Earth's flora and fauna are increasingly imperiled by climate change, habitat destruction, and pollution. More than 1,600 species in the U.S. are currently designated as threatened. Already, populations of pollinators (bees, birds, butterflies) are precipitously declining. Conservationist and attorney Baier reviews the history and impact of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) passed in 1973. Comprehensive and at times controversial, this law provides protections for jeopardized animals and plants. Baier likens the ESA to an “emergency room” in that it allows species to sufficiently recover and increase their numbers. He presents examples of the ESA's many successes and cites a study showing that this law has thwarted the extinction of almost 300 species. He details difficulties arising from the ESA, including state government versus federal government disputes, costs and sources of funding, and balancing the regulation of species and land management. Personalities, partisanship, and policy matters associated with the ESA are well-covered. Ecological and biodiversity crises are intensifying. If we fail to act wisely, the wildlife of our planet is going to require even more than an emergency room. They'll need an intensive care unit.

Booklist

<i>From the foreword: </i>“Lowell Baier writes in this impassioned book of critical care and collaborative actions on behalf of threatened and endangered species. This is a call to action of the obligations to ourselves, our families, and society for making extinction, biodiversity, and the Endangered Species Act a national priority again. We can and we must. We are living in the Sixth Extinction. This is not just a political crisis, or even an ecological crisis, it is a spiritual one.”

- Terry Tempest Williams,

“As we confront an unprecedented global biodiversity crisis, it's never been more important to understand the full history of the Endangered Species Act. With Earth's Emergency Room, Lowell Baier takes us on an epic half-century journey that explores both the awe-inspiring successes to prevent extinction and the unfulfilled promise to recover imperiled listed species. Understanding this full complexity – and the many solutions at our fingertips – is critical to ensuring that the full diversity of wildlife and plants thrive for future generations.”

- Collin O'Mara, President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation; Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for Delaware (2009-2014),