Operle, D. (2023, June 1). Federal wildlife officials evaluating status of 4 endangered species in Kentucky. Hoptown Chronicle. Retrieved August 27, 2023, from https://hoptownchronicle.org/federal-wildlife-officials-evaluating-status-of-4-endangered-species-in-kentucky/

Four native Kentucky species- the Cumberland darter, fanshell clam, oyster mussel, and the Ring Pink mussel-  are now under regular evaluation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to prevent their extinction. These reviews, which have helped prevent other plants and animals from going extinct, will collect valuable information about the species such as their population distribution and ideal habitats. The Federal Wildlife Agency cites that many southeastern species have declining populations. Even if the species have been listed as threatened for decades, humans continue to be a primary threat to the aquatic species due to activities such as agriculture and fossil fuel usage. 

This article cites habitat alteration as the biggest threat to these native Kentucky species, especially from building dams. Environmental science can help us understand how to be more sustainable and conserve our resources so that we do not harm other species through our own architecture and self-interest. Understanding that the selfishness of humans can come back to bite us by forcing us to spend money on the protection of the animals we have harmed is crucial to the way that environmental science plays a role in economics, as it likely is more economically sustainable to protect the environment from the get-go instead of trying to fix disasters after the fact. I wonder how much time and money we will need to spend before enough people understand the great consequences of prioritizing humans over the natural world.