adapt to a different lifestyle, we should ask that of ourselves.
CO2 levels are not only affecting Antarctica’s ecosystem; they are also
affecting the ocean’s ecosystem. Clownfish, live in subtropical ocean waters and
depend on sea anemones for protection and shelter. They are facing a “Mass
Genocide”. Coral reefs are declining at a rapid rate due to CO2 levels. This is
inhibiting the life of clownfish because their co-dependence with sea anemones
only ensures their survival if coral reefs are present. Coral reefs are crucial
to clownfish because that’s where they live. Sea anemones deter every fish with
their poisonous stings, except for clownfish, who are resistant. Thus, sea
anemones provide them with safety and shelter from predators.
In return, clownfish help keep sea anemone at a healthy state. A single
sea anemone can sustain several clownfish. However, the clownfish will die out
if their environment continues to suffer the consequences of our behavior. Not
only are their habitats being destroyed, there is also increasing acidification
in the ocean. This is impairing the clownfish sense of smell, which is needed to
track down their specific host sea anemone. This disruption of their senses
leaves the juvenile clownfish vulnerable to its predators; their chances for
mating have severely decreased. Although many people believe that climate change
is not an issue, records indicate otherwise. We are seeing the effects of
climate change have a strong influence in the daily lives of animals such as the
clownfish. Sooner or later, these effects will not only have a toll on animals,
but humans as well.
In addition, the CO2 levels affecting aquatic animals are also affecting
animals in different regions of the world. The Koala Bears of Australia are
being threatened by the rising levels of CO2 pollution. Koalas depend on the
eucalyptus leaves for nutrients, but due to the high CO2 levels, the leaves are
being stripped of their nutrients. Carbon Dioxide is upsetting the stability of
nutrients and anti-nutrients in eucalyptus leaves. This causes the toxicity
found in the leaves which disturbs the Koalas digestion of nutrients. The
increase of carbon dioxide in eucalyptus trees favors the production of carbon,
allowing it to produce more anti-nutrients over nutrients. This change of
production becomes toxic to a Koala’s diet. With the present-day levels of CO2,
Koalas can only eat the leaves of 25 eucalyptus trees out of over 600 eucalyptus
species. The changes in toxicity levels found in the trees will further lessen
the trees Koalas can safely eat. Furthermore, eucalyptus leaves already lack
sufficient nutrients to a Koalas diet resulting in their adaptation to sleep 20
hours a day in order to preserve nutrients. Koalas are amazing animals that we
honor and care for, yet we are taking away their comforts and lifestyle. If we
disregard something so important to us, such as the Koalas, what will happen to
the things we do not necessarily care for?
To summarize, we are acting as if we are the only inhabitants of this
planet. We continue to hurt our shared planet; we do not stop because we do not
feel the immediate consequences. The abundance of CO2 pollution in our
atmosphere is a direct result of the carelessness humans have taken part in. The
human race is behaving in a bizarre manner. Its effects are being shown through
the destruction of species habitats and modern day life. Earth’s creatures and
the environment, once thought to have a sacred bond, are now working against
each other. The demise of the Emperor Penguin, Clownfish, Koala Bear and
countless others rests upon humanity and our integrity to distinguish right from
wrong.