You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

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.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge. Write at least 250 words.

As the world is facing numerous environmental problems, some opine that the most serious of those is the extinction of particular species of flora and fauna, however others disagree. I tend to believe there are more serious issues related to environment rather than species extinction.

The main reason why some strongly suggest that certain species of plants and animals have to be protected is that they are considered as the essential parts of the natural habitat. To be precise, each year, at least five to ten species of plants and animals are being extinct from the earth’s surface, and the impact is quite big so as to imbalance the whole eco-system adversely. In short, if this is not addressed with priority, the life in the earth would become more miserable in future.

Nevertheless, the opposite group points out that there are more serious environmental crises such as an increased level of carbon emission, irrational disposal of non-biodegradable products and over-exploitation of natural resources. The post-industrialised era has gifted us with a lot of good quality products, and along with that, it has enlarged the carbon footprint on the earth. Since the invention of plastic, tonnes of plastic wastes are left untreated either on the earth’s surface or in the deep oceans. Surplus production and rapid pace of development paved the way for increased utilization of natural resources.

In my opinion, man has created more serious issues which alter the environmental equilibrium in the last two centuries, and if these are not addressed with priority, the end result will be a catastrophe.

To conclude, it can be definitely said that species extinction is a serious environmental issue that the world is facing today, however the modern man has more serious issues to be addressed.

Word count: 293