Pexels
By Brett Wilkins
Despite acknowledging that the move would lead to an increase in the 500 million to one billion birds that die each year in the United States due to human activity, the Trump administration on Friday published a proposed industry-friendly relaxation of a century-old treaty that protects more than 1,000 avian species.
<p>As part of the administration's race to rush through as many <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/17/critics-say-deregulatory-rush-shows-even-if-defeated-trump-white-house-willing" target="_blank">regulatory rollbacks</a> as possible before President-elect Joe Biden enters office on January 20, the U.S. Department of the Interior released an <a href="https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-II/public/action/eis/details?eisId=314796" target="_blank">analysis</a> that sets the stage for modification of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's interpretation of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).</p><p>One of the nation's oldest <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a> protection laws, the MBTA saves the lives of millions of birds each year and, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/protect-migratory-bird-treaty-act" target="_blank">according to</a> the Natural Resources Defense Council, "is credited with rescuing the snowy egret, wood duck, and sandhill crane from extinction."</p><p>The proposed rule shift would let energy, construction, and land development companies off the hook for "incidentally" killing birds, even though the Interior Department's analysis concludes that "increased bird mortality" will "likely result" from the change. </p>
<div id="9a9a2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7590e6f05b37dd0a4b9418801291fd87"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1332369258869895168" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Breaking news! 🚨 “This is another step by the #USFWS to jam through a rule to cement an interpretation of the… https://t.co/NDzj3q6vmb</div> — Defenders of Wildlife (@Defenders of Wildlife)<a href="https://twitter.com/Defenders/statuses/1332369258869895168">1606496560.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Under the MBTA, ExxonMobil was compelled to pay <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2006/June/06_enrd_341.html" target="_blank">$125 million</a> in criminal penalties after the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska and BP was <a href="https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ID=FC61EB52-BF8A-45AA-C04D802711C4EF55" target="_blank">fined $100 million</a> following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill that leaked over 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, killing an estimated 100,000 sea birds.</p><p>It is precisely such penalties that corporate bird-killers are seeking to dodge in the future through the proposed rule change, which Trump administration officials including Daniel Jorjani, a former <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/koch-brothers">Koch brothers</a> adviser who is now the head lawyer at the Interior Department, have pushed for years.</p><p>During his 2019 Senate confirmation hearing, Jorjani <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-interior-attorney-gave-false-information-to-congress-about-contact-with-koch-foundation" target="_blank">lied</a> to Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) about whether he had been in recent contact with the Koch brothers or any of their business interests. Before joining the government, Jorjani was formerly a highly paid <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/senate-confirms-former-koch-crony-as-interior-departments-top-lawyer-2019-09-24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">operative</a> at several organizations linked to the brothers and their fossil fuel empire. </p><p>Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/senate-confirms-former-koch-crony-as-interior-departments-top-lawyer-2019-09-24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> last year that Jorjani "opened the floodgates to bird killing by the oil and gas industry and other campaign contributors of the Trump administration," and accused him of being "part of a pattern in which Interior is basically run by the Koch Foundation for the benefit of the Koch Foundation."</p><p>Earlier this year, a federal court <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/major-victory-court-tosses-out-trump-interiors-gutting-century-old-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rejected</a> a 2017 Interior Department opinion authored by Jorjani seeking to loosen MBTA protections. Judge Valerie Caproni of the Southern District of New York wrote that Jorjani's interpretation of the law "runs counter to the purpose of the MBTA to protect migratory bird populations" and "is simply an unpersuasive interpretation of the MBTA's unambiguous prohibition on killing protected birds."</p><p>Environmentalists condemned the Trump administration's latest attempt to protect polluters and wildlife-killers from prosecution at the expense of avian lives. </p><p>"This is another step by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to jam through a rule to cement an interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that a federal court has already declared illegal," Defenders of Wildlife president and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/27/migratory-bird-treaty-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in a statement. "At a time when North America has already lost three billion birds, the rule will further undercut our nation's ability to conserve birds so many people care about deeply."</p><p>Rappaport Clark was referring to a 2019 <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6461/120" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> published in the peer-reviewed journal <em>Science</em> that found since 1970 the continent has lost over 2.9 billion birds, or nearly 30% of its avian population.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="85647ea176c7aee6efa734714a5874eb"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cdzU84AyCdI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>According to a 2005 <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr191/psw_gtr191_1029-1042_erickson.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:</p><blockquote>From 500 million to possibly over 1 billion birds are killed annually in the United States due to anthropogenic sources including collisions with human-made structures such as vehicles, buildings and windows, power lines, communication towers, and wind turbines; electrocutions; oil spills and other contaminants; pesticides; cat predation; and commercial fishing by-catch.<br></blockquote><p>"Many of the deaths from these sources would be considered unlawful under federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act," the study stated. </p><p>A <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/16/ecological-disaster-massive-scale-hundreds-thousands-dead-migratory-birds-southwest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recent surge</a> in bird deaths in the U.S. Southwest has been attributed to a combination of human-caused climate factors including heatwaves and wildfires. </p><p>If there is a silver lining for bird lovers, it is that the incoming Biden administration will be able to reverse any Trump-era rule changes, although doing so could take years.</p><p>Eric Glitzenstein, litigation director at the Center for Biological Diversity, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/27/migratory-bird-treaty-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> the Washington Post that the new rule "will inevitably meet the same fate as the illegal opinion on which it is based."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/27/under-cover-thanksgiving-trump-administration-pushes-relax-rules-protecting-birds" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Baby Found Dead in North Carolina
25 November
Animals
A rare North Atlantic right whale is seen off Cape Cod Bay on April 14, 2019 near Provincetown, Massachusetts. Don Emmert / AFP / Getty Images
An extremely rare North Atlantic right whale calf was found dead off the North Carolina coast on Friday.
<p>The male calf was also the first documented birth this calving season, a development the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called devastating.</p><p>"Each new right whale calf brings so much hope for this critically <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a>, and losses like this have a substantial impact on their recovery," NOAA wrote in a <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/first-known-north-atlantic-right-whale-calf-season-washes-dead-north-carolina" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>National Park Service workers discovered the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/whales" target="_self">whale</a> on <a href="https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/north-carolina-national-parks/cape-lookout-national-seashore-park-at-a-glance/cape-lookout-national-seashore-the-islands/cape-lookout-national-seashore-north-core-banks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">North Core Banks</a>, the northernmost of three barrier islands that comprise the Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina. On Saturday, a team of biologists came to conduct a necroscopy on the animal and take a DNA sample in order to determine its mother, Cape Lookout National Seashore explained on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CapeLookoutNPS/posts/3608024915884969" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</p><p>"Right Whales are critically endangered and are one of the rarest marine mammals," the seashore wrote.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="24c36ab7f041f96875677ba1e9dc1944"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/CapeLookoutNPS/posts/3608024915884969"></div></div>
<p>The cause of death is not yet known, but NOAA said that there was no evidence human activity was a factor, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/23/us/rare-right-whale-washed-ashore-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. Initial reports suggest the baby died either during birth or soon after.</p><p>The sad discovery comes little less than a month after a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/endangered-right-whale-population-2648532928.html" target="_self">grim NOAA report</a> found there are no more than 366 North Atlantic right whales left. The whales have been suffering from an "unusual mortality event" since 2017, NOAA said Monday. The agency has documented at least 32 deaths and 13 injuries during this event, more than 10 percent of the whales' remaining population. The leading causes of these deaths are vessel strikes and entanglements in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fishing" target="_self">fishing</a> gear.</p><p>The endangered whales also struggle to reproduce. Female whales give birth to only five or six calves per year, according to the Cape Lookout National Seashore. There are about 100 female whales left, CNN reported.</p>
<p>Female right whales usually reach maturity after 10 years and then give birth every three to five years. However, in recent years, the time between births has increased to six to 10 years. Scientists think that females are giving birth less often partly because of the stress of getting entangled in fishing gear. There have been just 22 births total during the past three calving seasons, about one-third of the previous annual average.</p><p>The right whale calving season extends from mid-November to mid-April. In winter, the whales migrate more than 1,000 miles from the waters of Canada and New England to warmer waters around South Carolina, Georgia and Florida's east coast, NOAA <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news/watching-migrating-right-whales-more-important-ever" target="_blank">said</a>. This is also where they give birth and nurse their young. NOAA urged boaters and fishers to watch out for the whales as their migration begins.</p>"NOAA is cautioning all boaters to be vigilant, slow down, and give these endangered whales plenty of room," NOAA wrote. "This will avoid accidental collisions and disturbing the whales as they migrate south. The agency is also asking fishermen to remove their unused gear from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean" target="_self">ocean</a> to help avoid entanglements. Vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths are also required by law."
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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The Argentine black-and-white tegu is an invasive species that can reach four-feet long. Mark Newman / Getty Images
These black-and-white lizards could be the punchline of a joke, except the situation is no laughing matter.
<p>That's because the Argentine black-and-white tegu is an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/invasive-species" target="_self">invasive species</a> of dog-sized lizards that scientists worry could pose a threat to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> across the Southeast.</p><p>The tegus first came to the region as escaped or released pets and began to spread in South Florida more than a decade ago, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/11/tegu-lizards-invasive-spreading-southeast-united-states/" target="_blank">National Geographic reported</a>. But they are now reaching other states in the region and have been spotted in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.</p><p>"[T]he entire southeast portion of the United States is at risk," U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) biologist Amy Yackel Adams told National Geographic. "Much of this area has a climate that is suitable for tegus."</p>
<p>For scientists, the tegus' eating habits are the most concerning aspect as they spread. The lizards, which are native to South America and up to four-feet long, consume everything from eggs and small birds to low-growing fruit. In Venezuela, they are nicknamed <em>lobo pollero,</em> or "the chicken wolf," for their habit of stealing eggs from chicken coops. In the U.S., they could pose an additional hazard to the eggs of threatened or endangered species like the Eastern indigo snake.</p><p>Protecting native <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> is a major concern in Georgia, where the tegus have been spotted mostly in Tattnall and Toombs counties, <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/giant-tegu-lizards-are-moving-into-georgia-and-theyre-not-welcome" target="_blank">Discover reported</a>.</p><p>"They are very efficient predators of our native fauna that don't recognize them as predators," Georgia Southern University biology professor Lance McBrayer told Discover.</p>
<p>Of special concern are ground-nesting birds such as quails and the gopher tortoise, which is the Georgia state reptile, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-four-foot-lizards-will-eat-anything-and-theyre-invading-southeastern-us-180976350/" target="_blank">Smithsonian Magazine reported</a>.</p><p>However, the tegus' egg-stealing ways also make them easier to trap, according to Discover. Seven were captured in Georgia in 2019 and six were captured this year. Those numbers are large enough that McBrayer thinks the lizards are likely breeding in the wild.</p><p>"We suspect that they are breeding, but we have not captured a juvenile," he told Discover. "So, we can't say with absolute certainty that there are baby tegus running around."</p>
<p>McBrayer and Yackel Adams told Discover that the goal is to remove the lizards from Georgia before they can establish a population.</p><p>"We're at that early invasion," Yackel Adams told Discover. "It's the best time to deal with it."</p><p>Meanwhile, state officials are also working to stop the tegus from spreading in South Carolina, where they have been spotted at least nine times since August, <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/eight-more-non-native-black-and-white-tegus-spotted-in-south-carolina" target="_blank">WCIV reported in September</a>.</p>
<p>"The number and distribution of black and white tegu reports in just a few weeks is concerning. Documented sightings come from as far north as Greenville County and as far south as Berkeley County," State Herpetologist Andrew Grosse told WCIV. </p><p>"The individuals removed measured between two and three feet long and consisted of both females and males. Necropsies show the tegus have all been scavenging native plants and animals, including toads, various insects and muscadines. This indicates these individuals are wild, free roaming and foraging opportunistically. It is important that this species does not establish in our state."</p>The climate is a key reason why tegus stand a good chance of spreading throughout the Southeast, since their native region is roughly the same latitude, McBrayer told Discover. Their range could grow even further as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis<br></a>expands tropical and subtropical conditions to the north, National Geographic reported.
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A rare rusty-spotted cat is spotted in the wild in 2015. David V. Raju / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 4.0
Misunderstanding the needs of how to protect three rare cat species in Southeast Asia may be a driving factor in their extinction, according to a recent study.
<p>Only six to 11 percent of the habitat used by the fishing cat, leopard cat and rusty-spotted cat is currently protected, based on findings published in the journal <em>Scientific Reports</em> by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden.</p><p>All three species are endemic to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/india" target="_blank">Indian</a> subcontinent, comprising India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and the Maldives. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2020/01/captivating-images-show-diversity-indias-secretive-wild-cats-big-and-small" target="_blank">Over a third</a> of the world's wild felines call the region home, and the three species studied share a common cat ancestor. There are no current population figures on the rare cats as they are extremely difficult to find, even with state-of-the-art camera traps. </p><p>But the fishing cat, about twice the size of an average house cat, may no longer have a home, as its preferred habitat — mangrove swamps and coastal wetlands — are <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/oceans_practice/coasts/mangroves/mangrove_threats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increasingly eradicated</a> for development. Since 2016 the species has been listed as "Vulnerable" on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18150/50662615" target="_blank">IUCN Red List</a>.</p>
<p>"This study is important because it shows that many small, rare and elusive cats in the Indian subcontinent don't get as much attention as the more spectacular big cats. Nevertheless, the need to protect them is just as pressing," said Mats Björklund, a professor emeritus of Zooecology at Uppsala University, in a statement about the findings. </p><p>The leopard cat is also a victim of habitat destruction, but its environment ranges from shrub land and low-lying forests to inland wetlands, and populations are steadier than those of the fishing cat. Part of the study identified which ecological conditions each species preferred, using computer algorithms to predict their numbers and locations in favored areas. </p><p>The rusty-spotted cat is one of the smallest wild cat species in the world and mostly spends its time in the deciduous forests of India and Sri Lanka. It is listed as <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18149/50662471" target="_blank">"Near Threatened"</a> on the IUCN Red List, due to increased farmland use of its home.</p>
<p>"Species like the rusty-spotted cat exist only in this region, so to ensure we don't lose them it's essential to create more protected areas," said André P. Silva, the study's lead author and a doctoral student in the department of ecology and genetics at Uppsala University.</p><p>The goal of the study was to better understand<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/environment" target="_blank"> environmental </a>factors such as land cover, land use and climate, which threaten the three cat species. Thanks to this research, more protective measures can be implemented.</p><p>"The number and size of the protected areas must be increased to include more biotopes containing these species," says Björklund.</p>
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The island of Tristan da Cunha. VictoriaJStokes / iStock / Getty Images Plus
In the South Atlantic Ocean, a tiny island of 250 people has made a significant contribution to global marine conservation by protecting a huge swath of ocean under its control.
<p>To reach Tristan da Cunha, a UK overseas territory, one must make a seven-day boat trip from South Africa, reported <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2020/11/tristan-da-cunha-atlantic-marine-protection-zone/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>. The island chain recently announced that 700,000 square kilometers (270,271 square miles), or 90% of its territorial waters, will be designated as a large marine protected area (MPA) to safeguard the area's rich <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered animals</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/13/tiny-atlantic-island-takes-giant-leap-towards-protecting-worlds-oceans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. At that size, it will be three times the size of Britain, the largest marine sanctuary in the Atlantic and the fourth largest in the world, providing refuge to sevengill sharks, whales and seals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tristan-da-cunha-rockhopper-penguins-39c5e5d74120972e871327b04f823114" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP News</a> continued.</p>
<p>The new wildlife refuge will be a "no-take" zone, baning bottom-trawling fishing, deep-sea mining and other harmful and extractive harvesting from its waters, National Geographic reported. This will also protect the foraging grounds of tens of millions of seabirds that roost on the island, such as endangered Tristan and yellow-nosed albatross, Atlantic petrel and rockhopper penguins. Critically, these protections will bolster the small Tristan Rock Lobster commercial fishery outside the sanctuary, which is the territory's most important source of income, AP News reported. This luxury crayfish is sold to the U.S., Europe, Japan and China.</p><p>Experts believe that MPAs are a "silver bullet for conservation," <a href="https://earth.org/tristan-da-cunha-marine-protected-area/" target="_blank">Earth.org</a> noted. The <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/expanding-marine-protected-areas-mpa-sustainability-conservation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Economic Forum (WEF)</a> found that MPAs worldwide protect food supplies by leading to larger catch yields through "spillover," where fish from protected areas reproduce and enter fishing hotspots in greater abundance. Expanding the current network of protected areas by just 5% could boost global fish catch by at least 20%, the WEF asserted.</p>
<p>The protected area will join the UK's <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-belt-programme" target="_blank">Blue Belt Programme</a>, which has funded 27 million pounds ($35.5 million) to promote marine conservation in UK overseas territories, AP News reported. The initiative has protected 11.1 million square kilometers (4.3 million square miles) of marine environment, or 1% of the world's oceans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, the report added.</p><p>The program continues to inch closer to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/un-biodiversity-sixth-mass-extinction-2644807009.html?rebelltitem=1" target="_self">global target of protecting 30% of the world's oceans by 2030</a>. Scientists believe that this is the minimum required percentage of protected habitat to preserve <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> and safeguard ecosystems and their functions. According to National Geographic, roughly 8% of the world's oceans are currently designated as MPAs, but only 2.6% are totally off limits to fishing.</p><p>Johnson said, "We need collective global action if we are to bequeath a world that is every bit as wonderful and magnificent as the one we inherited," reported The Guardian.</p><p>According to Earth.org, the UK holds a duty to protect wildlife found in all its territories and will take charge of monitoring and enforcement within the new MPA. This is especially important because the nearest habitation, Saint Helena, is 2,400 km away. Through the Blue Belt Programme, Tristan da Cunha will receive more resources to patrol for illegal fishing activity. Earth.org reported.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-bertarelli-ocean-legacy" target="_blank">Pew Bertarelli project</a>, which promotes the creation of marine reserves around the world, also committed to help the archipelago protect its waters with technology that uses real-time data to evaluate ocean conditions and human activity such as fishing, AP News reported. The project is a joint venture of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Bertarelli Foundation.</p><p>"This small community is responsible for one of the biggest conservation achievements of 2020," Beccy Speight, chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) told AP News. "This will protect one of the most pristine marine environments on the planet."</p><p>James Glass, the territory's chief islander, said in a statement, "Our life on Tristan da Cunha has always been based around our relationship with the sea, and that continues today. That's why we're fully protecting 90% of our waters, and we're proud that we can play a key role in preserving the health of the oceans," reported AP News.</p><p>While the British government lauded the effort and called on other governments to take similar action to meet the ambitious 30%, some critics were not impressed. They noted the hypocrisy of encouraging others to act when the UK allows bottom-trawling in all but two of its domestic offshore MPAs, in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/09/revealed-97-of-uk-offshore-marine-parks-subject-to-destructive-fishing" target="_blank">another Guardian</a> article.</p><p>Jonathan Hall, head of UK overseas territory unit at the RSPB, told Earth.org, "We should also be looking at protecting UK waters. The contrast is stark. We have this small community that is showing leadership in protecting their waters, but there have been lots of examples this year where more effective management of our existing protected areas is needed."</p>
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A black rhino in Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Mikael Drackner / Moment / Getty Images
By Richard Thomas
Joseph Biden was elected to office as the world continues to struggle with a global pandemic that has killed more than a million people and wreaked devastating economic havoc. The pandemic has highlighted how humankind's abuse of our planet and the irreversible loss of the biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which we all rely for our very existence simply can't go on.
<p>I work for <a href="https://www.traffic.org/" target="_blank">TRAFFIC</a>, a nongovernmental organization addressing issues related to wildlife trade, and the COVID pandemic has thrust this topic into the limelight. While we fully acknowledge and appreciate support received under previous administrations, it's clear that the world has underestimated the importance and potential impacts of failing to manage wildlife trade in a way that's legal, sustainable and, critically, includes measures to mitigate against the risk of zoonotic-disease spillover events.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc4ODcyNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTA3NDU5OH0.NL7wbROAyi1nTbXopeJyKo6Sk7BXm88CBlzjVtqNYWc/img.jpg?width=980" id="921d9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="44d0625aef9d48fb6c51463ed13d3634" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Centers for Disease Control staff inspect bushmeat being imported into the U.S. CDC
<p>How do we move forward? First, I would argue that allocating resources to understanding the risks associated with trade in animals — from any source — and how to lessen the danger of disease spillover events is a wise investment. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID gave the go-ahead to activities under a second phase of a Wildlife Trafficking Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project implemented by TRAFFIC, with a renewed zoonotic disease risk focus. TRAFFIC will endeavor to ensure it's money well spent.</p><p>Meanwhile welcome global attention has been paid to addressing the wildlife crime that undermines society and threatens the future of many of the world's wild plants and animals. But we're still not there in curbing these crimes. More resources will help get us over the line.</p><p>These include better equipment, training and working conditions for the rangers on the front lines; enhanced use of wildlife forensics; training of detector dogs; and even access to skilled translators to assist enforcement agencies with interpreting transactions involving foreign nationals. We also need to see renewed efforts by governments, helped by nongovernmental organizations and others, to reduce the consumer demand that fuels such trade.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc4ODcyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDE0MjAwOH0.ApfXBIoKeOYb-BWrVpjD4drHARMCQCHkws9uG8lQTJY/img.jpg?width=980" id="77dd0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="622b956c2f412021bd4807d6909cabfc" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Rangers on patrol in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Bernard DuPont / CC BY-SA 2.0
<p>Finally, the Biden era must go down in history as the turning point when world governments came together in a united front to address the conservation crisis and start down the long road to repair. Next year the delayed <a href="https://www.cbd.int/cop/" target="_blank">15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity</a> will take place, when world governments will finalize the goals and policies of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that will guide humankind to a biodiverse and sustainable future. The current draft of the Framework features, for the first time, a target on wildlife trade. It calls on governments to ensure that the harvesting, trade and use of wild species of fauna and flora are legal, at sustainable levels, and safe by 2030. It would be entirely appropriate if the Biden administration were at center stage throughout the negotiations. Given the role of the United States on the world stage, if Biden takes strong action, other countries will doubtless follow his lead.</p><p>Already the U.S. intention to rejoin the Paris Climate agreement has been a major symbolic step, signaling the country's aim to be at the forefront of global efforts to begin the healing process. Make no mistake: Building a green future is an enormous opportunity for businesses in the United States and beyond to meet the challenges of, and profit from, achieving the goal of a zero-carbon economy. Biden's policies should encourage achievement of that goal on every level. The future is bright, but only if it's green.</p><p>With the world's climate, forests and other natural resources under ever-increasing pressure, there has never been a more urgent need for the robust guidance, sound policies and strong leadership needed to protect our planet. The next four years could be the make-or-break moment.</p><p><em>The opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of</em> The Revelator, <em>the Center for Biological Diversity or their employees.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/biden-leadership-wildlife-crime/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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An employee sprays toxic pesticides on a corn field. D-Keine / Getty Images
An herbicide commonly used in corn and sorghum fields to kill grasses and weeds is being reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency as being harmful to endangered species, according to a biological evaluation draft currently open for public comment.
<p>The exact number of species the herbicide <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/atrazine" target="_blank">atrazine</a> affects is unknown. However, many environmental groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, say more than <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/epa-widely-used-pesticide-atrazine-likely-harms-more-1000-endangered-species-2020-11-05/" target="_blank">1,000 species</a> could be at risk. For example, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/107/10/4612.full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">frog</a> and fish species that are exposed to atrazine show damaged reproductive systems, even at very low concentrations. </p><p>"Finally the EPA has been forced to acknowledge atrazine's far-reaching harms," Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/epa-widely-used-pesticide-atrazine-likely-harms-more-1000-endangered-species-2020-11-05/" target="_blank">statement</a>. "This alarming assessment leaves no doubt that this hideously dangerous pesticide should be banned in the U.S., just as it is across much of the world."</p><p>The new report, released Nov. 5, details how the herbicide's reach is measured. The EPA "considers overlap of the species range (or critical habitat) with areas directly treated with atrazine and those receiving spray drift," the executive summary explained. </p>
<p>"To address uncertainties associated with how treated acres may be distributed within a state (relative to a species range or critical habitat), and the magnitude of usage on any given year, approaches are employed to represent a central estimate of overlap."</p><p>In addition to its use on crop fields, atrazine is also frequently used on household lawns. In September, the agency <a href="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pesticides/US-EPA-reapproves-atrazine/98/i37?ref=search_results" target="_blank">reapproved</a> continued use of the weed killer for two years, with prohibitions in Hawaii, five U.S. territories and Christmas tree farms.</p><p>Atrazine is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/why-is-this-hormone-disrupting-pesticide-banned-in-europe-but-widely-u-1891121997.html" target="_blank">banned </a>throughout the European Union. After glyphosate, an herbicide that has been used for more than 45 years, atrazine is the most common weed killer in the U.S. Swiss-based Syngenta is the largest worldwide manufacturer of atrazine. </p>
<p>It was noted earlier <a href="https://vtdigger.org/2020/02/03/overall-pesticide-usage-down-weedkiller-atrazine-on-the-rise/" target="_blank">this year in Vermont</a> that while overall herbicide use is decreasing, farmers increased using atrazine due to its lower price.</p><p>In 2018 the EPA<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0266-1160" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> concluded</a> that atrazine and two other herbicides "share a common neuroendocrine mechanism of toxicity which results in both reproductive and developmental alterations," in humans. It is often designated a pollutant in ground and drinking water. </p><p>The Rural Coalition Pesticide Action Network North America, the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Biological Diversity's Beyond Pesticide action group recently filed <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rural-coalition-et-al-petition-for-review-final_76454.pdf" target="_blank">a lawsuit</a> to ban atrazine's use in the U.S.</p><p>The EPA is accepting public comments until Jan. 5. If the final evaluation proves harm through exposure, the agency, working with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, will determine the endangered species most at-risk and propose ways to curtail exposure. </p>
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A giant Galápagos tortoise inspired biologist Linda Cayot's career conserving the Galápagos Islands. Arturo de Frias Marques / Wikipedia / CC by 3.0
By Jane Braxton Little
Linda J. Cayot's scientific focus for the day was a male giant tortoise, part of her dissertation research on the ecology of these iconic Galápagos reptiles. When her study animal lumbered into a swirling torrent of muddy El Niño waters, the intrepid scientist jumped in, too. Together they banged against rocks, his carapace and her daypack catching on tree branches as they thumped in tandem down the river to the lowlands of Santa Cruz Island.
<p>Cayot's epic 1983 journey launched a 40-year career devoted to conserving the <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Galápagos Islands</a>. She supervised giant tortoise and land iguana breeding programs; organized campaigns to eradicate invasive species; and coordinated repatriation of tortoises to their native islands. When she began working in the Galápagos, the islands' giant tortoise populations were down to less than 10% of their historic abundance. They've grown since then, bolstered by programs she helped put in place.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3ODAyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNjk2NDQxOH0.XWgznIUQpwPGqR_MSu-IVrWMMMeWhPhV4A5D3uDUXYY/img.jpg?width=980" id="4e12f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e577060e7e16114aa15a5e52c70e4130" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Cayot studied Galápagos giant tortoises on many islands during her 40-year career. This 1982 photo is from Pinzon Island. (© Theresa Kineke Brooks, used with permission)
<p>The goal remains to restore tortoise populations to their historic numbers and distribution. At the current rate, that might be achieved within two centuries.</p><p>For Cayot, who thinks of conservation in terms of <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/aeon-deep-time/505922/" target="_blank">deep time</a>, it's the trajectory that's critical.</p><p>She <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/blog/linda-cayot-retirement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">retired</a> early this year and has just completed co-writing and editing <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/books/galapagos-giant-tortoises/gibbs/978-0-12-817554-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Galápagos Giant Tortoises</em></a><em>, </em>a synthesis of knowledge of these island endemics, including the 60-year history of their conservation. Cayot was honored in October with the <a href="https://turtlesurvival.org/2020-symposium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prichard Turtle Conservation Award for Lifetime Achievement</a>.</p><p>Cayot is a visionary with a practical, one-step-at-a-time approach. If she hadn't fallen in love with Galápagos, she says, she would have been conserving species somewhere else.</p><p>When I asked her about the lessons she's learned from a lifetime of conservation, it came as no surprise that her succinct responses made little mention of tortoises or the Galápagos. Instead she focused on universal elements that speak to the human element of conservation.</p>
Respectful Relationships: Value Everyone’s Input
<p>"You accomplish much more conservation by having good relationships with everyone," says Linda Cayot.</p><p>As a scientist Cayot worked with <a href="https://www.galapagos.gob.ec/en/national-park/" target="_blank">Galápagos National Park Directorate</a> rangers who were fresh out of high school, as well as some of the world's leading herpetologists and geneticists. She sought out people with the tools and ability to solve problems, regardless of their credentials.</p><p>Wacho Tapia is among of them. When he was a 17-year-old Galapagoan volunteer Cayot recognized his passion for giant tortoises and determination to save them. Now director of Galápagos Conservancy's <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/conservation/our-work/tortoise-restoration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative</a>, Tapia's years of working with Cayot ensure continuity in the tortoise restoration projects she initiated.</p><p>The respect Cayot demonstrated throughout her career is reflected in a small incident on Pinta Island. She asked <a href="https://www.houstonzoo.org/blog/houston-zoo-chief-veterinarian-helps-restore-giant-tortoise-population-in-galapagos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joe Flanagan</a>, an American collaborator and chief veterinarian at the Houston Zoo, to document the repatriation of tortoises by photographing the park rangers carrying them to their release sites. One after another refused to be photographed. But when he said the photos were for Cayot, each ranger agreed. Some even primped.</p><p>"Linda recognizes that most conservation problems are caused by people, but she strongly believes that people are also the solution," Flanagan says.</p>Long-term Vision: Conservation Happens Slowly
<p>"Projects can take 50 years," says Cayot. "That's a hell of a long time! But those are the projects that push conservation forward."</p><p>Cayot has always maintained a long-term vision. But working in the Galápagos honed it from years to decades and centuries.</p><p>The successful projects she worked on included repatriating tortoises to Española, the southernmost island. In the 1960s park rangers found just 14 tortoises there.</p><p>They took them to the <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/conservation/our-work/tortoise-restoration/tortoise-breeding-and-rearing-programs/" target="_blank">Santa Cruz breeding center</a>, added a male from the San Diego Zoo, and launched a breeding program Cayot later supervised. When young tortoises born at the center were old enough to survive out of captivity, they were released on the island of their ancestors.</p><p>In June Galápagos Park marked the successful conclusion of the <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/newsroom/espanola-tortoises-return-home-following-closure-of-successful-breeding-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">project</a> by returning the original tortoises to Española — 55 years after removing them — to join their progeny and the offspring they in turn had produced.</p><p>Cayot also had a central role in eradicating <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/conservation/our-work/ecosystem-restoration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">invasive species</a> from the islands. When she first arrived in Galápagos, the southern rim of <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/about-galapagos/the-islands/isabela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alcedo Volcano</a> was covered with <em>Zanthoxylum</em> trees. By the early 1990s, invasive goats were destroying the forest, a critical area for giant tortoises. Cayot coordinated <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/conservation/our-work/ecosystem-restoration/project-isabela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Project Isabela</a>, the largest invasive species eradication ever attempted anywhere.</p><p>It took nearly a decade. Today the vegetation is slowly regenerating. Full restoration will take decades more, but that's not a problem in her mind: Cayot views Galápagos conservation in 100-year increments.</p><p>"I worked on the everyday details of Project Isabela, but I was thinking ahead to a century and beyond," she says.</p>Serendipity: Learn From Surprises
<p>"Don't worry if it takes a long time," says Cayot. "Emerging knowledge may result in significant changes and greater success in the end."</p><p>In 1972 <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/6/120625-lonesome-george-tortoise-last-extinct-galapagos-science-animals/" target="_blank">Lonesome George</a>, the last Pinta Island tortoise, was taken to a Santa Cruz Island pen for his protection. Scientists later decided to return tortoises to Pinta, where the habitat was declining without them. Although they would not be the endemic Pinta species, they would still disperse native plant seeds and modify habitat to help other animals and plants thrive, scientists reasoned.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3ODA1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODcwNDQxMH0.MpR9xjgJl8_DJmv_59gU3bNy0Zt3gYrHl19xX0wonbo/img.jpg?width=980" id="79af7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6386ce9d297025bec60c1d78f7807d38" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Lonesome George in 2008. Photo: Arturo de Frias Marques (CC BY-SA 3.0)
<p>But the herpetologists working on Galápagos tortoise conservation disagreed, and breeding tortoises were never moved to Pinta.</p><p>It ended up being a fortuitous delay. Soon <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/12/150812-Galapagos-lonesome-george-tortoise-extinct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expeditions</a> to <a href="https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/wolf.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wolf Volcano</a>, a remote island where a variety of tortoise species roamed, discovered living tortoises with mixed ancestry, including the Pinta tortoise. That sparked hope that scientists might eventually find others more closely related to Lonesome George — a better option for release on Pinta.</p><p>For now, though, this northernmost island remains without the tortoises that evolved there. And that may be for the best.</p><p>"We don't know everything," says Cayot. "The more knowledge we get the more carefully we can find the right tortoises for that island."</p>
Collaboration: One Solution From Many Agendas
<p>"You can see the excitement growing when you come up with solutions no one had thought of before," says Cayot.</p><p>When Cayot began coordinating Project Isabela, she knew it would only succeed if Galápagos Park Directorate and <a href="https://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/about/cdrs" target="_blank">Charles Darwin Research Station</a> worked together.</p><p>Because they'd never officially co-run a project, Cayot spent an evening sewing. She took a park hat and a station hat — each of which bore an image of a tortoise — cut them both in half and stitched them back together, making the bisected embroidered tortoise whole again. Cayot wore that hat when she gave talks, pulling it on if discussions became contentious.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3ODA2Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTAyOTA4Mn0.HX9Qm52dhoRlOkFbR5q_DRazV193nT66ypWVriF8l6I/img.jpg?width=980" id="ae0d8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6bd384586c49e7d64583ea3265436359" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Linda Cayot made this hat out of a Galápagos Park cap and a Charles Darwin Research Station cap to symbolize and promote the cooperation required for the projects they shared. (© Jane Braxton Little, used with permission)
<p>The grand plan to restore giant tortoises to their historic numbers and distribution included an international workshop in 2012 that she facilitated. Scientists and rangers were beginning to design expeditions to Wolf Volcano. The geneticists focused on finding animals with genetic material from two extinct species and breeding them, a process that would involve multiple generations and take at least 100 years. Conservationists also wanted to find the highest genetic matches possible, but their priority was getting tortoises onto the islands, where they're key to habitat restoration; they couldn't wait a century.</p><p>These differences challenged geneticists and conservationists alike to be creative. The solution they adopted is the basis for an <a href="https://www.galapagos.org/blog/gtri-tortoise-center-review/" target="_blank">ambitious plan</a> to revive extinct species and restore island ecosystems. They're using the knowledge of the geneticists to select the best animals to breed in captivity. Those with lesser genetic material will be released to the islands of their ancestors, satisfying the conservationists' goal.</p><p>"With everyone willing to think outside the box, we ended up with novel solutions, ones that we all liked better than our own individual plans," Cayot says. "That can only happen when everyone values each other's input and respects each other's knowledge."</p>
<p><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/jblittle/" target="_blank"><em>Jane Braxton Little </em></a><em>is an award-winning independent journalist who writes about science and the environment for publications that include The Atlantic, Audubon, Bay Nature, Discover, and Scientific American. Little is based in rural Plumas County, where she arrived years ago fresh out of Harvard graduate school for a summer that has yet to end.</em></p><p><em><a href="http://twitter.com/JBraxtonLittle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/JBraxtonLittle<br/></a></em><em><em><a href="https://www.janebraxtonlittle.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.janebraxtonlittle.com/</a></em></em></p><p><em><em><a href="https://www.janebraxtonlittle.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a></em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/cayot-lessons-conservation/" target="_blank">The Revelator.</a></em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2648893022#/" target="_self"></a></p>
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An orca swims in the Pacific Northwest. Malcolm Surgenor / Flickr / Creative Commons
The U.S. Navy has secured permission for exercises in the Pacific Northwest that could harm endangered orcas and other marine mammals.
The new rule, published in the Federal Register Thursday, would allow the Navy to increase the number of Southern Resident killer whales it could "take"—or potentially harm—from two a year currently to 51 a year through 2027, The News Tribune reported.
<p>"This plan allows Navy war games to harm and harass marine mammals from the Pacific Northwest to Alaska. Critically endangered orcas and right <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/whales" target="_self">whales</a> would be assaulted by sonar and explosions," <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> (CBD) <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">oceans</a> program director Miyoko Sakashita said in a <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/navys-pacific-northwest-training-plan-harms-hundreds-of-endangered-whales-2020-11-12/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. "We understand the need for military training, but the Navy can do much more to balance that with its legal obligation to minimize harm to vulnerable <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine life</a>." </p>
<p>The plight of Southern Resident killer whales, the orcas that roam the waters between Washington and British Columbia, have attracted increased attention and urgency in recent years, especially after one mother <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/orca-mother-calf-mourning-2594507257.html" target="_self">carried her dead calf</a> for 17 days. That mother finally <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/orca-dead-calf-new-birth-2647545791.html" target="_self">gave birth</a> to a healthy baby this summer, but there are still only 74 Southern Resident killer whales left, according to the <a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/orca-population" target="_blank">Center for Whale Research</a>. They <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/emergency-order--resident-orcas-2530527365.html" target="_self">have been harmed</a> by a steep decline in their Chinook salmon prey, pollution and noise and disturbances below the waves.</p><p>It is the last threat that could be increased by the Navy activities, which include firing torpedoes, using sonar, detonating bombs and using underwater drones, according to The News Tribune. Sonar and explosions can make it harder for whales and orcas to hear, and can interrupt their feeding, reproduction and migration, the CBD pointed out. Underwater noise can also kill up to 50 percent of zooplankton, the basis of the marine food web.</p><p>The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that the Navy get permission for any activities that could harm marine mammals from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The NMFS regulation governs the Navy's Northwest Training and Testing, which will take place off the Pacific Coast from Northern California to Alaska beginning Nov. 9 of this year and concluding in 2027.</p><p>In addition to orcas, the Navy's activities are expected to harm or bother more than 200 humpback whales, 300 minke whales and 10 blue whales every year, CBD reported. They could also harm 2,539 Cuvier's beaked whales every year, out of a population of just 3,274. NMFS did not even consider how the Navy's activities would impact North Pacific right whales, which have a population of only a couple dozen.</p><p>The proposal prompted concerns from Washington State officials over the threat posed to orcas, which rose from two to 51 animals bothered each year because the Navy realized the animals' population was more dense in the testing area than previous models had indicated, according to The News Tribune.</p><p>"The approval of such a high level of incidental take without requiring any additional mitigation measures represents gross neglect of the agency's management responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act to avoid or mitigate impacts to this highly endangered and iconic species," the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Natural Resources, the Puget Sound Partnership, State Office of Recreation and Conservation, the Governor's Office of Salmon Recovery and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz wrote in a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7002861-NMFS-7-16-20.html" target="_blank">joint letter</a> to NMFS in July.</p><p>In the final rule, NMFS responded to concerns about the increased take by saying it had added new mitigation measures to the final rule, including introducing new mitigation measures during explosive mine countermeasures and neutralization testing, as well as mitigation measures aimed at certain areas of critical habitat. The Navy is only responsible for less than one percent of boat traffic in the Pacific Northwest, according to The News Tribune.</p>
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A Popa langur. Photo credit: ©Thaung Win
A new species of primate has been discovered in Myanmar, and it is already extremely endangered.
<p>In a study published in <a href="http://www.zoores.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.254" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zoological Research</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_self">scientists</a> described the species for the first time. The Popa langur (<em>Trachypithecus popa</em>) is a type of langur, or leaf-eating monkey, with a black face and white circles around the eyes, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54894681" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BBC News</a>. But there are only 200 to 250 of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> left in the wild, and they live in four isolated populations.</p><p>"Sadly this is a bittersweet discovery due to the limited number of individuals left in the wild and fragmented populations," Roberto Portela Miguez, a study coauthor and the senior curator at the London Natural History Museum, said, as <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/10/asia/myanmar-new-primate-species-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p>
<p>The Popa langur was discovered in a surprising way, according to an AFP article published in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/11/popa-scoop-100-year-old-monkey-faeces-reveals-new-species-in-myanmar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. A genetic analysis of a more-than 100 year old specimen held at London's Natural History Museum revealed that it was a distinct species. The museum specimen matched more recent bones gathered in the field in Myanmar. The monkeys were filmed for the first time in 2018.</p>
<div id="4c1c6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fb27e84516d1306d78d71f1ca35ac275"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326451307394310149" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Museum's collections have helped to reveal that a monkey living on the side of an extinct volcano in Myanmar is… https://t.co/ZWM0DXGl7l</div> — Natural History Museum (@Natural History Museum)<a href="https://twitter.com/NHM_London/statuses/1326451307394310149">1605085610.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Monkeys are one of the most iconic groups of mammals, and these specimens have been in the collections for over a hundred years," Miguez said in a <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2020/november/new-species-of-monkey-is-already-critically-endangered.html?utm_source=tw-link-post-20201111-jd&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=news" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">museum press release</a>. "But we didn't have the tools or the expertise to do this work before. It is thanks to this collaboration with multiple international colleagues and latest sequencing techniques that we manage to bring this species to light."</p><p>The research was a collaboration between the museum, <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Flora & Fauna International</a>, and the German Primate Centre.</p><p>There are more than 20 species of langur in the world, according to AFP, and several are already endangered. The Popa langur takes its name from Myanmar's Mount Popa, a pilgrimage site that is home to the species' largest population, CNN reported. That population has more than 100 individuals.</p>
<div id="3b7d7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1fa053dca32789afd4b719c44a7df883"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326454691945918465" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Alarmingly, this newly described langur is already staring extinction in the face.
The biggest population (around… https://t.co/Aqe1ECIAQb</div> — Fauna & Flora Int. (@Fauna & Flora Int.)<a href="https://twitter.com/FaunaFloraInt/statuses/1326454691945918465">1605086417.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Luckily, Mount Popa is already home to a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> sanctuary, but Miguez said that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hunting" target="_self">hunting</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a> still occur there.</p><p>Overall, habitat loss is the greatest threat to the new species, which once lived throughout Myanmar.</p><p>"Hunting is a big problem but the bigger threat is the habitat is almost gone and it is reduced, fragmented and isolated due to human encroachment, " Christian Roos of the German Primate Centre told BBC News.</p><p>However, the scientists said that the discovery of the new species will help with its <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a>.</p><p>"The hope is that by giving this species the scientific status and notoriety it merits, there will be even more concerted efforts in protecting this area and the few other remaining populations," Miguez said in the museum release. "At least whatever decisions are made in the future when it comes to things like how the parks are managed, those [will] be from a more informed point of view as we now know of the distinctiveness of the population of langurs that is actually there."</p>
<p>Past history gives reason for hope, <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/news/new-primate-species-discovered-myanmar-monkey-mystery-unravels?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=news" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Flora & Fauna International pointed out</a>. A decade ago, the organization discovered the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey and realized there were only 260 to 330 of the animals left. But they worked with the Myanmar government and local communities to help the species. The Myanmar government just declared its mountain forest habitat a protected area this year.</p><p>"It is hoped that by engaging with communities, and with business interests whose areas of operation overlap with the Popa langur's limestone habitat, we will pave the way for appropriate action to protect this particular primate in perpetuity," the conservation organization wrote.</p>
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The proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline threatens water sources, species habitat, and scenery along the Appalachian Trail. Thomas Cizauskas / Flickr
Opponents of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline won a reprieve Monday when a federal court issued a stay on key permits that the pipeline needs to cross streams and rivers.
<p>The project, which would carry <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/fracking/" target="_self">fracked</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/natural-gas" target="_self">natural gas</a> through around 300 miles of Virginia and West Virginia, was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/mountain-valley-pipeline-ferc-2648192229.html" target="_self">given a go-ahead</a> in October by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to restart construction along most of its route following years of legal challenges. The pipeline has already racked up at least 350 environmental regulations and $2.26 million in fines. The environmental groups behind the suit noted that the pipeline operators had told investors they wanted to blast through "critical" streams "as quickly as possible before anything is challenged," the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> (CBD) reported in a press release emailed to EcoWatch.</p>
<p>"Communities along the pipeline route have been on edge these past several weeks as the company has moved in heavy equipment and started doing work, so we're very glad the court pressed pause on this permit while the water-crossing issues are reviewed further," Peter Anderson, Virginia program manager at <a href="https://appvoices.org/" target="_blank">Appalachian Voices</a>, said in the press release.</p><p>CBD and Appalachian Voices are two of the groups behind the lawsuit, along with <a href="https://chesapeakeclimate.org/" target="_blank">Chesapeake Climate Action Network</a>, <a href="http://indiancreekwatershedassociation.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Indian Creek Watershed Association</a>, <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sierra Club</a>, <a href="https://wvhighlands.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">West Virginia Highlands Conservancy</a>, <a href="https://wvrivers.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">West Virginia Rivers Coalition</a> and <a href="https://wildvirginia.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wild Virginia</a>. The coalition was represented by <a href="http://www.appalmad.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Appalachian Mountain Advocates</a>.</p>
<p>The stay is part of a larger challenge brought by the groups to permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers in September that would allow the pipeline to cross around 1,000 streams, rivers, wetlands and other waterways. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the first two Army Corps permits in 2018, and pipeline opponents hope it will reject the second pair as well.</p><p>The court issued an emergency stay of the permits Oct. 16. Monday's stay will last until the court can make a definitive ruling on the new permits. The environmental groups argue that the new permits violate the Army Corps' responsibility to protect <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a>, <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/mountain-valley-pipeline-construction-blocked-by-fourth-circuit" target="_blank">Bloomberg Law reported</a>.</p>
<p>"This decision will help ensure the pipeline doesn't keep posing catastrophic threats to waterways that people and imperiled species depend on to survive," CBD senior attorney Jared Margolis said in the press release. "Despite the project's clear failure to comply with the law, Mountain Valley keeps pushing this <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate</a>-killing menace. We'll continue working to ensure this destructive pipeline doesn't poison waters and threaten communities along its route."</p><p>The pipeline is being built by Equitrans, NextEra Energy, Consolidated Edison Inc, AltaGas Ltd and RGC Resources Inc, according to <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-pipeline/u-s-court-suspends-key-permits-for-equitrans-mountain-valley-pipeline-idUKKBN27Q0B9" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. Equitrans spokeswoman Natalie Cox said that the stay was disappointing, but that construction would continue along other parts of the route.</p><p>"We are hopeful and expect that once the case is reviewed on the merits of the arguments there will be a different conclusion," Cox told Reuters.</p><p>However, Wild Virginia Conservation Director David Sligh said the stay was a good sign for the pipeline's opponents.</p>
<p>"Convincing a court to stay an agency decision requires plaintiffs to convince the judges that they have a good chance to prove their case after full review," Sligh noted in the press release. "Now, we look forward to doing just that — to show conclusively that the Corps of Engineers abdicated its duty to protect us and our resources."</p><p>Reuters noted that the Mountain Valley Pipeline is one of several <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> pipelines that has been granted approval by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump-administration" target="_self">Trump administration</a> only to run into delays as environmental and community groups bring legal challenges. When construction on the pipeline began in Feb. 2018, Equitrans estimated it would cost around $3.5 billion and be completed by the end of the year. The price tag has now nearly doubled to as much as $6 billion.</p><p>Another pipeline in the same region, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/atlantic-coast-pipeline-canceled-2646347475.html" target="_self">canceled</a> by its owners in July following similar opposition and delays.</p><p>"The MVP has already doubled its timeline and budget, and it's not even close to being finished," Joan Walker, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign, said in the press release. "If they were smart, they would quit throwing good money after bad and walk away from this fracked gas disaster like Duke Energy and Dominion Energy did with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline."</p>
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Endangered orangutans have long been losing habitat due to deforestation turning their rainforest island ranges into large-scale palm oil plantations. BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images
By Carly Nairn
Climate change and global food demand could drive a startling loss of up to 23 percent of all natural habitat ranges in the next 80 years, according to new findings published in Nature Communications.
<p>Habitat loss could accelerate to a level that brings about rapid extinctions of already vulnerable species. Shrinking ranges for mammals, amphibians and birds already account for an 18 percent loss of previous natural ranges, the study found, with a jump expected to reach 23 percent by this century's end.</p><p>Global food demand currently fuels agricultural sectors to increase land use, moving into habitats previously untouched. What results — <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation">deforestation</a> — leaves more carbon dioxide in the air, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change. In the U.S. alone, agriculture-related emissions measure <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/climate-change/#:~:text=Agriculture%20and%20forestry%20together%20are,largest%20contributor%20to%20climate%20change." target="_blank">11.6 percent</a> of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.</p>
<p>Deforestation and <a href="https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-Loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">habitat loss</a> also harms the natural cycles of ecosystems, affecting all stages of animal life from reproduction, to migration, to mating. For most species, survivability depends on geographic range. The study, which analyzed changes in the different habitats of 16,919 species from 1700 onward, found that with the increase in habitat destruction due to agriculture and climate change, more species will die sooner than previously expected.</p><p>"The tropics are biodiversity hotspots with lots of small-range species. If one hectare of tropical forest is converted to agricultural land, a lot more species lose larger proportions of their home than in places like Europe," said Dr. Robert Beyer of the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, one of the authors of the study.</p>
<p>In many ways, the conclusion is already playing out in real time. Endangered orangutans have long been a noteworthy species dwindling in population due to their rainforest island ranges in Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia transforming into large-scale <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/orangutans-are-hanging-on-in-the-same-palm-oil-plantations-that-displace-them/" target="_blank">palm oil plantations</a>. Farming and charcoal production have moved certain species of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/26/science/madagascar-lemurs-climate-change.html" target="_blank">lemur</a> — Madagascar's signature primate — into private reserves. And Amazon jaguars are increasingly difficult to spot as their <a href="https://psmag.com/environment/deforestation-is-threatening-jaguars" target="_blank">ranges</a> are cut into to ranch cattle.</p><p>"Whether these past trends in habitat range losses will reverse, continue, or accelerate will depend on future global carbon emissions and societal choices in the coming years and decades," study leader Andrea Manica, a professor at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, explained.</p><p>The report is one more substantiated piece of evidence to push for the reversal of the current conversion of natural habitat to land used for resources.</p><p>"It all depends on what we do next," Manica concluded. </p>
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