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Endangered Species v. Endangered Jobs: We Need Laws to Preserve Biodiversity
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11260 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
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9 / 1993 |
1,424 Words |
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Gerald Leape
Gerald Leape is legislative coordinator for Greenpeace, USA. |
The Endangered Species Act (ESA), a landmark wildlife protection law passed in 1973, has become a symbol of hope for Americans who believe in the need for protecting biodiversity and a model for international wildlife protection. It has, however, been repeatedly attacked by a vocal minority who would have people believe that protecting species means the extinction of jobs.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, without a national vision for supporting jobs in areas that protect our environment and the life it sustains, much of what we cherish as our American heritage--its abundant resources--will be lost.
Congress enacted the ESA in response to the people's overwhelming demand to save the bald eagle, the symbol of our country, as well as the great whales and the grizzly bear, from extinction. At that time, the U.S. population at large favored saving the condor over the condominium, and the heron over the highrise. The dilemma facing the proponents of this statute was to protect endangered species while also allowing for some development.
The ESA, together with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, formed an important triumvirate aimed at protecting our environment and forging a sustainable balance between humans and the species with which we share the planet.
SUCCESS STORIES
The American public's commitment to wildlife is marked by a number of success stories of species that have come back from the brink of extinction. The bald eagle, the grizzly bear, the California condor, the black-footed ferret, the brown pelican, and the peregrine falcon are all shining examples of triumphs that can be directly attributed to the ESA.
In the international arena, the ESA formed the basis for the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES has made substantial progress in controlling the international traffic in products made from the slaughter of endangered species by removing the economic incentive for such trade.
Sea turtles, the African elephant, the rhinoceros, and many breeds of large cats and bears have benefited from the protection of this convention. As trade barriers fall between countries through regional free trade agreements and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT),
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