Environmental Issues

Species are termed extinct when they survive in a few numbers that cannot reproduce more species or the species does not survive any more. Death, poor health and lack of the opposite sex from the preceding species can make certain specie to be extinct.

Factors that bring about specie extinction
Human beings practices such as, farming, housing development and mining have resulted to species extinction. Cutting down of trees hinders with the habitat of some species and the interference of the water catchments have resulted to the loss of endangered  aquatic species due to the  economic practices carried out by human being  (Rogers, Wilkinson, 2000). Certain species develop and become competitors to other species. They ascertain themselves to the environment and nourish on what the other species feed on. Consequently, competition is developed between the endangered species which become less resistant to the competitors making the endangered species extinctive

Chemicals are pollutants to the environment emission of chemicals from industries for example the smoke from industries has lead to the provision of acidic rain which leads to death of the marine life making some aquatic species extinct. The production of the fertilizers and the usage of chemicals on plant have lead to a high rise of some species which feed on the plants to die due to the chemicals being used on them (Levin, 2000). Chemicals released on the water catchments areas by industries bring about water pollution hence leading to death of some endangered aquatic species.
 
Us laws and policy on specie extinction
Laws have been defined on specie extinction the Endangered Species Acts (ESA) is responsible for the protection of species that are in jeopardy in extinction by protecting its ecosystem. This act is managed on two groups the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They enact the policies of protecting the land and the aquatic life in US from any threat (David, 1996). They deal with the protection of the marine life from any threat. Recognition of an endangered species and protection of the ecosystem is there main role.

In section 4 of the law, it establishes critical habitat. This section has a responsibity of ascertaining critical habitat meaning that the endangered species have a right to protection and its habitation regardless the economic growth of a place. The critical habitat section contains the ecosystems that the species inhabit need protection from any threat (Winston, 1999).

Discrepancies in current laws and policies in handling the problem
The endangered species have increased in the protection list because the current laws and policies are going contrary to their role hence not being able to control the specie extinction. Despite the fact that Endangered Specie Act (ESA) responsibity is to conserve the ecosystems where the endangered specie inhabit, it can be divisive where economic growth is termed (Green, 1999). The economic growth in US is rapid. For example, mining, construction of dams and construction of companies are economic practices which are beneficial but they exceedingly alter the ecosystem which inhabits some species because they require land clearance (Wheeler, Meier, 2000). Some projects carried out in the field lead to loss of some species especially if they need to interfere with the habitats of the species. Therefore, Endangered Species Act becomes divisive in such situation which affects the ecosystem.