A group of climate activists that have been cycling from the North of the country in stages to draw attention to the climate case are arriving to the Court of Justice on the day that the climate lawsuit against Shell starts in The Hague, on December 1st, 2020. Romy Arroyo Fernandez / NurPhoto / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
Representing more than 17,000 claimants who support climate action, the international organization Friends of the Earth on Tuesday opened its case against fossil fuel giant Shell at The Hague by demanding that a judge order the corporation to significantly reduce its carbon emissions in the next decade.
<p>Milieudefensie, the Dutch arm of Friends of the Earth, <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/01/climate-change-activists-take-energy-giant-shell-to-court-in-the-hague-over-emissions" target="_blank">says</a> Shell has broken the law in The Netherlands by knowingly standing in the way of the country's phase-out of fossil fuels. Shell says it has set a goal of cutting its emissions to net zero by 2050, but the group is demanding a more rapid reduction. </p><p>"We are relying on the Dutch courts to protect communities around the globe," tweeted Nils Mollema, a policy advisor at ActionAid, which is supporting Milieudefensie in the case. </p>
<div id="47348" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5afbc9986f5a700bcaa4f88e3046024b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1333715559301713922" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today in The Hague: Shell on trial for its role in climate catastrophe. @Shell must take responsibility and correct… https://t.co/siy20sVKxF</div> — Nils Mollema (@Nils Mollema)<a href="https://twitter.com/MollemaNils/statuses/1333715559301713922">1606817543.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The case comes five years after the Dutch government was ordered to reduce its emissions by at least 25% from 1990 levels by the end of 2020. Under the Paris climate agreement, the European Union has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030.</p><p>"The claimants therefore conclude that Royal Dutch Shell's corporate policy is on collision course with global climate targets," Roger Cox, a lawyer representing Milieudefensie in the civil case, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/dutch-climate-activists-take-shell-to-court-over-emissions/2020/12/01/ed68d494-33ac-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html" target="_blank">told</a> a panel of three judges at The Hague District Court on Tuesday. </p><p>The organization has vehemently rejected Shell's defense in the case, in which the multinational corporation is suggesting that it is no more responsible for solving the climate emergency than other businesses or individuals.</p><p>"What will accelerate the energy transition is effective policy, investment in technology, and changing customer behavior," Shell <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/01/climate-change-activists-take-energy-giant-shell-to-court-in-the-hague-over-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> Tuesday as the first of four days of hearings began. "None of which will be achieved with this court action."</p><p>Cox noted in his opening remarks that Shell is responsible for about 1.2% of the planet's industrial fossil fuel emissions.</p><p>"The main argument of Shell is that everybody is responsible: the consumer, the state, the international community, everybody is responsible except Shell, except the biggest polluter of the Netherlands, one of the 10 biggest polluters in the world," said Donald Pols, director of Milieudefensie, on Monday. "And we are going to change that."</p><p>The case opened a month after Shell drew outrage from climate action campaigners by <a href="https://twitter.com/Shell/status/1323184318735360001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">posting a poll </a>on its official Twitter account, asking ordinary citizens what they plan to do to help mitigate the climate crisis. </p><p>"I'm willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change for 30 years when you secretly knew the entire time that fossil fuels emissions would destroy our planet," U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/02/shell-oil-asked-what-people-are-willing-do-reduce-emissions-im-willing-hold-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">replied</a> at the time, denouncing the company's "audacity."</p><p>On Monday, Pols called the opening of the case at The Hague "a historic moment."</p><p>"This is actually 'the People versus Shell,' a company that has got away with greenwashing for too long," he said in statement. "This case will make it clear to everyone that more than 95% of what Shell does is causing dangerous climate change. This has to change as soon as possible."</p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/friends-earth-vs-shell-historic-moment-climate-movement-takes-big-oil-hague" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Eat Just, Inc. announced that its cultured chicken has been approved for sale in Singapore as an ingredient in chicken bites. The company has developed other cultured chicken formats as well. Eat Just
As concern mounts over the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, Singapore has issued the world's first regulatory approval for lab-grown meat.
<p>The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has declared that the U.S.-based company <a href="https://www.ju.st/en-us" target="_blank">Eat Just</a> can sell its cultured "chicken bites" in the country, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/no-kill-lab-grown-meat-to-go-on-sale-for-first-time" target="_blank">The Guardian reported Wednesday</a>.</p><p>"I think the approval is one of the most significant milestones in the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> industry in the last handful of decades," Eat Just co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick said in a statement reported by The Guardian. "It's an open door and it's up to us and other companies to take that opportunity. My hope is this leads to a world in the next handful of years where the majority of meat doesn't require killing a single animal or tearing down a single tree."</p>
<p>Giving up on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption" target="_self">meat consumption</a> is one of the most important things an individual can do to fight the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> and environmental destruction, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-climate-change-2558286917.html" target="_self">studies</a> have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-earth-footprint-2574241439.html" target="_self">found</a>. Companies have tried to tap into this growing ecological awareness by offering meat alternatives. Plant-based meat replacements like <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/beyond-meat" target="_self">Beyond Meat</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/impossible-foods" target="_self">Impossible Foods</a> are gaining traction, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55155741" target="_blank">BBC News pointed out</a>, and the market for meat alternatives could be worth about 10 percent of the global meat industry within the next decade.</p><p>However, some companies think that plant-based meat replacements will not be enough to wean meat-lovers off of steak and chicken, The Guardian pointed out. Instead, companies like Eat Just, Future Meat Technologies and the Bill Gates-backed Memphis Meats have worked to grow meat in labs, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/singapore-issues-first-regulatory-approval-for-lab-grown-meat-to-eat-just.html" target="_blank">CNBC reported</a>. They argue that their meat is also less cruel, healthier for consumers and better for the environment.</p><p>"We think that [the way] to really solve the meat problem — which is a health problem, a deforestation problem, a morality problem — is to make animal protein," Tetrick told CNBC.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1NzE4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTUzMjA4N30.-5EwlKgZejlzA25BqWo0VkOuhK2_4BZ6nxbfLcrtC4M/img.jpg?width=980" id="9c1fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01f8f414e028394386321c455c4436f8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Eat Just's cultured chicken has been approved for sale in Singapore as an ingredient in chicken bites. Eat Just
<p>Eat Just worked to gain the approval of Singapore health regulators for about two years. To do so, they had to develop a consistent manufacturing process for their product and satisfy food safety standards for new foods.</p><p>"It was found to be safe for consumption at the intended levels of use, and was allowed to be sold in Singapore as an ingredient in Eat Just's nuggets product," the SFA ruled, as BBC News reported.</p><p>Eat Just's meat is made by putting animal stem cells into a culture that feeds the cells, and then putting the growing cells in a bioreactor, CNBC explained. Tetrick said the process was similar to making beer.</p><p>The product already has health benefits compared to conventional meat. It has a high protein content and many amino acids, but it has no antibiotics and very low amounts of microbes like salmonella.</p><p>It is also largely cruelty free. The meat cells can be taken from live animals, and they are fed with plant-derived nutrients, The Guardian explained. The Singapore lab chicken did use a growth serum from foetal bovine blood, but a plant-based serum will be used for the next round of production.</p>
<p> Lab-grown meat also uses less land and water than conventional meat. However, the process does have some environmental disadvantages. It is high-energy, and, because it is currently being done at a small scale, requires a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Once the process is scaled up, the energy costs will go down.</p><p>There are many challenges that must be overcome before cultured meat is widely available. Eat Just's product will first be offered in just one restaurant in Singapore, Tetrick told CNBC.</p><p>"We're going to start out with a single restaurant and then scale out to five, 10, 15 and then eventually into retail," Tetrick told CNBC. "The infrastructure required to do it is primarily the bioreactors, so we'll eventually be moving to 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 liters."</p><p>It is currently costly to produce cultured meat, and the product will be the price of premium chicken. However, costs have already decreased from $50 per chicken nugget, according to BBC News. They are expected to continue to do so as production is scaled up, and Eat Just says its products will eventually be cheaper to produce than conventional meat, according to The Guardian.</p><p>Another hurdle is making meat lovers comfortable with the idea of lab-grown meat.</p><p>Still, Bruce Friedrich of the Good Food Institute called the new approval a "very big deal for the future of meat production globally."</p><p>"A new space race for the future of food is under way," he told The Guardian.</p>
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man in black shirt sitting on bench looking at the sunset
Photo by Jozsef Hocza on Unsplash
If you're like many busy Americans, you may feel the need for an extra boost of energy to stay focused and perform at your best throughout the day. Whether you experience the age-old 3 p.m. slump at your desk, or you need an extra jolt to power through a morning workout, you may be looking for a natural way to increase your energy levels.
<p>Caffeine happens to be the most-consumed energy booster in the world. From coffee to tea to chocolate, about 90% of Americans consume caffeine in some form every day. And increasingly, people are turning to energy drinks to satisfy their energy needs. </p><p>Energy drink consumption is especially high among young adults. In a 2016 <a href="https://supplements101.net/energy-drink-statistics/#:~:text=In%202016%2C%20the%20sales%20of,drinks%20on%20a%20regular%20basis." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a>, over one-third of 18- to 29-year-old respondents said they consumed energy drinks on a regular basis. </p><p>There are dozens of energy and sports drink companies out there to meet this growing demand for a regular energy boost. From flashy cans packed with bold flavors to all-natural alternatives, it can be difficult to cut through the noise and choose the right caffeine source for you. </p><p>That's why we're reviewing the top five healthy energy drinks that will give you a moderate level of caffeine without added sugars and artificial ingredients. </p><h2>The Downside of Mainstream Energy Drinks</h2><p>Step into most gas stations, and you'll find a fantastically colorful, shiny, and attention-grabbing display of canned energy drinks. These cans and bottles are slapped with powerful names like "Rockstar" and "Red Bull!". But often, hidden behind the neon graffiti-scribbled cans are ingredients best avoided for the sake of your health. </p><p>Most mainstream energy drinks are packed with high amounts of caffeine, sugar, and other undesirable ingredients. According to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678#:~:text=Up%20to%20400%20milligrams%20(mg,widely%2C%20especially%20among%20energy%20drinks." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a>, adults should aim to consume no more than 400mg of caffeine a day. </p><p>To put that into perspective, a 1-ounce shot of espresso contains about 64 milligrams of caffeine. A regular cup of coffee has about 70 to 100 milligrams. Some energy shots contain more than 400 milligrams of caffeine in a single serving.</p><p>Overdoing your caffeine intake can have negative impacts on your health. The extent to which you experience side effects will depend on your tolerance for the drug, age, and genes. Signs of too much caffeine include headaches, anxiety, an elevated heart rate, muscle jitters, irritability, and frequent urination. </p><p>Added sugar is another common unhealthy ingredient in mainstream energy drinks. The American Heart Association recommends that adult men consume no more than 37 grams of sugar per day and women consume no more than 25 grams. However, a single serving of many mainstream energy drinks can easily contain 27 or more grams of added sugars per serving. </p><p><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Studies</a> show that consuming excess added sugars (those that aren't naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables) can have serious health implications. For most Americans, these added sugars come from flavored drinks, cereals, baked goods, and other processed foods, including energy drinks. </p><p>All of this sugar adds up to an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In one 15-year Harvard study, participants who consumed 17-21% of their daily calories from added sugars increased their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 38% compared to individuals who consumed 8% of their calories from added sugar. </p><p>Obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease are all leading causes of death in the US. By choosing no- to low-sugar healthy energy drinks without large amounts of caffeine, you can reduce your intake of added sugars and avoid overdoing your caffeine intake. </p><h2>What to Look for in a "Healthy" Energy Drink</h2><p>So how can you be sure your daily pick-me-up is a healthier option that will still sustain your energy levels? Start by reviewing the caffeine and sugar content. Many natural energy drinks on the market are sugar-free and made with natural caffeine sources. For example, matcha green tea is an herbal source of caffeine that has other nutritional benefits for overall wellness like antioxidants. </p><p>In addition to the caffeine and sugar content, many healthy energy drinks are fortified with essential nutrients that have positive health effects. You may get the added benefit of antioxidants from black tea, for example. </p><p>As always, be sure to read the label of any energy drink carefully and with an eye to added sugars, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients. And remember that caffeine is a natural diuretic, so it's important to watch your hydration and drink plenty of water. </p><h2>Best Healthy Energy Drinks</h2><p class="media-headline"><strong>Zevia Soda Zero Calorie </strong><br></p>
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<p><br></p><p>We like that this Zevia's zero-calorie option is made with clean ingredients. You won't find artificial colors, preservatives, soy, or sodium in these cans. With six simple ingredients, including carbonated water, you can rest assured that every sip is wholesome and good for you. Zevia offers a higher caffeine content than other healthy energy drinks, so it's a good option for someone with a higher caffeine tolerance or who reaches for just one serving of caffeine a day. </p><p><strong>Strength: </strong>120mg of caffeine per can</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> Sugar-free; Zero calorie; Non-GMO Project Verified; Kosher; Vegan</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Sambazon Organic Amazon Energy Drink</strong></p><p><strong><br></strong></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="85c4853615e47cd7cbb10a107aacb6a2" contenteditable="false">
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<p>We love that this drink is both low in calories and sugar (with only 6 grams per serving) while providing other important vitamins. The green tea and yerba mate that give each can its 120 mg of caffeine come with potent antioxidants and vitamin C. This is another slightly more caffeinated option if you're looking for a stronger jolt from your healthy energy drink without the excess sugars and artificial ingredients you'll find in mainstream high-caffeine options. With fruity Amazon-inspired flavors like acai berry and pomegranate, Sambazon ensures every sip is delicious and refreshing. </p><p><strong>Strength: </strong>120mg per can </p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> Made with guarana, yerba mate & green tea; USDA-Certified Organic; Non-GMO; Vegan; Gluten-free; Kosher</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Sunshine Good Energy Drink</strong></p><p><br></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="6eb3213e344554c1cf64811f99368be2" contenteditable="false">
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<p>This brightly colored can is not only enticing, but it's also good for you. It has a moderate amount of caffeine (about the same amount as a cup of coffee) for a light buzz that won't cause a crash. This low-calorie option (60 calories per can) is especially great for plant-based diets, which can often lack essential b vitamins, especially vitamin B12. Sunshine Energy Drinks are fortified with B12, and the clementine flavor also offers 100% of your daily Vitamin C requirements.</p><p><strong>Strength:</strong> 70mg caffeine per can</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> Made with organic green coffee beans; Added B12; Contains electrolytes; 100% of your daily Vitamin C</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>GURU Lite Organic Low Calorie Energy Drink with Green Tea</strong></p><p><br></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="4ab4b338d9d1410089b9f5d9f9be8a35" contenteditable="false">
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<p>GURU's Lite Energy drink is brewed with antioxidant-packed green tea and hydrating carbonated water. This vegan energy drink includes the added bonus of natural sweeteners and vitamin sources. Every can is made with ginseng, echinacea, guarana, and sweetened with stevia and monk fruit for a lightly sweet, nutrient-packed sip. Plus, GURU has an environmentally-friendly commitment to using natural, organic ingredients in this low-sugar, lightly caffeinated energy drink.</p><p><strong>Strength:</strong> 100mg caffeine per can</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Non-GMO; Vegan; No artificial sweeteners; Organic</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Raspberry Sparkling Yerba Mate </strong></p><p><br></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="425712ca3a2ade8e1f15a1ad7241b81c" contenteditable="false">
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<p>Clean Cause donates 50% of its profits from sales of this USDA Certified Organic energy drink to support addiction recovery. The company's mission is to support recovery from alcohol and drug addiction through sustainable funding. Clean Cause brews its energy drinks from the dried leaves of yerba mate, a vitamin-rich South American plant that is naturally high in caffeine and antioxidants. Every serving offers plant-based polyphenols, a group of antioxidants shown to reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.</p><p><strong>Strength: </strong>160mg per can (two servings)</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> USDA Certified Organic; Natural caffeine from yerba mate; Four fruity, sparkling flavors</p>
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Wildfires are seen burning out of control on November 30, 2020 on Fraser Island, Australia. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services / Getty Images
The world's largest sand island has been on fire for the past six weeks due to a campfire, and Australia's firefighters have yet to prevent flames from destroying the fragile ecosystem.
<p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_blank">wildfires</a> on <a href="https://fido.org.au/moonbi/backgrounders/49%20Fraser%20Fauna%20Backgrounder.pdf" target="_blank">Fraser Island</a>, also called by its Indigenous name K'gari, have burned almost <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/australia/australia-bushfire-fraser-island-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">200,000 acres </a>of its unique habitat, including large sand dunes, swamps and rainforests. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-environment-july-2639073995.html?rebelltitem=1" target="_blank">Fraser Island</a> is near Brisbane on the northeastern coast, where dingos, swamp wallabies, sugar gliders and more than 60 reptile species call the island home. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.</p><p>Several tourists visiting the island had to be <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-bushfires/bushfires-threaten-tourist-areas-on-australias-fraser-island-idUSKBN28C05U" target="_blank">evacuated</a> as conditions worsened, Reuters reported.<br></p><p>"I think it's frustrating for everybody, the fact that a campfire has started this fire. Having the impact that it has had, it started in a very, very remote part of the island… really difficult to access," Queensland Fire and Emergency Services deputy commissioner Mike Wassing told CNN affiliate Nine News, according to Reuters.</p><p>Since Saturday fire crews have dropped more than 200,000 gallons of water and flame retardant on the island, Reuters added. </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/catastrophic-bushfire-on-queenslands-fraser-island-threatens-ecological-disaster" target="_blank">The Guardian </a>reported that crews are mainly addressing the problem from above, focusing on key ecological areas and sites that are important to the Butchulla Aboriginal people, who have called the island home for thousands of years.</p>
<p>However, fighting sand fires is difficult, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services assistant commissioner Gary McCormack told The Guardian. He explained how water quickly drained from the sand floor, even when dropped from above. Ground conditions weren't any better due to a lack of firebreaks. </p><p>"Unfortunately the current conditions are not conducive to extinguishment," McCormack said.</p><p>The fires are approaching the Valley of Giants, a tourist attraction known for its 1,000-year-old trees. </p><p><span></span>Researcher Dr. Gabriel Conroy, a conservation biologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast whose work focuses on Fraser Island, took a student group there last week.</p><p>"A northerly wind had kicked in and it was other-worldly with ash falling down on the students," he told The Guardian. "There's a sense of panic on the island."</p>
<p>Conroy explained that traditional fire practices by the Butchulla people were suppressed more than a century ago, and European loggers altered the island's ecology. Prior to this, the Butchulla had burned smaller fires on the island for thousands of years in order to prevent more widespread ones.<br></p><p>"This is a very large and very hot fire for this island. It's a big fire and it's the wrong kind of fire," Conroy said. He added, "It's a catastrophe. Even ecosystems that are meant to burn don't bounce back from widespread hot fires. It can be beyond their capacity to bounce back."<span></span></p><p>According to <a href="Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology said the fire danger is likely to be exacerbated by strong winds and extreme heat wave conditions, which are forecast to continue in the state for the next few days." target="_blank">CNN,</a> Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology warned that an extreme heat wave and strong winds, forecast for the next couple of days, would likely worsen the fires.</p><p>The current fires may be the start of a harsh and long fire season, and are already drawing comparison to the devastating <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20201112231540-id4yp/#:~:text=Fires%20razed%20more%20than%2011,called%20Australia's%20%22black%20summer%22." target="_blank">wildfires</a> Australia experienced in early 2020, where more than 37 million acres were destroyed, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/australia-wildfires-animals-2646814591.html" target="_blank">three billion animals killed</a>, and 33 people died.</p>
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Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' Were Dropped Over Millions of Acres via Aerial Pesticide, Tests Reveal
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Health + Wellness
A plane sprays pesticide over the Wynwood neighborhood in the hope of controlling and reducing the number of mosquitos, some of which may be capable of spreading the Zika virus on Aug. 6, 2016 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A national nonprofit revealed Tuesday that testing commissioned by the group as well as separate analysis conducted by Massachusetts officials show samples of an aerially sprayed pesticide used by the commonwealth and at least 25 other states to control mosquito-borne illnesses contain toxic substances that critics call "forever chemicals."
<p>Officially known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas" target="_blank">PFAS</a>), this group of man-made chemicals — including PFOA, PFOS, and GenX — earned the nickname because they do not break down in the environment and build up in the body. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pfas">PFAS</a> has been linked to suppressed immune function, cancers, and other health issues.</p><p>Lawmakers and regulators at various levels of government have worked to clean up <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water">drinking water</a> contaminated by PFAS. The newly released results of pesticide testing by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) generated alarm about the effectiveness of such efforts.</p><p>"In Massachusetts, communities are struggling to remove PFAS from their drinking water supplies, while at the same time, we may be showering them with PFAS from the skies and roads," PEER science policy director Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney formerly with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>), <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/01/aerially-sprayed-pesticide-contains-pfas-forever-chemicals-potentially-spread" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement Tuesday.</p><p>"The frightening thing is that we do not know how many insecticides, herbicides, or even disinfectants contain PFAS," added Bennett, who arranged for the testing. "PEER found patents showing chemical companies using PFAS in these products, and recent articles discuss the variety of pesticides that contain PFAS as either an active or an inert ingredient."</p>
<div id="d4091" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="64ed42ca263b7280932e8f8d4e445802"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1333816394283065344" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW: @PEERorg found that toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” were sprayed on millions of acres in MA & 25 other states.… https://t.co/TcR3vCuXna</div> — Food & Water Watch (@Food & Water Watch)<a href="https://twitter.com/foodandwater/statuses/1333816394283065344">1606841584.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The product tested initially by PEER and subsequently MADEP, once the nonprofit alerted the department of its findings, is Anvil 10+10, produced by the Illinois company Clarke.</p><p>Karen Larson, Clarke's vice president of government affairs, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/01/metro/toxic-forever-chemicals-found-pesticide-used-millions-mass-acres-when-spraying-mosquitos/" target="_blank">told</a> the Boston Globe that "when this was first brought to our attention, we conducted an internal inquiry of our manufacturing and supply chain to ensure that PFAS was not an ingredient in the production, manufacturing, or distribution of either the active or inactive ingredients of Anvil."</p><p>"No PFAS ingredients are used in the formulation of Anvil, nor in the production of any source material in Anvil. PFAS components are not added at any point in the production of Anvil," she said. Larson added that while it is unclear why the Clarke pesticide contained PFAS, the company "will continue to work closely with the EPA to conduct our own testing."</p>
<p>PEER executive director Tim Whitehouse detailed the recent testing results in a <a href="https://www.peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MA-DEP-Ltr-Anvil-11-25-20-1.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1c783f1a-fbb9-4fe2-b9b5-a694dc19b99e" target="_blank">letter</a> sent last week to MADEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg that called for halting the use of Anvil 10+10, ensuring any replacement does not contain forever chemicals, and requiring pesticide companies to comprehensively test their products for PFAS:</p><blockquote>This fall, PEER conducted several tests for PFAS of a 2.5 gallon jug of Anvil 10+10, the pesticide used in the aerial spraying programs of Massachusetts and many other states. Our tests revealed that Anvil 10+10 contains roughly 250 parts per trillion (ppt) of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and 260–500 ppt of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), a GenX replacement for PFOA. Both these results are hovering around the detection limits of the laboratory's equipment, but there is no doubt that these PFAS are in the insecticide. While PFAS may be useful when added to pesticides as surfactants, dispersants, and anti-foaming agents, it is unclear whether the PFAS found in Anvil 10+10 is an ingredient added by the manufacturer, contained in one of the ingredients supplied to Anvil's manufacturer by other companies, or whether it is a contaminant from the manufacturing/storage process. Moreover, since we were only able to test for 36 PFAS out of the 9,252 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) inventory, it is impossible to know how many other PFAS might be in Anvil 10+10.<br>[...]<br>When PEER obtained its first positive PFAS results on Anvil 10+10, we immediately contacted DEP because of the far-reaching implications. MADEP independently tested nine samples of Anvil 10+10 from five different containers, and found eight different PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. Some PFAS levels were over 700 ppt. As such, there appears to be no doubt that there are PFAS in the pesticide Massachusetts has chosen for mosquito control.</blockquote>
<p>Whitehouse noted that Massachusetts aerially sprayed 2.2 million acres with Anvil 10+10 last year and more than 200,000 acres this year. The Boston Globe explained that "most of the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mosquito-control-and-spraying?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1c783f1a-fbb9-4fe2-b9b5-a694dc19b99e" target="_blank">spraying</a> has been done in the southeastern part of the state, where EEE, a rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease, has been most prevalent."</p><p>The EPA, which has been lambasted by lawmakers as well as environmental and public health advocates for its handling of PFAS contamination on a national scale, is working on "an analytical method" to detect the forever chemicals in pesticides and plans to conduct its own tests of Anvil 10+10, according to the newspaper.</p><p>"There are significant unanswered questions about the data currently available," Dave Deegan, a spokesperson for the federal agency's offices in New England, told the Boston Globe. "EPA will continue to work closely with and support the state on this issue. Aggressively addressing PFAS continues to be an important, active, and ongoing priority for EPA."</p>
<p>Bennett and other critics of the EPA's response to PFAS reiterated concerns about the agency in the wake of the revelations in Massachusetts.</p><p>"This PFAS fiasco shows that public trust in EPA having a full accounting of these materials and their safety is utterly misplaced," said Bennett. "Until EPA acts, states need to adopt their own safeguards and chemical disclosure requirements because they certainly cannot depend upon the diligence of EPA."</p><p>In a statement about the testing on Tuesday, Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/01/pfas-discovered-common-pesticide-sprayed-millions-acres" target="_blank">declared</a> that "these findings shock the conscience — states likely have unknowingly contaminated communities' water with PFAS hidden in pesticides. Once again, the EPA has failed to protect the American people from harmful pollution."</p><p>Emphasizing that "we need to stop the introduction of toxic forever chemicals into the environment and our water sources to protect public health," Hauter said that "the EPA must ban all pesticides with PFAS components, designate PFAS as hazardous substances to hold polluters accountable for cleanup of contamination, and set strong enforceable standards for PFAS in our drinking water."</p><p>"The GOP-controlled Senate must step up and pass the PFAS Action Act, which passed the House in January, to regulated these toxic compounds and hold polluters accountable, and Congress must pass he WATER Act to provide the financial relief to community water providers and households with wells to remove PFAS from drinking water or find alternative sources where treatment fails," she added. "Now is the time for decisive action to protect people's health and safety."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/tests-reveal-toxic-forever-chemicals-aerial-pesticide-showered-over-millions-acres" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plants a tree as part of Trees That Count, a project to help New Zealand make a positive impact on climate change, on June 30, 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
The government of New Zealand declared a climate emergency on Wednesday, a symbolic step recognizing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions of substantial global warming if emissions do not fall.
<p>Alongside the declaration, New Zealand announced it would require its public sector to become carbon neutral by 2025. Government agencies would need to measure, report and offset emissions.</p><p>"The public sector needs to be and will be an exemplar that sets the standard we all need to achieve by 2050," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told parliament in Wellington.</p>
<h2>New Zealand Going Green</h2><p>"This is a declaration of science," Ardern told said, adding the move is "an acknowledgement of the next generation… of the burden they will carry if we do not take action now."New Zealand's decarbonization program is supported by a NZ$200 million ($141 million) state fund and includes a phase-out of coal, a requirement for government agencies to use electric vehicles and a green standard for public buildings, according to Radio New Zealand.</p><p>Declaring a climate emergency, however, comes without any new statutory powers or money, making the move purely symbolic.</p>
<p>Thirty-two other countries, including Japan, Canada, France and the United Kingdom, have already declared a climate emergency. Doing so indicates that governments recognize climate change as an existential threat that requires urgent action in response.</p><p>Climate activists and scientists continue to warn that not enough is being done by governments to meet the Paris Agreement target of curbing emissions to keep global temperature levels within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) of pre-industrial levels.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/new-zealand-declares-climate-emergency/a-55792222" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em></p>
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Young Climate Leaders Conclude Mock COP26 With Calls for Green Recovery, Recognition of Ecocide
20h
Politics
The youth-led Mock COP26 virtual conference concluded Tuesday with a treaty they hope world leaders will sign ahead of the official COP26 in November 2021.
<p>Mock COP26 participants presented the 18-point treaty, which includes calls for climate education at all levels, a legally recognized crime of ecocide and a green recovery from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic, to UK <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nigel-topping-appointed-uk-high-level-climate-action-champion" target="_blank">High Level Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping</a> in a closing ceremony, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/01/mock-cop26-activists-vote-on-treaty-ahead-of-2021-climate-summit" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>"Mock COP26 sends a strong message to world leaders that young people can coordinate global negotiations and we have the solutions. Now is the time for us to have a seat at the table," Guyana delegate Suphane Dash-Alleyne told The Guardian.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="43d083e643522af6a9e5a095f8f05e4e"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LBbw2uJQSHQ?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>The Mock COP26 conference included 330 delegates from 140 countries, according to the <a href="https://www.mockcop.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20200112-MOCK-COP-Declaration.pdf" target="_blank">conference declaration</a>. The delegates were aged 11 to 30 and were 63 percent female or non-binary. Seventy-two percent of delegates hailed from the Global South, and the conference was designed to prioritize their voices. When voting for policies, each vote from a Global South delegate was weighted 1.1 if it would impact the outcome of the vote. Global South countries were also allowed up to five delegates each compared to three for Global North countries.</p><p>"My country is very vulnerable to the impact of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a>, particularly rising sea levels and coastal erosion, so I feel like Mock COP26 has really helped us raise our concerns and speak for the voiceless," Sainey Gibba, a 23-year-old delegate from the Gambia, told The Guardian.</p><p>The final treaty, which the delegates hope will be adapted into law by the countries participating in COP26 next year, is crafted around six themes: climate education, climate justice, climate resilient livelihoods, physical and mental health, and nationally determined contributions under the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a>, and protecting <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a>.</p>
<p>Its demands are as follows:</p><ol><li>Up-to-date education about the climate crisis for all children.</li><li>Education about our connection with nature for all children.</li><li>Legal protections for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous-rights" target="_self">Indigenous rights</a>.</li><li>UN recognition of a right to a healthy environment and the implementation of a UN Universal Declaration on the Rights of Nature.</li><li>A legal mandate that all polluting or extractive industries must operate sustainably, follow regulations and respect the rights of workers and surrounding communities.</li><li>The implementation of a law defining and penalizing ecocide.</li><li>The development of a mechanism to involve young people in national decision-making relating to the climate crisis.</li><li>The passing or enforcing of rights for people involved in environmental or social justice activism.</li><li>The implementation of a National Adaptation Plan to help communities adapt to the climate crisis and retrain in climate-safe jobs.</li><li>The passing of policies that support sustainable <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture" target="_self">agriculture</a>.</li><li>A Green Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li>Ensuring children's right to spend time in nature by protecting or restoring wild areas.</li><li>Ensuring safe and breathable air.</li><li>Ensuring access to child-friendly mental health services, including for the treatment of eco-anxiety.</li><li>Cutting emissions enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.</li><li>Establishing detailed timetables for when countries will phase out different <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuel" target="_self">fossil fuels</a>.</li><li>Committing to and funding plans to restore at least 30 percent of marine and land ecosystems by 2030.</li><li>Phasing out all unnecessary single-use <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a> while ensuring people with disabilities can access the tools they need.</li></ol>
<p>The treaty was developed with the help of lawyers from charity <a href="https://www.clientearth.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ClientEarth</a>.</p><p>"The youth behind Mock COP26 have created a powerful statement calling on governments to take action to protect future generations from the worst impacts of climate change," ClientEarth chief executive and founder James Thornton told The Guardian. "Decisions taken by governments now will affect the youngest generation for many years to come."</p><p>The question now remains whether world leaders will accept the young activists' treaty as legally binding.</p><p>"It's an uphill fight, but I'm optimistic that it's going to get a lot of attention," ClientEarth legal researcher Ellie Gold told <a href="https://grist.org/climate/the-un-canceled-its-2020-climate-summit-youth-held-one-anyway/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grist</a>.</p><p>However, Iris Zhan, a 16-year-old high school junior from Columbia, Maryland who was also a Mock COP26 volunteer, said she also hoped the conference would show the effectiveness of young climate leaders and offer lessons for the adult organizers of the official COP, even if the treaty does not become law.</p><p>"If COP was youth-led, we would make so much more progress than we have in the last decade," Zhan told Grist.</p>
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Kids play on a flooded Arizona Avenue on October 4, 2015 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Jessica Kourkounis / Getty Images
The threat to affordable housing from flooding driven by climate change will likely triple in the next 30 years, new research shows.
<p>The study, from Climate Central and the National Housing Trust and published in <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VWyv3j3TqwvYW55kmdx2zg3MJW7vv0b_4k5j4KN7Mjfyc3p_9rV1-WJV7CgWL8W680rSp8RGNshW5jCNHT7015NFN43-mt9z5W83W2DBcf36vL9qCW5Hcxx-2YPy7qW4dFmnK3DP3tmW2GQMTH744SCzW1jvqQ03wPw0xW3XxM3m8xLwJ1VbfhMt90qHK6W5mZWR-83Prj3W4sRJpP658WdMW5y9Gxl5XtCy3W359gMy8jH67CW3RTx1F90Rkc4W94XVbN7nRDwNW2NPjxZ1m95jjW1Lnqhx89Vvd-W1L5B6p92bWXyW4JVd4x6J-__bW4fVVqM6MgnrbW4wCpDP2g4hg0W1zGkxf346V_6W1QljWm823SWWW2rdShC2NNxJCW5ZLqKt84v5C2354V1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Environmental Research Letters</a>, examined risk posed not just by extreme events like hurricanes, but also at the increasingly common threat of "sunny-day" flooding caused by sea level rise. </p><p>The threats driven by the climate crisis exacerbate the underlying affordable housing crisis — the study identified communities in which up to ninety percent of affordable housing is being put at risk. </p>
<p>The U.S. already lacks sufficient affordable housing, and "low-income renters typically have very few alternative housing options if a disaster damages their homes," Andrew Aurand, VP of research at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, told Thomson Reuters.</p><p>"When affordable rental housing is significantly damaged, the private market provides little incentive to repair or rebuild that housing to keep it affordable," he added.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20201201090351-gpvnb/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101597928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8PipzwzR9xDdKLBvMHD1m7q-g5MtRrsbvtBvhnfB7bbVLiUgRKghQyQm8WkMKcIuHQYHkhzXlmQX7HCzqKVxFEuGphhhtJkuPbjj6g-sz1CU1vwcE&utm_content=101597928&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Thomson Reuters Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/1/21747466/rising-sea-levels-flood-affordable-housing-2050?_hsmi=101597928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--J2BMybiHu7o60QOHnCMPXIvu1vcT_KWMZ2IJaUgG2G3OYg_A7lzSDEgWO8dMig1I9CSeHwD1_CLLlhSJNNCCE3ox_U7C5ZyE_7W0AuEaBLlo6l_Y" target="_blank">The Verge</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-01/how-climate-change-is-targeting-affordable-housing?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101597928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--JHyIz7WbmZLCWsqSpK7O_CjdqyRmOCV25tuBoxK3BDysgZux0g2i9Wpe24Jk8n3G7o2pfWW8E7I-x4Y7ww9t6fX5ZWerreFjt14nmyiBPWSRV7ms&utm_content=101597928&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.njspotlight.com/2020/12/affordable-housing-sea-level-rise-flooding-poverty-climate-change-nj/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101597928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--IY8lZYXSmq0L04W6a0itM-lpokYwn8Qy74iwpA2j71MuansUlDjcZdG-PUwj2pP8eJNYdsPNvreB_ngh6cgUKCq58m14UTfutCcQre4r1wgiNCHw&utm_content=101597928&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">NJ Spotlight</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1063719523?t=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eenews.net%2Fstories%2F1063719523%3F_hsenc%3Dp2ANqtz--ouG8iT57AryuaQqhtjZz4MI7mxNjXPSCSVMt010E1jFnXCjexwVrbUp7NFkrPB07VG7cRRvQLdFsai-DIEj6p4qwY-UQG5WTbeOctVCyjX2Qkfe0%26_hsmi%3D101597928%26utm_campaign%3DHot%2520News%26utm_content%3D101597928%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dhs_email" target="_blank">E&E;</a> Interactive Map: <a href="https://coastal.climatecentral.org/map/8/285.6044/39.7071/?theme=sea_level_rise&map_type=coastal_dem_comparison&basemap=roadmap&contiguous=true&elevation_model=best_available&forecast_year=2050&pathway=rcp45&percentile=p50&return_level=return_level_1&slr_model=kopp_2014" target="_blank">Climate Central</a>; Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-signals/coastal-flooding-increase?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101597928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--1eTUNVHb6GU9G0enF_KBIMvYZx8pYebF-ifHivrZNu5uNDkfaaZNC6W23BYTBByMlzUIvuFNaNH2BYimFpY9FK5dwyzFmVbvvm2QRMg3d1ru3HcI&utm_content=101597928&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Coastal flooding increase</a>, <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-signals/rising-sea-levels?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101597928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8OUslytYA_sh1-CKrRJHldE6467AwBh_fzHH2kHhENsuwR6_5ZbKEEXqHsVEfHy9jgCbzmCNFr9Exc4eJKTOLyv5hjtRwb3SFS0JEzMzmnrsOrqA4&utm_content=101597928&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Sea level rise</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A view from Hollywood Hills over downtown Los Angeles. 35007 / E+ / Getty Images
By Kelley Dennings
It's time to talk about something that most of us have been reluctant to face: what to do about the intensifying connection between population gain and environmental loss. A growing body of research shows continued human population growth equates to accelerating species extinction.
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201106093027.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new study</a> finds increasing encroachment of humans into tropical forests and other pristine habitats threatens to destroy about a quarter of the planet's remaining wildlife habitat in this century, pushing many more species to the brink. Losing these irreplaceable ecosystems would be devastating. And as our numbers continue to soar, humans are rapidly losing the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a> we need for everything from regulating pests to carbon sequestration.</p>
<p>Fifty years ago, most agricultural development was in Europe and North America. Since then, large areas of the tropics have been cleared for agriculture, and human population doubled while wildlife populations <a href="https://www.livingplanetindex.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plummeted 68%</a>. Last year, the United Nations reported that a <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">million species are at risk of extinction</a> in the coming decades due to human activity.</p><p>Population growth and consumption are two of the major drivers of species extinction, and they are intertwined. Humans put enormous pressure on the environment through mining, grazing, deforestation and other destructive activities, stoked by the global North's outsized consumption habits. With nearly 8 billion people on the planet and ever-increasing demand from industrialized countries and emerging economies, we're creating and accelerating twin crises of species extinction and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a>.</p><p>It's a hard issue to talk about. Despite <a href="https://crowdedplanet.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientific research</a> recognizing humans' role in driving environmental harms, the need to slow population growth to address environmental damage has rarely been acknowledged and is sometimes <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/26/16356524/the-population-question" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deliberately soft-pedaled</a>, even by environmentalists.</p><p>But there are signs that this resistance may be changing, at least in the public's view. In November a <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/pdfs/Contraception-and-Consumption-in-the-Age-of-Extinction-U.S.-Survey-Results-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">national survey by the Center for Biological Diversity found</a> that three out of four Americans think the world's population is growing too fast. The same number agree that human population growth is driving other animal species to extinction. One in three agree that stabilizing population growth will help protect the environment. These numbers have all grown significantly since <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/pdfs/NationalSurveyResults2-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2013.</a></p><p>A vast majority of respondents believe society has a moral responsibility to prevent wildlife extinctions. Sixty-five percent said population growth and consumption are responsible for the rapid loss of species biodiversity. That's a significant shift, too. It means that a majority of Americans now understand that biodiversity loss cannot be oversimplified as either a population growth or a consumption problem — it's both.</p>
<p>Although there is growing agreement about the problem, there's less understanding of solutions. That's why we need the environmental community to provide some leadership and broach the difficult discussion of how to equitably reduce humans' footprint and leave room for wildlife.</p><p>No one is suggesting we should institute human population "control" to conserve biodiversity. That would be a violation of human rights, as unethical as it would be unnecessary. But we should be able to talk about ways to advance human rights that align with slower population growth and a healthier biosphere.</p><p>For example, when people can choose freely whether and when to have children, they tend to have smaller families. That aligns with pursuing <a href="https://drawdown.org/sectors/health-and-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gender equity,</a> because when girls stay in school longer and enjoy equal opportunities, they tend to delay starting a family and increase the time between births. Ultimately they choose to have fewer children during their lifetime as a matter of exercising their rights, which benefits people and the planet.</p><p>Pursuing gender equity and reproductive health and rights also lead to better conservation policy. Women are traditionally on the <a href="https://www.grida.no/publications/198" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">frontlines of environmental issues</a> because nearly 50% work in agriculture, giving them valuable insight into how to protect the land and create more resilient communities. Countries with women in leadership positions are <a href="https://www.iucn.org/news/gender/202001/gender-and-environment-what-are-barriers-gender-equality-sustainable-ecosystem-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more likely to ratify environmental treaties</a>. But communities can only benefit from women's experience and leadership when they have equal opportunity to apply it.</p><p>The key is to align our thinking about population and conservation with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/human-rights" target="_self">human rights</a>. The reason the subject has been taboo is that historically, slowing population growth has been connected to human rights violations. Asserting and defending false claims to land and resources has led to atrocities we're still reluctant to face, from <a href="https://www.history.com/news/native-american-genocide-california-apology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Native American genocide</a> to ICE detainees being given <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/14/ice-detainees-hysterectomies-medical-neglect-irwin-georgia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hysterectomies without consent</a>.</p><p>It's high time to face them. We can and must talk about how to slow population growth in ways that advance human rights, empower people and improve resilience and health outcomes, while reducing pressure on wildlife and the environment.</p><p>Admittedly, it won't be an easy conversation. But the environmental movement has a responsibility to conduct it. Not only is it mission-critical for fighting biodiversity loss and climate change, it's an opportunity to change systems of oppression that threaten human rights and create a more resilient, equitable world. The public increasingly understands this part of the puzzle. Now it's time for the environmental movement to put the pieces together.</p><p><em>Kelley Dennings is a population and sustainability campaigner at the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Center for Biological Diversity</a>.</em></p>
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One of the beavers released into England's Somerset county this January, which has now helped build the area's first dam in more than 400 years. Ben Birchall / PA Images via Getty Images
England's Somerset county can now boast its first beaver dam in more than 400 years.
<p>The dam is the work of Eurasion beavers who were reintroduced to the <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Trust</a>'s <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holnicote-estate#Overview" target="_blank">Holnicote Estate</a> in <a href="https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Exmoor National Park</a> at the start of 2020, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/beavers-exmoor-somerset-rewilding-b1763855.html" target="_blank">The Independent reported Monday</a>. The beavers began to build the small structure in October, and video cameras caught them gnawing on trees and gathering vegetation for the dam.</p><p>"It might look modest, but this beaver dam is incredibly special – it's the first to appear on Exmoor for almost half a millennium and marks a step change in how we manage the landscape," National Trust project manager Ben Eardley told <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-55125932" target="_blank">BBC News</a>. "What's amazing is that it's only been here a few weeks but has created an instant wetland."</p><p>The beavers weren't just re-released for the cute factor. These <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rivers" target="_self">river</a>-dwelling rodents are also a natural solution to the twin crises of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> loss.</p>
<p>Beaver dams both hold water during <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" target="_self">droughts</a> and help prevent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a> by slowing its flow downstream during wet periods, the <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/beavering-away-natures-heroes" target="_blank">National Trust explained</a>. They also create pools that provide a habitat for other <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a>.</p><p>"We've already spotted kingfishers at the site, and over time, as the beavers extend their network of dams and pools, we should see increased opportunities for other <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a>, including amphibians, insects, bats and birds," Eardley said in a National Trust update. "The recent rain we've had is a reminder of the significant role beavers can play in engineering the landscape. As we face the effects of climate change and more frequent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> events, natural interventions like this need to be part of the solution."</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rewilding Britain</a> has also argued that beavers can provide habitat and wildlife corridors for animals forced to migrate as their range changes because of the climate crisis, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/30/beavers-build-first-dam-exmoor-400-years-national-trust-animals?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0kDsKVSzl_7xR6xFLgiPIv8hi-IbtBliX3XWL_jf4rsDng8o4XLmsgBJg#Echobox=1606739317" target="_blank">The Guardian explained</a>.</p><p>Beavers have also been touted as a climate solution outside the UK. Jen Vanderhoof of Washington State's King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/beavers-climate-change-adaptation-2645854054.html" target="_self">has argued</a> that beaver dams could help mitigate the climate-driven cycle of drought and flooding in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., as well as help slow wildfires by acting as natural fire breaks.</p><p>However, the UK faces a special challenge in working with beavers, because the animals were hunted to extinction in the country in the sixteenth century, BBC News explained. They were sought after for their meat, water-resistant pelts and a substance called castoreum that they excrete, which was used in food, perfume and medicine.</p><p>Beavers have begun to be reintroduced into Britain beginning in the 2000s. The Exmoor beavers were brought over from wild populations along the River Tay in Scotland. Their introduction marks the first time in the National Trust's 125-year history that it has reintroduced beavers to a river ecosystem. They were originally introduced into a 2.7 acre enclosure on the Holnicote Estate, according to The Guardian.</p>
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<p>The beavers' introduction is part of the National Trust's £13 million project to restore the health of rivers and streams.</p><p>"Although we're introducing a species that used to live here in the wild, this project is all around creating our landscapes of the future, helping us respond to the challenges the landscape and communities now face," Eardley told the National Trust.</p><p>In a separate project, the UK government has completed a five-year trial of reintroducing beavers to the River Otter in Devon and is considering developing a national plan to reintroduce the animals, The Independent explained.</p>
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Fences Can 'Utterly Reorganize' Ecosystems, Producing Winners and Losers, but Are Rarely Studied
01 December
Insights + Opinion
Australia's dingo fences, built to protect livestock from wild dogs, stretch for thousands of miles. Marian Deschain / Wikimedia
By Alex McInturff, Christine Wilkinson and Wenjing Xu
What is the most common form of human infrastructure in the world? It may well be the fence. Recent estimates suggest that the total length of all fencing around the globe is 10 times greater than the total length of roads. If our planet's fences were stretched end to end, they would likely bridge the distance from Earth to the Sun multiple times.
<p>On every continent, from cities to rural areas and from <a href="https://pages.nyu.edu/counterblast/fence.htm" target="_blank">ancient</a> to <a href="https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/economics/rousseau/inequality/ch02.htm" target="_blank">modern</a> times, humans have built fences. But we know almost nothing about their ecological effects. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/border-barriers/global-illegal-immigration-prevention/" target="_blank">Border fences are often in the news</a>, but other fences are so ubiquitous that they disappear into the landscape, becoming scenery rather than subject.</p><p>In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaa103" target="_blank">recently published study</a>, our team sought to change this situation by offering a set of findings, frameworks and questions that can form the basis of a new discipline: fence ecology. By compiling studies from ecosystems around the world, our research shows that fences produce a complex range of ecological effects.</p><p>Some of them influence small-scale processes like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ary158" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the building of spider webs</a>. Others have much broader effects, such as <a href="https://sciencenordic.com/animals-archaeology-denmark/fences-are-disrupting-african-wildlife-on-an-unprecedented-scale/1441998" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hastening the collapse of Kenya's Mara ecosystem</a>. Our findings reveal a world that has been utterly reorganized by a rapidly growing latticework of fences.</p>
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<h2>Connecting the Dots</h2><p>If fences seem like an odd thing for ecologists to study, consider that until recently no one thought much about how roads affected the places around them. Then, in a burst of research in the 1990s, scientists showed that roads – which also have been part of human civilization for millennia – had narrow footprints but produced enormous environmental effects.</p><p>For example, roads can <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/4385/deforestation-patterns-in-the-amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">destroy or fragment habitats</a> that wild species rely on to survive. They also can promote <a href="http://courses.washington.edu/gmforum/topics/trans_water/trans_water.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">air and water pollution</a> and <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/04/wildlife-overpasses-underpasses-make-animals-people-safer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vehicle collisions with wildlife</a>. This work generated a <a href="https://roadecology.ucdavis.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new scientific discipline</a>, <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Handbook+of+Road+Ecology-p-9781118568187" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">road ecology</a>, that offers unique insights into the startling extent of humanity's reach.</p><p>Our research team became interested in fences by watching animals. In California, Kenya, China and Mongolia, we had all observed animals behaving oddly around fences – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13380" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gazelles taking long detours</a> around them, for example, or predators following "highways" along fence lines.</p><p>We reviewed a large body of academic literature looking for explanations. There were many studies of individual species, but each of them told us only a little on its own. Research had not yet connected the dots between many disparate findings. By linking all these studies together, we uncovered important new discoveries about our fenced world.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MTQ0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzQ3OTg5MX0.UCnhZaRBaffS5gJoUJrbHRk6_STHq-rO1Ulx9sX_etM/img.jpg?width=980" id="ed3b1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7ea3fb456c6e9e001c50b89328ec1673" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Early advertisement for barbed wire fencing, 1880-1889. The advent of barbed wire dramatically changed ranching and land use in the American West by ending the open range system. Kansas Historical Society / CC BY-ND
<h2>Remaking Ecosystems</h2><p>Perhaps the most striking pattern we found was that fences rarely are unambiguously good or bad for an ecosystem. Instead, they have myriad ecological effects that produce winners and losers, helping to dictate the rules of the ecosystems where they occur.</p><p>Even "good" fences that are designed to protect threatened species or restore sensitive habitats can still <a href="http://dx.doi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fragment and isolate ecosystems</a>. For example, fences constructed in Botswana to prevent disease transmission between wildlife and livestock have <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/a-plea-to-botswana-please-rethink-a-not-enough-fences-approach-commentary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stopped migrating wildebeests in their tracks</a>, producing haunting images of injured and dead animals strewn along fencelines.</p><p>Enclosing an area to protect one species may <a href="https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/media/newsroom/2015/february/conservation-fences-costing-turtle-lives" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">injure or kill others</a>, or create entry pathways for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00378.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">invasive species</a>.</p><p>One finding that we believe is critical is that for every winner, fences typically produce multiple losers. As a result, they can create ecological "no man's lands" where only species and ecosystems with a narrow range of traits can survive and thrive.</p>
<h2>Altering Regions and Continents</h2><p>Examples from around the world demonstrate fences' powerful and often unintended consequences. The U.S.-Mexico border wall – most of which fits our definition of a fence – has <a href="https://earth.stanford.edu/news/how-would-border-wall-affect-wildlife#gs.il0l5m" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">genetically isolated populations of large mammals</a> such as bighorn sheep, leading to population declines and genetic isolation. It has even had surprising effects on birds, <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/us-mexico-border-fence-hinders-wildlife-study-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">like ferruginous pygmy owls</a>, that fly low to the ground.</p><p>Australia's dingo fences, built to protect livestock from the nation's iconic canines, are among the world's longest man-made structures, stretching thousands of kilometers each. These fences have started ecological chain reactions called trophic cascades that have <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-dingo-proof-fence-changing-ecosystem-outback-180963273/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">affected an entire continent's ecology</a>.</p><p>The absence of dingoes, a top predator, from one side of the fence means that populations of prey species like kangaroos can explode, causing categorical shifts in plant composition and even depleting the soil of nutrients. On either side of the fence there now are two distinct "<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature.2017.21962" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ecological universes</a>."</p><p>Our review shows that fences affect ecosystems at every scale, leading to cascades of change that may, in the worst cases, culminate in what some conservation biologists have described as total "<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1246251" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ecological meltdown</a>." But this peril often is overlooked.</p><p>To demonstrate this point, we looked more closely at the western U.S., which is known for huge open spaces but also is the <a href="https://www.popsci.com/barbed-wire-invention-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">homeland of barbed wire fencing</a>. Our analysis shows that vast areas viewed by researchers as <a href="https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/sensing-our-planet/the-human-footprint#:%7E:text=Increased%20human%20population%20often%20leads,the%20earliest%20lasting%20human%20impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relatively untrodden by the human footprint</a> are silently entangled in dense networks of fences.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1MTQ0NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzU4NjUyNH0.dQmTuEHI2zVTp5BQipPApNgoCWyfKfAEFvh7oyk_az8/img.jpg?width=980" id="6317e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d2e11ba10d146a1672e5cffc54d4d6d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The authors assembled a conservative data set of potential fence lines across the U.S. West. They calculated the nearest distance to any given fence to be less than 31 miles (50 kilometers), with a mean of about 2 miles (3.1 kilometers). McInturff et al,. 2020 / CC BY-ND
<h2>Do Less Harm</h2><p>Fences clearly are here to stay. As fence ecology develops into a discipline, its practitioners should consider the complex roles fences play in human social, economic and political systems. Even now, however, there is enough evidence to identify actions that could reduce their harmful impacts.</p><p>There are many ways to change fence design and construction without affecting their functionality. For example, in <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/wy/technical/landuse/pasture/?cid=nrcs142p2_026826" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wyoming</a> and <a href="http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=34461" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Montana</a>, federal land managers have experimented with wildlife-friendly designs that allow species like pronghorn antelope to pass through fences with fewer obstacles and injuries. This kind of modification shows great promise for wildlife and may produce broader ecological benefits.</p>
<div id="9caf2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5b235c2085189c03e02467cbce2ea212"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1240336705846042624" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Some incredible non-COVID19 content for you today: hundreds of pronghorn (aka speed goats!) migrating through Natro… https://t.co/OieLvGhbqU</div> — Ben Goldfarb (@Ben Goldfarb)<a href="https://twitter.com/ben_a_goldfarb/statuses/1240336705846042624">1584554289.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Another option is aligning fences along natural ecological boundaries, like watercourses or topographical features. This approach can help minimize their effects on ecosystems at low cost. And land agencies or nonprofit organizations could offer incentives for land owners to remove fences that are derelict and no longer serve a purpose.</p><p>Nonetheless, once a fence is built its effects are long lasting. Even after removal, "<a href="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5950" target="_blank">ghost fences</a>" can live on, with species continuing to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27129727" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">behave as if a fence were still present for generations</a>.</p><p>Knowing this, we believe that policymakers and landowners should be more cautious about installing fences in the first place. Instead of considering only a fence's short-term purpose and the landscape nearby, we would like to see people view a new fence as yet another permanent link in a chain encircling the planet many times over.</p>
<p>
<em>Alex McInturff is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara.<br/>
<span style="background-color: initial;">Christine Wilkinson is a </span>Ph.D. candidate in environmental science, policy and management at the University of California, Berkeley.<br/>
<span style="background-color: initial;">Wenjing Xu is a </span>Ph.D. candidate in environmental science, policy and management at the</em><em> University of California, Berkeley.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statements: </em><em>Wenjing Xu receives funding from the Smithsonian Institute. </em><em>Alex McInturff and Christine Wilkinson do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/fences-have-big-effects-on-land-and-wildlife-around-the-world-that-are-rarely-measured-147797" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Hopi blue corn is being affected by climate change. Abrahami / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
Climate change is making ancient Hopi farming nearly impossible, threatening not just the Tribe's staple food source, but a pillar of its culture and religion, the Arizona Republic reports.
<p>A two decades-long "megadrought" across the American West as severe as any in the last 1,200 years, has made Hopi lands even dryer than the arid environment in which they have lived for centuries, and heat waves made worse by climate change intensify evaporation, robbing the corn of even more precious water. </p>
<p>Beatrice Norton, 69, is a member of the matrilineal Young Corn Clan responsible for the tribe's food. </p><p>"This is our way of life. We are dependent on this corn for our ceremonies, our way of life, to be complete," she said. </p><p>"But eventually, if this is the way and the direction that this is going to go, our weather and then the environment, global heating and no rain, sooner or later we're going to be missing a big piece of what is a part of our life as Hopi."</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/11/30/hopi-tribe-withering-corn-crops-show-impact-climate-change/5931561002/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101464952&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9y8D3XTXSFwLwANv9QSBuZGtBI7yTIw4i6Bram56CIhxz9T1-yn3F4XNruO6STzdw3jToKLwOY392vKXbVTGPdfLEKHEz3tuJov4Aaoh9euz9HfEY&utm_content=101464952&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Arizona Republic</a>; Climate Signals background: <a href="https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-change-drought?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101464952&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9TbYuQOYNDvdnvSxALM83Y-zV5ts7wFnmf9CXh3vPEruqdfiipuGmwSklaBekdnFV8rDLYzYuZhZ3bOYfkUSUcEao5-SWkG7QyAcb7-gsi0KbTDj4&utm_content=101464952&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Drought</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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Pollution on the Ganges River. Kaushik Ghosh / Moment Open / Getty Images
The most polluted river in the world continues to be exploited through fishing practices that threaten endangered wildlife, new research shows.
<p>The Ganges River is a quagmire of raw sewage, toxic waste and overfishing from the crowded cities along its waterway. It is also home to the endangered Ganges <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/nov/24/rare-dolphin-trapped-in-net-in-odishas-govari-river-dies-2227377.html" target="_blank">river dolphin</a> and the critically endangered three-striped roofed turtle, along with other threatened marine species.</p><p>As part of the National Geographic Society's "Sea to Source: Ganges" expedition, a study was conducted to understand how much plastic pollution or "ghost" fishing threatens the native <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>. Fishing nets are common in the river, and entanglements frequently occur.</p>
<p>According to interviews conducted with the local fishing community as part of the study, nets and equipment are commonly left in the river. Researchers at the University of Exeter, who gathered data for the study, found disposal systems in short supply.</p><p>"The Ganges River supports some of the world's largest inland fisheries, but no research has been done to assess plastic pollution from this industry, and its impacts on wildlife," said Dr. Sarah Nelms, a postdoctoral associate at the Center for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter, and an author of the study.</p><p>"Ingesting plastic can harm wildlife, but our threat assessment focused on entanglement, which is known to injure and kill a wide range of marine species."</p>
<p>Professor Heather Koldewey, of the Zoological Society of London and the University of Exeter, and a National Geographic Fellow believes the "circular economy" – the reuse of products and equipment that have monetary value – can play a role in keeping nets out of the river, especially when nets are made of durable nylon material which can be reused to make carpet or clothing.</p><p>"Collection and recycling of nylon 6 has strong potential as a solution because it would cut plastic pollution and provide an income," she said.</p><p>Plastic pollution in <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine </a>and <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/30/how-humanity-lost-control-of-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">freshwater</a> ecosystems continues on an increasing scale to cause wildlife death. But Koldewey believes behavior changes through this new research could have positive effects.</p><p>"This is a complex problem that will require multiple solutions – all of which must work for both local communities and wildlife."</p>
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