Other Natural Resources: Ecosystems
Humans are chief architects of a major extinction event—only the 6th in Earth history. If you don't care for ethical reasons, care due to self-preservation: Current rates of extinction and ecosystem destruction are likely to result in global famine and spiking death rates. For related sites, see Biosphere.
The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment: From 2001 to 2005, over 1,300 international experts produced this state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide, plus the scientific basis for conservation and sustainable use. Key sections include Biodiversity, Desertification, and Wetlands and Water.
The Sixth Extinction: July 2009 blog post that summarizes recent advances in understanding the ongoing extermination of species at a rate that approximates that of the K-T extinction that offed the dinosaurs et al.
Behind Mass Die-offs, Pesticides Lurk as a Culprit (Jan 2010): Yale's Environment360 article by Sonia Shah, with a message that shouldn't be particularly surprising.
As Pharmaceutical Use Soars,
Drugs Taint Water and Wildlife (April 2010): Another article by Sonia Shah in Environment360 with news that that shouldn't be surprising.
Planet of Weeds: 1998 Harper's article w/interview of paleontologist David Jablonksi shows that paleontologists have noted much-more-rapid-than-background extinction rates for several decades. The "weeds" of the title are humans, by the way.
IUCN Red List: International group's list of threatened species, regularly updated.
Amazon rainforest at a tipping point? This 2007 research paper concluded that current trends will result in the deforestation of at least half the Amazon rainforest by 2030.