[Opinion] (26/09/23) – Extinction by nature – Full Essay

It is a natural process for animal species to become extinct (e.g: dinosaur, dodo,…). There is no reason why people should try to prevent this from happening. To what extent do you agree or disagree. 

Species extinction is often attributed solely to nature and as such human beings should hold no responsibility in the prevention of this phenomenon. However, I completely disagree with the above notion. 

When it comes to the disappearance of wildlife in the past, mother nature undoubtedly played a role. This is exemplified by the rapid change in climate and natural disasters such as asteroids or volcano eruption which are the widely known to have lend a hand in wiping out dinosaurs. Yet human actions are now the main culprit. Firstly, mankind destroys natural habitats worldwide to make room for production and housing. In doing so, many species lose their homes and are eventually wiped out, resulting in an ecological imbalance that affects many others. Secondly, high level of carbon emission from transportation and manufacturing now plays a major role in climate change. As the ice thaws from regions like the planet’s Poles, animals that thrived in colder climates such as polar bears or penguins find themselves having to adapt to a rapidly rising temperature. However, when those that fail to adapt often die out. 

As it is mainly through our actions that other species are suffering, human beings need to do everything in their power to counteract this phenomenon. For one, governments worldwide should impose a stricter regulation on factories and the automotive industry to reduce our carbon footprint. Consequently, this will slow down global warming give nature time to repair itself. In addition, we can help speed this natural restoration by re-planting forests, as well as setting up more protected nature reserves so that species would regain their natural habitats. For those that have permanently lost theirs, scientists could provide a controlled environment for survival and breeding, which has already been successfully implemented for species such as the giant panda. As all of these propositions can be done by individuals and authorities around the world, it strengthens the perspective that humans should be nature’s bulwark when it comes to mass extinction.

All in all, while many species have become extinct in the past due to natural causes, our actions are now the root causes for these disappearance. As a result, people should not turn a blind eye and more importantly, lend a hand in putting an end to this occurrence.