The Global Extinction Crisis

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These days, with climate change such a pressing issue, people often think it’s the main cause of animal and plant extinctions. It’s true that it will play an increasingly devastating role. But for now, the biggest driver is simply people taking over or changing the habitats of wild animals on land and at sea.

That dynamic was on full display on Wednesday when federal officials announced a batch of new extinctions. In all, 22 animals and one plant should be declared extinct and removed from the endangered species list, they said.

It might be a glimpse of the future. The announcement comes amid a worsening global biodiversity crisis that threatens to make a million species vanish, many within decades.

I interviewed biologists, federal wildlife officials, activists and birders. Some choked up as we talked. Many hoped that these extinctions would serve as a lesson to humans. Please read the full article here.

Quotable: “Each of these 23 species represents a permanent loss to our nation’s natural heritage and to global biodiversity,” said Bridget Fahey, who oversees species classification for the Fish and Wildlife Service. “And it’s a sobering reminder that extinction is a consequence of human-caused environmental change.”