Animal Wise Radio's hosts, Mike and Beth, consider what 40 years can mean with guest Noah Greenwald from the Center for Biological Diversity - www.biologicaldiversity.org. The organization's core belief is that the welfare of humans is deeply linked to nature, and that a vast diversity of wild animals and plants has intrinsic value. They act as guardians for some of the most humble species, through petition, media and legal means.

We'll talk about the Endangered Species Act and how it has succeeded and may be falling short as we look at this critical time in earth's history.

Michael Mountain of Earth in Transition - www.EarthInTransition.org also weaves together thoughts of humans and non-humans with respect to rights and the reception of the Non-Human Rights Project. Do human rights diminish if we further protect the rights of other sentient beings?

And Mike and Beth reflect back on 2013 and look ahead to 2014! Plus: What was the most crucially important news story of the week, that you probably heard nothing about in the press in the USA? Tune in to find out.