Stopping species extinction
Re: “Study: Species disappearing far faster than before,” May 30 news story.
A scientific study published recently found that the pace of species extinctions is about 1,000 times greater than before the arrival of humans. This finding suggests that we are on the brink of the sixth great extinction. The last extinction killed off the dinosaurs and countless other life forms 66 million years ago. This time around, humans are the primary cause of the mounting losses. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that we have an opportunity to stem the tide of disappearing species — if we act quickly. More science is needed for inventorying and assessing the needs of habitats worldwide, including here in Colorado.
Communicating the nature of this crisis and the positive actions that we can take is essential. Scientific cultural institutions, such as nature and science museums, zoos, and botanic gardens, will need to continue to play a critical role in this pressing effort.
Scott D. Sampson, Denver
The writer is vice president of research and collections and chief curator for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
This letter was published in the June 8 edition.