In 1970, Joni Mitchell sang the song, “Big Yellow Taxi.” It starts out,
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Many say this song is a reference to destroying nature in the name of progress—to putting more value on asphalt and concrete than on the beauty of nature that was there first, but often in what is considered to be a “prime” real estate spot. Suddenly, there is no natural beauty anymore and we miss it.
The same thing is happening to many species of animals in the world today. May 16 is National Endangered Species Day. Every year on the third Friday of May, millions of people all over the world make an effort to learn about and share the importance of conserving wildlife and ensuring restoration efforts for all endangered species. Their mission is “to stop the human caused extinction of our nation’s at-risk species and their habitats.”
There are three primary reasons why so many animals and even plants are on the verge of extinction, but the biggest threat is man, by virtue of habitat destruction and over exploitation of resources. Animal habitats can be destroyed by clearing a forest to build a housing development. Often times, small rivers are drained, and meadows are paved over to make streets and parking lots.
Pollution is another reason. Acid rain has killed off fish populations in many lakes around the world. Water pollution, including the runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farms, has dramatically affected many species of frogs, who are now in serious decline. Bodies of water polluted with nutrients cause massive growths of toxic algae, resulting death for fish and animals that ingest the water.
The third reason is poaching. Illegal wildlife hunting and trade has high profit margins and, in many cases, not only does this cause a species of animal to decline, but can be a major effect to creating an unbalanced ecosystem which can result in the spread of illness to animals and has the potential of creating a species with weak genetic makeup.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are more than 169,000 species that are on the IUCN’s Red List, with more than 47,000 threatened with extinction. In the United States alone, there are over 1,300 species listed as either endangered or threatened. The IUCN, or the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List was established in 1964 and is the leading expert on the global assessment of the extinction risk and conservation status of animals worldwide.
The top three critically endangered animals include: the Javan Rhino, found in Java and Indonesia, the Amur Leopard, resident in China and Russia and the Sunda Island Tiger, found in Sumatra and Indonesia.
You will also find, Bluefin Tuna, Orangutans, Chimpanzees, the Monarch Butterfly, Red Pandas, African Forest Elephants, Cross River Gorillas, Sea Lions, Sea Turtles, Whales and Whale Sharks on the list.
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
If you enjoy nature more than parking lots, find out how you can be a part of the solution to extinction issues. I want my grandchildren to see millions of Monarch Butterflies flying around, not as a picture in a book of species that used to be.
