Global warming threatens sea turtles

According to recent statistics, the species of sea turtles have disappeared rapidly because of global warming. Six sea turtles of the seven species of sea turtles are imperiled (Velasquez-Manoff, 2007). This problem is based on imbalance of sea turtle’s gender. High temperature causes a higher rate of females. Safina (2006) writes, “Temperature threatens the 90 percent of Hawaii’s green sea turtles by changing sand humidity needed for egg incubation, and because hatchings’ sex ratio is temperature-determined” (para.2). Risen temperature also causes nesting earlier than they usually did before. “The turtles’ fertility and the ratios of male to female hatchlings also could be affected by earlier nesting. The sex of hatchlings depends on the temperature of the sand” (Weishampel, 2004, para.6). Global warming causes the extinction of the sea turtles directly. How can we protect them from being exposed to climate change without any protections? Should we manage to control human being’s activities, such as poaching and hunting, first of all to prevent the extinction of sea turtles? The answer to this question is no. Global warming is the biggest reason for the extinction of sea turtles. There are four solutions to make sea turtles safe from global warming. First of all, we should stop building new constructions ceaselessly such as new roads and buildings. Brahic (2007) writes, “Beaches on the eastern seaboard are degraded by the construction of the new roads and houses. To replace the sand and ‘rejuvenate’ the beaches, sand is dragged from the bottom of the sea in front of the beach or from nearby inlets. The sand that comes from the bottom of the sea is often much darker than usual beach sand and can cause beach temperatures to rise by 1°C to 2°C” (Brahic, 2007, para.8-9). Secondly, we should reinforce the law and make much stronger laws. Thirdly, we should breed sea turtles in isolated places temporarily until their species are released from the possibility of extinction. Finally, we should educate all generations about harmful effects of global warming in the first place. We should protect sea turtles from global warming.

The primary solution that we should enact for protecting sea turtles from global warming is to stop building new constructions ceaselessly. Making new roads and buildings causes a shortage of the dark sand from the bottom of the sea, because the sand is provided from the sea (Brahic, 2007). The reduction of the sea sand affects the rising temperature around the sea. In addition, the risen temperature causes changes in the gender of sea turtles. “In some species of reptiles, gender is determined by the temperature at which the egg is incubated. Warmer temperature often produce more females, while cooler temperature produce males, and because of this, scientists endangered Hawaiian green sea turtles by changing its natural sex ratio” (Alaric, 2006, para.1). Finally, the imbalance of sea turtles’ gender threatens the existence of sea turtles. Building new convenient constructions also causes global warming. The reason is that the construction will be equipped with air conditioners and radiators, which cause rising temperature around the sea. Therefore, we should stop building new constructions.

Moreover, there is another solution to protect sea turtles from global warming. We should reinforce the law to safeguard sea turtles. Government should have a strict position about the activities that cause global warming, such as illegal constructions, and roads and buildings in the environmental prevention areas. By giving a heavy penalty, which is punishing them with a heavy fine or putting them in jail, a model should be made to stop the activities. In addition, government should make much stronger laws. It could be to punish people with more fines or to give them more time in jail than before. The only problem we have to be concerned about is that government should persuade the people who do not figure out how big this problem is and why the law must be strict against the activities, which cause global warming. Government should make a decision to regulate the law as soon as possible to protect sea turtles.

Thirdly, we should breed sea turtles in isolated places temporarily until their species are released from the possibility of extinction. The most important purpose of this opinion is keeping the species of sea turtle. Isolated sea turtles must live in proper habitats to live. In addition, the suitable food and temperature must be provided to them in the appropriate time. The place with perfect surroundings supports an increase in the number of species gradually. If the number of sea turtles is reached at the proper level to live with other living organisms in the ecosystem, they must be able to so back to their habits. In this situation, the timing of when they go back to their places is important, because during the absence of the species in the environment, the ecosystem can be destroyed. We need to study in order to obtain determined and accurate information, so that this will not harm sea turtles or the ecosystem. In addition, it is significant to manage the sea turtles continually after sending them to their habitats until they adapt and adjust to living healthily in harmony with their surroundings.

Finally, the best solution to protect sea turtles from global warming is to educate all generations in the world about harmful effects of global warming. School and home schooled children do not realize how serious this problem is. This education should be started from their parents and teachers as soon as possible, because they are ones who affect them the most. In addition, this earth will not end with in this generation. Our sons and grandchildren will live in this planet. We have a responsibility to turn over our own properties to the next generations. We should hand the best circumstance over to the next generation. If we want to accomplish the education successfully, we should have accurate and professional information about global warming. Government should not withhold money from research institutes, which discover definite causes and solutions of global warming. The determined investment supports solving the problem of the extinction of sea turtles.

Some scientists claim that human beings’ activities cause the extinction of sea turtles the most. However, this is not true. This insistence does not give a complete persuasion, because even though human being’s activities have been decreased due to the enforcement of the law, the population of sea turtles has been reduced. It means that human being’s activities are a small part of the cause of extinction of sea turtles. The truth is that global warming is the biggest reason for the extinction of sea turtles. The risen temperature causes the extinction of sea turtles. “A 2°C rise in the temperature in the Cape Canaveral colony in Florida would entirely wipe out male offspring according to the models. It would take a 5°C rise to cause the same effect in Bald Head Island in North Carolina, at which stage the higher temperatures would already be causing more than 75% of deaths among the all hatchlings in Florida” (Brahic, 2007, para. 5). We should spend more time and money to solve global warming instead of human being’s activities. We should be more concerned about global warming. This is the only way to solve the problem.

It is very apparent that we should protect the sea turtles from global warming. Global warming causes imbalance of sea turtles’ gender. In addition, imbalance of gender affects to the reduction of sea turtles’ number. Sea turtles are endangered by global warming directly. So, we should find solutions to solve this serious problem, which causes the extinction of sea turtles. We should stop building new constructions, reinforce the law, breed sea turtles in isolated places temporarily until their species are released from the possibility of extinction, and educate all generations in the world about harmful effects of global warming. Therefore, by following these solutions, we should protect sea turtles from global warming. We need to consider living organisms as the most important partner to stop the extinction of species. We should live with all living organisms together, being in harmonizing and coexisting. “People and turtles tend to like the same sandy beaches. And while people and turtles can coexist - look at Juno Beach, Fla., says Dr. Safina, with ‘thousands of people and thousands of turtles’ – people can alter beaches in ways that are harmful to turtles” (Velasquez-Manoff, 2007, para.4). It is significant to be conscious of our roles to keep the ecosystem in harmony as we are living with all living organisms. As we realize that human beings and environment affect each other directly, we can make sure that we prosper in our lives and save sea turtles.