From clean air and water to healthy soil and medicines, our survival and prosperity rely heavily on the rich diversity of plants and animals that make up our world. A 2019 U.N. report found that around 1 million plant and animal species could be threatened with extinction around the globe. But new research finds climate change could drive up to 6 million different species to extinction over the next 50 years, including in communities across the United States.
The main agency responsible for carrying out the act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, lists nearly 1,700 species endangered or threatened as of April 1. Nearly 1,400 species on the list have active recovery plans. New species are added every year. A 2019 study estimated the Endangered Species Act had prevented the extinction of nearly 300 species since its passage. But not every species in danger of extinction gets listed.