Conservation

Trump Admin Aims to Gut Endangered Species Act Habitat Protections

Trump Admin Aims to Gut Endangered Species Act Habitat Protections

The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would eliminate endangered species’ habitat protections in the United States. The rule change would “rescind” the regulatory definition of “harm” to no longer include habitat modification for endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Environmentalists said the move would cause critically endangered species to […]

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    Global Plastic Recycling Rate ‘Stagnant’ at 9%: Study

    Global Plastic Recycling Rate ‘Stagnant’ at 9%: Study

    New research has found that the amount of plastic waste being recycled globally has remained “stagnant” at nine percent, with most new plastic continuing to be made from fossil fuels. The plastic recycling rate in the United States is even lower at just five percent. “Plastics are one of the most ubiquitous materials [on] our […]

    Pollution From Anxiety Medications Influences Salmon Behaviors, Study Finds

    Pollution From Anxiety Medications Influences Salmon Behaviors, Study Finds

    In a new study, researchers have confirmed that pharmaceutical pollutants are influencing how Atlantic salmon behave. The study, published in the journal Science, revealed that migrating salmon exposed to a type of psychoactive medicine under the benzodiazepine class caused the fish to be more bold and take more risks during migration. Although this led to […]

    NYC Begins Mandatory Composting Enforcement

    NYC Begins Mandatory Composting Enforcement

    New York City’s mandatory composting went into effect at the start of this month, and the city has already issued hundreds of tickets. According to the New York City Department of Sanitation, curbside composting is now available city-wide, and all residents are expected to separate organic waste from trash destined for landfills. All compost waste […]

    ‘Waste Wars’: A Conflict With No End in Sight

    ‘Waste Wars’: A Conflict With No End in Sight

    In 2018, China made global headlines when it banned the importation of foreign plastic and electronic waste. This fleeting news item exposed one of the dirty secrets of the Western world’s trash – that much of our garbage is, in reality, shipped elsewhere, many times under the shield of “recycling,” a little-known fact until China’s […]