By Alliance President Terry Gips
Sadly, a million of the Earth’s species face the possibility of extinction due to human-caused habitat loss, pollution and climate change in the coming decades, according to EarthJustice. Even species not yet on the brink face huge population declines.
This extinction crisis means we’ll have depleted fisheries and have fewer pollinators to support our crops and national food supply. At the same time, the lack of protection will result in the decimation of critical ecosystems and threaten some of our greatest natural wonders.
The great news is that we have a powerful, effective tool for stopping this crisis – The Endangered Species Act (ESA). This bedrock environmental law has been wildly popular and had bi-partisan support.
The bad news is that it’s under assault by Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration. As EarthJustice points out, “The ESA Amendments Act (H.R. 1897), currently under consideration by the House of Representatives, would gut the ESA, putting numerous species at risk, all to make it easier for industry to turn a profit.”
There are many damaging provisions. The bill would delay timelines for listing species as threatened or endangered, thus allowing their populations to decline in the meantime. It also would fast-track rules that would delist endangered species that still need federal protections.
We can block this effort. Please join the Alliance for Sustainability in signing the EarthJustice letter to Congress to protect the Endangered Species Act by opposing H.R. 1897 and any other bill that undermines it. Vulnerable wildlife are counting on us to stand up and assure they don’t go extinct because of us.