Nakamura, K. (2021, December 14). 22 animals that went extinct in the US in 2021 – and how to take action for Biodiversity. Global Citizen. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/animal-extinct-biodiversity-2021/
In the year 2021 alone, the United States has experienced a total of 22 extinct species as a result of many issues such as industrialization, climate change, invasive species, etc. Many of the species range from aquatic life – mussels and fish, as well as many different bird species. Unsurprisingly, the driving causes of extinction are related to climate change and the human lifestyle in America that comes with the overproduction of foods and removal of habitat for species. Furthermore, the introduction of invasive species accounts for a quarter of plant extinctions and almost a third of all animal extinctions. It is possible to make and inspire change as an individual by doing what you can to aid in the recovery from modern-day climate issues.
This article provided me with insight into how many species within the US, and even the world are truly being lost every year; and how it will only get worse if we do not prevent the United States’ bad habits from exacerbating the biodiversity crisis. Additionally, the article emphasizes the amount of influence each individual citizen has on the situation, and how everyone can do their part to help out. Of course, the public is unable to fix the problem alone, but the article motivated me to change my lifestyle to be more eco-friendly. As American citizens we cant put all of the blame on the government and large corporations, it incentivizes people to look inwards.
This article seems very interesting and I similarly feel it is very sad how many species have gone extinct and the impact of citizens. What are some things citizens can do to help that this article mentioned?
Thank you for the response! One of the actions that we citizens can take to help out the situation is advocating for change and spreading the word. Any person you inform about the situation aids in bringing the issue to light.
This article seems very fitting for what we have been learning in class this year. It is truly devastating to hear and see the data of the species being lost to climate change, but I think we can all agree that there is a sense of hope with the small changes we can make in our day-to-day lives to help the cause. Following what the previous commenter asked, do you think the small changes that humans can make will be a large enough different made?
Thank you for responding! To answer your question, I personally do not believe that everyday citizens are able to directly fix the issue themselves. However, by doing your part to bring awareness and change your lifestyle for the better, it gets the “snowball rolling”, and could build up more to reach people higher in power, eventually solving the issue.
Climate change is a big problem and it’s sad to see that its gotten so bad it has caused species to go extinct. what are ways that citizens can help?