The future for biodiversity on our planet — for humankind itself — is under attack. We are currently facing the earth’s 6th great extinction crisis, characterized by a die-off of biodiversity in unprecedented scope caused almost entirely by humankind’s activities.
Every year, tens of thousands of species disappear at the hand of man. These losses tear at the fabric of our planet’s ecological health, diminishing the wonderful diversity of life and threatening millions of people as our climate changes, precipitating severe weather phenomenon and causing sea levels to rise. At the same time, habitat loss, from coral reefs to rainforests, destroy populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, plants, reptiles and all of the things that make life beautiful.
The extinction crisis is humanity’s most pressing problem and, in response, Ted Turner founded the Turner Endangered Species Fund and Turner Biodiversity Divisions in June 1997. These companion efforts are dedicated to saving biological diversity by ensuring the persistence of imperiled species and their habitats with an emphasis on private land.
But our work is not enough. In order to change the future for our planet, we have to change our relationship to nature. Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos documentary, Racing Extinction, tells the story of mankind’s role in a potential loss of at least half of the world’s species. In the film, activists, scientists and artists expose the hidden world of extinction and use never-before-seen footage to document why this is a “race we cannot afford to lose.”
Ted Turner was proud to promote Racing Extinction throughout 2015, including by hosting an exclusive screening in Atlanta, Georgia presented by George Public Broadcasting and introducing the film at American Renewable Energy Day in Aspen, Colorado.
When you’re talking about losing all of nature, this is not a spectator sport anymore. Everybody has to become active somehow.
Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos
Find out how to watch the film here and learn more about how you can get involved.