Environmental activism to force more species protection is now actually preventing it. The United States, at the present time, lists 1,225 species of animals, plants, birds, reptiles, insects and fish that it considers to be endangered or threatened with extinction.
Many people wonder if that is a realistic figure.
A few would say it is too many because it does not take into account all of the new species scientists say are constantly being created, discovered or estimated to be in existence, but not yet discovered. Many others say it is a woefully small number if one considers the way we are destroying natural habitat for so many creatures every time we build a road, a dam, a bridge or clear farmland, increase fishing limits, and so forth. It s always possible that by then it will be too late for some of them to be protected. However, in a case where extinction is clearly imminent, Uncle Sam will act on a specific, limited emergency basis. Most of the lawsuits involve the issue of critical habitat because extreme environmentalists always want to take more property control away from human beings to make it available for the protection of an endangered critter even though such takings may be excessive, sometimes unnecessary and quite possibly, unconstitutional.