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Rozalyn Malott

Professor Cassel

ENG 1201

04 April 2019

Mankind Causes Mass Destruction

Often perceived today the extinction of animals is, in fact, a force that threatens all life.

National Geographic states, “At least a handful of times in the last 500 million years, 50 to more

than 90 percent of all species on Earth have disappeared in a geological blink of the eye”

(National Geographic Magazine). Humans are not only a species that roams the earth and it

could be said that their relationship with extinction is not as unlikely as we think. Mankind is an

active contributor to worldwide extinction. The environments protection of its wildlife is being

taken more seriously over the past couple of years.

One cause of species extinction can be seen in the geo-climate changes of the earth’s

atmosphere. Climate and Weather states, “Climate change is a long-term change in the statistical

distribution of weather patterns over periods of time that range from decades to millions of

years” (Climate&Weather). Another cause of extinction is deforestation where removing trees

deprives many species homes and places to hide. Also, people know that litter is bad for the

planet, but it’s also bad for animals. Which is why it is another contributor to

extinction/endangerment of animals. Trophy hunting is a type of hunting that is not made for

conservation. It is where a portion of the animal is kept as a souvenir to keep the experience

fresh in their minds or to be sold for large amounts of money. This is another leading cause of
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extinctions in foreign areas. The human race contributes to the extinction of animals in many

ways like climate change, deforestation, littering, and trophy hunting.

The climate is changing due to humans ill-treatment of the earth which is contributing to

the extinction of animals. Man life forms are moving deeper into oceans or moving north just to

keep a normal habitat due to climate change. The behaviors of many animals are changing due to

climate change. One species is the polar bears. The Arctic sea ice they have used for years to

hunt fish with are melting faster and faster as each season dwindles to an end. Christine

Dell’Amore journalist for National Geographic states, "As the Arctic sea ice retreats, polar bears

have to exploit alternative food sources, such as on land," (Dell’Amore). These new behaviors

have been caused by humans actions. Climate change has become a higher priority in the coming

years because of the jurassic changes that are taking place in animal lives.

Humans have left earth's climate to turn up the heat in a diverse range which is seen in

the ocean, atmosphere, and the Earth’s surface. The CO2 atmospheric concentration has

increased dramatically, from a pre-industrial era because of the expansion of large factories.

These factories are run by the human race. Accelerated rates of CO2 are being pumped into the

air each minute. Union of Concerned Scientists states, “We know human activities are driving

the increase in CO2 concentrations because atmospheric CO2 contains information about its

source. Scientists can tease apart how much CO2 comes from natural sources, and how much

comes from combusted fossil fuel sources” (Union of Concerned Scientists). Carbon dioxide is a

heat-trapping gas which is why when so much of it is being produced into the atmosphere it

causes climate change. Polar bears lives are changing because their ice is melting due to the CO2

in the air that is produced by the human race.

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The main driver of deforestation is the human race. With the world growing at a pace

hard to keep up with, the need for space is becoming a concern. Overpopulation has an effect on

animals because the expansion ends up taking away they’re homes. The article Deforestation:

Compromises of a Growing World states, “Due to massive felling down of trees, various species

of animals are lost. They lose their habitat and forced to move to a new location. Some of them

are even pushed to extinction. Our world has lost so many species of plants and animals in the

last couple of decades” (Conserve Energy Future). Expansion of human life makes for lost

homes and lives of animals all over the world. Land species establish homes in forests. A

journalist for One Green Planet Paulina Lam states, “With each forest clearing, we lose about

135 species of animals, plants, and insects a day” (Lam). Without trees to live in animals have to

find elsewhere to live and make new living habits.

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A way to improve deforestation is to plant trees to make new homes for animals. It helps

the environment and the overall well being of animals. Dianna M. Agronne author of

Deforestation and Climate Change says, “Afforestation (establishing trees on sites that have long

been cleared of forests, such as crop, pasture, and brushlands); and reforestation (establishing

tree stands on areas recently cleared or partially cleared of forest through timber harvesting or

natural causes). Afforestation of crop or pasture land has been one focus of attention for carbon

sequestration by domestic stakeholders” (Agronne 26-27). Forests provide us with many benefits

they help with climate change by consuming the carbon dioxide the human race puts into the air

and that keeps animals alive.

Garbage that washes up on beaches every day is the result of human activity. Litter

produces toxins on both sea and land also it can be physically harmful and can trap them. Mia

Theresa Comero author of The Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice says, “The

majority of this marine debris is plastic, with approximately 46,000 pieces of plastic found per

km2 in the world’s oceans. These plastics are detrimental to marine life killing a million

seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year” (Comeros). The garbage that these animals

ingest and get trapped in is a way that humans contribute to extinction/endangerment.

Everyday items such as soda cans and plastic bottles and bags can be deadly for wildlife.

Animals of all kinds mistake trash for food or shelter. A way to help from litter washing up on

shores or sitting in road ditches mankind should cover garbage cans so that animals can’t harm

themselves. Also, pick up any litter that is just lying around. All over oceans, there are currents

that keep all the garbage floating in the same area as a garbage island. YouTube video How

Much Plastic is in the Ocean? says, “8,000,000 tons of plastic leak into the ocean every year”
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(It's Okay To Be Smart). Since plastic will break down over time certain patches will become

highly polluted and will cause the animals in those habitats to die or even become extinct. Litter

could be the difference between life and death for an animal.

Many conservation organizations are engaged in the management of trophy hunting.

Since the united states have expanded very much over the past decades animals have been seen

as less important parts of the world and were killed off due to humans liking it for hunting or

“game” purposes. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia states, “As human settlements

spread across the country, predatory animals such as the wolf and grizzly bear were either killed

off or forced into remote regions” (Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia). It is not illegal

to trophy hunt, as long as there are the right permits involved, but there is a debate that surrounds

this practice that conservationist see wrong. The debate is, why does mankind feel that killing an

animal is a game? The number of people that do hunt do it in mass numbers because of the

seasons. When they hunt in mass numbers that means there will be less amount of that species on
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the planet. This contributes to the extinction of animals that once lived peacefully without human

interaction.

The Red wolf is a species that is on the verge of becoming extinct due to trophy hunting.

The red wolf was listed as endangered in at one point and then declared extinct due to habitat

loss. A surviving population was found and captured to breed in captivity. Olivia Rosane

journalist for EcoWatch states, “A Species Status Assessment (SSA) released by the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service (FWS) Tuesday revealed that there are only 44 red wolves left in North

Carolina, the only place they exist in the wild, and that they could go extinct within eight years”

(Rosane). There are 200 red wolves in captivity right now. If it were not for conservationist that

cared for these animals they would be completely extinct due to the large expansion seen in the

United States.

A young women name Melissa Bachman posted a photo of her on social media posing

with a lion she had killed. There was an immense amount of backlash. People claim they hunt for

conservation. Journalist Alexis Coswell for One Green Planet states, “The Dallas Safari Club is

proposing to auction off a “special permit” from the government of Namibia to hunt one of

Namibia’s 1,800 remaining black rhinos. All in the name of conservation”(Coswell). Hunting

groups say that small amounts of animals are being killed and it does no harm to the population,

statistics say otherwise. Coswell sites National Geographic says, “Approximately 600 lions are

killed every year on trophy hunts, including lions in populations that are already declining from

other threats…The adult male lion is the most sought-after trophy by wealthy foreign hunters.

And when an adult male lion is killed, the destabilization of that lion’s pride can lead to more

lion deaths as outside males compete to take over the pride,” (Croswell). If trophy hunting did
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not affect the population then it would not be seen as a crisis that is contributing to the extinction

of animals.

From climate change to deforestation, littering, and trophy hunting the human race has

dug a hole in the world in which they cause extinction. Nothing good has come from the amounts

of emission of CO2 that the human race products and pushes into the atmosphere. From the

expansion of mass corrupt companies ran by greedy humans. They take over all the land that

certain species are indigenous to which caused mass extinction of many species of animals. The

garbage we produce every day can kill many lives and even species over time if mankind does

not start picking up after themselves. As well as trophy hunting is contributing to the extinction

of animals declining the numbers with one shot in mass numbers of people. Extinction of species

is not something to be taken lightly in today society. There are hopes to keep all the animals on

the endangered list alive and well.

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Works Cited

Agronne, Dianna M. ​Deforestation and Climate Change.​ Nova Science Publishers, Inc, 2010.

EBSCOhost​,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=​https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

b=e900xww&AN=1356659&site=eds-live​.

“Get the Facts About Trophy Hunting.” ​Humane Society International​,

www.hsi.org/issues/trophy_hunting/facts/facts-about-trophy-hunting.html​.

“How Do We Know That Humans Are the Major Cause of Global Warming?” ​Union of

Concerned Scientists​,

www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/science/human-contribution-to-gw

-faq.html​.

“How Much Plastic Is in the Ocean?” ​Bing,​ YouTube,

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=littering%2Beffects%2Bon%2Banimals&&view=detail

&mid=2480274614EDFEC9F9A02480274614EDFEC9F9A0&rvsmid=0C1C4DB1430A

2EE887660C1C4DB1430A2EE88766&FORM=VDRVRV​.

“Hunting.” ​Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia,​ Jan. 2018, p. 1; ​EBSCOhost​,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=​https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

b=funk&AN=hu109500&site=eds-live​.

“Information and Facts About Mass Extinctions.” ​Information and Facts About​, 27 Jan. 2017,

www.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/mass-extinction/​.

Lam, Paulina. “5 Big Causes of Deforestation and How You Can Stop It.” ​One Green Planet,​

One Green Planet, 2 Mar. 2019,

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www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/5-big-causes-of-deforestation-and-how-you-c

an-stop-it/​.

“7 Species Hit Hard by Climate Change-Including One That's Already Extinct.” ​National

Geographic,​ National Geographic Society, 5 July 2016,

news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140331-global-warming-climate-change-ipc

c-animals-science-environment/.

“Rinkesh.” ​Conserve Energy Future​, 25 Dec. 2016,

www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php​.

Rosane. “One of World's Most Endangered Wolf Species Could Go Extinct in 8 Years.”

EcoWatch​, EcoWatch, 27 Apr. 2018,

www.ecowatch.com/red-wolf-endangered-2563600067.html​.

Ve’e, Taufagalupe, and Mia Theresa Comeros. “Marine Pollution Prevention in American

Samoa.” ​Journal of Health Disparities Research & Practice​, vol. 9, June 2016, p. 85.

EBSCOhost​,

sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=​https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d

b=a9h&AN=118043884&site=eds-live​.
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