Michelle Nijhuis’ concludes her article “Which Species Will Live?” by explaining, through the use of a simile, that as a society, we need to make stronger efforts to save more species, not just let them die out because they don’t serve a role that is beneficial enough for mankind. She compares what society should be doing to a battlefield medic who “works unstintingly to save lives, even while knowing that he or she cannot save them all.” By using this simile, Nijhuis explains that people should attempt to save every species, even if in reality they can’t save them. Society needs to make an effort, rather than letting species die because in the moment they have no function.
In the conclusion of her article “Conservation Triage, ” Nijhuis hopes to show readers that we could have prevented extinction, but because society decided on the triage system, many were left alone to die out. She makes an emotional appeal by making the reader place him or her self in the position of many officials who decide which species will live with the ending line, “Who gets to board your ark?” After providing the reader with evidence and explanations of the various species that are endangered, and what government has done to either save them or watch them go, she lets the reader see how difficult the decisions that triage involves are.
Both of Nijhuis’ conclusions act as a way for her to show that society could have saved many species, but the importance of the species was not there and neither was the resources nor funding. So in attempts to act for the greater good of society, a triage system was created to save species that seemed more important. Nijhuis recognizes that all species hold equal importance and that in reality the Noah Principle should have been followed, but it is too late to reverse and instate that now, so society has to make efforts now, with the funding and resources we do have to make the difficult decisions that will save more species.
WRT 102.22: Science & Society 