Friend,

The United Nations released a new report with sobering news: At least 1 million species are at risk of extinction due to human-related causes. This loss of biodiversity is not only devastating in terms of the incredible species that will disappear in the coming decades, but also, as the report warns, for how it will affect human survival. After all, our well-being is inextricably tied to the well-being of nature, and wildlife extinctions can threaten food security, clean water and the climate.

Whether you're concerned about the future of other species or your own, this report isn't an excuse for despair — it's a call to action.

The Center is continuing to fight the extinction crisis in many ways. Not only are we working to protect endangered species and wild spaces, but we're also fighting for the transformation of our food system, a transition to clean and renewable energy, and solutions to unsustainable population growth. We need you to stay in this fight with us.

There's still hope — and thousands of species are counting on us.

For the wild,

Crowded Planet / This week we delivered almost a million comments — including 35,000 handwritten cards — to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opposing Trump's plan to strip federal protection from nearly every wolf in the lower 48 states.

Population / States Attack Reproductive Rights

This week Alabama passed the most extreme abortion ban in the country. It not only bans abortions at all stages unless the pregnant person's life is at risk, but it also says that a doctor who performs an abortion could face up to 99 years in prison. This legislation comes on the heels of laws in Georgia, Ohio and Mississippi banning abortion at just six weeks — before many people even know that they're pregnant.

Although these bills do not take effect immediately and will all face legal challenges, they are part of the growing threat to reproductive justice. Republican lawmakers are counting on these abortion bans to go all the way to the Supreme Court in the hopes that they can overturn Roe v. Wade.

Every person should have the right to make informed medical decisions with their doctor about their reproductive health — and that includes access to safe, legal abortion.

Read more about the latest restrictions and the groups fighting to protect reproductive rights.

Take Action / Join the Fight to Save Wolves

The Trump administration extended the public comment period on its proposal to end Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves. The administration has already received more comments on this proposal than any other Endangered Species Act issue in the law's 45-year history. But the fight isn't over yet. Join the campaign to help save America's wolves.

Earth-friendly Diet / The Cost of Confining Animals

The most extreme, inhumane confinement practices on factory farms — battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates — are often treated as animal-welfare issues that are separate from environmental concerns. However, these cruel practices take a serious toll on the environment by supporting increasingly concentrated factory farms.

Since the 1950s, meat and dairy production in the United States has more than doubled, while the number of operations has decreased by 80 percent. These developments have led to greater concentrations of animals and extreme confinement — and a related rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and harm to endangered species. Increased concentration also presents greater threats to worker safety and animal welfare.

Learn more about the environmental impacts of extreme confinement on factory farms with our new fact sheet.

Wild Energy / New Hope for North Carolina Energy

The campaign to end the Duke Energy monopoly and transition North Carolina to 100-percent renewable energy took a huge step forward this month when Governor Roy Cooper made three new progressive nominations to the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the regulatory body that oversees Duke Energy. The nominations must now be confirmed by the state's House and Senate.

The Center worked with our partners in the Energy Justice NC Coalition to develop specific criteria for candidates who will hold Duke Energy accountable. The coalition delivered a letter to the governor outlining these criteria and the massive implications of these appointments for the state's energy future. Now that we've shaped the nominations, we're working to make sure the best possible candidates are appointed and that the chair of the commission is replaced with an effective leader to tackle the urgent climate crisis.

Check out our coalition website to learn more about the campaign to end the Duke Energy monopoly.

Endangered Species / Rare Firefly Threatened

The Bethany Beach firefly has only been documented at seven sites along the Delaware coast. Most of those sites are smaller than a football field, but the wetland area that's home to the largest remaining population is currently under construction for the Tower Shores development.

"Without immediate protections, the magical green flashes known to generations of children will be snuffed out forever," said Dr. Tara Cornelisse, an entomologist who is a senior scientist at the Center. "We can't stand by and let development, climate change and pesticides wipe out these amazing creatures, along with their wetland homes that many species depend on."

Read more about these incredible insects and our fight to save them.

Five Wild Picks / BBQ Season Is Here

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of grilling season in the United States. Between now and Labor Day, Americans will eat an average of 818 hot dogs per second plus countless burgers, chicken breasts and other meat products, putting serious heat on wildlife. Here are five reasons to choose a plant-based barbecue:

1) Fight climate change: A plant-based diet can reduce your carbon footprint by as much as 60 percent.

2) Protect pollinators: Meat production uses about one and a half times the amount of pesticides as plant-based foods.

3) Conserve water: The leading brands of plant-based burgers require 87 to 99 percent less water to produce than beef burgers.

4) Take extinction off your grill: Animal agriculture is a leading driver of the mass extinction crisis due to habitat destruction and its contribution to climate change.

5) Expand your taste buds: Plant-based burgers are taking the market by storm; you can also get creative with fresh veggies on the grill.