Dozen Of Canada's 387 Endangered Species example essay topic

Canada's Limitless Natural Treasures, Reaching Their Limit Canada is big and beautiful. This large country has a small human population to reap its many resources. "Its wilderness is renowned for its volume and species richness-the country is home to over 70,000 species of plants and animals". (Cousteau, np) Many of these are either threatened or endangered. The main difficulty being faced is the struggle between the resource extraction industry and environmental protection efforts. "Hydroelectric development, mining, logging, oil exploration, fishing, seal hunting-in recent years these and other sectors of the economy have been embroiled in controversy as Canada's educated, prosperous population wrestles with the costs of economic growth".

(Cousteau, np) Wildlife is being affected in every part of the country: land, water, and air. The least noticeable place reaping the ramifications of human carelessness and waste is in the vast open air above our heads. People rarely see direct physical consequences acting on the atmosphere and creatures of the air. Many governments and researchers know full well what's happening, but few do anything about it. Canada's 94 bird sanctuaries are being crowded out by exotic species. Populations are also falling due to poaching, chemically caused climate changes, and toxic pollutants.

(Canada's Wildlife Suffering, np) [Loggers have cut down over 44% of the Monarch Butterfly's habitat], (Downs, 6-7) and left [the endangered Northern Spotted Owl even worse off with only 30 breeding pair left.] (Cousteau, np) Perhaps the direst consequence to affect Canada's sky is the concentration of airborne toxins. [Some of these include PCBs or Poly Chloro-Benzine's, DDT, and mercury.] (Leahy, np) These chemicals are spread through a process known as the "Polar Sunrise Effect". Though the specifics of how the process works have not been proven, theories relate it to the time "when the sun returns to the top of the world in the spring". [Eventually, high concentrations of harmful chemicals move up the food chain to marine mammals and birds.] (Leahy, np) Another area that is highly affected by humans is the sea and waterways of Canada.

Careless captains, who dump bilge waste into the ocean, also hurt bird populations. A mixture of seawater, fuel and machine oil collects in the bilge of a ship during long trips. Law requires this to be purified before being dumped, but most captains don't take the time and effort to do so. Buildup of this mixture leaves the water surface covered by a brown oil slick. [The oil breaks down the seabird's waterproofing and they die in the cold Northern-Atlantic waters.] (DeMon t, 11) "The rare North Atlantic Right Whale is one of the most endangered in the world".

[Since 1986, more than 85 whales have disappeared from the population of about 350 due mostly to boat collisions. Ottawa, Canada recently asked a London-based International Maritime Organization to modify its sea route to reduce the risk of collision between boats and whales.] (Lemieux, np) Lastly, the most obvious and noticeable impacts on the Canadian environment have been on land. First, the logging industry has destroyed much of Canada's old growth forests. This detrimentally affects countless species that regard those forests as their homes.

The Alberta Grizzly Bear has been up for debate on whether to designate it as threatened. This would end the annual bear hunt in an effort to help the approximate "800 to 1,000 grizzlies in Alberta". (Government Committees, np) "Grasslands National Park is an essential home for more than a dozen of Canada's 387 endangered species". (Jackson, 24-29) [It is also one of two places in Canada where the elusive, critically endangered Swift Fox lives.

A re introduction effort has been ongoing since the species was considered abolished from the country in 1983. After about 1,000 releases and nearly $2 million spent, the fox is still having immense difficulties due to continued habitat loss, severe drought, and a substantial rise in predator populations.] (Jackson, 24-29) These problems aren't addressed nearly as much as they need be, nor as much as they are in most other countries. Canada has 143 protected wildlife areas and migrating bird sanctuaries. [The "protected" areas are currently managed on an annual 15 cents (9.5 US cents) per hectare (about 10,000 square feet). That's compared to the US's more than 12 dollars (7.6 US dollars) annually per hectare on wildlife refuges.] (Canada's Wildlife Suffering, np) The Species At Risk Act (SARA) is heading most of the efforts that are occurring in Canada. [This Act centers around a list of 414 threatened species based on work of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSE WIC).] It also provides solutions to critical problems broad and specific.

(Cousteau, np) This is however, far from the amount of effort necessary to save Canada's "abundant" resources, and "limitless" treasures.