| Titre : |
Extinction of species : past, present and future |
| Type de document : |
texte imprimé |
| Auteurs : |
David W. Steadman, Auteur |
| Editeur : |
Chapman and Hall |
| Année de publication : |
1991 |
| Importance : |
p 156-169 |
| Langues : |
Anglais (eng) |
| Catégories : |
SCIENCES DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT
|
| Mots-clés : |
EXTINCTION DES ESPECES CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE POLITIQUE DE PROTECTION DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT |
| Résumé : |
Throughout the world, species are being lost at a higher rate than ever before. In destoying these products of billions of years of organic evolution, we threten the existence of all natural communities including human communities. In spite of our attempts to live apart from nature, humans require adequate supplies of air, water and food just like any other animal. Our struggles to attain these supplies have been at the expense of natural communities. Reduction of the world’s human population is essential if we are to preserve any respectable portion of the current diversity of plants and animals. In order to be implemented effectively, population reduction and all other environmental efforts must have popular and governmental support at the local, state, national and international levels. Although, one country’s problem may have a clear impact on other nations, international cooperation is facilitated today by the technological advances in communication and transportation that are homogenizing human cultures.
The environmental damage being done today in the tropics, is the single largest factor contributing to the loss of species. Although such forest clearing provides short-term sustenance for humans, it also guarantees long-term environmental degradation that eventually will limit human populations as well. Particularly in the past decade, many tropical countries have begun to realize the importance of preserving large tracts of forest. Still today, there is a net loss of tropical forest. Recent innovative financial programs such as “debt-for-nature swaps” are helping to save some tropical habitats. These programs should be supported by those of us who can afford it.
As citizens of developed world, there are a number of simple, practical things we can do to alleviate the loss of species. Although these and many other actions are outlined in some detail elsewhere, a few deserve mention here as well, such as having fewer babies, reducing per capita consumption of natural resources, becoming knowledgeable and active in local environmental issues (particularly involving habitat loss), joining conservation groups, doing a nature-oriented trip to the tropics, planting native species of plants to support indigenous wildlife, and not buying products made from tropical hardwoods or from rare or endangered species of animals.
A close look at the past 40,000 years shows that we already live in a world much impoverished by human activity. Rather than accept the extinctions of plants and animals that have already occurred as an excuse to con tinue these exploitations, our challenge today is to learn from these losses as we plan for the future. |
| Numéro du document : |
A/MT 26 |
| Niveau Bibliographique : |
2 |
| Bull1 (Theme principale) : |
METEOROLOGIE ,ATMOSPHERE,CLIMATOLOGIE |
| Bull2 (Theme secondaire) : |
ATMOSPHERE,CLIMATOLOGIE-CONSIDERATION GENERALE |
Extinction of species : past, present and future [texte imprimé] / David W. Steadman, Auteur . - Chapman and Hall, 1991 . - p 156-169. Langues : Anglais ( eng)
| Catégories : |
SCIENCES DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT
|
| Mots-clés : |
EXTINCTION DES ESPECES CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE POLITIQUE DE PROTECTION DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT |
| Résumé : |
Throughout the world, species are being lost at a higher rate than ever before. In destoying these products of billions of years of organic evolution, we threten the existence of all natural communities including human communities. In spite of our attempts to live apart from nature, humans require adequate supplies of air, water and food just like any other animal. Our struggles to attain these supplies have been at the expense of natural communities. Reduction of the world’s human population is essential if we are to preserve any respectable portion of the current diversity of plants and animals. In order to be implemented effectively, population reduction and all other environmental efforts must have popular and governmental support at the local, state, national and international levels. Although, one country’s problem may have a clear impact on other nations, international cooperation is facilitated today by the technological advances in communication and transportation that are homogenizing human cultures.
The environmental damage being done today in the tropics, is the single largest factor contributing to the loss of species. Although such forest clearing provides short-term sustenance for humans, it also guarantees long-term environmental degradation that eventually will limit human populations as well. Particularly in the past decade, many tropical countries have begun to realize the importance of preserving large tracts of forest. Still today, there is a net loss of tropical forest. Recent innovative financial programs such as “debt-for-nature swaps” are helping to save some tropical habitats. These programs should be supported by those of us who can afford it.
As citizens of developed world, there are a number of simple, practical things we can do to alleviate the loss of species. Although these and many other actions are outlined in some detail elsewhere, a few deserve mention here as well, such as having fewer babies, reducing per capita consumption of natural resources, becoming knowledgeable and active in local environmental issues (particularly involving habitat loss), joining conservation groups, doing a nature-oriented trip to the tropics, planting native species of plants to support indigenous wildlife, and not buying products made from tropical hardwoods or from rare or endangered species of animals.
A close look at the past 40,000 years shows that we already live in a world much impoverished by human activity. Rather than accept the extinctions of plants and animals that have already occurred as an excuse to con tinue these exploitations, our challenge today is to learn from these losses as we plan for the future. |
| Numéro du document : |
A/MT 26 |
| Niveau Bibliographique : |
2 |
| Bull1 (Theme principale) : |
METEOROLOGIE ,ATMOSPHERE,CLIMATOLOGIE |
| Bull2 (Theme secondaire) : |
ATMOSPHERE,CLIMATOLOGIE-CONSIDERATION GENERALE |
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