What is happening to the web of life today? Many respected biologists believe that we are already beginning to experience a mass extinction that is as severe as the mass extinctions that occurred in the past. The normal background extinction rate is about 10 to 25 species per year ; the current rate is probably at least several thousands of species per year and may be ten times that high.

How can we continue our normal lives without even being aware of a mass extinction? Well, most of us live in or near cities, far from the areas where most of Earth's biodiversity exists. We live far from the areas that are currently experiencing major habitat destruction, the main cause of extinction today. Tropical rain forests that are home to about half of Earth's biodiversity are being destroyed every day.

Should we care about all these species disappearing?