Once a species has disappeared, it is gone. Neither the species nor the role it occupied in the ecosystem can be retrieved. Third, land continues to be degraded by the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Just because DDT is no longer used does not mean that potentially harmful chemicals are not being used in its place. Fourth, the treatment of hazardous chemicals and wastes continues as an unsolved problem.
Hazardous chemicals seep into water sources from previously buried dumping grounds.
Fifth, pollution is rapidly becoming a global problem. Human garbage turns up on the shores of uninhabited South Pacific islands, far from the shipping lanes, and DDT has been found in Antarctic penguins. Sixth, our atmosphere appears to be changing. Though these questions cannot be answered easily, they must be asked. Seventh, we are losing the experiences of cultures that have lived in harmony with the creation for hundreds or even thousands years.