Should We Save Endangered Species?
Over the years, people have forgotten about the great diversity of life that Earth has to offer. They do not have the time to think about silly plants and animals anymore. But people need to think about these "silly plants and animals" because nearly a third of all known species are being threatened with extinction (Live Science). As species are lost, so are one's options for future generations. Endangered species should be saved because they greatly contribute to the human population and way of life in many different ways.
"More than a quarter of all prescriptions written annually in the United States contain chemicals discovered in plants and animals" (Carr 8), and "In 2004, pharmaceuticals and medicine manufacturing provided 291,000 wage or salary jobs" (Westbrook 1). If the plants and animals containing these chemicals had become extinct before their ability to contribute medically was discovered, thousands of Americans would not be able to be treated, and hundreds of thousands of people would be unemployed due to the lack of pharmaceutical manufacturing. Without one's endangered animals and plants, a great percentage of medical advancements would not have been possible. Many animals that are threatened and on the brink of extinction provide cures for illnesses such as Hodgkin's disease, ovarian, breast, lung, and skin cancers, diabetes, etc. (Westbrook 2-4). And these are the only species that are currently known to scientists. If people do not make an effort to protect endangered plants and animals, many undiscovered species shall become extinct as well and never have the opportunity to contribute to medicine and treatments that could save lives.
In addition to endangered species contributing to medicine, they also contribute to the environment and human health. Many endangered species act as sentinel species, and the most known example of this is a canary in a coal mine (Reif). Much like a canary would alert miners of carbon dioxide, the endangered bald eagle and peregrine falcon are also used to detect air pollution and warn humans of a pesticide that accumulates in body tissue (Carr 12). While these animals are incredibly useful indicators of pollution, it is causing them to become endangered with the possibility of becoming extinct. Most freshwater mussels are now considered to be of special concern due to the fact that they are filter feeders, straining food particles from intaking water, and are constantly filtering polluted water through their bodies (Carr 13). Many other sentinel species are becoming endangered because they are being exposed to harsh toxins and pollutants from humans. If this continues, many species will become extinct for the sake of human benefit.
According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wildlife watching generated over $85 billion in economic benefits to the United States in 2001 (Carr 16). Many tourists pay to go to the zoo and on safaris which is a dir...
