Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more important environmental problems. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

The

loss

of natural habitats, in part due to intensive agriculture and industrial-scale mining in some parts of the world, as well as urbanisation, has put the survival of many

species

of plants and animals under threat. While

this

is certainly a major concern, is

this

the most pressing environmental problem that we should deal with? I certainly feel that humanity has a moral obligation to safeguard the survival of different

species

of fauna and flora. The

loss

of any

species

is permanent and means that future generations will not be able to appreciate the wonders of a diverse natural world.

For example

, the tragic extinction of the dodo is something which we still lament even today.

Moreover

, it can affect us detrimentally too. Many herbal remedies are derived from plants, and so the destruction of rainforests could easily have a negative effect on the production of medicinal drugs.

In addition

, we are part of a natural food chain, so the

loss

of animals,

such

as fish, means we will have less food in the future. Ultimately though, there is a far wider problem that needs to be addressed: global warming.

As a result

of emissions of greenhouse gases,

such

as CO2 and methane, global temperatures are rising and we risk seeing runaway heating.

This

will lead to a number of problems, including flooding, extreme weather and drought, but

also

the extinction of

species

. Indeed, polar bears are already struggling to survive because of the

loss

of polar ice caps due to rising temperatures.

In other words

, working to safeguard the survival of the natural world without tackling global warming would be entirely ineffective, so it’s not really a case of which one is more important: all environmental issues are ultimately interconnected, and so we need to take a holistic approach to the issue.