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May 5, 2021

Senator Kelly with screen on the back showing Gerber delivering her testimonyYesterday, ASU Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Founding  Director Leah Gerber delivered a five-minute Congressional Testimony titled “Examining Biodiversity Loss: Drivers, Impacts, and Potential Solutions” to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

During her testimony, Gerber exposed the biodiversity and nature crisis we currently face.

“More species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction now than at any other time in human history. Twenty-five percent of all species – including 40% of amphibians and 30% of marine mammals – are threatened with extinction,” she explained. “And we’re not talking about just extinction; we’re also talking about the general decline of nature.”

However, there is hope. Gerber believes we should turn to science, which informs us about the biodiversity crisis and provides innovative solutions.

Likewise, governments need to acknowledge that biodiversity is the foundation of all health, social and economic systems and should be central in any decision-making process.

“Congress could consider expanding federal investments in habitat restoration, climate adaptation and habitat connectivity programs,” Gerber suggested. “Congress should also provide robust funding for our nation’s wildlife protection laws. We know these laws work best when the agencies responsible for implementing them have adequate resources.”

The Courthouse News Service also featured Gerber’s testimony in an article titled “Bleak Future of Species Loss Puts Spotlight on Tight Federal Budget.”

Watch the archived webcast.

Read the testimony’s transcription.