1. You’re a blacksmith living in a rural region of Alberta, Canada. The economy of your small town has recently gone south after timber prices reached an all time low. Energy companies are inquiring with the town’s government about the possibility of extracting a clean burning, highly flammable metamorphic rock which is found on mountainsides west of town. Allowing mineral extraction would greatly improve the town’s economy while at the same time, around twenty species would be forced to relocate, two of which are unique to your region. Would a better economy be worth endangerment of the species? State your case.

In modern society, the battle between preservation and profit is all too common. Prized items like fossil fuels are found by scientists. Large corporations inquire about these resources in hopes of eventual profit. While local economies, many of which are rural and may be struggling, would significantly benefit, habitat loss and possible species extinction may occur. Pollution is also a major threat. In an anthropogenic context, the loss of a few well known species will probably not impact human life. Intrinsically, a living, breathing species now has no population in an area or is gone forever. This argument falls back onto ethics concepts with the bottom line being, species are non-renewable. Once an animal is completely gone, it’s completely gone, at least naturally. Alternative energy is a growing sector and includes many renewable, pollution and habitat loss free ways to make energy. Governments and citizens will continue to fight for extraction rights to increase taxes and power economies. The instrinic value of a species is far greater than any monetary value.

Discuss a situation in which biodiversity has taken a backseat to monetary gain. Try to use examples from your town, state or region.

In 2011, natural gas fracking began in Pennsylvania. Primarily occurring in Southwestern and Northeastern Pennsylvania, fracking consists of small metal pipes going through the soil and into layers of Marcellus Shale. Pointed horizontally, the pipes emit an undisclosed solution to retrieve natural gas. This is a threat to biodiversity because pollutants often enter groundwater aquifiers. These pollutants may end up anywhere farther down the watershed and be ingested by both animals and humans. Additionally, seismic activity has been linked to fracking in the southern United States. Most notably, a video surfaced a few years ago of a man lighting his tap “water” on fire in Dimock, Pennsylvania. This was likely due to high methane content, a component of the solution energy companies use to extract natural gas. While humans have water quality resources and filters, plants and animals do not. A harsh element like methane could invoke limitless damage on an otherwise healthy ecosystem. New York also has a considerable amount of Marcellus Shale but has not allowed fracking.