July 2019 - The sudden decline of the magnificent Monarch butterfly has been in all the papers and weekend magazines in recent years. Less well known is the fact that nearly one million plant and animal species worldwide are poised on the brink of extinction, according to the recently released UN report on biodiversity. Scientists warn that insect declines are driving us toward a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems.” Habitat destruction, rampant pesticide use, climate change, and other human impacts are critical causes of decline.
The current protections under the Endangered Species Act must be expanded to include those overlooked species that have now been identified to be in particular danger of extinction.
TAKE ACTION
To strengthen the existing Endangered Species Act, urge your Congressional Representative to co-sponsor and support H.R. 2918, the Extinction Prevention Act of 2019 that was introduced by Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.). It would provide financial resources to determine the causes of the threats, and for conservation projects across the country to protect many of the most imperiled species: butterflies, freshwater mussels, fish in the waters of the Southwest, and plants on U.S. Pacific Islands. Butterflies, being pollinators, are essential to our survival. They are responsible for an important part of our daily food - especially with bees also being on the decline.
CONTACT: Your Representative in Congress
- Web: Go to: house.gov; send an email or leave a message via ‘Contact’
- Tel: 202 224-3121 (Capitol switchboard-ask for his/her office & leave a message)
- Mail: (first & last name), U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515