Endangered Species Act

Thanks to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) -- the 1973 law that requires the federal government to protect endangered species and plan for their recovery -- iconic animals like the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon and the gray whale have rebounded to healthier numbers. It is one of the real success stories of the green movement.

If the Bush Administration has its way, however, those protections may soon be endangered themselves. This week, the White House proposed a sweeping regulatory overhaul of the ESA, virtually eliminating the independent scientific evaluation of the environmental impact of federal actions.

The administration has gone to great lengths to circumnavigate the clear language of the law by rigging the science (in many cases ignoring their own scientists), negotiating settlements favorable to industry and simply refusing to obey court orders. This time, however, the administration means to rewrite the law itself.

It's no secret the Bush administration, along with conservative Republican lawmakers and special-interest industries -- mining, logging and oil -- dislike environmental laws. Their interests should not outweigh our common public interest to preserve all life.

A loud public outcry is needed to halt the process. The president must not be allowed to achieve this dishonorable goal.

(To read more about biodiversity and it's importance to us all, visit E.O. Wilson's Biodiversity Foundation site. To see wonderful examples of life on our planet, visit Frans Lanting's site.)