We’re on the brink of mass extinction — but there’s still time to pull back

Imagine being a scuba diver and leaving your oxygen tank behind you on a dive. That’s essentially what humans are doing as we expand our footprint on the planet without paying adequate attention to impacts on other living things, according to researchers. Both ominous and hopeful, a new report paints a picture of the value of biodiversity, the threats it faces and the window of opportunity we have to save species before it’s too late.