SIERRA CLUB • May 21, 2021
Today is Endangered Species Day — please don't say "Happy," because for the 1,657 endangered and threatened animal and plant species in the U.S. alone, it's anything but. We're in the midst of the first human-caused extinction crisis. No longer on the Endangered Species list, gray wolves are being killed by hunters in massive quantities. Poaching and seagrass loss have caused a rapid decline in sea turtles. Of course, there is a positive side to Endangered Species Day — the fact that 99% of all species given protection under the Endangered Species Act have been saved from extinction, and many are on the path to recovery. Solving the climate and extinction crises requires we protect the public lands, forests, and waters that provide important habitat for wildlife, store carbon, and remove pollution from the air and water.