The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reports that “17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction.” This includes “21% of all known mammals, 30% of all known amphibians, 12 per cent of all known birds and 32% of all known gymnosperms (conifers and cycads).” ICUN also notes that “results for other species-groups . . . such as freshwater fishes and dragonflies, indicate similar high levels of threat.” Does this constitute the Earth’s sixth mass extinction event? “The scientific evidence of a serious extinction crisis is mounting,” says Jane Smart, Director of IUCN’s Biodiversity Conservation Group. Have you noticed any articles about the ongoing extinction in the mainstream media? Me neither.