Around 50 % of the planet 's species could be extinct by the end of the century , leading biologists have warned at a conference on extinction organised by Pope Francis at the Vatican . Many animals and plants that provide humans with food and medicine , that purify water and air and absorb carbon emissions and regenerate ecosystems , are facing eradication . “ Rich western countries are now siphoning up the planet ’s resources and destroying its ecosystems at an unprecedented rate , ” leading biologist Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University in California .
Around 50% of the Earth's species could be extinct by the end of the century, leading biologists have warned at a conference on extinction organised by Pope Francis at the Vatican. Many animals and plants that provide humans with food and medicine, that purify water and air and absorb carbon emissions and regenerate soil, are facing eradication. “Rich western countries are now siphoning up the planet’s resources and destroying its ecosystems at an unprecedented rate,” warns biologist Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University in California.