Species Red List Makes Bleak Reading

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) published its latest "red list" of endangered species, expanding the list by 15 percent from last year's. The list now includes 12,259 species classified as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. These species are distributed around the world, but Indonesia, India, Brazil, China and Peru are among the countries with the highest number of threatened animals while plant species are declining rapidly in Ecuador, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil and Sri Lanka. These countries, many of which are in tropical areas or have regions in tropical areas and enjoy abundant biodiversity, are also where human activities are being developed the fastest. Achim Steiner, IUCN's director general, says that this is a "wake-up call" for humans, and that only by working together can we "conserve what remains of the Earth's biodiversity". - YaleGlobal