Opinion response exercise
Should habitats be preserved?
[That is, should entire habitats be preserved, through conservation of whole tracts of land, as opposed to concentrating specific species?]
This opinion response survey will be due next Thursday (December 5) by classtime.
Please read through the directions first before starting to read the opinions (if you haven't already in past assignments). Please remember that your "critique" should be formatted in your email as follows (but replace the "#" symbol with actual numbers – do not include a "#" symbol in your answers).
best,#,#,#
new idea,#,#,#
If your name begins with the letters A to D, please read responses 1 to 14
If your name begins with the letters E to K, please read responses 15 to 28
If your name begins with the letters L to N, please read responses 29 to 42
If your name begins with the letters O to Z, please read responses 43 to 55
The order of the opinions is generally according to the order in which they were received.
You are welcome, of course, to read responses outside your own set if you have time and interest.
1. I believe that in today's society many people are forgetting or ignoring nature. However, nature will come back to haunt us if we push it entirely aside. We came from nature, and, at the rate we are going, we will use up all the natural resources the planet has to offer and be forced to go back to nature. By preserving parts of the planet and devoting them to wildlife and keeping them as natural as possible, not only do we save lives of thousands, if not millions, of animals, we preserve history; past, present and future.
2. I strongly argue that habittats should be preserved because it is way too common now that humans destroy habitats of other people as well as creatures. The rainforests especially are extremely important to the rest of the world directly in ways people refuse to acknowledge. We need forests for the worlds clean air supply and for pure beauty. When we keep destroying them we just create more polution and less available air to breath. The poor animals that become extinct and slaughtered because of deforestation is to emmense. The constant desire for more wood, and land is pointless. What benefits do we have to show for it. None!
3. I do think that habitats should be preserved. If we don't preserve habitats, animals will become extinct, like we have seen already. It is a problem that the human population is growing, but we have to deal with it in a different way. We have regretted turning some habitats into parking lots and other things like that, so we should just be preventitive and not do it in the first place. Ecosystems are very important to humans because they effect us directly. There needs to be a certain amount of natural, untouched land.
4. Habitats should be preserved. The only reason to destroy a habitat would be for human's gains, but we already take up enough space and resources, why should we destroy more? Although, by preserving a habitat, in a way we are making the habitat unnatural. To preserve a habitat properlly this day in age man often needs to take action and some how enter the habitat to make sure that it survives properlly.
Even if the habitat is causing destruction for another habitat that is the course of nature, and we should not disturb it.
5. Habitats should be preserved. So many have already been destroyed and because of that many animals and plants are endanger of extinction.
If habitats are preserved then some of these animals and plants might be able to be saved.
6. I think habitats should be preserved so that we can learn from them and discover new things. Our environment is always changing so therefore we should preserve the habitats study them for a longer period of time and in doing this hopefully scientists can use them for doing experiments to find new discoveries.
7. I think that the preservation of natural habitats is very important. Animals rely on their habitat to be there in order for their survival. If we tear down forests and build houses the animals will soon become extinct in that area. When we ruin too many habitats where a single species of animals are found than that animal may become extinct from the whole planet. It is obvious that in some cases habitats must be destroyed for human needs. The animals in these habitats should be carefully relocated to a similiar habitat somewhere else.
8. I think that land should be set aside to preserve habitats. It is only right because we have been taking land from other species for years now. They deserve to have something of their own an it is not right for us to just walk right in and take away their home. I mean how would you feel if someone just came in your house, kicked you out, and tore down your house just to build something like a parking lot? It is not right. And although we humans have done this a lot in the past to animals, they deserve some amends for the treatment they received.
The least we can do is stop tarring down their homes and set aside land just for them.
9. Habitat preservation should be considered but only if the habitat is still salvageable. If the habitat becomes degraded to a point where efforts to maintain that habitat would be futile, then those efforts should be directed towards other habitats that need to be saved and would stand a chance at actually surviving. Saving different kinds of habitats should be practiced because all of them play a specific and important role in the ecosystem and in sustaining the wildlife living in them. Without the diversity of habitats, we wouldn't have the multitudes of different organisms and geographic differences that makes life unique.
10. The preservation of habitat is a valid and substantial idea for two reaons. First of all, this will aid in the constant battle of preventing certain species from becoming extinct. This also provides limits on how much land can be industialized. By preserving habitats, we woould not only be helping animals, but also future generations experience nature in it's purest form. National parks provide a sense of wilderness that has been lost on too many of todays youth.
11. The world today is concerned more
with growing bigger industrially as well as geographically then with
the environment. This is why more and more animals are losing homes
to tractors tearing down trees to put up the new condonminums or
swamps being dredged for the pure purpose of creating a pool for
hotel guests. This dominant carefree attitude is what blocks us from
seeing that we are animals to. There is no need for reckless
destruction at the expense of animals who are doing no harm excpet
living on land that man wants to use. Preserving habitats will allow
the animals to live naturally and hopefully inspire people to stop
and look around at the world. People need to stop trying to dominant
everything in the sake of their captialistic drive for more money. If
this attitude never stops what happens once all the land is either
destroyed, determined useless, or is completly covered with massive
skyrises or condominiums--what will be next? Space??
12. I believe that habitats should be preserved. In many circumstances it is human beings that destroy the habitats. I do not believe that cutting down an animal’s home or polluting it is a Darwinian matter of natural selection, as some people say it is. If other people destroy lands how is it evolution acting on the other species on that land.
We, who have the ability to help these animals, should preserve these animals’ habitats. It doesn’t matter if companies will not be able to use the natural resources on that land. Companies and governments have too long exploited animals’ lands and caused their populations to decrease or even be totally lost. If we cause the problem why shouldn’t we fix it?
13. We have a moral obligation to preserve the quickly disapearing habitats of every animal on earth. With the continueing destruction of natural habitats because of industrial needs and urban sprawl, the natural world is loosing the space that is vital for it excisitance. Certain animals need large spaces to survive, with this space shrinking these animals are indanger of dieing, with the loos of animal life that comes along with shrinking habitats so does the disruption of the balance of the ecosystem, which when colapsed will spell doom for human life.
14. I believe that animal habitats should be preserved. Animals are living beings as well as we are, so what would make us any more deserving of that land? We have so much land that we use for ourselves, I believe that we can afford to give up some of it for animals to live on. When we are young, we are taught to treat others the way that we would like to be treated and I believe that this goes for animals too.
15. yes i believe that habitats should be preserved. it is important that we give different animal species a chance to survive. by distroying their habitats we are distroying the future prosperity of these animals.
Every living thing has a right to live and grow and reproduce, and if we take away these animals habitats we will be taking away this right.
16. I think preserving habitats is a necessity. Many don't like the idea that it deals with restricting lands and other locations but when looking at the advantages vs. the disadvantages of this, most would agree that preserving habitats is for the good of all humanity. It creates better chances for endangered species to become unendangered.
It also allows for new species to develop that could have some part or importance to us. For example, new medicines, cures to diseases, or other treatments, can all be discovered from new species of plants and animals that evolve. Also just by preserving that much more, the earth will be that much more healthier in a sense that pollution will be more controlled. I really think it is important to preserve habitats because humans are not the only living things on this earth therefore, we must share to balance out mother nature and the ways of life on earth.
17. I am a strong believer in habitat preservation. Although birds, mammals, reptiles and such are not recognoized as important creatures compared to the human race,they still are living and breathing and at least deserve their own habitats to remain unharmed or disturbed.
Because humans have the power to take away an animal's sanctuary, preservation of habitats is beging to become a concern. However, there are people out there who make it their job to protect these special homes to all of wildlife. They do this by making national parks,museums and organizations that allow other poeple to see how important an animals natural habitat is to them.Maybe soon more and more people will realize the importance of habitat preservation and see what they could do to help because how would they like it if their own home was stolen from them right under their feet?
18. I think habitats should be preserved. A species' habitat is vital to its survival and in cases such as the rainforest, the habitat is vital to human beings as well. Change is inevitable, but change due to human influence is the predominant factor in habitat destruction and therefore it is our responsibility to prevent any further destruction. The presence of preservations is not impeding any progress, except perhaps the unnecessary commercialization of individual areas, it is maintaining an ecosystem which will ensure the survival of a species.
19. We should be doing everything in our power to preserve habitats. It is mostly from human interference that certain habitats are in danger at all. Some argue that preserving a habitat is messing with nature and that it shouldn’t be done. But why should we have the power to do something about the destruction and collapse of habitats if we do not use it. It is important for us to preserve the homes of earth’s other creatures, especially when we are the ones that they are in danger because of.
20. Conservation and preservation are the keys to our nations future. We should definitely be setting aside land areas to save and protect for the generations to come. If we do not start now, in 10 years all of the natural wildlife that we currently have could be gone. Once the habitats are disrupted they are very hard to put back together again, without the use of human influence. Humans often portray the natural world according to what they believe it should look and run like. The images that people have of the wild are very distorted. If we do not work to save what real habitats there are left, those images are just going to become even more ambiguous for future generations.
21. The question of whether habitats should be preserved is very controversial. Looking at it from an economical and an animal lover’s standpoint, I believe that some should be preserved while others are used for whatever the reason might be. I think that if someone wants to build on a habitat, researchers should go out and look over the land very critically to determine what is living there before building. They should then weigh the options. If something rare or very valuable to the ecosystem and is living on that plot of land then I believe that the habitat should not be touched. If the building or structure has greater benefits and not many animals are living on the land then I believe that the structure should be built there if it is important to the surrounding economy. All the buildings that we know today were built on habitats at one point. In order for the economy to grow, and new buildings to be put in the builders have to build over something but what that something is should be the determining factor of whether or not they build there.
22. I believe that habitat's should be preserved all over the world, not only for our purposes but also so the vegetataion itself does not go extinct. This is needed in our world and these habitats should be preserved and not touched. They will be there to maintain nature and to keep these different types of plants from extinction. This needs to be done and in some cases it is, such as in Alaska, where there is a huge supply of oil in a wildlife preserve. But it can not be touched which is the right decision.
23. I believe that habits should be preserved. Where something naturally lives should always be preserved. I think that if we do not preserve habitats, the environment will suffer in a major way. We might lose some species, which depend on their habitat, to extinction. We should come up with different ways to try and help preserve some portion of the wild forests, the oceans, and fresh water, the Great Plains, Alaska, etc. I believe that the environment is the most important thing on the planet, and instead of destroying it, we should help protect it. By doing things like digging or oil, and cutting down forests, we are slowly killing our planet, and when that’s gone, we will be gone too.
24. Habitats in our natural environment should be preserved. In order to learn about different species we must know of their environments and study why they live there and/or why their environment is the way it is.
In some cases we might need land for an important thing to be built in an area but we should not ruin an animal's home for something useless that will only accomplish killing them. There are so few beautiful landscapes anymore and if animal habitats are not preseved there will be even fewer.
25. I believe that habitats should be preserved. Due to the changing world more animals are having difficulty surviving. The main thing is that is due to our influence. We as humans are destroying the earth and in order to help save land and animals we must preserve habitats.
26. Habitats should defiantly be preserved. It is a different concept than perserving seciifc animals. By perserving full habitats we can protect animals in thier natural living conditions. This allows us to study them in realistic situations. Also for the reasons of evolution and adaption, we must keep habitats. It is important to let animlas live where they belong and develop on thier own. With the intereaction of humans no animal will be the same, so it is best that we block of masses of land and let animals thrive without out intereaction.
27. Habitats should be preserved as much as possible. However, this obviously creates an economic hassle, seeing as how acres of forest across the world are cut down every minute. Therefore, some group or environmental team should take responsibility over the animals whose homes will be destroyed in the near future. If someone moved animals to another protected forest, the animals could easily create a new natural habitat and continue to thrive. Once a company schedules to cut down a forest or destroy a habitat, they should have to contact a group in charge of relocation and provide a month before operations to give the animals a chance to be transported to a new home.
28. Habitat should be preserved indefinetely. Not only is preserving habitat nessacry for the preservation of animal species on this planet, but the habitat we are preserving also contains inportant plants that help keep our air clean, and possibly plants and animals we haven't discovered yet that could be of some use to humankind. For example, the rain forest. There are so many undiscovered plants and animals in the rain forest, but we are losing out chances to discover the next penicillen or rare species of lemur because instead of preserving the ecosystem, we are destroying the land for cheap lumber and farming ground. So yes, habitat should be preserved in big chunks.
29. i think that we should try as hard as we can to preserve habitats. The destruction of certain habitats can really throw off the whole ecosystem of an area in addition to causing animals to go extinct. Certain plants and things contribute a lot to the environment. The cutting down of rainforests has been said to be a cause of global warming because it has thrown off the amount of carbon dioxide on the planet. It is not beneficial to anyone to alter an environment too much. Also, sometimes when an animal's habitat gets destroyed they have nowhere to go, such as deer in some areas, and they end up all over suburbs and places that used to be where they lived and are really annoying.
30. I definitely think that habitats should be protected. Destruction of natural habitats are largely due to human actions. Instead of eliminating animals' natural habitats to make room for new malls, restaurants, houses, and such, why not just fix up old and/or abandoned builidings to accomodate new businesses (or demolish the abandoned buildings in order to erect new ones).
31. Should habitats be preserved? Of course they should. The world does not need more mini malls or Burger Kings. What we do need is to have the animals and plants that have inhabited this planet long before humans survive. While zoos are a help to this problem they are not the same as a natural habitat. The only solution to prevent humans from destroying the few resources that are left a few concerned individuals should certainly seize the opportunity to protect the lands that these precious creatures are found in.
32. Should habitats be preserved? Of course! That shouldn't even be a question! If we don't preserve the habitats, everything that resides in those habitats dies and that messes up the whole balance of the ecosystem. Then it will be just humans left and the earth isn't going to last long with just us around.
33. Everyone needs a place to live, including wild animals. While humans are probably capable of expanding into every nook of the earth, it is important to set aside some space for other species. We will not be too happy to have to go to the zoo to see the only wild, well, anything, which will have been crammed into a shoe-box-sized terrarium. Think of how the animals in the shoe-box-sized terrarium would feel. The earth is a precariously balanced system that requires diversity to function properly. Without habitats and their inhabitants, ecosystems will suffer and fail. Humans can do a lot of damage, or they can do a lot of good. Preserving some pristine habitat would benefit all species in the long run.
34. I think that definitely habitats should be preserved. One of the most devastating problems that leads to species extinction is the destruction of habitats. We could significantly reduce the amount of endangered species by preserving habitats. The saving of such species is important because when even just one species becomes extince, there are repercussions throughout the ecosystem. Thus, we humans could be affected by even the smallest destruction of habitats.
35. i don't think habitats should be preserved if they are in the way of our natural social and phsyical evolution, but our scales of what is nautural are way of balance. No one can weigh exactly whether or not habitats should be destroyed or left alone. We are a dominating species on this earth and naturally that gives us a right now reign over the other animals but if we use that tool to exploit animals then we have learned nothing!
36. I think it goes with out saying that habitats should be preserved. An animials natural home is essentially no different than any one of our homes. The only explanation that I can posssibly think of is that the situation in question has certain circumstances that trump the animals habitat. Items such as business actions are certainly not on such a list. If the lives of humans are at stack then that would be a legitimate situation for an exception.
37. Without a doubt habitats should be preserved. Humans have been destroying land left and right for the past couple of centuries. We have been tearing down rainforests and large areas where many animals live. Where are they supposed to go? It is our own fault as to why so many species have gone extinct and if we don’t save some land what will become of it? More and more houses keep popping up, along with amusement parks, etc which take up a great deal of land. These animals need somewhere to live, why not save a part of the land for them? They own it just as much as we do.
38. To me it is obvious that habitats should be preserved. It is very egotistical of humans to think that they are so much better than other animals that live on the earth. There is no reason why we should not leave natural places for animals to leave the way they were meant to.
I don’t think that we should have taken away these places in the first place. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t live the way we do, but we should be more considerate, and by creating natural habitats for animals to live safely in is something that should be done.
39. Of course habitats should be preserved. Animals and ecosystems are important to our environment and they should be kept around. If it is possible for habitats to be preserved without interfering with human life then it should be done. At home in Vermont they have protected habitats for endangered birds to live in and these have proved to be very successful. These areas were able to be protected in an environment that is frequented by humans all of the time. If this was successful, I think that many other habitats could prove to be successful without interfering with human life as well.
40. Habitat's should not be preserved because nature changes habitats.
That is what nature does. We can not control this naturally because its a constant shift of habitats that creates the environments for which we live in. the preservation of habitats is actually us interfiering with the course nature intends to take on its own.
41. The cold bars of metal are not substitutes for the natural area where the animals would live. To rob the animals of their homes would be as significant as us losing ours. Who are we to believe that us humans have the right to go invade homes of others. We were not the ones who first inhabited this land. Such an idea is ludacris. It's frustrating for a animal owner myself to be so cruel to my pets. However when I think more about it, habitats are neccessary for us to perserve the wild animals that still roam, however, as a animal owner myself, I feel it is rather hypocritical for me to be pro-habitat, yet have built my home on someone elses land.
42. I think that it is unreasonable to say that every habitat can be preserved. As the population increases, it has to expand to somewhere. I do think that there should be limits on this expansion, however. In countries where overpopulation is a vital issue, limiting the number of children per family will help. Also, rather than continuing to destroy currently uninhabited lands for human use, more effort should be made in making the land already in use more efficient. Limits on property size would help make the most of the land which is already claimed by humans. Emphasis on multiple story buildings and high-rise apartment buildings are also more efficient uses of land. By taking measures such as these, increases in population will not hinder humanity, while at the same time preserving natural habitats.
43. I grew up with a very small wildlife reserve (a little over 50 acres) that began right where my back yard ended. The government had paid the owner of the land to dig ponds and make other such ajustments so that animals such as beavers, great blue herons, geese, red-tailed hawks, and other wildlife could survive without fear of being driven out by development. Personally, I feel that such areas are important, whether they are relatively small or hundreds of miles long. For one thing, humans do quite a bit of destruction to various habitats and threaten the diversity of life. Setting aside Wildlife Reserves is probably the best way to avoid problmes with extinction later on. These days scientists are so concerned with the possiblity of cloning species that are going extinct, and trying to find ways to save endangered species.
But we should took care to set aside a place for wildlife to live now, instead of waiting until after they have become endangered to worry about saving them. Not only does the preservation of habitats solve problems before they start, it can also be very educational. Wildlife reserves are great places for scientists to do feild research and for children to learn about the ecosystem in which they live, I remember taking fieldtrips to a wildlife reserve when I was in elementary school. But what if the land is needed for something else? I say worry about that when the time comes that it is needed. Just because the land may be needed someday is the distant future is no reason not to do what you can for the environment now. It's one thing if the land is needed to drill for oil, its another if someone is trying to build a factory or housing where a wildlife reserve should be. If factories need to be built than make use of the land being taken up by the hundreds of old, desserted buildings that can be found in almost all of our country's cities. Should habitats be preserved? Of course. Unless there is a legitemite reason not to, there is nothing which should stop us from giving back to nature a little bit of what we take away from it.
44. It is necessary for habitats where a specific species needs certain conditions to survive to be preserved to an extent, not least importantly to ensure the survival of such species and avoid unnecessary extinction. For example, there is an area of forest land near Albany, NY, called the Pine Bush where an endangered species of butterfly called the Karner blue lives. The area is in danger of being developed in order to expand a nearby shopping mall. However, such development would almost certainly kill off the last of the Karner blues. Developers, contractors, and citizens must ask themselves if they are willing to gain commercial benefits at the expense of the environment and the creatures within that environment.
45. In my opinion we as humans should take every possible measure to preserve habitats as it is usually our actions which lead to their decline. Modern life, such as the spread of industry, has led to the decline of natural habitats throughout the world. This can ultimately lead to the decline of a species in the environment as their habitats disappear. We need to in a sense “share” the world with all other organisms, and therefore not overly exploit their habitats.
Government restrictions can help curb this from happening, along with our common sense.
46. To me this is a tough question to answer, becase habitats can provide a lot of valuable information when it comes to a spieces of animals, but at the same time each individual situation needs to be assesed. It depends on why the habitat is not longer standing. Is it because they have died out, or a new spieces has integrated into their area. I think with the flow of nature and what happens in the world, certain habitats are going to be eliminated, there is little that can be done to prevent this, but nature needs to take it's course and whatever happens, happens.
47. With out a doubt, habitats all of different shapes and sizes should be preserved, especially if the cause of their demise is humans.
We, as humans, have the responsibility of looking over the planet, as we have decided to completely dominate it. Since humans have changed the eco-system so much, habitats are bound to die off as humans rapidly change things. We should not let this happen, as it will weigh on our consciousness to heavily. We should at least make an effort to maintain what we so easily and mindlessly destroy.
48. I believe strongly that many habitats should be preserved. There are also certain circumstances that sometimes habitats should be preserved such as when scientists discoverer new medicines in the rain forests. Other than that reason and maybe a few more very important ones, we must respect where we live, because if we don't who will? Also when you destroy habitats there are many lasting affects to it. The land is harmed; the animals have no place to live, no place to eat. Often when this happens animals aren't able to adapt quick enough to the changing habitats and can die. This is how extinction occurs and by placing laws on protecting the habitats of our country and our world, we will put an end toward some of the extinction of our great animals.
49. I think that animal's habitats should be protected by us. Unfortunately they cannot protect their own habitat so it is up to us to keep it from being destroyed. Such habitats such as ANWAR should be well preserved and we shouldn't destroy their homes for our greed. Yes, we may need oil - but we don't have the right to destroy anything we come across simply because we want to. Animal's don't have anywhere to go and they were living before we were even alive, so we owe it to them to keep their habitats peaceful and safe
50. I defienetly think habitats should be preserved. I understand that people want to develop land and make money, and people need to expand to survive, but i dont think it should be at teh expense of distinctive habitats. More land intensive positions should be taken, where we utilize land already in use, and find ways to reuse land that is not in use that once was. Or i think better care should be taken in reserving land that is a natural habitat, where maybe some land can be used for purposes inclusive to man, but i think more should be kept for natural use.
51. Habitats are like different races. If we let a certain group die out it's like genocide. In order to be a well rounded people we need to keep all different types of habitats just like different types of people. If we let the rain forest and other endangered habitats die out then we as a world are going to loose. We don't even know all the different ways things are useful for and if we don't take care of what we have in our world then we won't have what will surely be needed in the future of our planet.
52. Yes. If we don't preserve the habitats that are currently existing they will inevitably vanish. We are far to careless as it is, the least we can do is preserve what is left. Also we could make artificial habitats like false reefs an such.
53. As the world's population increases, humans are encroaching upon wilderness areas and destroying habitats at an alarming rate. As a result, we are reducing biodiversity, causing the extinction of many plants and animals, and ultimately threatening our own survival. Species diversity depends partly on the presence of natural habitats. The greater the number of physical habitats you have in an area, the more species you will be likely to have. We must support conservation efforts. Conservation is the careful management of a natural resource or a species to prevent exploitation, neglect, and/or destruction. Conservationists protect an endangered area by limiting or defining use of an area by people, or by working with people who depend on these vulnerable areas for their livelihood and educate them about habitat preservation. I also feel that for protection to last it has to involve some kind of legal protection for the land containing the habitat.
54. Natural habitats are continuing to deteriorate and an increasing number of wild species are seriously threatened. The threatened habitats and species form the environment that they encompass, so I feel it necessary to take measures in order to conserve them at the community level. Also, I feel that certain types of natural habitats and certain species should be defined as having priority in measures of preservation. All the measures taken in the preservation of the natural habitats and species are to create a coherent ecological network.
55. Whether or not habitat preservation should occur is a total morality issue. Personally I feel that it is our duty as a human being to protect and preserve habitats, considering the fact that we destroy a lot of natural environments. On any given day logging companies destroy and cut down hundreds and thousands of square miles of forest.
These forests are home to many different species. If this isn’t reason enough to adapt preservation laws and guidelines, then consider all of the ecosystems we harm while we continue to make gigantic landfills and harm every living creature’s air they breathe and land they live on, or around. Before you “bark” survival of the fittest, just take one second to realize the damage you bring to the innocent creatures of the earth everyday.