The human race has undoubtedly left its mark on the world. Despite a growing awareness of the impact we are
having on the environment around us, this realisation is coming too late for some of the creatures which share
this planet.
One of the main reasons that wildlife is under threat is loss of habitat. As the world’s population continues to
grow at an alarming rate, more and more land is cleared for agricultural use. Global warming is also making it
more difficult for animals such as polar bears to find food. Typically, these creatures hunt for seals on the sea
ice, but as the temperature of the Earth rises, many polar bears are starving to death.
In addition, oil spills have had a devastating impact on our oceans. Pristine environments such as the Great
Barrier Reef in Australia have fallen victim to companies breaching the law and entering restricted areas.
Many governments around the world have already taken steps to try to protect our wildlife from further
damage. Laws have been introduced which are designed to limit the destruction of the animals’ habitat and
reduce the carbon emissions which lead to global warming. However, in order for these regulations to have a
greater impact, they need to be tightened and more strictly enforced.
In my opinion, offering incentives for adopting a more environmentally friendly approach is likely to be more
effective than increasing the penalties for those who break the law. Eco-tourism has a lot of potential. On the
coast of Mexico, local people who used to take turtles’ eggs for food have now set up a foundation which aims
to protect the turtles. Tourists pay to visit the centre and also have the chance to release baby turtles into the
ocean for a small fee.
