Are giraffes endangered? And if so what species are?

Why do we feel compelled to save endangered species and protect biodiversity?

• I understand that as sentient beings, we choose to be constructive or destructive. That we alone can intentionally act to save other species. But why do we? Is it compassion? Is it a deep-seated fear that if a certain species can become extinct, we too can become extinct? What is it about us? I've heard the arguments that the loss of one species impacts all other species, that the loss of a species is irrevocable. All those type of arguments seem to have as their root, "extinction is change and we don't want change. We want everything to stay just the way it is right now." In the big picture, all life, including human life, is under the same umbrella of evolution. Species become extinct, others rise to take their place. The planet warms up, the planet cools down. Life adjusts to the changes. No matter how much we consciously alter the planet, no matter how many species become extinct because of our actions, it is still evolution. It is still the life process, a natural process. Life, in one form or another, will always go on. Why do we fight change so?

• Answer:

  Should you care that an obscure flower that only grows in a very limited area, serves no obvious purpose, and is unlikely to ever be in an arrangement in anyone’s home is facing possible extinction? Should you care about them? People should care about extinction of seemingly obscure plants and animals, even if they do not live, work or play in the habitats where the threatened species live for the same reason that the coal miner should be concerned that the canary is lying motionless on the bottom of the cage. Just as the canary is a sign of trouble with the air in the mine, the loss of species indicates impending problems for the health of the planet. Plant species make up ecosystems, and ecosystems provide services. They do things for us. Those things include: Clean the air Moderate temperatures Make rain Moderate flooding Pollinate our crops Provide pest control Cycle nutrients When we lose species out of ecosystems we start losing the services those ecosystems provide. The functionality of ecosystems goes down. Look to the bees for an example. Bees are critical pollinators for farmers, and reduced numbers have caused alarm among almond growers all over the world. There’s also concern over loss of bats in the Eastern United States and the role they play in insect control. It also causes scientists and researchers to lose information that form a knowledge base about the chemicals in plants and plant compounds. That’s important because plants not only are a source of food but have played important roles as sources for medicines that help cure disease. Examples : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinine , the first effective treatment for malaria, occurs naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. Cinchona quinine, a genus of 38 species native to the tropical Andes forests of western South America, was the anti-malarial drug of choice until the 1940s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin originally came from willow bark. Is it possible an extinct plant held the secret to a cure for cancer? Unfortunately, we’ll never know.