There are a plethora of different topics that politicians can focus on in 2016. Some of the hot topics that are immigration, entitlement reform, and the economy. However, a topic that may be overlooked could be the preservation of the current wilderness. As an aspiring politician I feel that this is a pressing issue that should be addressed. Without the natural resources that we have today we will not have oxygen, paper, and many other products.
It is more than obvious to most humans that advances in technology and civilization has led to the destruction of many different areas of wildlife. Logging has been one of the major causes of the mass destruction of wilderness. Trees and other plants are used as resources to create many of the products that we use in our everyday lives. However, when should we be concerned about how much wilderness and resources are left? This is a question that has many different answers. One may argue that the human race is using all of our resources is not an issue because there is still a considerable amount. Another may argue that the human race is in grave danger of using all of our resources and once they are gone they are gone. The study I chose to blog about creates a sense of urgency for the preservation of natural resources.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
The image above shows how much wilderness has been lost within the last two decades. The destruction of wilderness by humans is not only detrimental to the animals that live there, but this destruction also has harmful effects on humans. One of the major reasons for this is that trees provide oxygen for us to breathe. Obviously without trees and plants to create oxygen, the human race will no longer exist. According to the James Watson, in the last two decades humans have destroyed approximately 1.27 million square miles of wilderness (Watson, 2016). The more staggering statistic with this mass destruction of forests is that humans have destroyed enough forests to make up twice the area of the state of Alaska. Humans cannot keep destroying our natural resources at such a rapid rate if we want to be able to use them for years to come.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
The other image inserted above furthermore bolsters the argument that we are destroying our natural resources at an alarming rate. The major takeaway here should be that there needs to be more effort put towards the preservation of these resources so that we do not make an irreversible mistake. Experts believe humans are turning a blind eye to this destruction because humans think that there is an infinite amount of these resources are left. Or even in other instances, many people believe that because that resources will not run out in their lifetime that they are not obligated to help in the preservation of these resources. The second stigma needs to be ended because this selfish attitude is part of the problem. There should be new pieces of legislation passed so that we can combat this real issue that is facing not only Americans, but all members of the human race. By doing this we can preserve wilderness for future generations. By preserving wilderness we will not only save the habitats of many different forms of wildlife. We will also be able to have plenty of resources to use for the future.
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