Who Will Protect the Web of Life?/Man Against Nature

"Today it is humans who should accept responsibility for the increasing rates of species extinction." -JANE GOODALL, CONSERVATIONIST. 

LIFE on earth is dynamic and interrelated. We humans are an intrinsic part of it.  We depend on the living world for our food and medicines, the oxygen we breathe, the elements that form our bodies. In the course of a normal day, earth's human population utilizes more than 40,000 other living species. All of earth's  species together weave a complex, astonishing and intricate web of life. 

However, many experts who study this complex web feel that it is under attack!  Perhaps you have heard about endangered rhino, tigers, pandas, and whales.  Some scientists claim that 50 percent of all plant and animal species could vanish from the earth in 75 years. Researchers fear that some species may disappear 10,000 times faster than what scientists call natural extinction rates.  One expert estimates that species are dying at the average rate of every 10 to 20 minutes.

Scientists believe that in the distant past, species extinction was mostly triggered by natural causes.  But the principal cause of the present crisis is different, they say. Evidently, today's extinctions are caused by human activity. One scientist referred to humans as the "exterminator species." 

Are human activities really causing this dramatic loss of biological diversity?  If so, how?  Can we survive without the kaleidoscope of life on earth?  Is anything being done to stem the tide of what many feel is an extinction crisis in the living world? 

Note: Yes, In a lot of places, there are poachers who kill animals for money and trophies. They are also cutting down the forests  which are these animals homes and food supplies, also due to greed.  It is the humans who are at fault. How would you like your homes and your food taken away from you?  This deforestation and killing animals for money, trophies and yes for exotic food enthusiasts. This is not fair to these animals,  forces them to go into the civilized areas of town to get food, which also causes them to get killed.   It is not fair to these animals that people are so cruel. And it is all most due to greed. This is cruelty at its worse, in my opinion.   So, if you go on hikes in certain areas where wild animals have been seen,  and you see a wild animal, he/she is only doing what comes natural them and should not be blamed, because you are in their territory.  

Next time: Who Will Protect the Intricate Web of Life -The Intricate Web of Life

From the Awake! magazine