We imperil ourselves by throwing nature into crisis â but there's time to reverse course
To access the coal contained in the Appalachian Mountains in southern West Virginia, extractive companies engage in a controversial mining method called "mountaintop removal," which is as destructive to the ecosystem as it sounds. Scientists have found that this process negatively impacts groundwater and biodiversity. (Photo credit: NASA Earth Observatory)
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The rapid decline in species has occurred in recent years: 60 percent of the planet's wildlife populations have been lost in just the last 50 years. Scientists warn that in the coming decades, if we don't take action, more than 1 million species may vanish from the Earth forever.