Texas Wildlife Imperiled By Fossil Fuel Industry

AUSTIN, Texas — Only a few hundred whooping cranes remain living worldwide, and a new report says the species could be “decimated” by the proposed Keystone Pipeline, which would run alongside their migratory path from Canada to Texas.

The report lists 10 species most imperiled in the United States by oil, gas, and coal extraction, three of which can be found in Texas.

Wildlife biologist Jan Randall, a professor emeritus at San Francisco State University and a fellow of the California Academy of Science who contributed to the report for the Endangered Species Coalition, says the industry is taking a big toll on vulnerable plants and animals.