Plastic pollution lines a Singapore beach. Vaidehi Shah/ CC BY 2.0
By Tara Lohan
Our plastic pollution problem has reached new heights and new depths.
Scientists have found bits of plastic on the seafloor, thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. Plastic debris has also washed ashore on remote islands; traveled to the top of pristine mountains; and been found inside the bodies of whales, turtles, seabirds and people, too.
<p>Tiny plastic particles are now ubiquitous and insidious. And the mounting pollution that swirls in ocean gyres and washes ashore on beaches poses a big threat to wildlife and ecosystems. So too, does the production of that plastic.</p><p>A number of recent studies — not to mention articles and essays published here in <em>The Revelator</em> — have helped pinpoint just how bad things have gotten and also what we can do about the problem. Here's what you should know about plastic:</p>
1. There’s a lot of it.
<p>In a September study published in <em>Science </em>about the growth of plastic waste, an international team of researchers estimated that 19 to 23 million metric tons — or 11% of plastic waste generated — ended up in aquatic ecosystems in 2016. And even with countries pledging to help cut waste or better manage it, the amount of plastic pollution is <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1515" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">likely to double</a> in the next 10 years.</p><p>A <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1455" target="_blank">study</a> about solutions to plastic waste, published in the same issue, attributed the plastic pollution epidemic to a rise in single-use plastic and "an expanding 'throw-away' culture." The researchers also found that waste-management systems simply can't deal with the onslaught of plastic, which is why so much of it ends up in the environment. We now know that only <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/" target="_blank">9% of the plastic products</a> we use actually get recycled.</p>2. The United States is a big culprit.
<p>Plastic pollution is a global problem, but the United States plays an outsized role. In 2016 the United States was responsible for more plastic waste than any other country, a <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/44/eabd0288" target="_blank">new study</a> in <em>Science Advances</em> found. Some of that waste was dumped illegally within the country and some was shipped to other countries that lacked the necessary infrastructure to handle it.</p><p>"The amount of plastic waste generated in the United States estimated to enter the coastal environment in 2016 was up to five times larger than that estimated for 2010, rendering the United States' contribution among the highest in the world," the researchers concluded. Part of that is because the United States ranks second in exporting plastic scrap.</p>3. It threatens wildlife and ecosystems.
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg3MTUwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzE1MzM2MH0.YL5C-5GF2mq9OZBLSkcAnreq2Mai20DweKSNqeUSWM4/img.jpg?width=980" id="20233" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3db4a05d5d417d925a770cf309db1db1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />A giant otter plays with a plastic bottle. Paul Williams / CC BY-NC 2.0
<p>Out of sight (for Americans) is <em>not </em>out of mind — and definitely not out of our waterways. An estimated 700 marine species and 50 freshwater species have either ingested plastic or been entangled in it.</p><p>"If we don't get the plastic pollution problem in the ocean under control, we threaten contaminating the entire marine food web, from phytoplankton to whales," George Leonard, the Ocean Conservancy's chief scientist and coauthor of the September <em>Science </em>study about plastic waste's increase, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/10/plastic-pollution-huge-problem-not-too-late-to-fix-it/" target="_blank">told <em>National Geographic</em></a>. "And by the time the science catches up to this, perhaps definitively concluding that this is problematic, it will be too late. We will not be able to go back. That massive amount of plastic will be embedded in the ocean's wildlife essentially forever."</p><p>Microplastics have also been found in terrestrial animals, soil, drinking water and, not surprisingly, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/08/18/microplastics-found-in-human-organs-for-the-first-time/?sh=42994a4e16f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in our own bodies</a>, although it's not clear yet just how dangerous that is for people.</p>4. The fracking boom is producing a plastic boom.
<p>Despite the known risks of plastic pollution and concern over its mounting presence in the environment, plastic production — driven by fossil fuels like fracked gas and its component chemicals — is on pace to increase by 40% in the next 10 years.</p><p>The American Chemistry Council <a href="https://www.americanchemistry.com/Shale-Infographic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">boasted that shale gas drilling is driving a surge</a> in plastic production, including the investment of more than $200 billion to fund new and expanded operations at 343 production plants in the United States.</p><p>On the ground this means more harmful pollution along the Gulf Coast's "Cancer Alley," where petrochemicals have been manufactured for decades in low-wealth communities of color. And it means the build-out of new facilities in Rust Belt states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.</p><p>Fracking also causes harmful greenhouse gas emissions, like methane, to be released into the atmosphere — amplifying the climate crisis. The refining process and the incineration of plastic waste also further drives greenhouse emissions and hazardous pollution.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg3MTUwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzg2OTc5MH0.sCU4rFAS-Hmm05EIB_ZmLIEMZ72aveHPsjE19BhF2bU/img.jpg?width=980" id="f4f34" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3f27ed0c4224b3dc997157482efc3e27" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A petrochemical plant in Houston's ship channel. Louis Vest / CC BY-NC 2.0
5. Solutions are multifaceted.
<p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/plastic-pollution-do-beach-cleanups-really-make-a-difference/a-46196975" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beach cleanups</a> tend to make headlines, but it's a losing battle as long as petrochemical companies keep producing so much plastic and we keep using plastic for products we're meant to toss after a single use.</p><p>The September study in <em><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1455" target="_blank">Science</a></em> on plastic solutions found that it's possible to cut plastic pollution — perhaps as much as 80% by 2040 — but it will take systemic change both in reducing the amount of plastic produced and in better managing the waste stream.</p><p>Regulatory efforts can help this process, including by regulating plastic as a pollution source under the Clean Water Act.</p><p>Efforts to ban single-use plastics, as the European Union aims to do by 2021, are another positive step. So too are "<a href="https://therevelator.org/california-plastic-legislation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">circular economy laws</a>," which have been <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5845?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.5%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">introduced, but not yet passed</a>, in the United States.</p><p>These laws would halt the production of new petrochemical facilities and encourage businesses to take responsibility for the full lifecycle of the products they produce by requiring them to be reused, adequately recycled or composted.</p><p>Getting circular economy laws enacted, though, will mean enough public and political will to counter the petrochemical, fossil fuel and plastic industries.</p><p>At <em>The Revelator</em>, we'll keep covering the push for solutions to the plastic problem and new science to better understand the threats. And if you want to know more about how wildlife has already been affected, what laws could help, whether industry will be held accountable and more, check out these stories from our archives:</p><p><strong>Laws and Regulations</strong></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-warnings/" target="_blank">Plastic Pollution: Could We Have Solved the Problem Nearly 50 Years Ago?</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/clean-water-plastic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How an Old Law Is Helping Fight New Plastic Problems</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/california-plastic-legislation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New California Bill Could Revolutionize How the U.S. Tackles Plastic Pollution</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-laws/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Laws Work Best to Cut Plastic Pollution?</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-illegal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Plastic Ever Be Made Illegal?</a></p><p><strong>Impacts</strong></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/toxic-plastic-pollution-food-chain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Something Fishy: Toxic Plastic Pollution Is Traveling Up the Food Chain</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-ship-shore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plastic Pollution: From Ship to Shore</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastics-fracking-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plans to Turn America's Rust Belt Into a New Plastics Belt Are Bad News for the Climate</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/trash-galapagos-ecotourism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trash in the Galápagos Reveals the Dark Side of Ecotourism</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/elephant-seals-diving-garbage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elephant Seals: Diving Through Garbage</a></p><p><strong>Taking Action</strong></p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/story-plastic-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Story of Plastic: </a></em><a href="https://therevelator.org/story-plastic-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Film Exposes the Source of Our Plastic Crisis</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-movie-stuff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Win the Fight Against Plastic</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/cities-zero-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Cities Go Zero-waste? One Japanese Town Tried</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/secret-value-trash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Secret Value of Trash</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/junk-raft-polluted-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Junk Raft: A Journey Through a Polluted Ocean</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/bioplastics-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Are Bioplastics a Better Environmental Choice?</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-straws-problem-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plastic Pollution Is a Problem — These Kids Are Working for a Solution</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/thai-activists-fight-trash-taboo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thai Activists Fight Trash Taboo</a></p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/taralohan/" target="_blank">Tara Lohan</a> is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-archives/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>
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Young Climate Leaders Conclude Mock COP26 With Calls for Green Recovery, Recognition of Ecocide
02 December
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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There's no shortage of CBD products on the market today, especially when it comes to CBD oils. These tinctures are the most popular way to take CBD, but there is so much variety amongst CBD oils it can be hard to know which one is the right choice for you. Among the different flavor options, CBD strengths, and types of hemp extracts (like full-spectrum CBD oil vs CBD isolate), there is another potential differentiator when it comes to CBD oil: water solubility.
<h2>What is Water Soluble CBD?</h2><p>Cannabidiol (CBD for short) is a well-known cannabinoid found within cannabis plants that is widely used as a wellness supplement in oil form.</p><p>Water soluble CBD is an up-and-coming product that exists primarily to simplify the process of adding CBD oil to beverages since it mixes easily with liquids. Traditional CBD oil tinctures don't blend as well into liquid drinks because the oil is less dense than water and separates easily. However, water soluble CBD oil may also provide other advantages through its potential enhancement of bioavailability.</p><p>You see in order to make water soluble CBD oil, the Cannabidiol molecules must be transformed into "nanoparticles." These tiny CBD particles are "nano-emulsified" and might be easier for the body to absorb due to their smaller size. This is a common process that has been used in pharmaceutical medicine for years, and the technology may prove to be beneficial in the CBD industry as well.</p><p>However, water soluble CBD can be harder to come by since it involves a more intense production process in order to create these nanoparticles of CBD. Fortunately I've had the benefit of trying hundreds of CBD oil products, some of which are water soluble, and below are my top three recommendations based on several factors including price, hemp source, customer service and reviews, as well as my own experience after trying these products.</p><h2>Best Water Soluble CBD Products</h2>
<h2>Is Water Soluble CBD Better Than CBD Oil?</h2><p>Due to the ease of absorption for nano CBD, the effects of water soluble CBD oil may be much more effective than regular CBD hemp oil. Because of this, water soluble CBD is making headway as the next big thing in the hemp market, but not everyone is convinced of its efficacy.</p><h2>Risks and Benefits of Water Soluble CBD</h2><p>While plenty of brands tout the enhanced effects of water soluble CBD, it's unclear how exactly how these nanoparticles react within the body. Additionally, it's also unknown whether there is any advantages to using nano CBD (or water soluble CBD oil) when compared to traditional CBD oils.</p><p>With that being said, water soluble CBD is likely to have many of the same benefits as CBD oil, including anxiety reduction, pain relief, and improvements in sleep. Water soluble CBD may also prove to be more cost effective if its bioavailability is truly greater than traditional CBD tinctures, although more research is needed to validate this assumption.</p><h2>Is Water Soluble CBD Right for You?</h2><p>Water soluble CBD oils and powders are great options for people who prefer to get their daily dose of CBD without taking an oily dropper sublingually (below their tongue), or eat an infused CBD edible that tastes like earthy hemp. These water soluble products can easily be added into any food or beverage for a discreet and easy way to ingest CBD. Not to mention, they present little to no side effects, and are considered generally safe to consume.</p>
HOLISTIK Stress
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzE3Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTg5OTkxM30.SsHX2Wj9Gg2cbit_rghGcy4jBQil-Zi-8ud4GU6KI7s/img.png?width=980" id="555ac" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8717dccb7529d642bc22c48215e93f49" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>HOLISTIK is a member of the <a href="https://www.holistikwellness.com/blogs/news/making-a-positive-impact-together-with-impact-collective" target="_blank">IMPACT COLLECTIVE</a>, a group of forward-thinking brands committed to making an immediate and positive environmental impact. For every HOLISTIK STIK sold, the brand will pull one plastic bottle out of the ocean. We like supporting a brand that thinks about their place in the world. </p><p>We also like their CBD products. A standout is their stress relief STIK. They are blended with lemon balm extract to promote relaxation and focus. You mix them in your drink of choice, feel better, and do a tiny bit to help the sea. </p>
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Liweli Super Lemon 20-Pack
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzIzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzY3MDcwN30.Zdryzz73N3ViVXJCMZPt9c-ZaIQatZtsOIb_T-_jt2g/img.jpg?width=980" id="5b343" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="552717389a75940908a2efc4b569d692" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Liweli water soluble CBD packets make getting a regular dose of CBD simple and convenient. You can keep these lemon-flavored pouches in your purse or backpack and add them to your drink of choice. They dissolve well, which is key for a product like this, and taste nice. Liweli is a best bet for anyone on-the-go. </p>
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CBDistillery CBDelicious Powder
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg2NzIwOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDY0Mzg1OH0.HYq74_mRfh-WzVZOazd3kghZcz2IwDYpOIbYOgIeR4k/img.jpg?width=980" id="69852" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2883e054f8e6af6467e48463d26d2b7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>If you're not an "oil" person, there's always the option of a CBD powder. CBDistillery has several different options to choose from, including isolate, broad spectrum, and full spectrum water soluble CBD powders that can easily be added into foods or drinks to help you get a dose of CBD at anytime.</p>
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People Think the World’s Population Is Growing Too Fast – So Why Can’t We Talk About It
02 December
Popular
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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Seagrass: Another Vital Carbon-Sequestering Ecosystem Threatened by Climate Change
24 November
Popular
Susanna Pershern / Submerged Resources Center/ National Park Service / public domain
By Melissa Gaskill
Two decades ago scientists and volunteers along the Virginia coast started tossing seagrass seeds into barren seaside lagoons. Disease and an intense hurricane had wiped out the plants in the 1930s, and no nearby meadows could serve as a naturally dispersing source of seeds to bring them back.
<p>The seeding effort eventually delivered more than 70 million seeds — and it paid off, creating some 9,000 acres of the underwater plants.</p>
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</div></blockquote></div><p>Now monitoring of these restored meadows reveals multiple benefits to their restoration, including substantial increases in fish and invertebrate abundance, improved water clarity, and significant trapping of carbon and nitrogen.</p><p>"Planting adult seagrass is very labor intensive, but we started looking at using seeds in the lab and found it was quite easy," said biologist Robert "JJ" Orth, lead author on a new <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/41/eabc6434" target="_blank">paper</a> about the project. "These areas have good water quality, are shallow and are near the ocean so they get bathed in cooler water — perfect conditions. It was a surprise how quickly it happened."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMxNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjU4MzU3NX0.r56VbB8AxUb2Q4G3uoSDAejRc-zg8bYudl3C8kV5saQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="6c88d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5909dc34f2c554d80a1f4b0ccefb3e5f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Restored seagrass beds in Virginia now provide habitat for hundreds of thousands of scallops. Bob Orth, Virginia Institute of Marine Science / CC BY 2.0
<p>The paper is part of a growing trend of evidence suggesting seagrass meadows can be easier to restore than other coastal habitats.</p><p>Successful seagrass-restoration methods include <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304377099000078?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">transplanting shoots</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00314.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mechanized planting</a> and, more recently, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17438-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">biodegradable mats</a>. Removing threats, proximity to donor seagrass beds, planting techniques, project size and site selection all play roles in a restoration effort's success.</p><p>Human assistance isn't always necessary, though. In areas where some beds remain, seagrass can even recover on its own when stressors are reduced or removed. For example, seagrass began to recover when Tampa Bay improved its water quality by reducing nitrogen loads from runoff by roughly 90%.</p><p>But more and more, seagrass meadows struggle to hang on.</p><p>The marine flowering plants have declined globally since the 1930s and currently disappear at a rate equivalent to a football field every 30 minutes, according to the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/out-blue-value-seagrasses-environment-and-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Environment Programme</a>. And research published in 2018 found the rate of decline is <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GB005941" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">accelerating</a> in many regions.</p><p>The causes of decline vary and overlap, depending on the region. They include thermal stress from climate change; human activities such as dredging, anchoring and coastal infrastructure; and intentional removal in tourist areas. In addition, increased runoff from land carries sediment that clouds the water, blocking sunlight the plants need for photosynthesis. Runoff can also carry contaminants and nutrients from fertilizer that disrupt habitats and cause algal blooms.</p><p>All that damage comes with a cost.</p>The Value of Seagrass
<p>As with ecosystems like rainforests and <a href="https://therevelator.org/mangroves-climate-change/" target="_blank">mangroves</a>, loss of seagrass increases carbon dioxide emissions. And that spells trouble not just for certain habitats but for the whole planet.</p><p>Although seagrass covers at most 0.2% of the seabed, it <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/seagrass-secret-weapon-fight-against-global-heating" target="_blank">accounts for 10%</a> of the ocean's capacity to store carbon and soils, and these meadows store carbon dioxide an estimated 30 times faster than most terrestrial forests. Slow decomposition rates in seagrass sediments contribute to their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238506081_Assessing_the_capacity_of_seagrass_meadows_for_carbon_burial_Current_limitations_and_future_strategies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">high carbon burial rates</a>. In Australia, according to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15204" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">research</a> by scientists at Edith Cowan University, loss of seagrass meadows since the 1950s has increased carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equivalent to 5 million cars a year. The United Nations Environment Programme reports that a 29% decline in seagrass in Chesapeake Bay between 1991 and 2006 resulted in an estimated loss of up to 1.8 million tons of carbon.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDk0NDAwOX0.ILZN1S7VzsMsdiF6usSunDgL0wYRlgtFEoLb5Hinwq4/img.jpg?width=980" id="3b37c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="06cc09d311c7b9b0d90ae063f04bbb5b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Eelgrass in the river delta at Prince William Sound, Alaska. Alaska ShoreZone Program NOAA / NMFS / AKFSC; Courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg / NOAA / NMFS / AKFSC
<p>Seagrasses also protect costal habitats. A healthy meadow slows wave energy, reduces erosion and lowers the risk of flooding. In Morro Bay, California, a 90% decline in the seagrass species known as eelgrass caused extensive erosion, according to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272771420303528?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper</a> from researchers at California Polytechnic State University.</p><p>"Right away, we noticed big patterns in sediment loss or erosion," said lead author Ryan Walter. "Many studies have shown this on individual eelgrass beds, but very few studies looked at it on a systemwide scale."</p><p>In the tropics, seagrass's natural protection can reduce the need for expensive and often-environmentally unfriendly <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en/news/zeegras-spaart-stranden-en-geld" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">beach nourishments</a> regularly conducted in tourism areas.</p><p>Seagrass ecosystems improve water quality and clarity, filtering particles out of the water column and preventing resuspension of sediment. This role could be even more important in the future. By producing oxygen through photosynthesis, meadows could help offset decreased oxygen levels caused by warmer water temperatures (oxygen is less soluble in warm than in cold water).</p><p>The meadows also provide vital habitat for a wide variety of marine life, including fish, sea turtles, birds, marine mammals such as manatees, invertebrates and algae. They provide nursery habitat for <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/32636/seagrass.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">roughly 20%</a> of the world's largest fisheries — an <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/seagrass-meadows-harbor-wildlife-for-centuries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimated 70%</a> of fish habitats in Florida alone.</p><p>Conversely, their disappearance can contribute to die-offs of marine life. The loss of more than 20 square miles of seagrass in Florida's Biscayne Bay may have helped set the stage for a widespread <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/2020-08-14/the-seagrass-died-that-may-have-triggered-a-widespread-fish-kill-in-biscayne-bay" target="_blank">fish kill</a> in summer 2020. Lack of grasses to produce oxygen left the basin more vulnerable when temperatures rose and oxygen levels dropped as a result, says Florida International University professor Piero Gardinali.</p>Damaged Systems, a Changing Climate
<p>Governments and conservationists around the world have already put a lot of effort into coastal restoration efforts. And that's helped some seagrass populations.</p><p>Where stressors remain, though, restoration grows more complicated. <a href="https://www.rug.nl/research/portal/en/publications/the-future-of-seagrass-ecosystem-services-in-a-changing-world(3a8c56db-7bed-4c9e-ac7f-c72453e2a102).html" target="_blank">Research</a> published this September found that only 37% of seagrass restorations have survived. Newly restored meadows remain vulnerable to the original stressors that depleted them, as well as to storms — and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate change</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDgwMzMyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzY3MTExM30.z7W72RvpB9iQMUIeVr7IA0G8dzqmtz19gLinEoTfBpA/img.jpg?width=980" id="9e386" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d2aa1b4aba58ffe18d83acaa13f10f2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Seagrass in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. Alicia Wellman / Florida Fish and Wildlife / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
<p>In Chesapeake Bay a cold-water species of seagrass is currently hitting its heat limit, especially in summer, according to Alexander Challen Hyman of University of Florida's School of Natural Resources and Environment. As waters continue to warm due to climate change, the species likely will disappear there.</p><p>Climate-driven sea-level rise complicates the problem as well. Seagrasses thrive at specific depths — too shallow and they dry out or are eaten, too deep and there isn't enough light for photosynthesis.</p>But There’s Good News, Too
<p>Luckily, left to its own devices, a seagrass meadow can flourish for hundreds of years, according to a <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.1861" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">paper</a> published last year by Hyman and other researchers from the University of Florida. The researchers arrived at their conclusion by looking at shells of living mollusks and fossil shells to estimate the ages of meadows in Florida's Big Bend region on the Gulf Coast.</p><p>That area has extensive, relatively pristine seagrass meadows. "Our motivation was to understand the past history of these systems, and shells store a lot of history," said co-author Michal Kowalewski.</p><p>A high degree of similarity between living and dead shells indicates a stable area, while a mismatch suggests an area shifted from seagrass to barren sand. The researchers found that long-term accumulations of shells resembled living ones, suggesting that the seagrass habitats have been stable over time.</p><p>That stability allows biodiversity to thrive, creating conditions where specialist species can survive and flourish, according to Hyman.</p><p>Discovering the long-term stability of seagrass meadows has implications for choosing restoration sites, Kowalewski notes.</p><p>"There must be reasons they thrive in one place, while a mile away they don't and fossil data says they probably never did," he said. "If we remove a seagrass patch, we cannot hope to plant it somewhere else. It's not just the seagrass that is special. The location at which it's found is special, too."</p><p>A better approach is conserving these habitats in the first place, but we're not doing enough of that right now. The UN reports that marine protected areas safeguard just 26% of recorded seagrass meadows, compared with 40% of coral reefs and 43% of mangroves.</p><div id="0e43d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5dd416de57a6668bb7b310f46cb45a94"><blockquote class="instagram-media"
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</div></blockquote></div><p>In the meantime, small actions can make a big difference — such as fertilizer ordinances, for example, Gardinali suggested.</p><p>"Nitrogen and phosphorus are the problem," he said. "It's an easy first step. We can change the way we do small things, one at a time."</p><p>Everything we do at this point will help, not only seagrass but everything that depends on it.</p><p>"These habitats are so vital," Hyman says. "Putting aside erosion control and all these benefits people might not find as important, they harbor juvenile stages of all these marine species we like to eat — blue crabs, for example. From that standpoint alone, seagrass provides countless benefits to the economy."</p><p>Those benefits have mostly gone ignored in favor of more visible, charismatic land-based habitats. That needs to change, the experts say.</p><p>"What the trees in the Amazon rainforest provide for that system is what eelgrass provides in estuarine systems," said Walter. "So many ecosystem services, beyond just being a beautiful grass."</p><p>One that, if we let it, will provide those services for hundreds of years.</p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/gaskill/" target="_blank">Melissa Gaskill</a> is a freelance science writer based in Austin whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Mental Floss, Newsweek, Alert Diver and many other publications. She is the co-author of A Worldwide Travel Guide to Sea Turtles and author of Pandas to Penguins: Ethical Encounters with Animals at Risk.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/seagrass-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>
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The island of Tristan da Cunha. VictoriaJStokes / iStock / Getty Images Plus
In the South Atlantic Ocean, a tiny island of 250 people has made a significant contribution to global marine conservation by protecting a huge swath of ocean under its control.
<p>To reach Tristan da Cunha, a UK overseas territory, one must make a seven-day boat trip from South Africa, reported <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2020/11/tristan-da-cunha-atlantic-marine-protection-zone/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>. The island chain recently announced that 700,000 square kilometers (270,271 square miles), or 90% of its territorial waters, will be designated as a large marine protected area (MPA) to safeguard the area's rich <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered animals</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/13/tiny-atlantic-island-takes-giant-leap-towards-protecting-worlds-oceans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. At that size, it will be three times the size of Britain, the largest marine sanctuary in the Atlantic and the fourth largest in the world, providing refuge to sevengill sharks, whales and seals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tristan-da-cunha-rockhopper-penguins-39c5e5d74120972e871327b04f823114" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP News</a> continued.</p>
<p>The new wildlife refuge will be a "no-take" zone, baning bottom-trawling fishing, deep-sea mining and other harmful and extractive harvesting from its waters, National Geographic reported. This will also protect the foraging grounds of tens of millions of seabirds that roost on the island, such as endangered Tristan and yellow-nosed albatross, Atlantic petrel and rockhopper penguins. Critically, these protections will bolster the small Tristan Rock Lobster commercial fishery outside the sanctuary, which is the territory's most important source of income, AP News reported. This luxury crayfish is sold to the U.S., Europe, Japan and China.</p><p>Experts believe that MPAs are a "silver bullet for conservation," <a href="https://earth.org/tristan-da-cunha-marine-protected-area/" target="_blank">Earth.org</a> noted. The <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/expanding-marine-protected-areas-mpa-sustainability-conservation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Economic Forum (WEF)</a> found that MPAs worldwide protect food supplies by leading to larger catch yields through "spillover," where fish from protected areas reproduce and enter fishing hotspots in greater abundance. Expanding the current network of protected areas by just 5% could boost global fish catch by at least 20%, the WEF asserted.</p>
<p>The protected area will join the UK's <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-belt-programme" target="_blank">Blue Belt Programme</a>, which has funded 27 million pounds ($35.5 million) to promote marine conservation in UK overseas territories, AP News reported. The initiative has protected 11.1 million square kilometers (4.3 million square miles) of marine environment, or 1% of the world's oceans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, the report added.</p><p>The program continues to inch closer to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/un-biodiversity-sixth-mass-extinction-2644807009.html?rebelltitem=1" target="_self">global target of protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030</a>. Scientists believe that this is the minimum required percentage of protected habitat to preserve <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> and safeguard ecosystems and their functions. According to National Geographic, roughly 8% of the world's oceans are currently designated as MPAs, but only 2.6% are totally off limits to fishing.</p><p>Johnson said, "We need collective global action if we are to bequeath a world that is every bit as wonderful and magnificent as the one we inherited," reported The Guardian.</p><p>According to Earth.org, the UK holds a duty to protect wildlife found in all its territories and will take charge of monitoring and enforcement within the new MPA. This is especially important because the nearest habitation, Saint Helena, is 2,400 km away. Through the Blue Belt Programme, Tristan da Cunha will receive more resources to patrol for illegal fishing activity. Earth.org reported.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-bertarelli-ocean-legacy" target="_blank">Pew Bertarelli project</a>, which promotes the creation of marine reserves around the world, also committed to help the archipelago protect its waters with technology that uses real-time data to evaluate ocean conditions and human activity such as fishing, AP News reported. The project is a joint venture of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Bertarelli Foundation.</p><p>"This small community is responsible for one of the biggest conservation achievements of 2020," Beccy Speight, chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) told AP News. "This will protect one of the most pristine marine environments on the planet."</p><p>James Glass, the territory's chief islander, said in a statement, "Our life on Tristan da Cunha has always been based around our relationship with the sea, and that continues today. That's why we're fully protecting 90% of our waters, and we're proud that we can play a key role in preserving the health of the oceans," reported AP News.</p><p>While the British government lauded the effort and called on other governments to take similar action to meet the ambitious 30%, some critics were not impressed. They noted the hypocrisy of encouraging others to act when the UK allows bottom-trawling in all but two of its domestic offshore MPAs, in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/09/revealed-97-of-uk-offshore-marine-parks-subject-to-destructive-fishing" target="_blank">another Guardian</a> article.</p><p>Jonathan Hall, head of UK overseas territory unit at the RSPB, told Earth.org, "We should also be looking at protecting UK waters. The contrast is stark. We have this small community that is showing leadership in protecting their waters, but there have been lots of examples this year where more effective management of our existing protected areas is needed."</p>
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A black rhino in Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Mikael Drackner / Moment / Getty Images
By Richard Thomas
Joseph Biden was elected to office as the world continues to struggle with a global pandemic that has killed more than a million people and wreaked devastating economic havoc. The pandemic has highlighted how humankind's abuse of our planet and the irreversible loss of the biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which we all rely for our very existence simply can't go on.
<p>I work for <a href="https://www.traffic.org/" target="_blank">TRAFFIC</a>, a nongovernmental organization addressing issues related to wildlife trade, and the COVID pandemic has thrust this topic into the limelight. While we fully acknowledge and appreciate support received under previous administrations, it's clear that the world has underestimated the importance and potential impacts of failing to manage wildlife trade in a way that's legal, sustainable and, critically, includes measures to mitigate against the risk of zoonotic-disease spillover events.</p>
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Centers for Disease Control staff inspect bushmeat being imported into the U.S. CDC
<p>How do we move forward? First, I would argue that allocating resources to understanding the risks associated with trade in animals — from any source — and how to lessen the danger of disease spillover events is a wise investment. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID gave the go-ahead to activities under a second phase of a Wildlife Trafficking Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project implemented by TRAFFIC, with a renewed zoonotic disease risk focus. TRAFFIC will endeavor to ensure it's money well spent.</p><p>Meanwhile welcome global attention has been paid to addressing the wildlife crime that undermines society and threatens the future of many of the world's wild plants and animals. But we're still not there in curbing these crimes. More resources will help get us over the line.</p><p>These include better equipment, training and working conditions for the rangers on the front lines; enhanced use of wildlife forensics; training of detector dogs; and even access to skilled translators to assist enforcement agencies with interpreting transactions involving foreign nationals. We also need to see renewed efforts by governments, helped by nongovernmental organizations and others, to reduce the consumer demand that fuels such trade.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc4ODcyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDE0MjAwOH0.ApfXBIoKeOYb-BWrVpjD4drHARMCQCHkws9uG8lQTJY/img.jpg?width=980" id="77dd0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="622b956c2f412021bd4807d6909cabfc" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Rangers on patrol in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Bernard DuPont / CC BY-SA 2.0
<p>Finally, the Biden era must go down in history as the turning point when world governments came together in a united front to address the conservation crisis and start down the long road to repair. Next year the delayed <a href="https://www.cbd.int/cop/" target="_blank">15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity</a> will take place, when world governments will finalize the goals and policies of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that will guide humankind to a biodiverse and sustainable future. The current draft of the Framework features, for the first time, a target on wildlife trade. It calls on governments to ensure that the harvesting, trade and use of wild species of fauna and flora are legal, at sustainable levels, and safe by 2030. It would be entirely appropriate if the Biden administration were at center stage throughout the negotiations. Given the role of the United States on the world stage, if Biden takes strong action, other countries will doubtless follow his lead.</p><p>Already the U.S. intention to rejoin the Paris Climate agreement has been a major symbolic step, signaling the country's aim to be at the forefront of global efforts to begin the healing process. Make no mistake: Building a green future is an enormous opportunity for businesses in the United States and beyond to meet the challenges of, and profit from, achieving the goal of a zero-carbon economy. Biden's policies should encourage achievement of that goal on every level. The future is bright, but only if it's green.</p><p>With the world's climate, forests and other natural resources under ever-increasing pressure, there has never been a more urgent need for the robust guidance, sound policies and strong leadership needed to protect our planet. The next four years could be the make-or-break moment.</p><p><em>The opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of</em> The Revelator, <em>the Center for Biological Diversity or their employees.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/biden-leadership-wildlife-crime/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A Popa langur. Photo credit: ©Thaung Win
A new species of primate has been discovered in Myanmar, and it is already extremely endangered.
<p>In a study published in <a href="http://www.zoores.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.254" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zoological Research</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_self">scientists</a> described the species for the first time. The Popa langur (<em>Trachypithecus popa</em>) is a type of langur, or leaf-eating monkey, with a black face and white circles around the eyes, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54894681" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BBC News</a>. But there are only 200 to 250 of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> left in the wild, and they live in four isolated populations.</p><p>"Sadly this is a bittersweet discovery due to the limited number of individuals left in the wild and fragmented populations," Roberto Portela Miguez, a study coauthor and the senior curator at the London Natural History Museum, said, as <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/10/asia/myanmar-new-primate-species-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p>
<p>The Popa langur was discovered in a surprising way, according to an AFP article published in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/11/popa-scoop-100-year-old-monkey-faeces-reveals-new-species-in-myanmar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. A genetic analysis of a more-than 100 year old specimen held at London's Natural History Museum revealed that it was a distinct species. The museum specimen matched more recent bones gathered in the field in Myanmar. The monkeys were filmed for the first time in 2018.</p>
<div id="4c1c6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fb27e84516d1306d78d71f1ca35ac275"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326451307394310149" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Museum's collections have helped to reveal that a monkey living on the side of an extinct volcano in Myanmar is… https://t.co/ZWM0DXGl7l</div> — Natural History Museum (@Natural History Museum)<a href="https://twitter.com/NHM_London/statuses/1326451307394310149">1605085610.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Monkeys are one of the most iconic groups of mammals, and these specimens have been in the collections for over a hundred years," Miguez said in a <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2020/november/new-species-of-monkey-is-already-critically-endangered.html?utm_source=tw-link-post-20201111-jd&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=news" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">museum press release</a>. "But we didn't have the tools or the expertise to do this work before. It is thanks to this collaboration with multiple international colleagues and latest sequencing techniques that we manage to bring this species to light."</p><p>The research was a collaboration between the museum, <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Flora & Fauna International</a>, and the German Primate Centre.</p><p>There are more than 20 species of langur in the world, according to AFP, and several are already endangered. The Popa langur takes its name from Myanmar's Mount Popa, a pilgrimage site that is home to the species' largest population, CNN reported. That population has more than 100 individuals.</p>
<div id="3b7d7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1fa053dca32789afd4b719c44a7df883"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326454691945918465" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Alarmingly, this newly described langur is already staring extinction in the face.
The biggest population (around… https://t.co/Aqe1ECIAQb</div> — Fauna & Flora Int. (@Fauna & Flora Int.)<a href="https://twitter.com/FaunaFloraInt/statuses/1326454691945918465">1605086417.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Luckily, Mount Popa is already home to a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> sanctuary, but Miguez said that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hunting" target="_self">hunting</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a> still occur there.</p><p>Overall, habitat loss is the greatest threat to the new species, which once lived throughout Myanmar.</p><p>"Hunting is a big problem but the bigger threat is the habitat is almost gone and it is reduced, fragmented and isolated due to human encroachment, " Christian Roos of the German Primate Centre told BBC News.</p><p>However, the scientists said that the discovery of the new species will help with its <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a>.</p><p>"The hope is that by giving this species the scientific status and notoriety it merits, there will be even more concerted efforts in protecting this area and the few other remaining populations," Miguez said in the museum release. "At least whatever decisions are made in the future when it comes to things like how the parks are managed, those [will] be from a more informed point of view as we now know of the distinctiveness of the population of langurs that is actually there."</p>
<p>Past history gives reason for hope, <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/news/new-primate-species-discovered-myanmar-monkey-mystery-unravels?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=news" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Flora & Fauna International pointed out</a>. A decade ago, the organization discovered the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey and realized there were only 260 to 330 of the animals left. But they worked with the Myanmar government and local communities to help the species. The Myanmar government just declared its mountain forest habitat a protected area this year.</p><p>"It is hoped that by engaging with communities, and with business interests whose areas of operation overlap with the Popa langur's limestone habitat, we will pave the way for appropriate action to protect this particular primate in perpetuity," the conservation organization wrote.</p>
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Asian short-clawed otters. wrangel / iStock / Getty Images Plus
The Asian short-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) is the world's smallest otter, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But what they lack in size, they make up for in brain power.
<p>The approximately three-foot long otters can learn from each other, and show the capacity for long-term memory, a new study published Wednesday by <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201215" target="_blank">The Royal Society found</a>.</p><p>"Our study is the first to show evidence of social learning and long-term memory in Asian short-clawed otters – which may be good news in terms of their adaptability and future survival," lead author Alex Saliveros, who works from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/research/facilitiesandcentres/cec/" target="_blank">Centre for Ecology and Conservation</a> at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus, said in a <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_825233_en.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p>
<div id="82594" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a9cbb9aae32c001632a5ce3b79cffcec"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326453583924121600" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Researchers have found that #otters learn from each other when solving puzzles. They gave groups of otters puzzles… https://t.co/4MzsT67ZF5</div> — University of Exeter (@University of Exeter)<a href="https://twitter.com/UniofExeter/statuses/1326453583924121600">1605086153.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>To test the otters' learning abilities, the researchers provided the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> with different transparent containers filled with meatballs. To access the snacks, the otters had to learn how to twist or pull a lid or handle.</p><p>The researchers discovered that once one otter figured out how to open the container, their friends were also more likely to solve the puzzle. This is evidence of what the researchers call "social learning."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_self">scientists</a> also tested the otters' long term memory by giving them access to the same puzzles after a several-month gap. The otters were able to get into the food 69 percent faster than when they first encountered the containers. This is evidence that the otters have long-term memory.</p>
<p>The findings don't just teach scientists more about a unique animal species. They also may help them to save them. The otters, who are found in South and Southeast Asia from the Himalaya foothills of India to Indonesia and the Philippines, are considered vulnerable by the IUCN and their population is in decline. The primary forces driving this decline are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a>, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing" target="_self">overfishing</a> of their prey and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture" target="_self">agriculture</a>, including the use of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides" target="_self">pesticides</a> that poisons the waters they fish in.</p><p>"Asian short-clawed otters are declining in the wild, partly due to overfishing and pollution affecting the crustaceans and small fish they feed on," Saliveros said in the press release. "With that in mind, we wanted to understand more about how they learn and remember information about new food sources. Being able to catch new prey in new ways, and to pass on that knowledge, could be important in terms of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a>."</p>
<p>The research builds on an a <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.170489" target="_blank">2017 study</a> from the University of Exeter, which found that smooth-coated otters could learn to open food puzzles by copying each other. However, that study found no evidence of that Asian short-clawed otters learned from each other.</p><p>"Now that we know Asian short-clawed otters do so as well, we can start investigating how we might transmit critical survival information regarding new foods and predators through wild otter groups more generally," senior author Dr. Neeltje Boogert, who was involved with both studies, said in the press release.</p>
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Endangered orangutans have long been losing habitat due to deforestation turning their rainforest island ranges into large-scale palm oil plantations. BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images
By Carly Nairn
Climate change and global food demand could drive a startling loss of up to 23 percent of all natural habitat ranges in the next 80 years, according to new findings published in Nature Communications.
<p>Habitat loss could accelerate to a level that brings about rapid extinctions of already vulnerable species. Shrinking ranges for mammals, amphibians and birds already account for an 18 percent loss of previous natural ranges, the study found, with a jump expected to reach 23 percent by this century's end.</p><p>Global food demand currently fuels agricultural sectors to increase land use, moving into habitats previously untouched. What results — <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation">deforestation</a> — leaves more carbon dioxide in the air, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change. In the U.S. alone, agriculture-related emissions measure <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/climate-change/#:~:text=Agriculture%20and%20forestry%20together%20are,largest%20contributor%20to%20climate%20change." target="_blank">11.6 percent</a> of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.</p>
<p>Deforestation and <a href="https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-Loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">habitat loss</a> also harms the natural cycles of ecosystems, affecting all stages of animal life from reproduction, to migration, to mating. For most species, survivability depends on geographic range. The study, which analyzed changes in the different habitats of 16,919 species from 1700 onward, found that with the increase in habitat destruction due to agriculture and climate change, more species will die sooner than previously expected.</p><p>"The tropics are biodiversity hotspots with lots of small-range species. If one hectare of tropical forest is converted to agricultural land, a lot more species lose larger proportions of their home than in places like Europe," said Dr. Robert Beyer of the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, one of the authors of the study.</p>
<p>In many ways, the conclusion is already playing out in real time. Endangered orangutans have long been a noteworthy species dwindling in population due to their rainforest island ranges in Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia transforming into large-scale <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/orangutans-are-hanging-on-in-the-same-palm-oil-plantations-that-displace-them/" target="_blank">palm oil plantations</a>. Farming and charcoal production have moved certain species of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/26/science/madagascar-lemurs-climate-change.html" target="_blank">lemur</a> — Madagascar's signature primate — into private reserves. And Amazon jaguars are increasingly difficult to spot as their <a href="https://psmag.com/environment/deforestation-is-threatening-jaguars" target="_blank">ranges</a> are cut into to ranch cattle.</p><p>"Whether these past trends in habitat range losses will reverse, continue, or accelerate will depend on future global carbon emissions and societal choices in the coming years and decades," study leader Andrea Manica, a professor at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, explained.</p><p>The report is one more substantiated piece of evidence to push for the reversal of the current conversion of natural habitat to land used for resources.</p><p>"It all depends on what we do next," Manica concluded. </p>
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Phil Roeder / CC BY 2.0
By John R. Platt
Well, that was interesting … and hair-raising. At press time the harrowing presidential race of 2020 remains too close to call, as do a few key congressional and Senate seats. The Senate may not even settle out until January, when Georgia will hold runoff elections and we'll find out which party controls that house of government.
But while we wait — patiently or otherwise — for those votes to be tallied, let's take a moment to step back and look at several big-picture environmental takeaways from the election season.
<h3>1. Climate Change Came Calling</h3><p>Despite the lack of real policy debate — let's face it, this was less an election of ideas and more a contest of ideologies — <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate</a> change played an unexpected and thankful role. That started most noticeably in the unannounced climate question during the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/30/presidential-debate-climate-crisis-question-trump-biden-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first presidential debate</a>. After that several <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/us/elections/biden-leans-into-climate-change-with-two-new-ads.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">political ads</a> made climate an issue, and some Democrats stumped on it. We didn't see any speeches <em>solely </em>about climate, but Biden and Harris brought it up strongly several times during the last days of the campaign.</p><p>And yes, the very real risks of climate change played a role in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/01/climate/polls-what-voters-think-climate-global-warming.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">driving people to the polls</a>. A survey conducted last month found that 58% of Americans were either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about the threats of climate change. That included 90% of voters who favored Biden at the time. Biden and Harris spoke to that, and voters listened. Life lesson: When you talk about and take seriously issues that affect peoples' lives, they lend you their ears.</p><p>This growing support for climate action means that if Trump ultimately wins reelection, and then continues to ignore climate (as he obviously would), there will be prices to pay on the international stage starting in January and again at the polls in 2022.</p>
<h3>2. The Forgotten Crisis</h3><p>But the extinction crisis did not get any real play in this election, even from <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/2020/02/21/not-on-the-candidates-radar-the-sixth-great-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">progressive Democrats</a>. Considering the oversized role of wildlife trafficking in the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, preserving <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a> will need to become a major policy initiative moving forward.</p><p>Luckily many environmental organizations made this a key call during the campaign, so we can expect to see some progress on this if Biden is confirmed as the next president. (If not, expect more Trump attacks on the Endangered Species Act and other wildlife policies.)</p>
<h3>3. Equality</h3><p>Racial inequality was one of the main themes of the election, but the candidates did little to address income inequality, the <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/peteraldhous/political-violence-inequality-us-election?bftwnews&utm_term=4ldqpgc#4ldqpgc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">greatest driver of political and social unrest</a> in this country. If we don't take dramatic action about that soon, it will give further strength to the Proud Boys, QAnon conspiracy junkies and their extremist ilk — and that will spill out into environmental issues like livestock ranching, public lands protection and environmental justice.</p><p>Fortunately the presidential and vice-presidential debates, and Democratic candidates themselves, made a big deal out of other issues related to inequality, such as racism, LGBTQA+ rights and women's rights. Unfortunately, the fact that nearly half the country voted to reelect a racist misogynist — and many other candidates who rode on his coattails — does not bode well for the future. These are all issues that have <a href="https://therevelator.org/racial-environmental-justice/" target="_blank">deep environmental implications</a>, so we as a people and as a country need to do a lot better.</p>
<h3>4. Suppression</h3><p>People like to vote. And record numbers turned out this year, even amidst the pandemic. But who knows how many more votes would have been counted — and how many races would have had different outcomes — if not for the <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/10/29-ways-trump-and-the-gop-are-making-it-harder-to-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">29 Republican techniques for voter suppression</a> used during this election?</p><p>So come on, Republicans, stop trying to prevent our citizens from doing their democratic duty. If you can't play fair, get out of the game. (And while you're at it, stop suppressing science related to pandemics and climate change, 'K?)</p><p>Everyone else: Watch your back. The same Republican-appointed, Federalist Society loyalist judges who have ruled (and may yet rule) on so many of this year's voting lawsuits will soon find cases about climate change and other environmental threats on their dockets.</p>
<h3>5. Fossils</h3><p>The Democratic Party needs to refine its messaging on oil and gas. It's got some decent policies — such as ending subsidies and stopping development on federal land — but that doesn't ease the fears of people terrified by a forced transition in their lives and careers. The evidence is clear that these industries not only harm the planet and peoples' health, they're also failing financially. The faster we transition those jobs, the less pain we'll all feel when oil, gas and coal collapse like a house of cards.</p>
<h3>6. Faux News</h3><p>Speaking more broadly, the media landscape remains hopelessly bifurcated, and that seeds division within the country, reaching from politics to basic information such as COVID-19 safety measures and crises like climate change. That needs to change. To address this issue, education standards should include teaching media literacy — and all adults should be encouraged to learn how to spot disinformation and bias. (It's telling that <a href="https://medialiteracyweek.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Media Literacy Week 2020</a> was held the week before the election.)</p><p>It's all a bit bigger than this, obviously. Most people self-identify as belonging to — or diverging from — one political party first, then pick the media outlet that supports that worldview. But the right-wing media notoriously spreads more disinformation about environmental issues, so finding a way to break that chokehold will go a long way toward bridging that divide.</p>
<h3>7. Money, Money, Money</h3><p>An obscene amount of money was collected and spent on this election — a record <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/cost-of-2020-election-14billion-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$14 billion</a>, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending.</p><p>On the one hand, we saw an amazing increase in small, individual donations. That's great.</p><p>But corporations and PACs poured cash into candidates' coffers (either directly or in support of their campaigns), and it felt like most of that went to fund blatantly dishonest campaign ads.</p><p>And what's the ultimate cost of those donations? Will special interests return with their hands out? We'll never know for sure, since most of those dollars (on both sides of the political aisle) are hidden from the public record, although it's certainly happened before. That needs to change if we ever hope to transform this economy and save the planet.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/environmental-takeaways-2020-election/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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