Endangered Species

12 Pages 2883 Words

n. As many people know, acid rain is caused by chemicals such as pesticides put into the ground that can evaporate into the air, therefore causing polluted rain. This rain can damage water systems, lakes, rivers, and the food animals eat. These chemicals might seem like a good idea to put on plants so people get nice food, but what people do not realize is that it can do more damage than good. Since when have humans cared for their environment; those elite few out there are not going to get the job done. These issues need to be looked at with a greater knowledge of how these consequences can create problems (Grolier 36-38)(World Book).
Out of 270,000 known species of vascular plants including ferns, conifers, and flowering plants, 33,798 of these species are at risk of extinction. Of these plant species at risk, 91 percent are found only in a single country making such species even more vulnerable. The reasons most of these plants are so important is because some of them are used for medicines. Others may have additional medicinal value, but if they go extinct, such potential will never be discovered (Grolier 36-38).
The largest reason for species becoming endangered is usually due to environment loss. The Endangered Species Act requires a thing called critical habitat to all these plants and animals who are threatened. Critical habitat is habitat necessary for the recovery of an endangered species. Right now one of the main problems about this is
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that less than ten percent of the 1200 endangered species listed have a designated critical habitat. The only way that critical habitat is enforced is by court order. Of the last 256 decisions for placing this habitat 228 have been decided not to be prudent cases for the necessity of this habitat. Even though it is proven that this critical habitat for these species is effective, they still do not apply it to all cases in need of it. This is a violation of the ESA and something sho...