5.+Investigate

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__-Do people care about animal extinction?__
Yes, but no. People care about animals that are more well known to them and just like the survey says, they only care about what would benefit for them and not what is needed on the globe. People think that as long as the animals they like or would like to exist they would be happy.

__**WWF Survey [|Cambridge 2000 memos] September 2002 **__ WWF is mainly involved with "speaking on behalf of the world's endangered species". In the letters they send out to people, they briefly mentioned fish, birds, plants and insects but they only had photos of larger mammals that are well known to people (otters, tigers, rhinos and gorillas) Why did they do this? Because they know that this is how they'll get a better reaction from the British public. Not many people care about fish or birds (only to eat them) and even fewer people care about plants or insects. Not to mention bacteria or viruses. Here are the WWF questions ("Q") and answers ("A") in full, with added commentary ("C"). C1: Most people in the UK believe that sometimes it does matter if a species becomes extinct (e.g. some random mammal) and sometimes it does not matter that much(e.g. some random insect).The WWF research shows that most of the UK believes that it matters both a little and a lot if a species becomes extinct. C4: Clean water for all humans, sanitation for all humans, adequate food for all humans, education for all humans, decent jobs for all humans. The WWF is not designed to protect humans. It is also interesting that "pollution" gets mixed up with consumption.
 * Q1: Do you think it matters if a species becomes extinct? **
 * A1: "Yes, a lot", "Yes, a little" or "Not really".**
 * Q4: WWF's work is concerned with a wide number of areas. What do you think are the priorities (rate them as "very important", "important" or "not very important")? **
 * A4: "Threatened species", "Pollution and consumption", "Conservation of the British countryside", "Oceans and marine life", "Forests", "Depletion of the ozone layer and climate change".**

Read the complete and original article at: Bibliography: __ http://www.cambridge2000.com/memos/wwf_survey.html __

__-What caused the animals extinction?__
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__Habitat Loss and Fragmentation__ Habitat loss, as a result of human request, is widely considered to be the most effective cause of animal extinction. Rainforests are the main habitats for tropical animals. There are huge varities of animals that has the forest as their only source of living. Tropical rainforests are chopped down for wood / timber resources, development of oil resources, mineral resources, for cash-crop plants and farming. Roughly, when 90% of the habitat is eliminated, 50% of the species will be lost …

__Fur Trade__ This type of trade was very popular in the 1950s~1960s. During the late 1960s the skins of more than 10,000 leopards, 15,000 jaguars, 3,000 cheetahs and 200,000 ocelots were being legally imported in the US and Europe each year. This activity is non-existent now.  __Bush meat Trade__ Bush meat is the meat of wild animals people hunt uesd as a food resource. The trade in bush meat in central Africa is the main source of income for rural residents. Hunting for bush meat may speeds up habitat loss as a threat to rainforest animals in Africa. Animals being killed for bush meat not only leads to animal extinction but has also been linked to various diseases.

__Body Parts Trade__ It is not clear how significantly this type of activity contributes to animal extinction. But it’s clear that there is still body parts of animals trade in South East Asian countries such as China. they trade money or other resources for body parts of some endangered animals such as the tiger, which are used in traditional medicine and as aphrodisiacs (love drugs)

__Trade for Biomedical Research__ Almost all biomedical research is done in first world countries which were the main importers of animals for these purposes during 1950s~1960s. It is estimated that the number of chimpanzees alone, exported for biomedical research is between 40,000 and 90,000 from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. Because of this, the total present wild population of chimpanzees is no more than 150,000 across all of Africa. This means that more than half of the chimpanzees' population was wiped out for biomedical research.

__Other Causes__ Other causes are not related to immediate human actions towards animals or their habitats’ resources. But they are still caused by human actions.

__Climate change / Global warming__ It has been recently suggested that warmer global temperatures may be affecting animals in different ways. In fact, global warming is predicted to put at least 20~30% of plant and animal species at risk of extinction, and up to 40~70% in worst case scenarios. As an example, frogs are an especially valuable species. The climate change has been suggested that global warming and clinate chamge is a possible cause for the disappearance of the golden toad in Costa Rica.

__Pollution__ Environmental pollution which in many ways causes global warming is another cause for animal extinction. Types of pollutions are: Water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution and noise pollution. The mst serious pollution is water pollution. Fish and other sea aminals may be seriously effected by this type of pollution.

__Introduced Species (Pests)__ Species introduced to areas damage habitats of native species and destroy their safe habitat. During the 20 th century, goats were introduced to the Galapagos Islands and they fed on the tortoises’ food supply, Pigs, dogs and rats were also introduced into the island and they ate the tortoises' eggs. As a result, tortoise numbers went dramatically down since that time.

__Farmer / Rancher Shootings__ Ranchers and farmers are allowed to shoot wild animals on the spot when they feel that they attack sheep and destroy ranchers’ livelihoods. Read the complete and original article at: Bibliography: __ http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/Animal-Extinction.html __

** __Comprehension Question:__ **
__What do you think is going to happen to the animals in ten or twenty years time?__ Over the last 400 years, 611 species of animals have been documented as becoming extinct. Animals predicted to be extinct in twenty years: 25% of all mammals 11% of birds 20% of reptiles 25% of amphibians 34% of fish At this rate, one third of the animals in the world would be extinct in twenty years. Half of all plant and animal species would become extinct by 2100.

** __Application Question:__ **
__-When did people start to realise what had happened to the animals?__ People started to relise that animals were becoming extinct in the 1850s. A French scientist named Jean-Baptiste de Monet de Lamarck suggested that humans were the causes of aminal extinction. Other scientists rejected his suggestion because they thought that animal extinction begain before humans were present. By 1860s, the great bone digger of France Jacques Boucher de Perthes changed the thinking of the scientists that did not agree with Jean-Baptiste de Monet de Lamarck. He showed them his point of view and he was absolutely correct. Bibliography [|http://www.well.com/~davidu/earlyawareness.html]

__-What would have happened if people were aware of this issue?__ Well, if people were aware of the issue, I'm sure the people who were passionate about it would try make a difference to save the animals that were in threat of becoming extinct. It would make people more aware that it's not only one specie that's endangered, but there's many, and it wont change unless people try to help. With the awareness, it'd possibly show people how to treat animal-with respect- and to not just cut down their homes for their own uses. I'm sure that if people knew about the issue in the past, at least one person would care enough to try stop it, but maybe it was to late to save the animal. But now that awareness is rising, hopefully it'll help save animals quicker.

** __Analysis Question:__ **
__-What is the difference between animals dying of natural causes and animals being extinct?__ The difference between the two causes are quite different. It goes like this: Animals who have died all only from natural causes, are not yet extinct; but, take for instance a Thylacine; European settlers had taken less than 50 years to destroy the species by laying poison and setting traps, and now they're extinct. So, given that example, the difference is this; natural causes don't cause animals to become extinct, but, animals that are hunted, poisoned, etc, became extinct because too many animals are not given the chance to die of their own cause, when they're supposed to die.

** __Synthesis Question:__ **
-Do you know any ways that would be able to stop this issue? Stopping animal extinction means stopping global warming climate change and all of the issues mentioned on question two. There is no way you would be able to stop this issue in one day or a week. Stopping this issue may take years even centuries

Some easy steps that you can take at home will indirectly help the environment and endangered species in the long-term. They are:

1. Buy products with minimal packaging when possible. 2. Save cardboard boxes, paper or plastic bags for storing household items rather than getting more. 3. Buy products (like cleaners, toiletries, and dry goods) in economy sized packages. 4. Turn organic materials such as grass clippings, wood chips and leaves from your yard into mulch or fertilizer. 5. Reduce your junk mail. This saves lots of paper and trees. Just stick a sign saying "No junk mail" on the mail-box and people won't send you junk mail until you take the sign off.

You can even start your own programs for recycling, energy saving, and other things. Two steps that will get you on your way are:

A. Hold a school, business, or neighborhood wide assembly to educate everyone about recycling. Invite guest speakers such as a recycling center director or a community leader to talk about their activities and ideas.

B. Submit an article about your program to the local paper, work news letter, or school paper. Also, send a news release to newspaper editors or radio and television reporters. They may respond by publicizing your efforts.

Read the complete and original article at: Bibliography: []

** __Evaluation Question:__ **
-Do you think that if the animals extincted, it would affect the people's living? I think it would affect people's living because animals can help in everyday lives. A cat or a bird may bring joy to an old lonely lady just wanting to be comforted. A trip away to tropical islands, the amazement it causes to see a beautiful bright colored bird flying and being cheeky. Going to the zoo, little kids love seeing new animals in a safe environment showing their daily lives. So, if the animals everyone loves becomes extinct, it may stop joy, amazement and happiness, and instead, life would be dull and not enjoyable.