We are in an age of rapid extinction.
Over the past 10 million years, the rate of extinctions has been driven by a quintuple-whammy of destroyed wilderness, exploited creatures, and rapid climate change.
The number of species that have disappeared from Earth has gone up since the 1500s. The United States has seen the extinction of 150 animals and plants in the past few decades.
The Fish and Wildlife Service declared that 23 species, some not seen in decades, had gone extinct and should be taken off the nation's endangered species list. Many of the losses in the world's wealthiest nation weren't inevitable. Future losses are not included.
"Extinction, especially in the U.S., is preventable", said Tierra Curry in an interview.
"Extinction is preventable in the U.S."
The landmark Endangered Species Act signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1973, which seeks to conserve vulnerable species, doesn't mean it has failed despite the loss of species. It's not the same. The law has prevented the extinction of many species. The majority of the species that are on the list receive less than 25 percent of the funding needed to recover their populations.
Some species were in dire straits before the law came into being. By the early 1970s, certain populations had already dwindled so much that costly efforts to save them were too little, too late. The Bald Eagle's recovery is a great success story.
The list of recently declared extinctions, which includes 22 animal species and one plant species, is certainly grim. The Fish and Wildlife Service said that it should serve as motivation to protect other species.
Almost 3 billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970, according to the agency. The need to prevent further losses is highlighted by these extinctions.
Here are the losses.
One of the last pictures taken of a bird. The USDA Agricultural Research Service credit is Jerry A. Payne.
It's difficult to declare an extinction. There's a challenge in observing dwindling individuals in forested areas. Plants can exist in the soil for a long time as seeds. The sensitive, trying aspect of acknowledging a lifeform is gone forever.
Curry said it was sad because it was a final giving up of hope.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is compelled to announce extinctions when there is mounting evidence. The agency oversees 1,667 animals and plants in the US, so if they declare extinctions, they will have more time to address other rare species on the list. Curry said that they have no shortage of work to do.
It's sad because it's the end of hope.
Not everyone is ready to give up hope for a well-known species. The bird expert says he spotted an ivory-billed woodpecker in 2004, but he scared the bird before he could take a picture. In Audubon, Gallagher argued that it's too early to declare the woodpecker extinct. The bird's habitat can lose protection if it is no longer on the list. He asked if the bird should be declared extinct anyway. Is there any harm in taking a little extra time and thought before clearing vital southern forest habitat to make way for fields of rice and soybeans? The forests are too important for all the life forms that exist in them.
The last confirmed ivory-billed woodpecker appearance was in 1944, almost three decades before Nixon signed the act.
What can we do?
We are not helpless. You can make a difference.
Everyone should expect more extinction announcements in the coming years because many of the species can be helped and recovered. The unofficial extinctions of animals like birds, snails, and mussels are almost certain for biologists. They haven't been announced yet.
Curry said there are more extinct species on the list.
