What are we doing to protect our surroundings? Garbage heaps are increasing and disposal of waste seems an alarming task. People are becoming insensitive towards plants and animals thereby harming our ecosystem.

As a student, what have you done to protect our environment? Do you know why we need to conserve our wildlife?  We must make a conscious effort to conserve the world’s plants and animals. Plants are essential for our own survival. Plants use the sun’s energy to make food—a process called photosynthesis.

Therefore plants are the first important link in the food chain of which humans also form a part. During photosynthesis, oxygen is released and oxygen is vital for the existence of life itself.

Animals need plants in order to survive, but plants also need animals. Animals and plants are therefore delicately bound together. The removal of even one species of animal/plant can drastically alter the ecosystem. Isn’t this frightening?

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Our own survival may be threatened if we cause too much disruption to the natural processes that occur on this Earth. Destruction of rain forests, for example, has reduced the local rainfall. A further reduction in rainfall will increase desert areas.

We need to preserve our wildlife as well. We use many plants and ani­mals to supply us with food, materials, chemicals, etc. If we continue to exploit these species to a point where they cannot replenish themselves, they will no longer be available to us.

Gradually if we manage to destroy most of the world’s animals and plants, the Earth will become barren. For a moment, let us stop being selfish. Do we have the right to destroy animals and plants which have as much right as us, humans, to share this planet?

All life on Earth, be it humans, animals or plants, is the product of millions of years of evolution. This tiny planet is the only one we know of on which life exists. Therefore, we need to learn to co-exist with the species which have evolved with us, and take active steps to ensure their survival.