From here:

Earth may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction on the scale of the apocalyptic event that wiped out the dinosaurs, a study claims.

The researchers say that unless action is taken now to reverse the harmful effects of human activity on eco-systems, a full-blown mass extinction could occur within a few centuries.

Recovery from such an event, which could eradicate more than three-quarters of all life on Earth, may then take millions of years…………………………

Scientists believe humans are causing the sixth mass extinction by fragmenting habitats, introducing non-native species, spreading diseases, killing species, and changing the climate.

But Professor Barnosky said it was not too late to prevent the loss of species reach an extinction ‘tipping point’.

‘So far, only 1 per cent to 2 per cent of all species have gone extinct in the groups we can look at clearly, so by those numbers, it looks like we are not far down the road to extinction. We still have a lot of Earth’s biota to save.

‘It’s very important to devote resources and legislation toward species conservation if we don’t want to be the species whose activity caused a mass extinction.’

Obviously Professor Barnosky is not offering a scientific opinion when he says it’s “very important to devote resources and legislation toward species conservation”.  Scientifically, it’s no more important that a species lives than it dies; science merely observes what happens. A theist might lament that God’s creation is being decimated but would have confidence that God is able to look after his creation in spite of man’s determination to muck it up. Professor Barnosky is probably not a theist, so he should stick to science and keep his value judgements to himself.