The 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — the most consequential environmental legislation ever created — is ringing in a new year of hope. As we welcome 2024 and celebrate the strides made in biodiversity legislation, let’s draw inspiration to forge even more robust laws this new year. In the face of the urgent biodiversity crisis, our new legislation must match the immediacy of this threat. The loss of plants, animals, and ecosystems may seem hard to miss. After all, everything is in your face these days. The ubiquity of cameras means we are witnesses to global events both large and trivial. From massive wildfires and big-game hunting to individuals tripping while looking at their smartphones, we see it all. What we do not see slowly unfolding is the extinction crisis. Yet, contrary to its seemingly gradual pace, species are vanishing 1,000 times faster than the natural background rate of extinction – a pace that surpasses even the aftermath of the comet that led to the demise of the dinosaurs. It’s difficult to visualize the insect apocalypse, three billion fewer birds in North America, or the moment of extinction for the one million species at risk of disappearing from the planet, and here in the United States 34% of plant and 40% of animal species are at risk of extinction. Statistics from NatureServe’s 2023 Biodiversity in Focus: U.S. Edition report, which found over one-third of biodiversity is currently at risk of extinction in the United States. Graphic courtesy…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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