On the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, a rightwing threat looms | Kim Heacox

The act is believed to have saved 99% of listed species from extinction, but rightwing lawmakers are chipping away at it

Imagine a cosmic rock billions of years old yet vibrant with water, light and life. Not too close to the sun and not too far away. Tilted on its axis and turning daily to render seasons, sunrises and sunsets. A place so bountiful and varied that it has nourished and inspired humanity through our entire history. This is Earth, our only home. And that stunning array of life - countless species evolved over millennia and evolving still - is what scientists today call biodiversity.

That biodiversity is in trouble.