When it comes to doing things, the government is always doing them behind backs. That pesky government is always trying to change things or kill terrorists without the public knowing or even asking opinions. Alright, the government can get rid of terrorists without the country knowing as it is for the safety of the countries people. Even though doing things behind people’s backs is a common occurrence, it doesn’t always happen.
If a business or government agency were to transfer a hardy but indigenous species to another country, the people would obviously have a way to know about it. Whether the people see it happening first hand or see it on the news, they will find out almost instantaneously. But before the agencies actually start transporting non-indigenous species to another country, there are some things that need to be taken into consideration.
When a kid starts his first day at his new school, there is the chance that said student will be bullied for being the nerdy new kid with no friends. This can be similar to the things that would occur is species were transferred to another country. The first thing agencies need to consider when transferring species is the impact that will be made on the species that are already thriving in the area. Source A shows a picture of trees. The caption says, “The following is a photograph of balsam fir trees killed by an infestation of balsam woolly adelgids, insects accidentally imported to the United States from Europe.” First off, how does the US “ACCIDENTALLY” import bugs? Now back to the point. The balsam fir trees were in the United States first and when the insects were imported, they trees were killed off. Taking the impact that will be made into consideration is important in this situation. It would’ve been smart to think about; it would’ve saved tree lives.
Saving tree lives is one thing; saving human lives is another. A government agency needs to find out if the non-indigenous species carries any types of diseases before importing. Taking that into consideration could save millions of lives. Source B is about the SARS outbreak of 2003 and civets — small catlike mammals that are not native to North America. The SARS outbreak started in Asia and worked its way to the United States. Thousands of people became sick and 774, in total, died. In 2004, the importation of civets was banned in America. Studies showed that wild animal traders were more exposed to the SARS virus than normal citizens. The article says, “If humans can acquire infection directly from animals like civets, scientists think, SARS may have been introduced to new areas by multiple routes.” This whole situation would’ve been avoided if the agencies that brought the civets in had taken into account the potential diseases spread, sicknesses, and death toll.
The death toll is a common occurrence in importing non-indigenous species. A third thing that should be taken into consideration is whether the species thought to help would actually help. Source F tells how “Australia would come to rue the day,” after they imported the cane toads to stop the beetles from chewing through the sugar-cane fields. Bringing in the non-indigenous species seemed like a good idea, at first that is, until the toads started eating everything in sight. “Insects, birds, eggs, and even pet food,” is on the list of things the cane toad ate once it was imported. The article goes on to say, “Their poison killed predators—even pets—who tried to eat them.” It’s a pretty common occasion to see the government agencies regret their decisions. This occasion is one of them.
Death is undoubtedly going to happen in today’s society. Saving lives is one thing that should always be kept in mind when taking risky chances. Whether it be the death of plants, animals, or people, a life lost is always a missed opportunity for greatness. The main thing government agencies needs to take into consideration is the death toll of every living thing; not just humans. Along with that, agencies need to take three things into consideration when importing non-indigenous species: the impact made, any potential diseases, and if the species will help and not hurt. Once government or business agencies take those things into consideration, lives will be lived and greatness will be evident in today’s society.
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