This popular law has saved at least 10 species from extinction. Now, it's under attack.

If you care about saving the environment, November can’t come fast enough.

Republicans in Congress are moving fast to reverse and alter portions of the Endangered Species Act, which has helped bring several species back from the brink of extinction for nearly 45 years.

Weakening the act is bad for the environment and bad for people. At least 10 animals, including America's iconic bald eagle, could have gone extinct without it.

So why would anyone attack it?

Lobbyists for the oil and gas industries, the tinder industry, and other private interests are pushing Republicans in Congress to roll back parts of the act before the November midterms because they know if Democrats take back control of the House, they are unlikely to vote to scale back these very basic, popular protections.

"It's all about the midterms," said Andrew Rosenberg of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "[Republicans] have what might be a unique opportunity to get things through that could never get political support in a more balanced Congress."

Protecting endangered species didn’t used to be a political debate.

"Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed," said one liberal icon about the importance of the Endangered Species Act.

Just kidding. Those are the words of Republican Richard Nixon, who signed the act into law when he was president.

Nixon wasn't an exception. Basic environmental protections used to be a bipartisan issue and polls continue to show that support for the act remains incredibly high, oftentimes 80% or more.

Ultimately, the only real institutional support for rolling back these protections is from limited business interests who would see short term profits at what critics say would be substantial costs to endangered species and the environment.

Needless to say, people aren't happy about it.

The Endangered Species Act has prevented 99% of the species under its care from going extinct, including the Whooping Crane. Don't let Congress dismantle this bedrock law: https://t.co/bmEs6f1fTY pic.twitter.com/yl5SecYCSf

— Audubon Society (@audubonsociety) July 19, 2018

The Endangered Species Act must not be weakened! This isn’t Hollywood — once a species is extinct it’s gone forever. Interior’s new proposal is very troubling.

— Rep. Vern Buchanan (@VernBuchanan) July 19, 2018

Without the Endangered Species Act, there would be no humpback whales, no hummingbirds, and no howls. #stopextinction pic.twitter.com/KTEn3De7Bt

— NY Wolf Center (@nywolforg) July 20, 2018

Gutting the Endangered Species Act is about greed, cronyism, self-interest, and short-sightedness. It's symbolic of much that's wrong with the Trump administration, but it's also a dire threat in its own right. The environment must be part of #WhatUnitesUs https://t.co/NJBxHO1R6W

— Dan Rather (@DanRather) July 23, 2018

Now, trump wants to make changes to the Endangered Species Act—why is every choice they make so villainous—from allowing hibernating bear cubs and baby wolves to be hunted to getting rid of environmental protections for clean water and air. Pure evil.

— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) July 20, 2018

The clock is ticking. Here’s how you can help.

The lobbyists pushing Republicans to roll back these protections know that they only have a short window of time.

Contact your member of Congress. Register to vote. Donate to causes you believe in.

But in this case, it may all come down to pressuring one person: John McCain. McCain is normally a voice of reason in the Republican Party on environmental issues.

Contacting McCain’s office and urging him to vote against any rollbacks might be the last defense in stopping changes from reaching President Donald Trump's desk. And that's something McCain has reportedly shown a past willingness to do.

Protecting our most vulnerable species doesn't have to be a partisan issue. It's about standing up for our own best interests, which is something just about everyone should be able to agree on.

from Upworthy https://ift.tt/2JRqSxe