Grim Tally But Hope

Short fin mako

Endangered species news is never really that good.  But we have to be made aware, and there are slivers of hope.

New scientific evidence suggests that a growing number of creatures could disappear from the earth. One-fifth of the vertebrates and as many as a third of all sharks and rays are now threatened with extinction, according to the Washington Post.

International fisheries officials adopted new protections in the Atlantic Ocean for the oceanic whitetip, whose numbers have declined by as much as 99 percent in some areas, according to the story.

Whether its rooting for the underdog, or you recognize something inherently wrong about the human-caused end of a species -- never to return -- or whether you mourn more for biodiversity, the crown jewel of healthy natural systems, it is tough to hear. But turn it into a motivator -- the time is now to take action.

See full gallery of endangered species here.