WEEK THREE: Killing A Species To Save Another??

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2012/02/plan-shoot-barred-owls-protect-endangered-spotted-owls

The Spotted Owl was first considered endangered in 1990. Since then, the Spotted Owl population has dropped 40 percent because of habitat loss and Barred Owls. Barred Owls live in the same areas as Spotted Owls, but are larger and are better hunters. They make survival next to impossible for their smaller cousins.
Because of this, the Obama Administration passed a new law that allows government workers to shoot Barred Owls so that Spotted Owls can thrive, as well as allowing logging to happen if it is home to a Barred Owl. Is this really necessary? Why should Spotted Owls be given the right to live, but Barred Owls have that right snatched away? Shouldn't all species be protected?

WEEK TWO: Ontario Snapping Turtle Endangered Yet Hunted

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/1133454--ontario-snapping-turtle-endangered-yet-hunted

How is it that Ontario Snapping Turtles are on the list of endangered species, yet it is still legal to hunt them? These turtles have lived in Ontario wetlands for thousands of years, but their numbers are steadily decreasing thanks to turtle poaching, nest predation, habitat destruction, pollution, cold temperatures, traffic, etc.
There needs to be laws set in place to save these turtles. They do a lot for the ecosystem, such as creating channels in lake bottoms where small animals and fish make their homes, and they clean up the environment by eating dead fish and weeds. They may not be cute and cuddly, but they need our help.

WEEK ONE: Can a panda-cam save endangered species?

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-panda-cam-save-endangered-species-20120203,0,3313183.story

What is the best way to get people passionate about issues? Create an emotional connection to pull on their heartstrings. A philanthropist named Charlie Weingarten launched a new webcam initiative on his endangered animals website, calling it the "panda-cam", with the intent to connect the brisk urban world to the quiet, gentle world of the pandas and ignite a movement to rebuild their decaying or destroyed habitat. There are only about 1,300 pandas left in the world today. A large panda preserve was hit with a massive 8.0 earthquake, and killed numerous Giant Pandas. Because the creatures' habitats are destroyed, numbers of them are forced to live within a small area, and therefore more are in danger to local attacks. Is it within reach that these nature cams can create enough sparks to ignite a worldwide passion to rebuild habitats and save these gentle giants?