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There is little justification for society to make extraordinary efforts---especially at a great cost in money and jobs---to save endangered animals or plant species.
Should societies make extraordinary efforts to save endangered animals and plants even though they have to sacrifice a lot? This issue is a complicated one. I concede that this proposition, to certain extent, makes good sense. In my view, however, protecting endangered species should be attached to relatively more importance.
The threshold problem with this claim, which is also the reason why I fundamentally disagree with the speaker, lies in that it deviates from the principle of sustainable development. Few would deny the fact the existence of various animals and plants is part and parcel of the natural balance. In fact, every species is an integral cog of making a stable ecosystem. Some people may argue that this is pure exaggeration because the extinction of some species will not spell disaster for the entire ecosystem. This claim, however, can not stand logical analysis. Imagine that now a certain kind of grass is dying out. Consequently, some herbivorous animals mainly feeding on this grass will come into extinction, which will in turn put the life of many more predators in jeopardy. This is exactly something resembling a ripple effect. As a result, the natural balance will eventually be put on a slippery slope toward being destroyed. For that matter, we human beings, being a member of nature, will have to pay dearly for this disturbed balance. In a word, should we not take actions to save endangered animals and plants, we would suffer from bitter consequences.
From the perspective of humanity, human beings are morally obligated to save these animals because we are held culpable, at least partly, for their extinction. For the past decades, as a result of the industrial revolution, factories have sprung up like mushrooms. They have emitted a large amount of poisonous gas and discharged polluted water into rivers, thereby threatening the life of many wild animals. Had we not badly damage their natural habitats, they would not have been living in such misery. Moreover, with the development of modern science and technology, we are better equipped with high-tech innovations to help reconstruct their shelters than were we fifty years ago. That is to say, we are not only morally obligated, we also have the capability to save them. Given the fact that the majority of us are sympathetic beings and that we are actually responsible for these animals' current poor living condition, I can hardly be convinced that we should leave them aside and carry on with our economic development.
Nevertheless, despite the line of reasoning mentioned above, I have to concede that the claim made by the speaker is reasonable to some degree. In some less-developed countries, economic development and employment should be given the top priority. These countries, laden with financial burdens already, can not afford to build any conservative areas for endangered species, let alone at the cost of money and jobs. Besides, as for the matter of ethical standard, sometimes, human being are not the ones who should be blame for the extinction of certain wildlife. From an evolutionary standpoint, it is the nature selection that has rendered the survival of the finest, thereby eliminating those less competitive species.
From the analyses made above, generally, I do not agree with the speaker's claim. To the contrary, in my view, that societies make extraordinary efforts to save endangered species is highly justifiable. By way of preserving endangered animals and plants, we are actually protecting the natural balance, thereby living up to the ultimate goal of sustainable development. As Beecher once said" what came to us as seed should go to the next generation as blossom", we should protect those endangered species not only for ourselves, but also for generations to come. |
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发表于 2012-10-26 20:57:29
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