Participants hold an Indigenous sovereignty banner as hundreds of protesters disrupted traffic marching on Central Park West in New York City on Oct. 14, 2019. Activist group Decolonize This Place and a citywide coalition of grassroots groups organized the fourth Anti-Columbus Day tour. Erik McGregor / LightRocket via Getty Images
By Jazmin Murphy
Whenever you talk about race relations here in so-called "America," Indigenous communities [are] always the last ones on the rung," says Wanbli Wiyan Ka'win (Eagle Feather Woman), also known as Joye Braun, a front-line community organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network who fought against the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. In defending the land so deeply beloved and cherished by her people, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Braun recounts how actively her community is excluded from environmental work and how she and her colleagues are blatantly silenced, even when working alongside allies. "We've had to really fight … to even have a seat at the table," she says.
<p>The exclusion of Indigenous people and other non-White communities in environmental and conservation work is, unfortunately, nothing new. For centuries, conservation has been driven by Eurocentric, Judeo-Christian belief structures that emphasize a distinct separation of "Man" and "Nature" — an ideology that does not mesh well with many belief structures, including those belonging to Indigenous communities.</p>
<p>"Christianity has been largely built up around the idea of colonization," Braun says. Not only do these belief structures hold disproportionate power in environmental legislation, but they hold historical pains for those outside of Western religions. "Christianity was forced down our throats," Braun says. "Our reservations were divided up: 'OK this community … you can be Catholic. This community … you're Lutheran. This community … you're whatever.'"</p><p>Before the onset of such religion through colonialist conquests, the overwhelming consensus throughout the world was that human beings were just a small part of this natural world. Neither detached, nor superior. Of course, this "consensus" was not necessarily expressed in such a way that all groups adhered to the same belief structures. Yet, the underlying environmental ideology remains: Human beings are, to some extent, connected to all other living things on Earth, even the Earth itself. As European imperialism — and along with it, cultural genocide — began to take hold worldwide, so began the spread of the "Man versus Nature" dogma.</p><p>Today Braun's life is just one example of the ideological exclusion of non-European thought as it relates to wildlife and the natural world. Nonsubscribers are barred from participation in the protection of the world and nonhuman lives they hold so dear, which inhibits their environmental stewardship. But around the world, and especially in the United States, we are witnessing a historical push toward the dismantling of imperialism, the decentralization of power, and the welcoming of non-White, non-European values into conservation.</p>
<h3>How Modern Conservation Upholds the Superiority of Humans</h3><p>Christianity has deep, painful historical associations with the obsession of dominance. The same Bible that was used to enforce humans' domination over nature was also used to force Indigenous peoples to abandon their cultural truths for those more palatable to Europeans. This laid the foundation that continues to separate human life from nature to this day.</p><p>As the Bible states in Genesis, "Let [Man] have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over all the wild animals of the earth." We see echoes of this passage in the frameworks of many conservation objectives today, with concepts such as "creating" sustainable forests, "managing" wildlife populations, and "preserving" wilderness as a realm separate from that of humans. This reduces our perception of human connectivity to nonhuman life and to distance constituents from the objective recognition of Earth's intrinsic value.</p><p>Take one of the U.S.'s leading environmental organizations, for example. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm#:~:text=Follow%20Us-,Our%20Mission,of%20this%20and%20future%20generations." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Park Service</a>—a federal organization with <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063447583" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">well-known racist origins</a>—has a mission statement that almost exclusively highlights the instrumental value of North America's natural lands: "The National Park Services preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations … to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resources conservation … throughout this country and the world."</p><p>Their mission is painfully anthropocentric, never mind that the very lands it aims to extend were stolen from Indigenous tribes who are now denied access. Missions such as these create a nigh impenetrable ideological barrier through which environmentalists of non-Christian cultures cannot pass.</p>
<h3>Keeping POC Out of Conservation</h3><p>These organizational goals exclude other faith (or non-faith) groups and have nurtured a hostile environment that disproportionately affects people of color. Historical experiences function to reinforce these impacts, further preventing people of color from exercising agency in conservation initiatives. For one, White constituents do not live with the same generational trauma that people of color do.</p><p>Experiences rooted in genocide and slavery, for example, still inform people's experience of the outdoors. Black people were forbidden to enter certain spaces owned by the National Park Service and other natural lands because of Jim Crow laws and deeply rooted racism, <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/conl.12431" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">as pointed out by researchers Rachelle K</a>. <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/conl.12431" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gould and others</a>. Many were lynched in these landscapes as well. Thus, for Black people, experiencing the outdoors was to put one's life on the line.</p><p>Simultaneously, "those in power [imposed] a particular concept of environment," Gould says, which denied Black people's experiences in natural habitats. Ideological disparities have likewise discouraged Indigenous agency in land management despite how profoundly they value land and wildlife. In the words of <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-0149-5_17" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paula Gunn Allen of the Laguna Pueblo</a>, "The land is not really the place (separate from ourselves) where we act out the drama of our isolate destinies … It is not a matter of being 'close to nature'… The Earth is, in a very real sense, the same as our self (or selves)."</p><p>Inequality lies even in the evasiveness of definitions. "Google the word, 'environment' and see how far you need to scroll to see pictures of people in urban areas," Pomona College psychologist Adam Pearson says. "What counts as being an 'environmentalist?' And what counts as 'environmentalism?'" The vast majority of Americans believe that people of color do not feel strongly about environmental causes. Black, Latino, Asian, and White respondents <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/49/12429.short" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in a 2018 survey</a> overwhelmingly associated environmentalism with whiteness and underestimated environmental valuation in their own communities. Some 65% of Latin and 68% of Asian respondents self-identified as "environmentalists," compared to 50% of White respondents.</p>
<h3>What Equal Opportunity Actually Looks Like</h3><p>The public has long held onto the idea that the socioeconomic inequalities play a large role in a person of color's individual capacity to care for the environment when in fact, conservation organizations often create unequal socioeconomic barriers. People of color who try to enter professional roles in American conservation often encounter pay rates <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/17/all-work-no-pay-the-plight-of-young-conservationists" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">below the poverty line</a> (and have done so for decades). That requires applicants to have enough accumulated wealth to be able to afford forgoing reasonable pay to "gain experience" — a luxury out of reach for many non-Whites because of <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/02/27/examining-the-black-white-wealth-gap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">massive racial wealth disparities that result from long-standing discrimination</a>. Even those who fall in line with the Christian dogma are granted unequal access and compensation. Forty-nine percent of Black Christians, compared to 28% of White Christians, earn less than $30,000 annually, according to the <a href="https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/christians/christian/racial-and-ethnic-composition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pew Research Center</a>.</p><p>Ideological disparities have also had clear effects on Indigenous agency in land management. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services works to combat "<a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/directives/pdf/1.201.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wildlife damage</a>," the idea that wildlife poses a threat not only to human health, safety, and property, but to natural resources as well. This concept is a stark contrast to many cultures' environmental values.</p><p>How would one expect an Indigenous person, a Buddhist, or a Muslim to feel welcome in such a space? The answer lies not only in dismantling millennia of imperialism, but also in the conscious invitation of non-White, non-European cultures into conservation.</p><p>According to Pearson, this requires combating stereotypes of environmentalists and creating enthusiasm for working in traditionally noninclusive spaces. Fulfilling these responsibilities requires taking an honest look at how ideological contrasts actively exclude people of color and perpetuate a negative feedback loop that overrepresents White people in environmental and conservation spaces.</p><p>"Inviting people to advise doesn't mean that they're gonna listen," Braun notes when discussing possible methods of increasing diversity in conservation. "I've seen that a lot. That's just them patting themselves on the back." She says real progress relies on human connection. "When you are facing one another, then you're forced to deal with things like the prejudices you carry on your back. You're forced to face the potential of racism. You're forced to face the economic divides."</p>
<h3>Abandoning Exclusivity for Diverse Community-Based Management</h3><p>As climate change becomes a mainstream concern, Indigenous knowledge can reveal truths not visible with White, Eurocentric approaches to conservation. Traditional ecological knowledge is <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01218-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">central to monitoring and combating climatic change</a>, according to a 2019 study in British Columbia and Alaska. "The region is a bellwether for biodiversity changes in coastal, forest, and montane environments," the authors write, and "an extremely dynamic and resilient social-ecological system where Indigenous Peoples have been adjusting to changing climate and biodiversity for millennia."</p><p>Nearly 100 Indigenous elders from communities along the Pacific Coast shared with researchers the changes they had observed in coho and sockeye salmon migration patterns and the effects of warming aquatic temperatures with great detail. They had similar observations of the Sitka black-tailed deer, highlighting that their migration patterns had been influenced by fluctuating factors such as rising temperatures and reduced snowfall. Ultimately, the researchers asserted that present environmental governance is far too rigid in its exclusivity of Indigenous knowledge and that "token community visits" must evolve to invite Native environmental observers and managers to share their knowledge to create tangible progress.</p><p>While these ideas remain nascent in much of American conservation, other countries provide examples of success. For decades, forests in Benin were exclusively owned and managed by state officials. They were supported (and thus, politically influenced) by major stakeholders including the Fondation Aide á l'Autonomie Tobé, a Swiss non-governmental organization. Though the foundation surely had the best interests of the Benin constituents in mind, their collaboration didn't represent the public's values. Those living within the Tobé-Kpobidon forest, for example, did not feel welcome in forest management, which led to unsustainable resource use and degradation of the land.</p><p>To establish newfound hope for sustainable forest management and community involvement, a team of researchers, led by Rodrigue Castro Gbedomon <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389934116300016" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">implemented a "community forestry approach" in 2016</a>. This methodology aims to "alleviate poverty among forest users, empower them, and improve the condition of the forests." The idea was that the invitation for community involvement (and thus, agency in management decision-making processes) would nurture a sense of ownership in constituents, encouraging them toward more conservative use of forest resources, thereby creating a more sustainable existence for the forest.</p><p>The team consciously invited varying ideals and perspectives into management practices by interviewing elders and community leaders on their perspectives regarding the forest's health. Stakeholders included nongovernmental organization leaders, and traditional and religious authorities that led and guided the surrounding communities. Divinity priests were invited as well, representing deities revered by the locals, including Ogu (the god of iron), Tchankponon (the god of smallpox), Otchoumare (the god of the rainbow), and Nonon (the god of bees). First Settlers and local hunters were also given authority in this work, serving to extend the network of participation deeply into every facet of the residents surrounding and within the Tobé-Kpobidon forest.</p><p>This decentralization of power and integration of diverse belief structures was supported by the foundation, which provided the financial resources and the means for reinforcement of the constituents' chosen management policies. This included warning signs indicating forest boundaries and guards to manage entry into the area. The foundation also rewarded locals' involvement with a yearly stipend of 500,000 FCA ($1,000) to further encourage their continued dedication to conservation activities.</p><p>This new governance structure yielded phenomenal results. As community access to the forest expanded for medicinal gathering, hunting, beekeeping, and more, the forest's contribution to the local economy increased to make up more than 25% of the First Settlers' income. Also, the native flora experienced a "progressive evolution" alongside a healthy, low rate of human agricultural interference. (Cashew plantations, for example, expanded at only 0.4% annually). This community-focused approach continued to have positive effects on the forest in the years after the study.</p><p>The Tobé-Kpobidon Forest experimental management approach, along with the extensive foundation of evidence validating Indigenous knowledge, serve as a beacon of hope amid the darkness that looms over non-White, non-European demographics that yearn for a role in conservation initiatives. It demonstrates that the present ideological chasms that keep people of color out of conservation can be defeated and that such cultural victories powerfully serve both humans and the natural landscapes in which we reside.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/09/15/conservation-decolonize-environmentalism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+yes/most-recent-articles+(YES!+Magazine+Most+Recent+Articles)" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. JOAO LAET / AFP via Getty Images
In 2010, representatives of 196 countries met in Japan and agreed to 20 targets to protect Earth's imperiled biodiversity by 2020.
That year has come, and not a single target has been met, according to a major UN assessment released Tuesday, as CNN reported.
<p>"Many good things are happening around the world and these should be celebrated and encouraged," UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Executive Secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said in a <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2020/pr-2020-09-15-gbo5-en.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. "Nevertheless, the rate of biodiversity loss is unprecedented in human history and pressures are intensifying. Earth's living systems as a whole are being compromised. And the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own wellbeing, security and prosperity."</p>
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<p>The report comes amidst a growing awareness that biodiversity loss <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biodiversity-loss-human-health-2636410357.html" target="_self">threatens human well-being</a> as much as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. A major study published last week found that human activity had led to a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/humans-destroying-wildlife-report-2020-2647567577.html" target="_self">68 percent drop</a> in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> populations in the last 50 years. And both the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus </a>pandemic and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_self">wildfires</a> devastating the Western U.S. are examples of what happens when humans develop without taking nature into consideration.</p><p>"These things are a sign of what is to come," report author and CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/climate/biodiversity-united-nations-report.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "These things will only get worse if we don't change course."</p>
<p>Tuesday's report, the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-en.pdf" target="_blank">Global Biodiversity Outlook 5</a>, tracked the world's progress on the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/" target="_blank">Aichi Biodiversity Targets</a>. It found that the signatories had failed to make progress in several key areas. (The U.S. was not included in the assessment because it did not sign the initial agreement.)</p><p>Among the many failures, countries did not halve the loss of natural habitats like rainforests, halve the money spent subsidizing harmful industries like fossil fuels, find a way to manage fish stocks sustainably or reduce plastic pollution to levels that don't harm the environment, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/15/every-global-target-to-stem-destruction-of-nature-by-2020-missed-un-report-aoe" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>On the bright side, six targets were partially achieved. Governments increased the percentage of biodiversity hotspots under protection from 29 percent in 2000 to 44 percent today and successfully eradicated around 200 invasive species on remote islands. Included in the report were findings from a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animal-conservation-save-from-extinction-2647569284.html" target="_self">study last week</a> concluding conservation efforts had saved 28 to 48 birds and mammals from extinction since 1993.</p><p>"If you put in place the policies, they do work," Cooper told The New York Times.</p>
<p>Countries are now in the process of negotiating new targets, The Guardian reported. The next meeting of the CBD was <a href="http://sdg.iisd.org/events/2020-un-biodiversity-conference/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">supposed</a> to take place in Kunming, China next month, but was delayed because of the coronavirus until May of 2021.</p><p>To set humanity on the right track, the report recommended eight transitions to improve our relationship with nature and protect Earth's and our own wellbeing.</p><p>They are:</p><ol><li>Protecting forests and other undisturbed ecosystems</li><li>Making agriculture sustainable</li><li>Making the food system sustainable by, among other things, shifting from meat and fish to plant-based foods and reducing waste</li><li>Protecting oceans and fish populations</li><li>Making cities and infrastructure greener and more sustainable</li><li>Protecting freshwater ecosystems and drinking water</li><li>Acting on climate change by preserving natural carbon sinks and phasing out fossil-fuel use</li><li>Managing ecosystems to improve human and nonhuman health</li></ol><p>"As we emerge from the immediate impacts of the pandemic, we have an unprecedented opportunity to 'build back better,' incorporating the transitions outlined in this Outlook and embodied in an ambitious plan to put the world on track to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in the press release.</p>
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An aerial view captures the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. ubasi / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau are a tribe of less than 300 people in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest who first came into contact with people outside their community in the early 1980s, according to the Povos Indigenas No Brasil. While they still maintain many of their tribal ways, they and other tribes have recently begun using modern drones to detect and fight illegal deforestation in their territory.
<p>"Nature is everything to us," Awapy Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/01/americas/amazon-drones-brazil-deforestation-cte-spc-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>. "It is our life, our lungs, our hearts. We don't want to see the jungle chopped down. If you chop it all down, it will definitely be hotter, and there won't be a river, or hunting, or pure air for us."</p><p>Awapy is a member of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribe. Last December, he and other young leaders from six Indigenous communities learned how to operate drones to track deforestation, <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/amazon-tribes-use-drones-to-watch-over-the-forest" target="_blank">Interesting Engineering</a> reported. The training was held by <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/philanthropy/forests#the-heart-of-the-amazon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Wildlife Federation</a> (WWF) and the <a href="https://www.devex.com/organizations/associacao-de-defesa-etnoambiental-kaninde-kaninde-104815" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kanindé Ethno-Environmental Defense Association</a>, a local NGO dedicated since 1992 to protecting the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau and the environment in their home state of Rondônia, Brazil.</p><p>"They really accepted the technology with open arms, and really started to use it," WWF Brazil Senior Conservation Analyst Felipe Spina Avino told CNN.</p>
<p>Avino added that the Indigenous trainees became hooked when they realized they could see the forest from above and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/indigenous-people-amazon-2645327056.html?rebelltitem=7#rebelltitem7" target="_self">keep patrol over much greater areas than ever before</a>.</p><p>According to CNN, the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribal lands lie within a roughly 7,000-square-mile protected area of dense jungle that can be difficult to traverse and monitor on foot. Drones allow them to cover more territory faster and avoid potentially dangerous confrontations with loggers, miners and land-grabbers.</p><p>Within the first month of drone surveillance, the tribe discovered an area of about 494 acres being illegally deforested within their reserve, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-forest-drones-feature/flying-high-brazilian-tribe-keeps-watch-over-forest-with-drones-idUSKBN20S1N8" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported. Days later, a helicopter spread grass seed on the plot, indicating that the land would be used for cattle pasture; Awapy's team caught it all on drone video, reported CNN.</p>
<p>"The technology today, for territorial monitoring, is very worthwhile," said Bitate, a 19 year old from Awapy's tribe who was also trained in drone operation, reported Reuters. "Without a drone, that deforestation — which was already advanced — would still be unknown to us."</p><p>They called FUNAI, the Brazilian governmental agency in charge of Indigenous affairs, to stop the illegal land-grab, supplying video evidence and GPS coordinates, but the latter did not respond before the destruction was done, reported Reuters. Awapy hopes technology will help tribes stop deforestation sooner, as it is already too late once trees have been felled and burned, Reuters reported.</p><p>So far, the WWF-Kaninde project has donated 19 drones costing around $2,000 each to 18 organizations focused on the Amazon, Interesting Engineering reported.</p>
<p>Aerial drones have been used by Indigenous peoples in Ecuador, Peru and other places for about three years after becoming more affordable, reported Reuters. The images illustrate the damage of deforestation.</p><p>"Seeing the extent of deforestation from above is much more impactful than standing in the middle of it," Jessica Webb, senior manager for global engagement with Global Forest Watch told Reuters.</p><p>The high-resolution images, video and GPS mapping data from drones can also be submitted in court as evidence of illegal activities, CNN reported. Drones are likely to become more widespread as technology advances allow for longer range and stronger batteries.</p>
<p>"The key is not to think of the technology as a silver bullet," Webb told CNN, advocating to pair the new technology with Indigenous knowledge to create more powerful protections for the forest.</p><p>Keeping remaining rainforest intact is crucial to slow global warming since trees act as a carbon sink. Conservation also protects the Amazon's rich biodiversity, and is critical to food security, water services and the preservation of Indigenous cultures, noted WWF.</p><p>Despite this, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-amazon-deforestation-coronavirus-2645950493.html" target="_self">consistently pushes to develop Indigenous lands</a> and allow mining and commercial farming to deforest the Amazon. Last year, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-rainforest-fire-invisible-damage-2647014608.html" target="_self">Brazilian Amazon suffered its highest level of deforestation since 2008</a>, with this year poised to become worse, WWF reported.</p><p>Awapy and his team have faced death threats from illegal loggers and land-grabbers for their work protecting the forest, CNN reported, but they remain determined to use this new technology to protect their home for future generations.</p><p>"My hope is that while I am alive, I want to see the jungle standing, the jungle intact. That is my hope," Awapy told CNN.</p>
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Conservation Works: At Least 28 Birds and Mammals Have Been Saved from Extinction Since 1993
11 September
Animals
The Iberian lynx is one of the species saved from extinction due to conservation efforts, a new study shows. http://www.lynxexsitu.es / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
A study published in Conservation Letters Wednesday found that efforts to protect endangered species of birds and mammals had saved at least 28 of them from extinction since 1993.
<p><br/></p>
<p>"We usually hear bad stories about the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> crisis and there is no doubt that we are facing an unprecedented loss in biodiversity through human activity," said study coauthor and Newcastle University professor of conservation science and policy Phil McGowan, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-09-extinctions-action-decades.html?fbclid=IwAR0WUa4b587B-fThqAoGsp78-PVU6BYxd5_0BNRbZ_3NI4aC_oUZBV-rVEs" target="_blank">reported Phys.org</a>. "The loss of entire species can be stopped if there is sufficient will to do so. This is a call to action: showing the scale of the issue and what we can achieve if we act now to support conservation and prevent extinction."</p><p>The research was led by Newcastle University and <a href="https://www.birdlife.org/" target="_blank">BirdLife International</a> to assess the effectiveness of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which came into force in 1993, and specifically its Aichi Target 12, which set the goal to "prevent extinctions of known threatened species," according to the study.</p><p>From 1993 to 2020, the lifetime of the CBD, conservation actions prevented 21 to 32 bird extinctions and seven to 16 mammal extinctions, for a total of 28 to 48 animals saved from the brink. Between 2010 and 2020, the timing of Aichi Target 12, conservationists prevented 9 to 18 bird extinctions and two to seven mammal extinctions.</p>
<p>Since 1993, 15 birds and mammals are sadly believed to have gone extinct. However, the research reveals that the extinction rates for both groups would have been 2.9 to 4.2 times higher without any action.</p><p>"These results show that despite the overall failure to meet the targets for conserving nature set through the UN a decade ago, significant success in preventing extinctions was achieved," said study instigator and BirdLife International chief scientist Dr. Stuart Butchart, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-09-extinctions-action-decades.html?fbclid=IwAR0WUa4b587B-fThqAoGsp78-PVU6BYxd5_0BNRbZ_3NI4aC_oUZBV-rVEs" target="_blank">reported Phys.org</a>. "This should encourage governments to reaffirm their commitment to halt extinctions and recover populations of threatened <a href="https://phys.org/tags/species/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">species</a> in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework currently being negotiated. Such a commitment is both achievable and essential to sustain a healthy planet."</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/10/up-to-48-species-saved-from-extinction-by-conservation-efforts-study-finds-aoe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> explained that researchers came to their conclusions by using information on population size, trends, threats and conservation efforts from 137 global experts. From there they narrowed a list of 17,046 bird and mammal species to 81 that were listed as threatened on the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/iucn-red-list" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s red list</a>. "The details were then used to calculate the likelihood that each species would have become extinct without conservation measures," the Guardian reported.</p>
<p>Species saved included the Iberian lynx, California condor and pygmy hog. Some of these, like the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-condor-chick-born-2639303735.html" target="_self">California condor</a>, are major success stories. Others, like the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vaquita-2631639526.html" target="_self">vaquita porpoise</a>, are still struggling.</p><p>"It is encouraging that some of the species we studied have recovered very well. Our analyses therefore provide a strikingly positive message that conservation has substantially reduced extinction rates for <a href="https://phys.org/tags/birds/" target="_blank">birds</a> and mammals. While extinctions have also occurred over the same time period, our work shows that it is possible to prevent extinctions," said lead study author Dr. Rike Bolam from Newcastle University, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-09-extinctions-action-decades.html?fbclid=IwAR0WUa4b587B-fThqAoGsp78-PVU6BYxd5_0BNRbZ_3NI4aC_oUZBV-rVEs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported Phys.org</a>.</p>
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An elephant in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. James Morgan / WWF-US
Human consumption has led to an unprecedented rate of decline in the world's wildlife populations, according to the Living Planet Report 2020, a biennial paper put out by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London.
<p>The report found that wildlife populations have fallen by an average of 68 percent in the last 50 years. The report monitored nearly 21,000 animal populations, comprising nearly 4,400 different species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles dating back to 1970, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/world/wwf-report-species-decline-climate-scn-intl-scli/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>The report noted that there were disproportionate impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as many freshwater habitats around the world. The decline of wildlife populations was 94 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 84 percent in freshwater habitats, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biodiversity-endangered-species-animal-population-decline-world-wildlife-fund-report-2020-09-09/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>.</p>
<p>"The most dramatic decline was in freshwater," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist at WWF, as CNN reported. "You begin to see a picture of an unraveling of nature. That is alarming — and I think alarming, even by our own measures of alarming — we really thought with the efforts that were going on, that we would see change in the direction.</p><p>"But still, we're seeing very distinct declines in freshwater ecosystems, largely because of the way we dam rivers and also because of the use of freshwater resources for producing food to feed a growing population of people worldwide," she said.</p>
<p>Two years ago, the report found that wildlife populations had dropped 60 percent, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/10/humans-exploiting-and-destroying-nature-on-unprecedented-scale-report-aoe" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. The research project is one of the most comprehensive tallies of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> around the planet. It is put together by 134 experts from across the globe who have collectively concluded that human consumption is destroying nature on an unprecedented and unsustainable scale.</p><p>"This report reminds us that we destroy the planet at our peril — because it is our home. As humanity's footprint expands into once-wild places, we're devastating species populations. But we're also exacerbating climate change and increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19. We cannot shield humanity from the impacts of environmental destruction. It's time to restore our broken relationship with nature for the benefit of species and people alike," said WWF-US President and CEO Carter Roberts in a <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/09/09/2091362/0/en/68-Average-Decline-in-Species-Population-Sizes-Since-1970-Says-New-WWF-Report.html" target="_blank">press release</a> that accompanied the publication of the report.</p>
<p>The authors of the report found that humans have changed 75 percent of the planet's ice-free land, altering the habitats and ecosystems of countless animal and plant species. That unceasing expansion of the human footprint has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. The report warns that the rampant destruction of ecosystems now puts nearly 1 million species at risk — roughly 500,000 plant and animal species, as well as 500,000 insect species, as CNN reported. That staggering toll and the cascading effects of changes to an ecosystem's balance means extinction may happen in the next few decades or centuries.</p><p>To change the direction of this trend, people would need to invest in an overhaul of our economic infrastructure and change our values to support sustainability and limit consumption.</p>
<p>"Urgent and immediate action is necessary in the food and agriculture sector," said Mike Barrett, executive director of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> and science at the WWF, as The Guardian reported. "All the indicators of biodiversity loss are heading the wrong way rapidly. As a start, there has got to be regulation to get <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation">deforestation</a> out of our supply chain straight away. That's absolutely vital."</p><p>The trend that the scientists are seeing is also frustrating to them as the numbers get worse and yet people continue on the same path.</p><p>Robin Freeman, who led the research at Zoological Society of London, told The Guardian: "It seems that we've spent 10 to 20 years talking about these declines and not really managed to do anything about it. It frustrates me and upsets me. We sit at our desks and compile these statistics but they have real-life implications. It's really hard to communicate how dramatic some of these declines are."</p>
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New Online Platform Shows How to Protect Biodiversity and Avoid Ecological Collapse
08 September
Climate
A new online platform shows where exactly conservation action should be prioritized. ANDREYGUDKOV / Getty Images
By Morgan Erickson-Davis
As the world heads towards 2021 with COVID-19 still raging overhead, it might be easy to forget about the other global crises. But a new app, debuted today, aims to light the way to a brighter future, showing how we can stop global warming, halt extinctions and prevent pandemics – all in one fell swoop.
<p><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research shows</a> that global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius will likely result in the collapse of ecosystems around the world. Scientists say that not only would this result in mass extinctions, but it would also have dire consequences for humans in terms of food and water security, community resilience against environmental disasters, public health and other societal needs that are intrinsically tied to a healthy environment.</p><p>But, according to the numbers, we're running out of time to do this. Studies indicate that in order to achieve a good likelihood of staying below the 1.5-degree threshold, the majority of the world's greenhouse gas emissions need to be avoided. Deforestation is one of the biggest emitters of excess CO2 and reducing it is one of the key components to international strategies aimed at mitigating global warming. However, researchers say that if deforestation and other industry emissions continue at current rates, we'll be on track to reach the 1.5-degree threshold by 2030.</p><p>In other words, we have less than 10 years to turn things around.</p><p>To this end, a team a team of researchers led by Eric Dinerstein, a wildlife scientist and director at the conservation organization RESOLVE, has created the first comprehensive estimate of the total land area that needs to be protected in order to fix both biodiversity loss and climate change. Called the "Global Safety Net," the effort combines data on protected areas, intact landscapes, biodiversity importance, and carbon absorption and storage, to show where exactly conservation action should be prioritized. It is visualized on an <a href="https://www.globalsafetynet.app/" target="_blank">open-access online platform</a>.</p>
‘Conserve at Least Half and in the Right Places’
<p>The Global Safety Net combines six primary data layers: existing protected areas, habitats where rare species live, areas of high biodiversity, landscapes inhabited by large mammals, large areas of intact wilderness and natural landscapes that can absorb and store the most carbon.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzc5NTczMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzE4OTI5Mn0.h_clcf6OzZN712SwPBUKFvsV9s7FiGsUDUd4uWhukp4/img.png?width=980" id="d9e69" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f489045cac457a4011270a29e89c672f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Areas of the terrestrial realm where increased conservation action is needed to protect biodiversity and store carbon. Numbers in parentheses show the percentage of total land area of Earth contributed by each set of layers. Unprotected habitats drawn from the 11 biodiversity data layers underpinning the Global Safety Net augment the current 15.1% protected with an additional 30.6% required to safeguard biodiversity. Additional CSAs add a further 4.7% of the terrestrial realm. Also shown are the wildlife and climate corridors to connect intact habitats (yellow lines). Data are available for interactive viewing at www.globalsafetynet.app. Dinerstein et al., 2020.
<p>In a study accompanying the release of the platform published today in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/36/eabb2824" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Science Advances</em></a>, the researchers describe what we need to do in order to stave off the worst effects of global warming and extinction. Overall, they found that in addition to the 15.1% of the world's land that is already protected, 35.3% will need to be added to fold over the next 10 years. This means that ultimately 50% of the planet's land area will need to be protected from further degradation to keep it under the 1.5-degree threshold and stave off ecological collapse.</p><p>The researchers were surprised how well their numbers lined up with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Earth" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previous estimates</a> of how much of the planet needs to be set aside for nature.</p><p>"Without trying, the analysis landed on 50.4% of the terrestrial surface requiring protection," said study coauthor Karl Burkart, managing director of the NGO One Earth. "Of course conservation is much more nuanced now and strictly protected areas are just one type of land designation that can contribute towards this goal."</p><p>Zooming in, the study finds 30% of land area is of "particular importance for biological diversity." An additional 20% of land area is needed to maintain ecosystem intactness and provide additional carbon storage and absorption. The authors also note that restoration of degraded areas could help meet carbon sequestration and wildlife conservation goals.</p><p>Dinerstein and his colleagues write that the Global Safety Net can be used as a roadmap to achieving climate and biodiversity targets.</p><p>"Staying below the 1.5°C limit will require much of the world's remaining habitat—and a significant amount of restored habitat in forest biomes—be put under some form of conservation by 2030," the authors say. "Advances being championed under the two conventions responsible for biodiversity and climate— the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change—must be accelerated if we are to protect the abundance and diversity of life on Earth and stabilize the climate.</p><p>"A holistic solution is emerging that will accelerate both efforts: conserve at least half and in the right places."</p><p>The researchers identified 50 different ecoregions – areas defined by their unique ecologies and geologies – and 20 countries that hold the lion's share of conservation potential.</p><p>Among them is the Sahelian Acacia Savanna, a vast grassland that stretches across the top of Africa from Senegal to Sudan, the <a href="https://rainforests.mongabay.com/new-guinea/" target="_blank">Central Range Papuan Montane Rainforests</a> shared between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, <a href="https://rainforests.mongabay.com/sulawesi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indonesia's Sulawesi Montane Rainforests</a>, Madagascar Humid Forests, and Mindanao-Eastern Visayas Rainforests in the Philippines. These areas occupy the top five spots in terms of the amount land that could protected in future, together totaling some 183,000 square kilometers (70,658 square miles) of protection potential and nearly 2% of the planet's land area.</p><p>The app also <a href="https://www.globalsafetynet.app/rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ranks countries</a> on how much of their biological important land areas are under official protection, which is broken down into three lists based on the size of the country. For "large" countries, Nigeria scored the top spot in terms of protection level, Brazil is #15, the U.S. is #34, Indonesia is #47, and Somalia was ranked lowest at #70.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzc5NTg2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjc2NTg1N30.3-DNDx178mq3RYVRgguTYZJqCNWc8giZNYoMom2S_2U/img.jpg?width=980" id="06d42" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5cd48628e90ca0835f1b8e3ddb2e9827" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Somalia has large areas inhabited by rare species – but very few protected areas. Global Safety Net
<p>It should be noted that these rankings do not take into consideration deforestation within protected areas. If so, countries like <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/takeover-of-nigerian-reserve-highlights-uphill-battle-to-save-forests/" target="_blank">Nigeria</a> and <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/08/brazilian-amazon-protected-areas-in-flames-as-land-grabbers-invade/" target="_blank">Brazil</a>, where protected areas are increasingly beset by illegal clearing, might not rank so high on the list. Still, the researchers say protected areas provide needed accountability and a metric with which to measure conservation effort.</p><p>"Protected Areas (or area-based targets) are certainly no guarantee of conservation outcome, as we can see with the fires burning in Brazil as we speak," Burkart told Mongabay via email. "But without them we are lost at sea."</p><p>Both Burkart and Dinerstein view area-based targets as the "North Star" of biodiversity preservation and climate protection, and say they are an important part of creating a framework for action that civil society can use to help motivate and mobilize conservation efforts.</p><p>"We've got to take conservation out of the ivory towers of academic institutions (or basements of government ministries)," Burkart said. "It is the public good we're talking about, so we need an open and transparent stocktaking of where we are right now, and what we need to immediately prioritize. Area-based targets are just the beginning, a 'blueprint' if you will of the cathedral we need to build."</p>Will It Happen in Time?
<p>If more than tripling the amount of land under official, effective protection in less than 10 years sounds daunting, you're not alone. But Dinerstein and his colleagues say it is possible.</p><p>One avenue they recommend is safeguarding Indigenous territories. The Global Safety Net shows important conservation areas often overlap with areas occupied by Indigenous communities or regarded as ancestral land, which previous research indicates contain around 80% of the planet's remaining biodiversity and contribute significantly to carbon storage. Putting land under the management of Indigenous and local communities has been shown to <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2014/07/true-stewards-new-report-says-local-communities-key-to-saving-forests-curbing-global-warming/" target="_blank">be an effective way</a> to protect it.</p><p>"Addressing indigenous land claims, upholding existing land tenure rights, and resourcing programs on indigenous-managed lands could help achieve biodiversity objectives on as much as one-third of the area required by the Global Safety Net," the researchers write in their study. "Simultaneously, this focus would positively address social justice and human rights concerns."</p><p>Protecting such a large amount of land will take a lot of money. But researchers say that the COVID-19 pandemic is showing just how quickly countries can allocate large amounts of resources if needed. And since <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02341-1" target="_blank">research shows</a> deforestation can increase the risk of outbreak of deadly diseases like Ebola and COVID-19, Dinerstein and his colleagues say there is added incentive for funding such efforts.</p><p>"The need for an ambitious global conservation agenda has taken on a new urgency in 2020 after the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus," they write in their study.</p><p>The researchers were surprised to find that only 2.3% of the planet's land area would needed to be further protected to safeguard the species most at risk of extinction. This, they say, could be accomplished within five years.</p><p>Overall, they say the investment spent on preserving these important areas of land would be offset by the trillions of dollars worth of benefits provided by a healthy environment.</p><p>"Literally billions of dollars are being spent trying to invent technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere with very little to show for it. Meanwhile we can protect the spectacular diversity of life on this planet while simultaneously providing all the ecosystem services humanity needs by protecting and conserving the 50% of lands identified in the GSN," Burkart said. "Based on a new economic analysis, we estimate that the global safety net would cost about $200 [billion per year] to manage. This is a tiny investment for a massive return, as nature provides $33 trillion in ecosystem services every year."</p><p>For their part, Dinerstein, Burkart and their colleagues are continuing to improve the GSN, and are planning on releasing an updated version next year that will include more data layers and higher resolution. They are also developing technology to help monitor elephant populations in the hopes of reducing human-elephant conflict and prevent poaching, as well as a system that detects logging trucks before they get a chance to start cutting down trees.</p><p>"Protecting forests begins with early detection and then enforcement," Dinerstein said. "We think our ForestGuard AI is an important piece of this."</p><p>But the main thing, the researchers say, is that governments must act – and soon.</p><p>"Human societies are late in the game to rectify impending climate breakdown, massive biodiversity loss, and, now, prevent pandemics," they write. "The Global Safety Net, if erected promptly, offers a way for humanity to catch up and rebound."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Here are five examples of what are often referred to as Lazarus species – breeds that have seemingly come back from the dead, like this elephant shrew. Petr Kratochvil / Needpix
By Sean Fleming
As many as one million species of animal and plant could face extinction. This dramatic decline in the health of global biodiversity is a crisis in itself as well as a threat to the wellbeing of the planet's population, the UN warns. Plus, it poses a very immediate risk to global food security and economic activity.
<p>Since the 16th century, hundreds of species of vertebrates have disappeared – almost all due to human-related changes such as loss of habitat or over-hunting. That threat remains present with around 40% of amphibians, 33% of marine mammals and 14% of birds all facing an uncertain future.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU5ODMxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Nzc1OTUyMX0.R2Edtni7CcrtkBQ2CXc-XU8ha1lrgCDPXfQZGMU55uk/img.jpg?width=980" id="ac678" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3147f1ffb26434faf12d019ebdbcc4fe" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A quarter of all species are threatened with extinction. Statista
<p>That said, there have been many <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/conservation-stories-on-world-wildlife-day/" target="_blank">notable conservation successes</a>. There have also been several discoveries of animals that were believed to have become extinct. Here are five examples of what are often referred to as Lazarus species – breeds that have seemingly come back from the dead.</p>1. Elephant Shrew
<p>The last time anyone recorded a sighting of the Somali elephant shrew was almost 50 years ago, after which, it was assumed to have become extinct. Then, in August 2020, a team of researchers and academics reported that <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/9652/" target="_blank">these tiny, odd-looking creatures were alive and well</a>. Also known as the Somali Sengi, this mouse-sized animal, with its distinctive elongated nose, is thriving across the Horn of Africa.</p>2. Terror Skink
<p>In 1872, the French botanist Benjamin Balansa noted the discovery of a lizard while visiting the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. At around 50cm (20 inches) in length, it probably wasn't too hard to spot. Yet, the terror skink – <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0078638" target="_blank">the 'terror' part of the name refers to its mouthful of rapacious teeth</a> – was never seen again. Not until 2003, that is. Having been rediscovered by scientists, more research is now underway to learn more about them.</p>3. Cuban Solenodon
<p>There are <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/solenodon-8216-extinct-8217-venomous-mammal-rediscovered-in-cuba-after-10-year-search/" target="_blank">few venomous mammals in the world</a> – the Cuban solenodon is one such example. But it was a missing example for some time. Although never technically extinct, its numbers are so low and sightings are so rare, that it has often been thought to be. The Cuban <a href="http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/cuban-solenodon/" target="_blank">solenodon's forebears were around at the same time as dinosaurs</a>: it is "a 'living fossil' that hasn't changed much in millions of years," according to the publication Scientific American. Its bite can kill yet it lacks the strength and dexterity to defend itself or flee from danger, making it an easy target for predators. Deforestation has also contributed to population disturbance.</p>4. Bermuda Petrel
<p>The Cahow, or Bermuda petrel, was last seen on Nonsuch Island in 1620. But here in 2020, you can <a href="http://www.nonsuchisland.com/live-cahow-cam/#LIVE-CahowCam" target="_blank">watch webcam footage of them</a>. A small number of the birds were spotted nesting in the east of Bermuda in the 1950s, and the population has since been resurrected. The Cahow is a burrowing bird and much of its natural habitat has been destroyed by sea erosion and hurricane damage. New <a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/501134e9c4aa430673203999/501295cfe4b0ebc53ba7b337/501295cfe4b0ebc53ba7b33b/1320261274877/" target="_blank">nesting sites were constructed by the Government of Bermuda</a>, while chicks from established populations were relocated to Nonsuch, too.</p>5. Australian Night Parrot
<p>Another elusive bird, the Australian night parrot, was thought to be extinct after the last recorded sighting in 1912. Then, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2129980-lazarus-species-five-cool-animals-we-wrongly-believed-extinct/" target="_blank">in 1990, one was found in the state of Queensland</a>. Sadly, it was dead. It would be another 23 years before a living example was spotted by a researcher. The precise location of that sighting was kept secret to protect the birds, whose <a href="https://nightparrot.com.au/" target="_blank">populations are now closely monitored</a> and who live in vast wildlife sanctuaries.</p>From Your Site Articles
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‘The World That Darwin Never Saw': Scientists Discover 30 New Marine Species in the Galapagos
05 September
Science
Researchers found diverse and colorful cold-water coral communities and associated fauna at 400 m depth. Ocean Exploration Trust / Nautilus Live
International marine scientists have discovered 30 new species in the deep waters off the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, highlighting how unique the ecosystems of the islands are as well as how little we know about the deep sea.
<p>After Charles Darwin first visited in 1835, the Galapagos became famous for their <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a> and for their endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Darwin, then 26, spent five weeks surveying the archipelago, reported <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-evolution-of-charles-darwin-110234034/" target="_blank">Smithsonian Magazine</a>.</p><p>"The natural history of these islands is eminently curious, and well deserves attention," Darwin later said, reported Smithsonian Magazine. "Most of the organic productions are aboriginal creations, found nowhere else."</p><p>At the same time, the plants and animals he studied still showed a "marked relationship" to those on the mainland, leading Darwin to form the seeds of his groundbreaking Theory of Evolution, Smithsonian Magazine said. After publishing "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" in 1859, Darwin's theories cemented the Galapagos Islands as "hallowed scientific ground," a reputation that continues today, Smithsonian Magazine reported.</p>
<p>The magic is in the isolation. The removed geography of the islands from the rest of the world allowed for and forced species to adapt and evolve over time to survive their unique habitats on each island, according to <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt1307" target="_blank">WWF</a> and <a href="https://www.discoveringgalapagos.org.uk/discover/life-on-the-islands/wildlife-of-galapagos/animal-plants-galapagos/" target="_blank">Discovering Galapagos</a>.</p><p>Even today, as conditions change, animals and plants continue to develop into new hybrids and species, adding to the islands' rich history. In 2017, a population of finches on the islands were discovered in the process of becoming a new species, reported <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42103058#:~:text=A%20population%20of%20finches%20on,observe%20directly%20in%20the%20field." target="_blank">BBC</a>. In 2019, scientists found a species of giant tortoise on a remote Galapagos island that they hadn't seen alive for 110 years and that they'd feared extinct, reported <a href="https://apnews.com/0bbb65b972734017821dcd9b70cd0bbe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP News</a>. As recently as February of this year, conservationists studied 30 giant tortoises partially descended from two extinct species, <a href="https://apnews.com/1de771cac98613e8d2dbf98236b09a82" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP News</a> reported.</p><p>"Evolution, in general, can happen very quickly," said Roger Butlin, a speciation expert talking about the finches, reported the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42103058#:~:text=A%20population%20of%20finches%20on,observe%20directly%20in%20the%20field." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BBC</a>.</p>
<p>In the latest discovery, scientists from the <a href="https://www.darwinfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Charles Darwin Foundation</a> (CDF), the <a href="http://www.galapagos.gob.ec/" target="_blank">Galapagos National Park Directorate</a>, the <a href="https://nautiluslive.org/" target="_blank">Ocean Exploration Trust</a> (OET) and an international team of deep-sea experts identified 30 new deep-sea invertebrate species within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. They published their results in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70744-1" target="_blank"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a> and called their discoveries "the world that Darwin never saw" in a <a href="https://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/blog-articles/610-the-world-that-darwin-never-saw-30-new-deep-sea-invertebrates-discovered-within-the-galapagos-marine-reserve" target="_blank">CDF press release</a>.</p><p>The species were found on seamounts, underwater mountains that do not break the ocean's surface, the release said. Until recently, these extinct volcanoes and the flourishing communities of organisms that live on them were largely unexplored.</p><p>"The deep-sea remains as earth's last frontier, and this study provides a sneak-peak into the least known communities of the Galapagos Islands," marine scientist and study leader Pelayo Salinas de León said, reported <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/scientists-discover-30-species-galapagos-001010413.html" target="_blank">Yahoo!</a></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYzNTYxNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTQwMjk4M30.ZTUunUnkPjW2ouxi61qhJjCUIBSmvS9TgHoXZd2XZDY/img.jpg?width=980" id="24f2e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a832b9e944d58065986c2f1d3cfd77d3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Researchers measured and observed specimens collected during one of the ROV dives. Ocean Exploration Trust / Nautilus Live
<p>Expedition crews used state-of-the-art Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to explore up to depths of 3400 meters, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/galapagos-islands-chinese-fishing-2646826662.html" target="_self">CDF release</a> said. According to the release and <a href="https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/26927/20200818/31-new-marine-species-discovered-galapagos-archipelago.htm" target="_blank">Science Times</a>, the new species of marine life include:</p><ul><li>10 new species of bamboo corals and four new octocorals, including the first giant solitary soft coral in the Tropical Eastern Pacific;</li><li>1 new species of brittle star;</li><li>11 new sponge species; and</li><li>4 new species of squat lobsters.</li></ul>
<p>"The many discoveries made on this expedition showcase the importance of deep-sea exploration to developing an understanding of our oceans…" OET Chief Scientist Nicole Raineault said, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/galapagos-islands-chinese-fishing-2646826662.html" target="_self">CDF release</a> stated.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/26927/20200818/31-new-marine-species-discovered-galapagos-archipelago.htm" target="_blank">Science Times</a> and <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/case-study-galapagos-marine-reserve/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>, the Galapagos Marine Reserve protects these seamounts from fishing activity and deep-sea mining. The discovery came after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/galapagos-islands-chinese-fishing-2646826662.html" target="_self">Ecuador raised concerns about a massive Chinese fishing fleet</a> operating on the edge of the Galapagos' protected waters, reported <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/scientists-discover-dozens-species-galapagos-depths-200818010642247.html#:~:text=The%20deep%2Dsea%20experts%20discovered,GNP)%20said%20in%20a%20statement." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Al Jazeera</a>.</p><p>Ecuador's former minister of the environment Yolanda Kakabadse told Public Radio International that the Galapagos should be "the last place on Earth to be affected by irresponsible actions of any sort," the news report said.</p><p>Salinas de León added, "These pristine seamounts are within the Galapagos Marine Reserve and are protected from destructive human practices such as fishing with bottom trawls or deep-sea mining that are known to have catastrophic impacts upon fragile communities. Now it is our responsibility to make sure they remain pristine for the generations to come," the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/galapagos-islands-chinese-fishing-2646826662.html" target="_self">CDF release</a> said.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYzNTYxOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDQ3MTQxN30.Wv07HpcOB7dvQqL6bmmg_HU_bTorH-P9zZJoq0h-dLE/img.jpg?width=980" id="d5274" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b63685476889ec03ca591761fc26c49f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
31 new marine invertebrate species were recently discovered in the Galapagos. Christopher Chilton / Pixabay
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One in four species of bee is at risk of extinction in North America. Buntysmum / Needpix
By Leslie Brooks
More than 75 percent of the world's food crops rely on pollinators, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Through their pollination, bees not only promote biodiversity, but also secure our food supply.
But one in four species of bee is at risk of extinction in North America, according to the United Nations Environment Program. And the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has recorded declines in bee populations in Europe, South America, and Asia.
<p>A combination of factors are contributing to the decline of bees, including habitat loss and degradation, pesticide use, the invasive parasitic <em>Varroa destructor</em> mite, and other <a href="https://ento.psu.edu/pollinators/resources-and-outreach/buzzkills-abiotic-and-biotic-stressors-of-pollinators" target="_blank">diseases</a>. The effects of climate change are compounding these stressors on bee populations worldwide.</p><p>But people around the world are working to create an environment that helps bees thrive. In honor of National Honey Month, Food Tank is highlighting 15 organizations and initiatives working to preserve the livelihood of bees, the ecosystem, and the global food supply.</p>
<p>1. Bees for Development, United Kingdom</p><p><a href="http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bees for Development</a> is an international organization that utilizes beekeeping as a tool to alleviate poverty and retain biodiversity around the world. They work in over 50 countries within local communities, and implement sustainable beekeeping techniques that use only local bees and local resources. They have an open-access information portal that provides information on bees and beekeeping worldwide. Bees for Development also provides advice and guidance to the World Bank, the United Nations, and other international organizations. </p><p>2. BEES for the World, Germany</p><p><a href="http://beesfortheworld.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEES for the World</a> is dedicated to designing sustainable supply chains for high quality organic-certified bee products all over the world. Their commitment is to Biodiversity, Education, Empowerment, and Sustainability (BEES). They work primarily within African countries to support forest beekeeping. By empowering local communities in the production of high-quality beeswax and connecting them to markets, the group protects local ecosystems while fostering the creation of jobs. </p><p>3. Elephant and Bees Project, Kenya</p><p>What began as a strategic plan to save the elephants, grew into a conservation project for elephants and bees alike. The <a href="https://elephantsandbees.com/" target="_blank">Elephant and Bees Project</a> uses beehive fences – a natural deterrent of elephants – to keep elephants off of farmland, reducing crop damage. This not only increases protected habitats for bees, but also helps educate farmers on the relationship between bees and crop health. The project supports increased bee populations and works in multiple countries throughout Africa.</p>
<p>4. Federation of Nepal Beekeepers, Nepal</p><p>The <a href="http://www.fnbk.org.np/index.php" target="_blank">Federation of Nepal Beekeepers</a> was established in 1999 to support and empower local beekeepers throughout Nepal. This umbrella organization advocates for national policies that benefit beekeepers, their bees, and their livelihoods. The organization also works to increase the capacity of beekeepers by training and educating farmers on the importance of bees in pollination and pasture management. </p><p>5. Honeybee Research Institute, Pakistan</p><p>The <a href="http://www.parc.gov.pk/index.php/en/hb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Honeybee Research Institute</a> promotes beekeeping in Pakistan with the honeybee <em>Apis </em><em>mellifera</em>. While <em>Apis mellifera</em> honey bees were initially imported from Australia, the species has thrived in Pakistan since the late 1970s. With over 400,000 colonies present today, the bees contribute to increased honey production, income-production for rural populations, and increasing biodiversity. The Institute provides beekeeping training courses, promotes beekeeping for income generation, and has on-going research projects. </p><p>6. Pesticide Action Network Europe, Belgium</p><p>Founded in 1987, the <a href="https://www.pan-europe.info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pesticide Action Network</a> (PAN Europe) is a network of consumer, public health, and environmental organizations, trades unions, women's groups, and farmer associations from across Europe. As advocates for a pesticide-free Europe, PAN Europe works closely with government representatives to try to reduce the use of hazardous pesticides. Through their European Citizens' Initiative, "Save Bees and Farmers", they are collecting signatures and calling on the European Commission to phase out synthetic pesticides in agriculture by 2035. </p>
<p>7. Pollinator Partnership Canada, Canada</p><p>As a leader in pollinator research and habitat improvement for over 20 years, <a href="https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/" target="_blank">Pollinator Partnership Canada</a> provides and supports various projects that help protect pollinators. They offer a Pollinator Steward Certification program for land managers, communities, and organizations. Pollinator Partnership also successfully advocated for Pollinator Week- inaugurally designated June 22-28, 2020 – in Canada to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators.</p><p>8. Purple Hive Project, Australia</p><p>Australia is the only continent not yet affected by the <em>Varroa destructor</em> mite, but researchers fear that Australian honey bees may soon be at risk. The <a href="https://purplehiveproject.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Purple Hive Project</a> is on a mission to prevent this mite – which decimates colonies and spreads honey bee viruses – from impacting honey bees in Australia. The Purple Hive uses Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technology to detect the mite in real-time so that its spread can be prevented. Their long-term goal is to create a network of hives in high-risk locations across Australia. </p><p>9. Slovenian Beekeepers Association, Slovenia</p><p>The <a href="http://www.czs.si/wp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Slovenian Beekeepers Association</a>, originally founded in the late 1800s, offers key beekeeping knowledge and support within the country. The Association advocates and raises awareness on behalf of bees and their importance in the environment, provides beekeeping camps and workshops, and publishes a monthly beekeeping magazine. They are also registered as a research institution, where they develop safe bee products and research ways to protect the Carniolan bee, a type of honey bee indigenous to Slovenia. </p>
<p>10. The Bee Girl Organization, United States</p><p>Sarah "Bee Girl" Red-Laird founded <a href="https://www.beegirl.org/" target="_blank">The Bee Girl Organization</a> to inspire communities to conserve bees, flowers, and food. The Bee Girl team engages communities across the globe, providing educational classes and resources for regenerative beekeeping. In 2019, Bee Girl partnered with a local vineyard to initiate a Bee Friendly Vineyards pilot program. They planted 1800 square feet of sunflowers on a plot of unused land to attract bees to the area. This year, they are partnering with an additional vineyard to begin an in-depth research and habitat project. </p><p>11. The Honeybee Conservancy, United States</p><p><a href="https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Honeybee Conservancy</a> is dedicated to protecting bees and securing food justice through education, research, habitat creation, and advocacy. Their flagship program, Sponsor-A-Hive, places native bee homes within urban gardens, schools, and organizations that grow produce to bolster local ecosystems. Last year they unveiled an eight-foot-tall rooftop beehive on the Empire State Building, which will house over 70,000 honey bees. Their goal is to place one million bees to support communities of need across the U.S..</p><p>12. Under the Mango Tree, India</p><p><a href="https://www.utmt.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Under the Mango Tree</a> was founded with the mission to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in rural India. The organization teaches farmers how to maintain bee boxes on their farms and harvest honey, and connects them to markets to sell their honey. They specifically focus on the indigenous bee, <em>Apis cerana indica</em>, to increase pollination and crop yields. In addition, the organization has trained upwards of 1,000 women to be beekeepers.</p>
<p>13. United Nations Development Program, International</p><p>To help achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the <a href="https://bees.undp.org/" target="_blank">United Nations Development Program</a> (UNDP) partners with local communities in multiple countries to work with smallholder beekeepers and farmers around the world. Through training and resources they help beekeepers earn a decent living and support the health of their communities, while providing a healthy habitat for bees. With help from the UNDP, beekeepers can more easily access markets and improve their livelihoods.</p><p>14. Wheen Bee Foundation, Australia</p><p>Gretchen Wheen, a pioneer in bee research and one of Australia's most well known beekeepers, donated her estate to establish the <a href="https://www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wheen Bee Foundation</a> upon her passing in 2012. The Foundation promotes awareness of the importance of bees for food security and ecosystem health. It funds research and development projects that seek to improve the health of the local bee population. They are currently working in partnership with other organizations to save the Green Carpenter Bee on Kangaroo Island, as the island recovers from the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-07/quarter-of-kangaroo-islands-ligurian-beehives-lost/11845372" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">destructive fires</a> earlier this year. </p><p>15. World Bee Project, England</p><p>Using cloud computing technology, the <a href="http://worldbeeproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Bee Project</a> created the world's first globally coordinated honeybee hive monitoring initiative. This Network will provide data that can inform international actions to improve pollinator habitats, food security, and nutrition. With this project, developers hope to deliver findings to smallholder farmers around the world.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/09/fifteen-organizations-and-initiatives-helping-to-save-the-bees/" target="_blank">Food Tank.</a></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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An example of a New Guinea singing dog that's singing. R.G. Daniel / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
The New Guinea singing dog is a rare breed of dog that makes a unique howl similar to the song of a humpback whale. Sadly, however, scientists thought its call had been forever silenced in the wild.
<p>Until now. A study published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/08/26/2007242117" target="_blank">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> Monday revealed that a New Guinea population of highland wild dogs were in fact related to the New Guinea singing dogs surviving in captivity.</p><p>"For decades we've thought that the New Guinea singing dog is extinct in the wild," study coauthor Heidi G. Parker of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/science/singing-dog-new-guinea.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "They are not extinct. They actually do still exist in the wild."</p>
<div id="a1fba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8afdd6263e6601e508a726ea96fbcabd"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1300534709533978625" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">You can read the full research paper here: https://t.co/9D44ENkECz.</div> — National Human Genome Research Institute (@National Human Genome Research Institute)<a href="https://twitter.com/genome_gov/statuses/1300534709533978625">1598906612.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Scientists aren't exactly sure when New Guinea singing dogs first arrived on the island, but they think it was around 3,500 years ago, the same time that dingoes arrived in Australia, according to <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/new-guinea-s-mysterious-singing-dogs-found-again-wild#" target="_blank">Science</a>. The dogs were first described in 1897, a <a href="https://www.genome.gov/news/news-release/Scientists-use-genomics-to-discover-ancient-dog-species-that-may-teach-us-about-human-vocalization" target="_blank">press release from the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute pointed out</a>.</p><p>The dogs are especially famous for the singing that gives them their name.</p><p>"Most of the singing dog's vocalizations are similar to that of the wolf, dingo, and domestic dog, but their howl is incredibly unique," <a href="https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/new-guinea-singing-dog" target="_blank">the San Diego Zoo explained</a>. "Sonograms show the howl is similar to the song of the humpback whale! The singing dog's howl sounds like a yodel, with the tones going up and down. And when in a group, one dog starts singing and others join in at different pitches, each with its own unique voice."</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="67f2c9afd7f555e574b51b8c24ad2c20"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=707737052719142" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div>
<p>But habitat loss put pressure on this musical canine's population, Science reported, and none had been seen in the wild since the 1970s. It was thought the only ones left were the 200 to 300 living in captivity.</p><p>Then, in 2012, an ecotourism guide photographed a wild dog in the highlands of the Indonesian province of Papua on New Guinea, The New York Times reported. That photo was seen by James McIntyre, a researcher and president of the New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation. He secured funding from a company that operated a gold mine near the wild dog sightings and documented 15 dogs in 2016.</p><p>Efforts to protect the environment around the Grasberg gold and copper mine had created an inadvertent habitat for the dogs, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/asia/singing-dog-found-in-wild-scn-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN pointed out</a>. But just documenting the dogs did not prove that they were related to the captive singing dogs. So McIntyre and his team returned in 2018 to take DNA samples.</p><p>The result? The highland wild dogs overlapped 70 percent with the captive singing dogs.</p>
<p>"We found that New Guinea singing dogs and the Highland Wild Dogs have very similar genome sequences, much closer to each other than to any other canid known. In the tree of life, this makes them much more related to each other than modern breeds such as German shepherd or bassett hound," Parker said in the press release.</p><p>The researchers think that the genetic differences are due to the fact that the captive populations are extremely inbred. Their descendants came from eight dogs brought to the U.S., which is why their wild counterparts have more genetic variation.</p><p>The discovery has important <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> implications. The researchers now hope they can breed the wild and captive dogs.</p><p>"New guinea singing dogs are rare, they're exotic (and) they have this beautiful harmonic vocalization that you don't find anywhere else in nature, so losing that as a species is not a good thing. We don't want to see this (animal) disappear," study senior author and NIH distinguished investigator Elaine Ostrander told CNN.</p>
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Newly Hatched Florida Sea Turtles Are Consuming Dangerous Quantities of Floating Plastic
01 September
Oceans
Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney / Instagram
By David Duffy and Catherine Eastman
Plastic pollution has been found in practically every environment on the planet, with especially severe effects on ocean life. Plastic waste harms marine life in many ways – most notably, when animals become entangled in it or consume it.
<p>We work as <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LtNEh9gAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">scientists</a> and rehabilitators at <a href="https://www.whitney.ufl.edu/" target="_blank">The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and Sea Turtle Hospital</a> at the University of Florida. Our main focus is on <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-turtles">sea turtle</a> diseases that pose <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> threats, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-human-cancer-treatments-be-the-key-to-saving-sea-turtles-from-a-disfiguring-tumor-disease-98140" target="_blank">fibropapillomatosis</a> tumor <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.04.932632" target="_blank">disease</a>.</p><p>However, it's becoming increasingly hard to ignore evidence that plastic pollution poses a growing, hidden threat to the health of endangered sea turtles, particularly our youngest patients. In a newly published study, we describe how we examined 42 post-hatchling loggerhead sea turtles that stranded on beaches in Northeast Florida. We found that almost all of them had <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00693" target="_blank">ingested plastic in large quantities</a>.</p>
<h2>An Ocean of Plastic</h2><p>Ocean plastic pollution <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics" target="_blank">originates mostly from land-based sources</a>, such as landfills and manufacturing plants. One recent study estimates that winds carry 200,000 tons of tiny plastic particles from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17201-9" target="_blank">degraded tires alone</a> into the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans">oceans</a> every year.</p><p>Plastics are extremely durable, even in salt water. Materials that were made in the 1950s, when plastic mass production began, are still <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09506-1" target="_blank">persisting and accumulating in the oceans</a>. Eventually these objects disintegrate into smaller fragments, but they may not break down into their chemical components for centuries.</p><p>Overall, some 11 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. This amount is projected to grow to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aba9475" target="_blank">29 million tons by 2040</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYwMTY4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTQ1NzkxOH0._PaFy_E69_nrWJrHoMaHM5zDIWAvJApLr_1ghcyNGXc/img.jpg?width=980" id="65347" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f3e5581fb3703733ce970fa787ef3b37" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Successfully rehabilitated hatchling loggerhead sea turtles being released back into the Atlantic Ocean. Jessica Farrell, CC BY-ND
<h2>A Microplastic Diet</h2><p>Many forms of plastic threaten marine life. Sea turtles commonly mistake floating bags and balloons for their jellyfish prey. Social media channels are replete with videos and images of sea turtles with plastic straws <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wH878t78bw" target="_blank">stuck in their nostrils</a>, killed in plastic-induced <a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2020/0715/1153503-turtles-rescued-plastic-waste-beach/" target="_blank">mass mortality</a> <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-xl/asia/bangladesh/160-turtles-caught-in-plastic-waste-rescued-from-bangladesh-beach/ar-BB16NqMu" target="_blank">events</a>, or dying after ingesting <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/protecting-paradise/turtle-dies-after-eating-104-pieces-of-plastic-off-south-florida-coast-nature-center-says" target="_blank">hundreds of plastic fragments</a>.</p><p>So far, however, scientists don't know a lot about the prevalence and health effects of plastic ingestion in vulnerable young sea turtles. In our study, we sought to measure how much plastic was ingested by post-hatchling washback sea turtles admitted to our rehabilitation hospital.</p><p>Post-hatchling washbacks are recently hatched baby turtles that successfully travel from their nesting beaches out to the open ocean and start to feed, but are then washed back to shore due to strong winds or ill health. This is a crucial life stage: Turtles need to feed to recover from their frenzied swim to feeding grounds hundreds of miles offshore. Feeding well also helps them grow large enough to avoid most predators.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYwMTY4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTYzNzAwOX0.1akc35MGG-Vs7VQAPuiqVWMbSplfE4wIaZxsuTJcmTA/img.jpg?width=980" id="a3d94" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b625b85d90efc877190311fb5b2763c5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Post-hatchling sea turtle being treated at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, CC BY-ND
<p>We examined 42 dead washbacks, and found that 39 of them, or 93%, had ingested plastic – often in startling quantities. A majority of it was hard fragments, most commonly colored white.</p><p>One turtle that weighed 48 grams or 1.6 ounces – <a href="https://weightofstuff.com/things-that-weigh-1-ounce/" target="_blank">roughly equivalent to 16 pennies</a> – had ingested 287 plastic pieces. Another hatchling that weighed just 27 grams, or less than one ounce, had ingested 119 separate pieces of plastic that totaled 1.23% of its body weight. The smallest turtle in our study, with a shell just 4.6 centimeters (1.8 inches) long, had ingested a piece of plastic one-fourth the length of its shell.</p><p>Consuming such large quantities of plastic increases the likelihood that broken-down plastic nanoparticles or chemicals that leach from them will enter turtles' bloodstreams, with unknown health effects. Ingested plastic can also block turtles' stomachs or intestines. At a minimum, it limits the amount of space that's physically available for consuming and digesting genuine prey that they need to survive and grow.</p><p>Turtles at this life stage live at the ocean's surface, sheltering in floating mats of seaweed, where they feed on invertebrate prey such as zooplankton. These floating seaweed mats gather in the Atlantic, in an area known as the <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sargassosea.html#:%7E:text=It%20lies%20within%20the%20Northern,the%20North%20Atlantic%20Equatorial%20Current." target="_blank">Sargasso Sea</a>, which is bounded by four major ocean currents and covers much of the central Atlantic Ocean. The area is heavily polluted with plastic, as both seaweed and plastic travel on and are concentrated by the same ocean currents. Our study suggests that these baby turtles are mistakenly feeding on plastic floating in and around the seaweed.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzYwMTY4Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTE1MTY0MH0.1pYDRaMkWeetfVT5sl-YzO0YvzaTvEJAErhTsZ4qvL4/img.png?width=980" id="be84f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7b02ffec06907f2814b17ae29fc7e01a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The Sargasso Sea is an important feeding ground for immature Atlantic sea turtles, but the same currents that concentrate seaweed there also carry drifting plastic trash. University of Florida, CC BY-ND
<p>Post-hatchling sea turtles are young and need to feed and grow rapidly. This means they are particularly at risk from the harmful consequences of ingesting plastic. We find it especially troubling that almost all of the animals we assessed had ingested plastic in such large quantities. Plastic pollution is only one of <a href="https://theconversation.com/beaches-are-becoming-safer-for-baby-sea-turtles-but-threats-await-them-in-the-ocean-92719" target="_blank">many human-related threats</a> that these charismatic and endangered creatures face at sea.</p>
<h2>Stemming the Plastic Tsunami</h2><p>Since plastic persists for hundreds of years in the environment, clearing it from the oceans will require ingenious cleanup technologies, as well as lower-tech beach and shore cleanups. But in our view, the top priority should be curbing the rampant flow of plastic that is swamping oceans and coasts.</p><p>Earth's ecosystems, especially the oceans, are interconnected, so reducing plastic waste will require global solutions. They include improving methods for <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-plastic-waste-crisis-is-an-opportunity-for-the-us-to-get-serious-about-recycling-at-home-93254" target="_blank">recycling plastics</a>; developing <a href="https://theconversation.com/bio-based-plastics-can-reduce-waste-but-only-if-we-invest-in-both-making-and-getting-rid-of-them-98282" target="_blank">bio-based plastics</a>; banning single-use plastic items in favor of more sustainable or reusable alternatives; and reducing <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/china-ban-plastic-trash-imports-shifts-waste-crisis-southeast-asia-malaysia/" target="_blank">shipment of plastic waste abroad</a> to countries with lax regulatory regimes, from where it is more likely to enter the environment.</p><p>Our observations in post-hatchling turtles are part of a growing body of research showing how plastic pollution is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2044" target="_blank">harming wildlife</a>. We believe it is time for humanity to face up to its addiction to plastic, before we find ourselves wading through swathes of plastic debris and wondering what went wrong.</p>
<p>
<em>David Duffy is an assistant professor of wildlife disease genomics at the University of Florida.</em>
</p><p>
<em><span style="background-color: initial;">Catherine Eastman is the </span>Sea Turtle Hospital program coordinator at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statements: David Duffy receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation, the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation, the European Union, and the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program. He is affiliated with Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland, a registered charity. </em><em>Catherine Eastman receives funding from the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/newly-hatched-florida-sea-turtles-are-consuming-dangerous-quantities-of-floating-plastic-143785" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Seagrass is seen here in South Pigeon Creek estuary on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. James St. John / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
By Douglas Broom
Its waving fronds carpet the seafloor and shelter thousands of sea creatures. But seagrass is more than a haven for marine wildlife – researchers say it could play a major role in slowing climate change.
<p>Seagrass – also known as <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/seagrass-secret-weapon-fight-against-global-heating" target="_blank">eelgrass – covers just 0.2% of the seabed</a>, yet it accounts for 10% of the ocean's capacity to store carbon, according to the United Nations Environment Program. It can capture carbon from the atmosphere 35 times faster than rainforests.</p><p>But around the globe, seagrass meadows have declined, and projects like Seagrass Ocean Rescue are working to reverse the trend. The scheme, which is backed by wildlife conservation organization WWF, is seeding coastal waters around the UK to create new seagrass beds.</p>
Underwater Gardening
<p><a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/seagrass-ocean-rescue/" target="_blank">The UK has lost up to 92% of the seagrass</a> in its coastal waters and estuaries, according to the project. Its work to help restore these meadows involves an "experimental" 20,000 square meter area in Pembrokeshire, South Wales.</p><p>There, seagrass seeds are planted on the seafloor in hessian bags, held together on lines of rope. As the hessian degrades, the seeds, collected by divers<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/10/uk-lost-sea-meadows-to-be-resurrected-in-climate-emergency-fight" target="_blank"> from underwater meadows in waters off the southern coasts of England and Wales,</a> germinate and establish on the ocean bed.</p><p>The goal is to<a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/guest-blog/who-knew-saving-the-planet-could-be-so-peaceful/" target="_blank"> plant 1 million seeds</a>, as well as inspire projects in other areas around the UK.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU5ODQ5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODI5OTU0OH0.M1zPHT7nSHS5IGhoskCd3SHEc5zfnYufpGiyWL6f6_w/img.jpg?width=980" id="fe4fb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d73dc0d9971720597442efe9c27ee1e3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Volunteers load seagrass seeds ready for planting. Project Seagrass
Planting Pioneers
<p>Seagrass restoration projects have been successful in other parts of the world. In the United States, a team from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science <a href="https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav1/restoration/index.php" target="_blank">pioneered mechanical planting</a>.</p><p>Using <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00314.x" target="_blank">a specially adapted boat,</a> the scientists planted seagrass seedlings directly into the seabed in inlets around Chesapeake Bay. They successfully restored seagrass meadows that were <a href="https://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/topstories/archives/2012/eelgrass_restoration_meps.php" target="_blank">destroyed by plant disease and hurricanes in the 1930s</a>.</p><p>And restoring the underwater meadows has had another benefit – <a href="https://www.vims.edu/esl/research/bay_scallop_restoration/index.php" target="_blank">Bay scallops have been successfully reintroduced </a>to an area where they have been functionally extinct since the 1930s. The Virginia team of underwater farmers are now working with projects in Europe and Australia.</p>Under Threat
<p>Seagrass meadows are among the<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2019.00311/full" target="_blank"> world's most threatened ecosystems</a>, and they're rapidly disappearing in many places.</p><p>Globally,<a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/" target="_blank"> over a third have been lost in the past 40 years</a>, according to Project Seagrass, the charity behind Seagrass Ocean Rescue. Destructive fishing, pollution and climate change are contributing to this decline, it says.</p><p>Scientists say that seagrass has been regarded as<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2019.00311/full" target="_blank"> the "ugly duckling" of marine conservation,</a> but the growing climate emergency and the need to find new ways to capture and store carbon make its restoration vital. The UN has called it a "<a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/seagrass-secret-weapon-fight-against-global-heating" target="_blank">secret weapon in the fight against global heating</a>."</p>Vital Food Source
<p>As well as<a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/seagrass-ocean-rescue/" target="_blank"> storing up to 400 kilograms (882 pounds) of carbon per hectare every year</a>, seagrass also helps support sustainable fisheries by providing a home for young fish.<a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/seagrass-ocean-rescue/" target="_blank"> One-fifth of the world's biggest fisheries depend on seagrass meadows</a> to act as fish nurseries, Project Seagrass says.</p><p>In the UK alone,<a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/seagrass-ocean-rescue/" target="_blank"> 50 different species of fish live in or visit seagrass</a>, which is 30 times more sea creatures than nearby habitats. Seagrass also plays a role in stopping coastal erosion.</p><p>The<a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/a-new-vision-for-the-ocean" target="_blank"> World Economic Forum's Ocean Action Agenda</a> calls for urgent action to reverse the decline in ocean health, pointing out that over 100 million households worldwide depend on fishing for their livelihoods and seafood is the primary source of protein for 3 billion people.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Maisa Guajajara, march of indigenous women, Brasilia, 2019. Marquinho Mota / FAOR
By Rosamaria Loures and Sarah Sax
On an early December morning last year in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, half a dozen members of the Indigenous Guajajara people packed their bags with food, maps and drone equipment to get ready for a patrol. They said goodbye to their children, uncertain when, or whether, they would see them again. Then, they hoisted their bags over their shoulders and set out to patrol a section of the 173,000 hectares (428,000 acres) of the primary rainforest they call home.
<p>This is the Caru Indigenous Territory, where the Amazon peters out toward the northeastern coast of Brazil, and it contains some of the last stretches of intact, contiguous forest in Maranhão. It is also under increasing threat: this part of Brazil has been ravaged by some of the country's highest rates of deforestation and land conflicts over the past decade. Patrols led by Indigenous groups like theirs, known often by the moniker of "Forest Guardians," have been instrumental in enforcing protections and preventing loggers from entering Indigenous territories. Patrols and their enforcement tactics, which have been ramping up over the past decade, have also resulted in community members being threatened, attacked, and killed — as in the case of Paulo Paulino <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/guardian-of-the-forest-ambushed-and-murdered-in-brazilian-amazon/" target="_blank">Guajajara</a> last year, who was murdered in a neighboring Indigenous territory.</p><p>But members of the patrol that set out through the forest last December don't call themselves guardians; they prefer warriors. And they differ in one other notable aspect: they are all women.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU5NDQwMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDQ1MTIzMX0.AkVqG_3D6cdcY7NHyt2UXYTSb0Ofr1JSye0mjWlQw6w/img.jpg?width=980" id="0a47f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c5fba3813d842215435c6180ee9d5e4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Women warrior Rosilene Guajajara sits in her home village. Sarah Shenker / Survival
<p>"Why did we take the initiative? Because we are mothers. If we don't act, there would be no forest standing," said Paula Guajajara, one of the "women warriors of the forest," in a public event last year.</p><p>Called <em>guerreiras da floresta</em> in Portuguese, this is the name these women have given themselves. They are in many ways an embodiment of what policymakers, politicians and scholars around the world say is a necessary shift toward gender equality in environmental movements. And they are contributing not just womanpower to the patrols — they are also helping to diversify the tactics and forge new partnerships.</p><p>In Brazil in particular, where protecting intact forests is one of the cheapest, easiest and most effective solutions for<a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0126" target="_blank"> combating climate change</a>, the work they are doing is literally saving the world.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="244a0eac1110c46f755b64bd798f35ac"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QqKrthJmcN0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Creating a Space and Finding Their Voice
<p>Actively patrolling their land for invaders is nothing new to the Guajajara; Indigenous people have more than 500 years of experience in this. Today, they use satellite technology and coordinate efforts with outside law enforcement to achieve their goals. This approach is relatively new, but its use has been on the rise in recent years.</p><p>"Across the country more of these groups are forming because of government inaction — or worse, because the government is actively trying to exploit their lands," Sarah Shenker, campaign coordinator for Survival International's <a href="https://www.survivalinternational.org/uncontactedtribes" target="_blank">Uncontacted Tribes team</a>, said in an interview. These groups are primarily men, although women are sometimes included in the patrols. But according to Shenker, as well as other experts interviewed for this article, to have "forest guardian" groups made up solely of women is unique.</p><p>The women warriors were formed six years ago, an offshoot of a program developed by Indigenous organizations and the Brazilian government and implemented by the Ministry of the Environment to enhance the territorial and cultural protection of Indigenous people, called Projeto Demonstrativo de Povos Indígenas (PDPI) in Portuguese. At the time, the predominantly male forest guardians were attempting to end illegal logging and the sale of wood from their territory — a task that was proving extremely difficult. Seeing this, the women stepped in and formed their own group consisting originally of 32 women.</p><p>"In order not to let the project end, we, the Guajajara women, entered and took over the project," Cícera Guajajara da Silva, one of the women warriors, said in an interview.</p><p>But the path to being taken seriously and treated as equals has been long.</p><p>"To seek partnership, we walked, talked, slept on the floor — all in order to seek improvement for our community," Paula Guajajara said, recalling the initial difficulty in being heard and taken seriously inside and outside of the communities. Their patience has paid off, and the women are quick to point out the support and close collaboration of the male forest guardians that has allowed them to combat the greater goal of stopping illegal logging. "Today we have the women warriors who work together with the forest guardians," Paula Guajajara said. "We've already evicted a lot of loggers. If we hadn't acted, there would be no forest standing."</p><p>Many of the married women had already been acting independently, accompanying their husbands in some activities, according to Gilderlan Rodrigues da Silva, the Maranhão coordinator of the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI), a Catholic Church-affiliated organization, who has worked with the women warriors. "But, from the moment they created the women's group, they gained strength and visibility," he said in an interview. "Once they were formed, there was this very strong change. Both in the context of decreasing the invasions and waking up to the collective awareness to protect the territory."</p>The Direct and Indirect Impacts of Greater Inclusion
<p>The results are clearly visible. In 2018, there was only 63 hectares (156 acres) of deforestation in the reserve, compared to 2016, when deforestation reached a high of 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres), according to <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/country/BRA/10?analysis=eyJzaG93RHJhdyI6ZmFsc2V9&mainMap=eyJzaG93QW5hbHlzaXMiOnRydWUsImhpZGVMZWdlbmQiOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D&map=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%3D&mapPrompts=eyJzdGVwc0tleSI6InJlY2VudEltYWdlcnkiLCJzdGVwc0luZGV4IjowLCJvcGVuIjpmYWxzZSwic3RlcEluZGV4IjowLCJmb3JjZSI6dHJ1ZX0%3D&menu=eyJkYXRhc2V0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiOiJsYW5kVXNlIiwibWVudVNlY3Rpb24iOiIiLCJzZWxlY3RlZENvdW50cmllcyI6WyJCUkEiXX0%3D&treeLoss=eyJpbnRlcmFjdGlvbiI6e319" target="_blank">Global Forest Watch.</a> "The biggest achievement I see today in my village is because of the territorial protection, there are no loggers within our territory, and we managed to combat the sale of wood," Cícera Guajajara da Silva said.</p><p>The women's association has also been instrumental in connecting with other Indigenous groups similarly seeking to protect their territories, such as the Ka'apor, Awa-Guaja, and other Guajajara communities.</p><p>"There are 16 Indigenous territories in Maranhão — we have to seek unity to move forward in our struggle," said Maísa Guajajara, one of the original women warriors. Through coordination with other women's groups, like the Articulation of Indigenous Women of Maranhão (AMIMA), they were able to <a href="http://www.funai.gov.br/index.php/comunicacao/noticias/4678-amima-realiza-i-encontro-de-articulacao-de-mulheres-indigenas-do-maranhao?highlight=WyJwcm90ZVx1MDBlN1x1MDBlM28iLCJ0ZXJyaXRvcmlhbCIsInByb3RlXHUwMGU3XHUwMGUzbyB0ZXJyaXRvcmlhbCJd" target="_blank">bring 200 </a>Indigenous women from around the state together for the first time in 2017 to talk about various issues, including territorial protection, reforestation, and environmental education.</p><p>"This whole movement is extremely important because it shows this strength, and that women have a lot to contribute to the movement because they are part of the territory and are concerned with it, and with future generations," Rodrigues da Silva told Mongabay.</p><p>They don't just coordinate with other Indigenous groups; they also conduct training with neighboring communities about the importance of environmental conservation. "Not all women do surveillance work because we know it is dangerous work, but there are always some who do," Maísa Guajajara said. "The warriors generally do more surveillance activities outside the territory, we give lectures around our territory to talk about the invasions within our territory, and we raise awareness in the villages by talking about the importance of keeping nature standing." For example, the women warriors are partners in the Mãe D'água (Mother of Water) project that, together with the Brazilian NGO Fórum da Amazônia Oriental (FAOR), provides support for Indigenous women to strengthen their collective actions against ongoing deforestation and water pollution. These actions include visits to nearby riverine communities in which the women warriors explain their ways of living, such as hunting and rituals, to their neighbors. For the women warriors, the more that their neighbors know about Guajajara culture, the more they will respect their actions to defend their territory.</p>Why Women Are Key to Forest Conservation
<p>In Brazil, and around the world, <a href="https://catarinas.info/43-mulheres-indigenas-do-brasil-e-da-america-latina-para-se-inspirar/" target="_blank">Indigenous women</a> are increasingly at the forefront of environmental movements.</p><p>"The struggle of Indigenous women happens in different ways, day by day. If I am here today, I am the fruit of the women who came in front of me," Taynara Caragiu Guajajara, a member of the Indigenous women's collective AMIMA, said during a live online event in April. "In the context of the world we live in today, we have been conquering space inside and outside the community. We Indigenous women have not always had that voice … but today the struggle is driven by Indigenous women, we are the ones who are in charge of the struggle."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU5NDQyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwODU3Mzg3Nn0.tOmJ5rRpzd5YHOVbW4gkCJgwoSCeIi9bz-X-VzNa77E/img.jpg?width=980" id="bf09d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c9fd70128e206770b386d470cdc4f733" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Maisa Guajajara, march of indigenous women, Brasilia, 2019. Marquinho Mota / FAOR
<p>Women are increasingly leading the struggle on issues like climate change, but <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/02/gender-bias-persists-international-reporting-atlantic/582235/" target="_blank">their voices are heard much less often then men's </a>— to the detriment of everyone. This is partially a byproduct of <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/02/gender-bias-persists-international-reporting-atlantic/582235/" target="_blank">gender bias</a> in <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90401548/theres-a-gender-crisis-in-media-and-its-threatening-our-democracy" target="_blank">journalism itself</a>.</p><p>In 2015, of every four people interviewed, mentioned or seen in the news worldwide, only one was a woman, according to a report by the <a href="http://whomakesthenews.org/gmmp" target="_blank">Global Media Monitoring Project</a>, which releases its findings every five years. A closer look at the data shows that even when women are interviewed, it is for personal quotes, rather than for their expertise. It's a figure that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/02/gender-bias-persists-international-reporting-atlantic/582235/" target="_blank">seems to have barely budged</a> over the past few years, although some newsrooms are starting to actively change that.</p><p>Studies show that, in general, women receive <a href="https://niemanreports.org/articles/where-are-the-women/" target="_blank">greater exposure in newspaper</a> sections led by female editors, as well as in newspapers whose editorial boards have higher female representation. But men are <a href="https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2017/women-dominate-journalism-schools-but-newsrooms-are-still-a-different-story/" target="_blank">disproportionately represented</a> from editors through to reporters, meaning that critical issues for women often go unreported. One of these areas is precisely the connection between conservation solutions and gender equality.</p><p>Women are disproportionately affected by climate change and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/asia/environment-gender-violence-study-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">environmental degradation</a>. <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/report/global-gender-and-environment-outlook-ggeo" target="_blank">Mounting evidence </a>shows that gender gaps and inequalities, such as inequitable land tenure and women's reduced access to energy, water and sanitation facilities, negatively impact human and environmental well-being. The climate crisis will only make <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/03/womens-rights-in-review" target="_blank">gender disparities worse</a>.</p><p><a href="https://justassociates.org/sites/justassociates.org/files/jass_mch6._rethinking_protection_power_movements_4.pdf" target="_blank">Gender-based violence</a> against women environmental human rights defenders in particular is <a href="http://im-defensoras.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/283951300-Informe-2012-2014-de-Agresiones-contra-Defensoras-de-DDHH-en-Mesoamerica.pdf" target="_blank">on the</a> <a href="https://defenddefenders.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FINAL-REPORT_pdf-3-1.pdf" target="_blank">rise</a>, and increasingly <a href="https://justassociates.org/sites/justassociates.org/files/jass_mch6._rethinking_protection_power_movements_4.pdf" target="_blank">normalized</a> in both public and private spheres, making it more difficult for women to get justice. As Indigenous communities are often on the front lines of defending their territories, resources and rights from extractive projects and corporate interests, Indigenous women in particular face a two-headed beast of gender-based violence and racism.</p><p>"We fought to defend our territory against invasions and we sought this autonomy to fight for rights," Taynara Caragiu Guajajara said in an interview. "Being a woman is difficult within the macho society, but being an Indigenous or black woman becomes even more difficult, because the prejudice is so great."</p><p>Having more women involved in everything from environmental decision-making to climate politics benefits society at large. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-019-0438-4" target="_blank">Higher female </a>participation in policymaking increases the equality and effectiveness of climate policy interventions;<a href="https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/271/hdr_2011_en_complete.pdf" target="_blank"> evidence</a> shows that high gender inequality is correlated with higher rates of deforestation, air pollution and other measures of environmental degradation.</p><p>Yet <a href="https://www.greengrants.org/what-we-do/womens-environmental-action/" target="_blank">less than 1% </a>of international philanthropy goes to women's environmental initiatives, and women are continuously<a href="https://genderandenvironment.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/CI-REPORT.pdf" target="_blank"> left out </a>of decisions about land and <a href="https://www.wri.org/publication/making-womens-voices-count" target="_blank">environmental resources</a>.</p><p>"The global community cannot afford to treat nature conservation and the fight for women's equality as separate issues — they must be addressed together," <a href="https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/202003/iucn-acting-director-generals-statement-international-womens-day-2020" target="_blank">said</a> Grethel Aguilar, the acting director-general of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), on international women's day this year.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU5NDM3NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjM5NDE0Mn0.n5vyjCQm5G8uiinRRX4wi_9jSlqmueI3r2KcvjUDYAk/img.png?width=980" id="50e14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="15ca14a4768bfb8892e12430cdbe467a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Map of Maranhão state in northeastern Brazil.
Why the Fight for Indigenous Territorial Rights in Brazil Matters to Conservation
<p>Tracking tree cover loss in Maranhão over the past two decades shows the crucial importance of Indigenous territories in protecting intact forest. Viewed from space, as the forest cover rapidly disappears, the outlines of Indigenous territories become more and more distinct.</p><p>"These Indigenous territories are islands of green in a sea of deforestation in one of the worst deforested places in Brazil," Shenker said.</p><p>The Caru Indigenous Territory, for example, has seen 4% forest loss in comparison to the state of Maranhão, which has lost almost a quarter of its tree cover since 2000, according to Global Forest Watch data. Alongside the various other benefits that come with forest preservation, the forests in the Caru Indigenous Territory are also home to some of the last uncontacted Awá people; video of of two Awá men taken in the neighboring Araribóia Indigenous Territory <a href="https://www.survivalinternational.org/news/12171" target="_blank">made international headlines last year</a>.</p><p>These patches of intact, tropical forests are also the crux of "natural climate solutions" protection. These solutions essentially entail stopping deforestation, improving management of forests, and restoring ecosystems, and could provide more than one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit).</p><p>According to one of the seminal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0126" target="_blank">papers on natural climate solutions,</a> the single most effective approach in the tropics has proven to be actively protecting intact forests. Protecting intact forests offers twice as much of the cost-effective climate mitigation potential as the second best pathway, reforestation. The Amazon as a whole plays a vital role in mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide in its forests. When cut down, burned, or degraded through logging, the forest not only ceases to fulfill this function, but can become a source of carbon emissions.</p><p>"Protecting and or conserving intact ecosystems is the number-one priority," said <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/individuals/dr-kate-dooley" target="_blank">Kate Dooley,</a> a research fellow at the Australian-German Climate & Energy College at the University of Melbourne, who has <a href="https://www.iatp.org/documents/missing-pathways-15degc" target="_blank">authored several papers</a> on the potential of forests as a natural climate solution. "Way-way-way down the line is planting trees. And even then, it needs to be the right kind of trees."</p><p>Of all the countries in the world with some kind of tropical rainforest, Brazil holds more mitigation potential than 71 of the 79 countries combined, <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0126" target="_blank">according to a recent paper on this topic</a>. It isn't too hyperbolic, then, to say that groups like the women warriors are protecting humanity's last best hope for a livable future.</p><p>"Plenty of research showing that forests are more intact in collectively held lands," Dooley said. "With or without secure land tenure those lands are more intact and less degraded." According <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0126" target="_blank">to a report in 2018 by the Rights and Resources Initiative</a>, almost 300 <em>billion metric tons of carbon</em> are stored in collectively managed lands across all forest biomes, and <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2016/10/protecting-indigenous-land-rights-makes-good-economic-sense" target="_blank">numerous</a> <a href="https://rightsandresources.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Toward-a-Global-Baseline-of-Carbon-Storage-in-Collective-Lands-November-2016-RRI-WHRC-WRI-report.pd" target="_blank">studies</a> have found that the best way to protect forests is to empower the people who live in them, granting them land rights and legal standing.</p><p>This is <a href="https://blog.globalforestwatch.org/people/geospatial-data-indigenous-community-land-forest-management?utm_campaign=BLOG:+LandMark+Data&utm_medium=bitly&utm_source=MonthlyRecap" target="_blank">especially true for Indigenous-held lands in places like Brazil</a>. Between 2000 and 2015, legally designated Indigenous territories in Brazil <a href="http://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/indigenous-territories-barrier-to-deforestation.pdf" target="_blank">saw a tenth </a>the amount of forest loss than non-Indigenous territories. Brazil is home to approximately 900,000 Indigenous citizens from 305 peoples, most of who live in Indigenous territories. Even so, more than half of the locations claimed by Indigenous groups have not yet received formal government recognition.</p><p>"Surveillance and inspection by Indigenous peoples is extremely important, as they are the ones who know the territory and the region best," Rodrigues da Silva said. "On the other hand, unfortunately they are left alone, the Indigenous body responsible for inspection ends up not fulfilling the role and leaving only the Indigenous people."</p>Prevailing Amid Growing Threats
<p>Despite an increasingly hostile government, the women warriors say they are committed to continuing their monitoring, surveillance and educational activities, and are hoping to inspire other groups to do the same.</p><p>"Today women act 100% in defense of the territory," Paula Guajajara said. "Today we are serving as an example."</p><p>But the work is daunting.</p><p>Brazil has the rights of Indigenous people written into its constitution of 1988, and is a signatory to the International Labour Organization's (ILO) <u>Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention.</u> Yet, the current administration of President Jair Bolsonaro has made it clear that Indigenous peoples won't be allowed to<a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/bolsonaro-government-reveals-plan-to-develop-the-unproductive-amazon/" target="_blank"> comment</a> on infrastructure projects<a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/brazil-to-build-long-resisted-amazon-transmission-line-on-indigenous-land/" target="_blank"> affecting</a> Indigenous territories in the Amazon. Bolsonaro's administration has also <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/bolsonaro-sends-congress-bill-to-open-indigenous-lands-to-mining-fossil-fuels/" target="_blank">proposed opening up</a> Indigenous territories to extractive activities — something the constitution specifically prohibits.</p><p>Hundreds of people have been killed during the past decade in the context of conflicts over the use of land and resources in the Amazon — many by people involved in illegal logging — according to the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), a Catholic Church-affiliated nonprofit that follows land conflicts.</p><p>But perpetrators of violence in the Brazilian Amazon are rarely brought to justice.</p><p>Of the more than <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/15/brazils-amazon-and-its-defenders-are-under-attack-illegal-loggers" target="_blank">300 killings that the CPT</a> has registered since 2009, only 14 ultimately went to trial. Maranhão, where the Guajajara live, is among the most dangerous states for Indigenous people in Brazil: more <a href="https://www.cptnacional.org.br/" target="_blank">attacks on Indigenous groups</a> were reported here than anywhere else in 2016, according to data from the CPT.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2020/05/11/coronavirus-Latin-America-Amazon-indigenous-communities" target="_blank">coronavirus poses an additional threat</a> to Indigenous peoples throughout the Amazon and especially in Brazil, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/23/world/coronavirus-indigenous-death-apib-intl/index.html" target="_blank">where the death rate from COVID-19</a> is much higher than the national rate.</p><p>"The surveillance expeditions are stopped by the pandemic, we are not doing surveillance, to care for everyone in the village," Cícera Guajajara da Silva said. "Especially in order to protect our health, because nobody knows who the types of people [invaders] are inside the forest, they may even be infected with the virus, the invader himself can bring the virus to our territory, and that's why we stopped [the expeditions], we are now only sheltering in the village."</p><p>But despite the mounting difficulties, the women warriors are committed to continuing their work.</p><p>"We have the courage to defend our territory," Maisa Guajajara said. "I am a woman and I will fight against all the threats that are in our territory."</p>From Your Site Articles
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