Because the rate of change in our biosphere is increasing, and because every species' extinction potentially leads to the extinction of others bound to that species in a complex ecological web, numbers of extinctions are likely to snowball in the coming decades as ecosystems unravel.
In fact, 99 percent of currently threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and global warming . Unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by us - humans. Addressing the extinction crisis will require leadership - especially from the United States - alongside bold, courageous, far-reaching initiatives that attack this emergency at its root.Īmong the most critical steps is the 30x30 campaign, which will protect wildlife places and wildlife habitat, including oceans, rivers, forests, deserts and swamps. More than a century of habitat destruction, pollution, the spread of invasive species, overharvest from the wild, climate change, population growth and other human activities have pushed nature to the brink. The current extinction crisis is entirely of our own making. The presence of wildlife brings joy and enriches us all - and each extinction makes our home a lonelier and colder place for us and future generations. Wildlife and plants have inspired our histories, mythologies, languages and how we view the world. These are tangible consequential losses, such as crop pollination and water purification, but also spiritual and cultural ones.Īlthough often obscured by the noise and rush of modern life, people retain deep emotional connections to the wild world. The consequences are profound, not just in those places and for those species but for all of us. Each time a species goes extinct, the world around us unravels a bit.
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