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| Why
Save Endangered Species? |
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| Why
work so hard and spend so much money to save endangered
species? Is it really worth it? |
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| There
are many arguments for saving endangered species. They
are all important and will be listed below. But the best
reason to save endangered species is because they have
a right to exist. The question should be "why destroy
species?" Those who would cause the extinctions or
endangerment of a species should have to justify their
actions, not those who would protect wildlife. |
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| Plants
and animals hold medicinal, agricultural, ecological,
commercial and aesthetic/recreational value. Endangered
species must be protected and saved so that future generations
can experience their presence and value. |
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| Medicinal |
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| Plants
and animals are responsible for a variety of useful medications.
In fact, about forty percent of all prescriptions written
today are composed from the natural compounds of different
species. These species not only save lives, but they contribute
to a prospering pharmaceutical industry worth over $40
billion annually. Unfortunately, only 5% of known plant
species have been screened for their medicinal values,
although we continue to lose up to 100 species daily. |
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Pacific yew, a slow-growing tree found in the ancient
forests of the Pacific Northwest, was historically considered
a "trash" tree (it was burned after clearcutting).
However, a substance in its bark taxol was recently identified
as one of the most promising treatments for ovarian and
breast cancer. |
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| Additionally,
more than 3 million people sufferers from heart disease
would perish within 72 hours of a heart attack without
digitalis, a drug derived from the purple foxglove. |
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| Agricultural |
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are an estimated 80,000 edible plants in the world. Humans
depend upon only 20 species of these plants, such as wheat
and corn, to provide 90% of the world's food. Wild relatives
of these common crops contain essential disease-resistant
material. They also provide humans with the means to develop
new crops that can grow in inadequate lands such as in
poor soils or drought-stricken areas to help solve the
world hunger problem. |
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| Ecological |
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| Plant
and animal species are the foundation of healthy ecosystems.
Humans depend on ecosystems such as coastal estuaries,
prairie grasslands, and ancient forests to purify their
air, clean their water, and supply them with food. When
species become endangered, it is an indicator that the
health of these vital ecosystems is beginning to unravel.
It is estimated that losing one plant species can trigger
the loss of up to 30 other insect, plant and higher animal
species. |
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| The
northern spotted owl, listed as threatened in 1990, is
an indicator of the declining health of the ancient forests
of the Pacific Northwest. These forests are the home to
over 100 other old-growth dependent species, which are
at risk due to decades of unsustainable forest management
practices. |
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| Commercial |
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| Other
plants or animals may contain commercially valuable products
such as oil or fiber. Still others wild varieties of our
food crops contain genes for characteristics we need to
breed into our domestic strains of grains. |
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Naturally
diverse ecosystems are also economically valuable as ecotourism
destinations. Coral reefs, tropical forests, and savannas,
all have distinct and interesting life forms that people
will pay to see. These living resources become economically
valuable to the people and countries where these natural
resources are located.
While there are many sound ecological, economic, and social
arguments for saving endangered species, the question
still remains, "Why not save endangered species?
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