A company from Ghana is making bikes out of bamboo.
By Kate Whiting
Bernice Dapaah calls bamboo "a miracle plant," because it grows so fast and absorbs carbon. But it can also work wonders for children's education and women's employment – as she's discovered.
<p>Bamboo is abundant in her native Ghana, where she <a href="http://ghanabamboobikes.org/video/" target="_blank">runs a social enterprise</a> that employs women to transform it into bicycles which are exported all over the world.</p><p><span></span>Cycling is well known as being a low-carbon form of transport – but Dapaah is making it even more sustainable.</p><p>For every bamboo plant that is cut down to make a bike, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative plants 10 more. <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/bamboo-as-a-replacement-to-steel#:~:text=Yes%2C%20bamboo%20is%20stronger%20than,noticeable%20lead%20at%2028%2C000%20pounds." target="_blank">Bamboo is stronger than steel</a> in terms of tensile strength and is a cheaper, more sustainable material. It also takes less electricity to make a bamboo bike than a metal one. And the frame is completely recyclable.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUzMDU2OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTk1MDcwOX0.6CswX_fjuMOGfmmf7-ZNaPial_yXaDIMr4Be5sponxo/img.jpg?width=980" id="2a3fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="08b2a7c53915a40a7f0c7c7cf5735489" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
These are the world's most bicycle-friendly cities. Statista
<p>"The reason we use bamboo to manufacture bicycles is because it's found abundantly in Ghana and this is not a material we're going to import," says Dapaah, one of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.</p><p>"It's a new innovation. There were no existing bamboo bike builders in our country, so we were the first people trying to see how best we could utilize the abundant bamboo in Ghana."</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a335b5dffdd806bd6bb4debea90c2045"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxsb9c4HMn0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Supporting Students
<p>Besides encouraging Ghanaians to swap vehicles for affordable bikes, Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative is helping students save time on walking to school so they have more time to learn.</p><p>Each time they sell a bike, they donate a bike to a schoolchild in a rural community, who might otherwise have to walk for hours to get to school.</p><p>Dapaah knows how transformative a shorter journey to school can be to academic performance. She grew up living with her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb3joGYmx9A&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">grandpa, a forester in a rural part of the country</a>.</p><p>"We had to walk three and a half hours every day before I could go to school. He later bought me a bike, so I finished senior high and wanted to go to university."</p><p>The experience inspired her to launch Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative with two other students at college.</p><p>"When we started this initiative, I looked back and said, when I was young, I had to walk miles before I could get to school, and sometimes if I was late, I was punished.</p><p>"Why don't we donate bikes for students to encourage them to study and so they can have enough time to be on books."</p><p>To date, they have sold more than 3,000 road, mountain and children's bikes – and Dapaah says they plan to donate <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/video/350343" target="_blank">10,000 bikes to schoolchildren over five years</a>.</p>Empowering Women
<p>The enterprise is also providing local jobs. It teaches young people to build bikes, particularly women and those in rural communities, where jobs can be scarce. More than 50% of people they have trained are women.</p><p>Dapaah says they want to boost the number of people they employ to 250 over the next five years and they are looking to partner with NGOs to build a childcare facility so mothers can continue to work.</p>Reducing Emissions
<p>By promoting a cycling culture in Ghana, Dapaah says they're also committed to reducing emissions in the transport sector and contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.</p><p>"I love the idea of reusing bamboo to promote sustainable cycling. People want to go green, low-carbon, lean-energy efficient," she says.</p>From Your Site Articles
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There are hundreds of species of sharks in the world, and they have been around since before the dinosaurs. Albert kok / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
Every day, sharks suffer from different threats. Up to 100 million sharks disappear every year, due to destructive fishing by humans and the impact of climate breakdown. One-third of the world's known shark species have been listed as "threatened" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
<p>We need to talk about them, because the ocean desperately needs sharks! After 400 million years of evolution, sharks are incredible creatures—master hunters with incredible precision. Sitting at the top of the food chain, they're central to maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems.</p><p>There are hundreds of species of sharks in the world, and they have been around since before the dinosaurs. Despite their fearsome Hollywood reputation, they are some of the most amazing animals on the planet.</p><p>1. Many sharks lay eggs, but some give birth to live young, just like we do. Shark pregnancies can last from a few months to well over a couple of years. That's longer than whales or elephants!</p><p><br></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDU5Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMDQ3MDc0MH0.cADsDutCP_Np2fztvpCMIcZl9BrlLWVametRvrCVaVE/img.jpg?width=980" id="1694d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7976b712a17115fa12373c79dda3da4b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
This whale shark smiles for the camera in the warm water off the coast of the Philippines. Greenpeace
<p>2. Sharks come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny lantern sharks, which are about the size of your hand, to giant whale sharks, which are about the same size as a bus.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDU5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTI0MDc2M30.5HG2OtaWn7rzG-yOCCi1uudu1ZtsJN3WVAa862Y-Czw/img.jpg?width=980" id="90d57" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="19a48d869f278de604853069b22ac627" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A former fisherman, now a whale shark guide, hand feeds a whale shark as a tourist takes an underwater photo, Tan-awan, Oslob Cebu. Greenpeace
<p>3. Greenland sharks, which live in cold polar waters, hold the record as the oldest known vertebrate animals on the planet. Since they are estimated to live as long as 500 years, there could be some alive today that were born in the Middle Ages. For reference, Leonardo Da Vinci painted the <em>Mona Lisa</em> 500 years ago!</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDYwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTAyNzIyM30.joSQ45GWbPmjbQz6HORGAc7lqCU5yhQQ7Ph9yJw0bAw/img.jpg?width=980" id="3dfaa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4a167fd460fb02965e4b584e16bd381e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
An oceanic whitetip shark in Egypt. Greenpeace
<p>4. Mako sharks hold the record for being the most athletic sharks, reaching swimming speeds of over 40 miles per hour! They are also known to have jumped as much as 30 feet out of the water.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDU5Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5OTMxMTgxMn0.XOtp2RxmO3ocWdYrrS9aFXWERPqaEIYaHXCR-RX7bUA/img.jpg?width=980" id="1e7e1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d271852e180662116cffa34baac9dc6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A whale shark photographed from above in Cenderawasih Bay National Park, Indonesia. Greenpeace
<p>5. The world's biggest sharks also have the widest mouths and eat only tiny ocean plankton, just like the largest whales.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDU5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDUzODY3N30.1PhPwfNoxgOVScTrLd7j74Z7Xltx4o4LcdORF1pLECg/img.jpg?width=980" id="8ef53" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="94b49ddbeb7942a6fdfb7dafc4e5656b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A whale shark in the Philippines. Greenpeace
<p>6. Carpet sharks live on the ocean floor and have elaborate patterns to blend in with perfect camouflage. The Tasseled Wobbegong shark takes this to the extreme, with a fringe of feathery 'tassels' around its body.</p><video controls id="47fac" width="100%" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1b871017fa92559349dea2a0f82b9e3b" expand="1" feedbacks="true" mime_type="video/mp4" shortcode_id="1596802627015" url="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F19031-whale-vid.mp4" videoControls="true"> <source src="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F19031-whale-vid.mp4" type="video/mp4"> Your browser does not support the video tag. </video><p>7. Epaulette sharks have developed a cunning ability to hold their breath and walk over rocks and land using their fins and tail. This lets them check out the seafood buffet in neighboring rock pools at low tide.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDYwNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwODQ5OTcxOX0.2EAryAcdpiL6LFqO4DfJ36hzjr5mO1o04-mqyYmyQ-M/img.jpg?width=980" id="3e376" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6687e03c7d218576a4717d9e7a5b1164" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Lemon shark and other fish underwater at Tuamotus, French Polynesian. Greenpeace
<p>8. Hammerhead sharks' elongated heads not only give them super-sense when it comes to electromagnetic detection, but they also have almost 360-degree surround vision.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDYwNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTg3OTE0NH0.epJrafWy-FvIbNkUV9inwp0cdtXEwaw9Hg5Z9wyLe68/img.jpg?width=980" id="f28f3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1b4e75f4c1d9e2d3c30096e269188f3f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) near the Azores. Greenpeace
<p>9. When sharks are turned upside down, they go into a natural suspended state called tonic immobility.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDYwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDg4NzcwNH0.aZeWi6Y4c26xzdmZnp4iut-H04EjlT5dY8EzKD95nl4/img.jpg?width=980" id="8f836" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7082c58afd2044cb5b9c74a3686a948a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A shark is seen in the Republic of Palau. Greenpeace
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">10. It's dark in the deep sea, so tiny lantern sharks have developed their own way to glow in the dark. It's not yet known if this is to find food, find each other, or help avoid being eaten!</span><br></p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MDYwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzA5MDU1MX0.Z0515YQ-ahMtFOXMkbv9l7uGuHMKL-MH5gC_eUBvoho/img.jpg?width=980" id="d857c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="178223bd3bc63966fd6a447f01532340" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/10-little-known-shark-facts/" target="_blank">Greenpeace</a>.</em></p>Grey Reef Sharks in Tahiti. Greenpeace
<p>In June 2019, the Greenpeace ship Esperanza went to the North Atlantic to confront the overfishing of sharks. At the same time, Greenpeace International issued a report, <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/22700/sharks-under-attack/" target="_blank">Sharks Under Attack: Overfished and under-protected</a>. It proposed a solution: secure a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the UN.</p>From Your Site Articles
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
This July, wildlife advocates are celebrating the 30th anniversary of reintroducing red kites to the UK. Tony Hisgett / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
In July 1990, a British Airways plane flew from Spain to the UK carrying some very unique cargo: 13 red kites.
<p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/birds" target="_self">birds</a> launched a landmark effort to reintroduce the iconic raptor to England. When they landed, the only red kites in all of the UK were a few breeding pairs in Wales. Now, there are around 1,800 breeding pairs across the whole country, and you can see them in almost every English county, according to a government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/30-year-anniversary-of-landmark-release-of-red-kites-in-the-chiltern-hills" target="_blank">press release</a>. This July, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> advocates are celebrating the 30th anniversary of that fateful flight.</p><p>"In a few short decades we have taken a species from the brink of extinction, to the UK being home to almost 10% of the entire world population," <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal Society for the Protection of Birds</a> (RSPB) operations director for Central and Eastern England Jeff Knott said in the press release. "It might be the biggest species success story in UK <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> history."</p>
<div id="ef34b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fc08c5fb4a91d25c9da7fb87efbb2be1"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1285146109904670720" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">In July 30 years ago, we reintroduced 13 young red kites to the Chilterns, alongside partners. Once practically ext… https://t.co/RA0xZSJAeo</div> — Natural England (@Natural England)<a href="https://twitter.com/NaturalEngland/statuses/1285146109904670720">1595237684.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br>RSPB worked with government agency Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England), Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Zoological Society London and British Airways to release the birds in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a hilly part of England chosen for its suitability, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. Red kites were later reintroduced in other locations, and, by 1996, at least 37 pairs had bred in Southern England. Today they are still thriving in the Chilterns, as well as in South East England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands, Wales and Scotland.</p><p>Red kites are notable for their reddish-brown color, forked tail and distinctive cry. They were once so common in England that William Shakespeare described London as a "city of kites and crows," the RSPB tweeted.</p>
<div id="282f9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2f2563ff7da87eb5838f66cf3710fe82"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1285162496152801280" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The UK is home to 10% of the world’s red kite population, but did you know that even just 30 years ago they were ne… https://t.co/rYOj159fgU</div> — RSPB (@RSPB)<a href="https://twitter.com/Natures_Voice/statuses/1285162496152801280">1595241590.0</a></blockquote></div><p>However, by the 20th century they had been driven to extinction in England and Scotland, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/red-kites-conservation-history-environment-birds-rspb-a9627216.html" target="_blank">The Independent reported</a>. They were killed because of their reputation as pests and their attractiveness to taxidermists. Their eggs were also preyed on by collectors. While a few remained in Wales, genetic testing linked them to only one female, according to RSPB.</p>
<div id="39742" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cdfd1712259b5b84c2768786d4e58261"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1285162499462115328" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sadly, attitudes towards birds of prey changed and red kites were driven to near extinction in England by the 1900'… https://t.co/XXwkKOQ8l3</div> — RSPB (@RSPB)<a href="https://twitter.com/Natures_Voice/statuses/1285162499462115328">1595241591.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The species's comeback has paved the way for other reintroduction efforts in England. In 2019, for example, Natural England issued licenses for five white-tailed eagles to be reintroduced to the Isle of Wight, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/20/red-kites-thriving-in-england-30-years-after-reintroduction" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.<br></p><p>"People are looking at many other species, not only birds, but also mammals and invertebrates, to put back some of the living fabric of our islands that's been depleted over many years from habitat destruction, persecution and chemical pollution," Natural England chair Tony Juniper told The Guardian. "As we face the global nature crisis, this is extremely important for people to know – that it is not a one-way street and we can reverse the flow of these historic trends if we put our minds to it."</p><p>The UK's 25-year Environment Plan includes provisions for reintroducing species when it will help the environment. Beavers were successfully reintroduced to Scotland and the government is considering reintroducing them in England. And white storks gave birth in the wild in Britain this summer for the first time since 1416.</p><p>"Some of these big animals like white storks and white-tailed eagles become ambassadors for a far bigger discussion around nature recovery. If those animals are thriving, then we know we have a healthy natural environment," Juniper said.</p>
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Critically Endangered Orangutan Species in Indonesia Gets Reprieve as Controversial Dam Delayed
17 July
Animals
Indonesia's dam project might devastate the most critical areas of the Batang Toru ecosystem and drive the Tapanuli orangutan to extinction. Tim Laman / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 4.0
By Hans Nicholas Jong
Construction of a hydropower plant in the only known habitat of a critically endangered orangutan species on the Indonesian island of Sumatra might be delayed for up to three years due to COVID-19 and funding issues.
<p>Muhammad Ikhsan Asaad, who oversees the project for state-owned utility PLN, said the Batang Toru plant was supposed to start operating in 2022, based on the agreement between PLN and project developer PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NHSE).</p><p>"But it might be delayed to 2025, mainly because the drawdown from lender Bank of China is stopped due to environmental concerns as well as COVID-19," he <a href="https://www.dunia-energi.com/proyek-plta-batang-toru-molor-hingga-2025/" target="_blank">said</a>.</p><p>In construction, a drawdown refers to a situation in which a company receives part of the funding necessary to complete a project, and the rest of the funding might be disbursed gradually over the course of the project.</p><p>The project is <a href="https://www.gatra.com/detail/news/426148/politik/plta-batang-toru-selesai-akhir-tahun-2020" target="_blank">estimated to cost</a> $1.68 billion, financed through equity and loans.</p><p>NSHE <a href="https://alert-conservation.org/issues-research-highlights/2018/7/9/alert-scientists-lobby-indonesian-president-to-save-worlds-rarest-ape" target="_blank">initially sought loans</a> from funders like the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). But following the description of a new orangutan species, the Tapanuli orangutan (<em>Pongo tapanuliensis</em>), in the Batang Toru ecosystem in northern Sumatra in 2017, environmentalists have called for the project to be stopped or at least <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/tapanuli-orangutan-batang-toru-nshe-iucn-ape-dam/" target="_blank">halted to allow</a> for an independent scientific study of its impact on the newly known species.</p><p>They say the project might <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/rarest-apes-path-to-survival-blocked-by-roads-dams-and-agriculture/" target="_blank">devastate</a> the most critical areas of the Batang Toru ecosystem and drive the Tapanuli orangutan to extinction. Only 760 of the great apes are estimated to survive in a tiny tract of forest less than one-fifth the size of the metropolitan area that comprises Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.</p><p>Shortly after its description, the Tapanuli orangutan was categorized as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its decreasing population trend — <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/the-worlds-newest-great-ape-revealed-a-month-ago-is-already-nearly-extinct-iucn/" target="_blank">down by 83% </a>in just three generations — and heavily fragmented distribution.</p><p>The IFC and ADB subsequently distanced themselves from the project. And in March 2019, the Bank of China, which is also involved in financing the project, said it had "noted the concerns expressed by some environmental organizations" and promised to carefully review the project. It has not issued any further public updates, leaving the funding for the project uncertain.</p>
<p>NSHE <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/indonesian-dam-raises-questions-about-un-hydropower-carbon-loophole/" target="_blank">has previously confirmed</a> that the project's funding was in doubt as a result of campaigns against the dam.</p><p>PLN director Zulkifli Zaini said environmental issues were among the reason why the project might be delayed.</p><p>"It is true that the project faced hurdles from NGOs over environmental issues," he said. "There are apes and other [animals] there."</p><p>The coronavirus outbreak has also proved to be a setback, with the work on the hydropower plant put on hold since January after construction workers from Chinese state-owned contractor Sinohydro, who had gone home for the Lunar New Year holiday, were barred entry back into Indonesia over health concerns.</p><p>NSHE has submitted a request to PLN, as the buyer of the plant's power, to push the start of the dam's operation to 2025. But the utility said a decision hadn't been made yet.</p>
<p>"NSHE and PLN are still in the stage of discussion or collective review regarding the target of the Batang Toru hydropower dam operational target," NSHE spokesman Firman Taufick said. "Whatever the result of the discussion between NSHE and PLN, we will always follow the policy and direction from PLN."</p><p>A decline in electricity consumption as a result of suspended economic activity during the pandemic is <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2020/06/21/1-5b-batang-toru-hydropower-plant-may-be-delayed-by-years.html" target="_blank">another factor</a> that could delay the project, according to Riza Husni, chairman of APPLTA, a national association of hydropower plant developers.</p><p>Dana Tarigan, the head of the North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said he hoped PLN would take into account the environmental concerns over the project in making a decision.</p><p>"We're hoping PLN could see the rejection well," he told Mongabay. "There's not only the problem with COVID-19, but also rejections from many parties, whether it's because of [the potential impact on] the orangutan and other biodiversity, or on the safety of the people [living in nearby areas]."</p><p><span></span>Dana said Walhi had staged a protest in 2018 against the project outside the offices of PT Pembangkit Jawa Bali (PJB) Investasi, a subsidiary of PLN that serves as the project sponsor and a shareholder in the Batang Toru power plant.</p><p>The protesters demanded that PJB Investasi, which holds a 25% stake in NSHE, to withdraw from the project.</p><p>Dana also urged PLN to take into account a recent <a href="http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1200343/28292859/1588408298700/BatangToruFactcheckReport.pdf?token=nj9gUyDjXX4hT%2Bx1lW5KLZgXV1M%3D" target="_blank">fact-check report</a> by the IUCN that analyzes the many contradictory claims being made about the project's potential impacts, specifically assertions made by NSHE.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ2MzU0My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NzIzMTc3Mn0.hYrb_A5sGEjMoPrxJ-L-pkvR_Hzk4dnNOmzjl9G9mR4/img.jpg?width=980" id="d46a1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5002d2e08e15bb5f24a03e8d15077e4d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The Batang Toru River, the proposed power source for a Chinese-funded hydroelectric dam. Ayat S. Karokaro / Mongabay-Indonesia
<h3><strong>Fact-Checking</strong></h3><p>The report identifies several significant claims found in NSHE's publications or press releases as being inaccurate or misleading.</p><p>"In at least ten cases, assertions made in public-facing NSHE literature or on the NSHE website are found to be inconsistent with findings presented in earlier impact assessments conducted on behalf of NSHE," the report says.</p><p>The report also finds other claims made by NSHE contradict findings in peer-reviewed literature and technical reports.</p><p>"Some of these relate to the most controversial aspects of the project such as its impact on the Tapanuli orangutan and the ecology of the Batang Toru river, the demand for the power that the plant would produce, and the project's compliance with international investment standards," the report says.</p><p>Emmy Hafild, a senior adviser to NSHE's chairman, said the report mistakenly accounted for the whole project permit area, instead of its actual footprint, to assess its potential impact on the orangutan. She also said the permit area referred to in the report was based on the company's permit area during exploration stage, which was larger than the current permit area post-exploration.</p><p>"The IUCN fact check report is clearly wrong," Emmy said. "The report uses data that's already outdated and this is the location permit, not the footprint of the project."</p><p>Serge Wich, the co-vice chair of the IUCN primate specialists' section on great apes (SGA) and one of the researchers who described the Tapanuli orangutan, said it's clear the IUCN report refers to the whole permit area in fact-checking the company's claim.</p><p>"[A]nd we have always said that this indicates the maximum impact," he told Mongabay.</p><p>Wich said that while the project might not occupy the full area, its impact on the orangutan could still be devastating due to the location of the project, which lies at a key location for connectivity between the orangutan's subpopulations, split up across three separate blocks: west, east and south. By locating the dam there, the project would jeopardize that connectivity, he said.</p><p>Emmy denied the location of the project would impact the potential for a future forest corridor linking the western and southern populations of the orangutan.</p><p>"The footprint of the project has been checked by our friends [researchers] and it will not disturb the corridor," she said.</p><p>Wich said that might not be the case, as the latest Batang Toru ecosystem map provided by NSHE clearly shows that the project area is "a long wall-like structure cutting those three areas from each other."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ2MzU4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDY4NjYwMH0.qWonBDpO1gLD1-MTqV2hZlhuGE7HVKmPCkv0h6z0EEo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b01e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b4c3c712122e78960c5eeef2b50d5dda" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/07/batang-toru-hydropower-dam-tapanuli-orangutan-delay-nshe/" target="_blank"><em>Mongabay.</em></a></p>The map of the Batang Toru ecosystem and the hydropower dam project area. PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE)
<p>Didik Prasetyo, an orangutan researcher at Jakarta's National University, who conducted a study on the project, said he's confident the hydropower dam will not threaten the orangutan as long as NSHE sticks to his recommendations. Among them: limiting the amount of traffic passing over the project's roads; and designing the project's overhead power lines to allow the orangutans to travel safely beneath them.</p><p>"If it's safe, then [the orangutans] will not be scared to briefly walk on the ground [to cross from one population to another]," Didik said. "The width of the road is not too dangerous for the orangutans if there's no one passing on the road. So we're recommending the traffic be limited to particular hours."</p><p>He said rehabilitating impacted areas is also crucial.</p><p>"We're recommending to the company that there are three areas that will be impacted significantly if the company doesn't manage [the project] sustainably," Didik said. "So we recommend these most-threatened areas to be restored as soon as possible."</p><p>He said there are 273 hectares (585 acres) of orangutan habitat in the project area, of which 84 hectares (207 acres) will be used as a location for permanent buildings by the company. The remaining 189 hectares (467 acres) will be reforested, he added.</p><p>NSHE said it will offset permanent forest loss caused by the project by planting trees in other areas, while temporary forest loss will be restored.</p><p>The IUCN report, however, says restoring affected areas might not be feasible. NSHE literature identifies heaps of dug-up dirt as the areas intended for restoration, but the IUCN says this might not be realistic because these areas consist of large amounts of unconsolidated material.</p><p>"The material is from underground and is potentially sterile to rehabilitation efforts and/or volatile to erosive processes," the report says.</p>
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission delivered a victory to supporters of renewables by rejecting an April petition from the New England Ratepayers Association calling for federal rather than local jurisdiction over solar net-metering policies. Gray Watson / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
By Jessica Corbett
Federal regulators on Thursday released a pair of decisions expected to impact the expansion of renewable power nationwide—one that was celebrated by environmentalists and clean energy advocates as a crucial win and another that critics warned "could lead to more pollution by propping up fossil fuel power plants."
<p>The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) delivered a victory to supporters of renewables by <a href="https://twitter.com/FERChatterjee/status/1283772536073969664" target="_blank">rejecting </a>an April petition from the New England Ratepayers Association (NERA) calling for federal rather than local jurisdiction over solar net-metering policies, which had <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/solar-fight-heats-up-as-u-s-set-to-rule-on-rooftop-mandates" target="_blank">provoked</a> strong condemnation from a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers, solar investors, and hundreds of advocacy groups.</p><p>As Public Citizen <a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/public-citizen-unmasks-suspect-ratepayer-group-aiming-to-disrupt-u-s-solar-policy/" target="_blank">explained</a> last month:</p><blockquote>Net-metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar power generators for the electricity they add to the grid. It is a crucial component of rooftop solar project financing because it makes solar energy systems affordable for small businesses and families through energy credits for the solar power they generate. The NERA petition would grant FERC sole jurisdiction to govern such programs through the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act [PURPA] or Federal Power Act.<br></blockquote>
<p>Public Citizen, the Center for Biological Diversity, and over 450 other environmental, faith, and consumer groups <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/15/support-urgently-needed-clean-and-just-energy-transition-450-groups-demand-federal" target="_blank">sent</a> a letter to FERC in June arguing that "state net-metering policies and distributed solar systems are foundational to achieving the nation's urgently needed clean and just energy transition—to address historical environmental injustices, fight the climate emergency, and ensure long-term resilience."</p><p>Howard Crystal, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity's energy justice program, authored a <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/legal-intervention-fights-shadowy-organizations-effort-to-gut-solar-net-metering-2020-06-11/email_view/" target="_blank">legal intervention</a> filed with FERC regarding the petition. In a statement Thursday, he welcomed the Republican-led commission's rejection of the NERA proposal.</p><p>"This is a big win for our climate and for communities embracing clean solar power," Crystal said. "FERC's unanimous ruling ensures that states can keep appropriately compensating people who install rooftop solar. That allows community solar and other distributed renewables to continue playing a critical role in the urgent transition to clean energy."</p>
<p>Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, <a href="https://www.seia.org/news/ferc-makes-right-decision-dismisses-misguided-net-metering-petition" target="_blank">applauded</a> the panel's dismissal of the "flawed petition" in a statement that highlighted the solar industry's record on job creation and contributions to the U.S. economy.</p><p>"Our industry holds great promise to help create jobs and revive local economies," she said. "We are grateful to the state utility commissions and many other partners who strongly opposed this petition. We will continue working in the states to strengthen net metering policies to generate more jobs and investment and we will advocate for fair treatment of solar at FERC where it has jurisdiction."</p><p>Tom Rutigliano, an advocate in the Sustainable FERC Project, which is housed at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), similarly <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/media/2020/200716-1" target="_blank">welcomed</a> the decision, saying that "FERC did one thing right today in rejecting the outrageous petition that would have upended the ability of rooftop solar owners to get a fair price for the excess electricity they generate."</p>
<p>However, Rutigliano expressed concern about the panel's vote to overhaul PURPA, which is more than 40 years old and has been key to renewable energy growth across the country. As he put it: "Instead of promoting small, clean generation, FERC is undercutting the ability of solar and wind power to get a fair chance to compete."</p><p>Noting that "utilities have long sought changes to the law" over cost concerns while solar and wind developers say it "is critical to giving renewables a leg up in states that aren't green-leaning," <em>Bloomberg</em> <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/markets/landmark-rule-that-spurred-us-solar-wind-growth-overhauled/ar-BB16Pn2b" target="_blank">reported</a> Thursday that the panel</p><blockquote>reduced the mandatory purchase obligation for utilities to five megawatts from 20 megawatts in some markets, and gave states more authority to set the price at which small generators sell their power. The "one-mile rule," which determines whether generation facilities should be considered to be part of a single facility, was also changed. The agency will now require that qualifying facilities demonstrate commercial viability.<br></blockquote>
<blockquote>...<br>Commissioner Richard Glick, the lone Democrat on the panel, dissented in part but said that the changes would benefit consumers. "Under the old regime, customers were overpaying for power they were receiving" to the tune of $2.2 billion to $3.9 billion, he said.<br></blockquote><p>Rutigliano warned that "homeowners putting solar panels on their roof, farmers leasing their land to wind turbines, and industrial facilities with efficient on-site power all lose under FERC's rule today."</p><p>"FERC is pushing the nation to use more fossil fuels," he said, "just when it should be doing everything it can to support clean power."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/16/big-win-our-climate-and-communities-federal-panel-rejects-attack-rooftop-solar-us?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A new tool called The Food Systems Dashboard aims to save decision makers time and energy by painting a complete picture of a country's food system. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jessica Fanzo and Dr. Rebecca McLaren
By Katie Howell
A new tool called The Food Systems Dashboard aims to save decision makers time and energy by painting a complete picture of a country's food system. Created by the Johns Hopkins' Alliance for a Healthier World, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Dashboard compiles food systems data from over 35 sources and offers it as a public good.
<p>"Trying to fix a food system without data is like trying to fix a car engine without any light in the garage," says Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of GAIN and one of the contributing partners behind the Dashboard.</p><p>The new Food Systems Dashboard enables government officials, policy makers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others to see what is working in their food systems and what isn't.</p><p>The Dashboard has three main objectives — describe, diagnose, and decide. It presents data to describe a country's food system, help decision makers diagnose the problem areas in their systems, and suggest policies, programs, and interventions to address identified issues.</p>
<p>Pulling data on over 180 indicators, the Dashboard presents more than 230 countries' food systems. These indicators, which range from agriculture production factors to diet-related disease rates, are broken down into five broad categories: food supply chains, food environments, individual factors, consumer behavior, and outcomes. Of these indicators, the team also selected 41 measures they deem critical to describe a food system.</p><p>"We hope that the Dashboard not only draws attention to the importance of food systems in shaping development priorities, but that it also can be used as a data-driven problem solving tool for more difficult food system challenges that countries may face," Dr. Jessica Fanzo of Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Rebecca McLaren, global coordinator for the Dashboard, tell Food Tank.</p><p>The layout for each country's page presents information in simple, visual ways so that users are able to quickly understand and take away key messages. Users can then compare their food systems with those of other countries, either by region, income classification, or a food system typology.</p>
<p>The tool also highlights issues like consumer behavior, that require more research to generate usable data. Fanzo and partners hope the Dashboard will simultaneously serve as a tool for data advocacy and lead to more comprehensive global data collection.</p><p>In the future, the Dashboard will continue to develop as the team works to further identify specific challenges countries face, Fanzo and McLaren tell Food Tank. It will also increase focus on recommended policies, programs, investments, and other interventions targeted to those specific challenges, Fanzo and McLaren tell Food Tank.</p><p>"The Dashboard is open to all and will foster much needed cooperation in transforming our food systems," says FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, "With the threats and opportunities presented by COVID-19, we need more collaboration between stakeholders who care about hunger, nutrition, livelihoods, climate, biodiversity, and sustainable natural resource use."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/07/new-tool-enables-decision-makers-to-see-what-works-in-their-food-systems/" target="_blank"> Food Tank</a>.</em></p>
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White's seahorse, also called the Sydney seahorse, is native to the Pacific waters off Australia's east coast. Sylke Rohrlach / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0
By Manuela Callari
It can grow to a maximum of six inches (16 centimeters), change color depending on mood and habitat, and, like all seahorses, the White's seahorse male gestates its young. But this tiny snouted fish is under threat.
<p>White's seahorse, also called the Sydney seahorse, is native to the Pacific waters off Australia's east coast. In recent years, populations have decreased drastically. It and the South African Knysna seahorse are the only two out of around 50 seahorse species to be listed as endangered.</p><p>A wild storm season from 2010 to 2013 left the Sydney seahorses' habitat in tatters, wiping out <a href="http://www.projectseahorse.org/seahorses" target="_blank">90%</a> of the population in the area. Several large storms shifted huge volumes of sand, smothering the soft corals, sponges and seagrass they call home.</p><p>That's why researchers in Sydney Harbor have built special seahorse hotels to help restore their habitat and encourage would-be White's seahorse dads to fall pregnant. </p><p>"There are two things that we're trying to gain from this project," said Robbie McCracken, an aquarist at Sydney Sea Life Aquarium, who's working with researchers from University of Technology Sydney and the New South Wales DPI Fisheries on the program.</p><p>"Number one is that we can breed these animals in an aquarium to release them into the wild. And number two is that the seahorse hotels provide a suitable environment for them to live on." </p>
Building an Ocean Seahorse Destination
<p>Seahorses are found in tropical and temperate coastal water worldwide, but are most abundant around Australia, China and the Philippines. </p><p>Trade in the tiny creatures is strictly regulated because of their use in traditional medicine, aquariums and their sale as dried curios. But because they are poor swimmers and cannot easily move elsewhere, habitat loss is a particular threat for these curious animals. </p><p>Seahorses wrap their tails around seagrass and corals to avoid being carried away on currents. They use the habitat to spawn and hide from predators such as crabs, while also feeding on riches of plankton and small crustaceans living in the reef.</p><p><span></span>Where corals aren't available, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aqc.1217" target="_blank">scientists</a> found seahorses taking up residence in fishing nets and old crab traps abandoned at the bottom of the ocean. </p><p>This inspired the Sydney team to increase available habitat in the famous Australian harbor by building cages of net and steel. Over time, algae, sponges and corals colonize the structures, creating a safe, welcoming environment for the seahorses, say the researchers. The hotel frame will eventually corrode, leaving behind the coral mounds that have grown around them.</p><p>The researchers trialed the first hotels in 2018. Within two months, seahorses had begun to move in and soon a few males fell pregnant. Knowing that the hotels were a hit, the next step was to boost seahorse numbers. </p><p>In 2019, the team caught eight pairs of White's seahorses — the creatures are monogamous and, so, mate with one partner for life. The babies were born in September and October of last year. </p><p>"We were able to watch them court with each other, and mate with each other, and then we were able to watch the dads deliver," said McCracken, "so, it was always quite exciting." </p>
Mixing With the Locals
<p>Baby seahorse mortality is high in the wild because they are easily caught, so those bred in the protected environment of the aquarium weren't ready to be released into the wild until early May.</p><p>The team released 90 new arrivals into Sydney Harbor, placing some directly into the purpose-built hotels, and others onto a net that wild seahorses had already settled on.</p><p>Before setting them free, the researchers marked each young seahorse with a fluorescent tag with unique IDs inserted just beneath the skin to track how they get on in the different environments. </p><p>"The most exciting part was being able to put these animals into the wild and then go back a month later and still see them surviving and growing," said McCracken. </p><p>The seahorses will be old enough to mate and reproduce around October or November 2020. And researchers hope that by then, they will be able to breed with the wild population. </p>Building a Global Seahorse Hotel Chain
<p>With seahorses everywhere facing the loss of their coral reef homes, similar projects have sprung up in places like Greece and South Africa, home to the world's most endangered seahorse, the Knysna seahorse. </p><p>"The endangered South African seahorse is benefiting from something quite similar, even though it wasn't intentional," said Peter Teske, professor at the Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg.</p><p>In the South African <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322649251_An_endangered_seahorse_selectively_chooses_an_artificial_structure" target="_blank">case</a>, seahorses have bedded down in "Reno mattresses" — wire cages filled with rocks — that were used to build a new marina. Researchers from NGO Knysna Basin Project found the structures acted as a refuge for the animals.<span></span></p><p><span></span>While Teske describes the seahorse hotels as "a positive news story" and a great way to create public awareness of conservation, he added that establishing artificial habitats in some areas will only prevent the extinction of local populations.</p><p>"For a complete recovery, it is necessary to give the natural habitat a chance to regenerate," said the seahorse expert. </p>Underwater Mascot
<p>In Australia, the researchers hope the project could provide an opportunity to raise awareness not only of the plight of the Sydney seahorses but the other animals with which it shares its ocean habitat.</p><p>The waters around Sydney and the east coast are rich in biodiversity and include several threatened species like the weedy seadragon — a relative of the seahorse — and the grey nurse shark. Like the seahorse, they're also under pressure from pollution, ocean traffic and habitat loss through storms and coastal construction. </p><p>"It's a good thing to get people's support and interest. The seahorses are a useful vehicle to get people concerned if the harbor is in trouble," said David Booth, professor of marine ecology at the University of Technology Sydney who is also working on the project. </p><p>The hotels have become an attraction for divers hoping to catch a glimpse of these small but near mythical creatures. </p><p>"Everyone loves seahorses," added Booth, "they are so popular." </p>From Your Site Articles
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In Major Win for Indigenous Rights, Supreme Court Rules Much of Eastern Oklahoma Is Still a Reservation
10 July
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Much of Eastern Oklahoma, including most of Tulsa, remains an Indian reservation, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. JustTulsa / CC BY 2.0
Much of Eastern Oklahoma, including most of Tulsa, remains an Indian reservation, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.
<p>The 5-4 decision, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/us/supreme-court-oklahoma-mcgirt-creek-nation.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> said was possibly the biggest legal victory for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous" target="_self">Indigenous</a> Americans in decades, affirmed that lands granted to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation by Congress in the 19th century remained theirs after Oklahoma became a state.</p><p>"This is a historic day," Principal Muscogee (Creek) Chief David Hill told The New York Times. "This is amazing. It's never too late to make things right."</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f63eb4faa6017a480e24169ba2528989"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/mmiwusa/photos/a.1020336344743907/2906138969496959/?type=3&theater"></div></div>
<p>The decision comes after a long and painful history of forced removals and broken treaties endured by Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government. The land in what is now Oklahoma was granted to the Creek in the first place following their forced relocation from their homes in Georgia and Alabama in the 1830s. This is something that Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged in writing the majority opinion.</p><p>"On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise," he wrote.</p><p>Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined him in the majority, while Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the minority opinion, according to the <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2020/07/opinion-analysis-justices-toe-hard-line-in-affirming-reservation-status-for-eastern-oklahoma/" target="_blank">SCOTUS blog</a>.</p>
<p>The case that led to the ruling, <em>McGirt v. Oklahoma</em>, involved a Seminole man named Jimcy McGirt who was convicted of sex crimes against a child on Creek land, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/09/889562040/supreme-court-rules-that-about-half-of-oklahoma-is-indian-land" target="_blank">NPR explained</a>. After he was convicted, he argued that his case should be retried in federal court because the state court lacked jurisdiction: Congress had never disbanded the Creek reservation, so the tribe retained sovereignty, according to NPR and The New York Times.</p><p>The Supreme Court agreed.</p><p>"When our tribes were removed west of the Mississippi, to what is now Oklahoma, we were promised that this land would be ours for as long as the grass grew and the waters ran. That commitment from the United States was more than just a promise — it was the law. For more than a century, Oklahoma ignored the law and stepped on our treaty rights. Today, the Supreme Court said no more," Cherokee Nation citizen Rebecca Nagle said in an article published by <a href="https://medium.com/@IndigenousRising/on-the-far-end-of-the-trail-of-tears-was-a-promise-4bc9cef058ce" target="_blank">Indigenous Rising Media</a>.</p>
<div id="0f5a4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2cde7da40389e37d787d22e434a5d64d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1281525996697587713" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today the US Supreme Court effectively ruled a portion of Oklahoma is indeed Indian Territory. It is a great day to… https://t.co/HCV7gXXnTu</div> — Indigenous Environmental Network (@Indigenous Environmental Network)<a href="https://twitter.com/IENearth/statuses/1281525996697587713">1594374581.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The ruling has two main implications, according to NPR.</p><ol><li>Native Americans accused of major crimes committed on reservation land will now be tried in federal court, while those accused of minor offenses will be tried in tribal courts.</li><li>Native Americans tried and convicted by the state of Oklahoma in the past will have grounds to challenge these convictions.</li></ol><p>The decision impacts the Muscogee (Creek) and four other nations with similar treaties: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole.</p><p>In his minority opinion, Roberts worried this would lead to confusion for the state's criminal justice system.</p><p>"The state's ability to prosecute serious crimes will be hobbled and decades of past convictions could well be thrown out," Roberts wrote, according to The New York Times. "On top of that, the court has profoundly destabilized the governance of eastern Oklahoma."</p>
<p>However, United States Attorneys for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma said they were confident they could handle the new arrangement.</p><p>"As Oklahoma's United States Attorneys, we are confident tribal, state, local, and federal law enforcement will work together to continue providing exceptional public safety under this new ruling by the United States Supreme Court," they said in a statement reported by <a href="https://www.mvskokemedia.com/2020/07/09/scotus-opinion-upholds-tribal-treaties-promises/" target="_blank">Mvskoke Media</a>.</p><p>There is also a chance the ruling could impact <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil-and-gas" target="_self">oil and gas</a> operations in Eastern Oklahoma, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1063536563" target="_blank">E&E News explained</a>. That's because those operations will now be taking place on federal land, rather than state land, and could be subject to tougher regulations.</p><p>"The status of land is a really big point in determining who has regulatory authority, and that's why it has broad implications," Elizabeth Kronk Warner, dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, told E&E News. "Anytime there is oil and gas development on federal land, you have to go through the federal government to get your permitting and everything, and that's true for development in Indian Country."</p>
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A never-before-documented frog species has been discovered in the Peruvian highlands and named Phrynopus remotum. Germán Chávez
By Angela Nicoletti
The eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains in central Perú are among the most remote places in the world.
<p>At elevations of 12,000 feet, some patches of cloud forest linger, blanketing the rocky ground and grasslands. Scattered across those grasslands are stones, surrounded by moss and lichens.</p><p>And hidden beneath those stones are small, brownish-grey frogs with short limbs and stout bodies. They don't live near water, so they never begin life as tadpoles. Instead, they hatch directly out of the eggs as froglets.</p><p>These unique frogs may have existed under those stones for centuries. But they were unknown to science — until now. <a href="https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/catenazzi-alessandro.html" target="_blank">Alessandro Catenazzi</a>, a Florida International University (FIU) biologist in the <a href="https://environment.fiu.edu/" target="_blank">Institute of Environment</a>, and a collaborative team in Perú have successfully identified the never-before-documented frog species in the Peruvian highlands and named it <em>Phrynopus remotum.</em></p>
<p>"You can't do anything for a species if you don't know it exists," Catenazzi said. "As scientists, describing and naming a species is the first step in helping to save it."</p><p>Germán Chávez and Luis Alberto García Ayachi were conducting field work when they came across some of the frogs. At first glance, they didn't necessarily stand out. The frogs look much like other frogs that live at high elevations where temperatures and oxygen levels are lower.</p><p>Because of a phenomenon called convergent evolution, different species will adapt in similar ways to a particular environment. Frogs that live at lower elevations — where there are trees — have disks on their fingers and toes to help them climb and move around. At higher elevations frogs don't usually have those disks. They don't have slim bodies. They don't have eyes that are as big. Living in mosses or under stones, they don't need those particular genetic adaptations.</p>
<p>Every frog living under those stones, though, is <em>not</em> the same.</p><p>Catenazzi knows this better than most. Throughout his career, he's spent time in museums studying the world's frogs and in the field searching for places where a deadly fungal disease has not yet hit amphibian populations. Including this latest find, he's helped discover and name 33 new species.</p><p>In the lab, Catenazzi extracted and sequenced the DNA of the frog in question and confirmed it was, in fact, a completely unique and new species. He then constructed an evolutionary tree. Like a family tree that traces different relatives — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins — the tree Catenazzi created looked at relatedness that spans hundreds of thousands to millions of years. It shows how closely the newly named species is related to other species in the same genus, <em>Phrynopus.</em></p>
<p><em>Phrynopus remotum</em> refers to the remote place the frogs are found, which can only be reached after days of traveling over roads, on horseback, along hiking trails and up the steep slopes of the mountain side.</p><p>As Catenazzi points out, though, just because this place is remote today doesn't mean it will always remain that way. The highlands and nearby areas are threatened by the rapid expansion of human activities. Even hiding under a stone won't save the little frog if a road is built or the land is used for agriculture.</p><p>But, now that scientists know these frogs exist, conservation can begin. </p><p>"With the knowledge of this species, we can convince people of the value of this area. We can say 'Here is a species and it's found nowhere else on earth,'" Catenazzi said. "That can convince people that this specific area has value and should be protected so this frog can persist."</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://news.fiu.edu/2020/whats-under-that-stone-oh,-just-a-never-before-seen-species-of-frog" target="_blank">Florida International University</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Yellowstone Grizzlies Win Reprieve From Trophy Hunt as Court Restores Endangered Species Protections
09 July
Animals
A grizzly bear sow with cub in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Danita Delimont / Gallo Images / Getty Images Plus
Grizzly bears in Wyoming and Idaho won't be subject to a trophy hunt thanks to a federal court decision Wednesday upholding endangered species protections for these iconic animals.
<p>The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grizzly-bears-yellowstone-endangered-species-2607784220.html" target="_self">2018 decision</a> from the Montana District Court reinstating protections for Yellowstone area grizzly bears after the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump-administration" target="_self">Trump administration</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grizzly-bears-yellowstone-2446382005.html" target="_self"> stripped them of protections</a> in 2017. Wyoming and Idaho then announced plans to hunt the animals for the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/grizzly-bear-hunt-wyoming-2571671329.html" target="_self">first time in more than 40 years</a>.</p><p>"This is a tremendous victory for all who cherish Yellowstone's grizzly bears and for those who've worked to ensure they're protected under the Endangered Species Act," <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> (CBD) attorney Andrea Zaccardi <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/appeals-court-victory-maintains-protections-yellowstone-grizzlies-2020-07-08/" target="_blank">said in a press release</a>. "Grizzlies still have a long way to go before recovery. Hunting these beautiful animals around America's most treasured <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">national park</a> should never again be an option."</p>
<div id="a1a10" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd14d33bb684f0237ea63e050dd997da"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1280956331550261258" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The 9th Circuit just upheld a 2018 federal ruling that the Trump administration violated the Endangered Species Act… https://t.co/0AzXqRTLrO</div> — Center for Bio Div (@Center for Bio Div)<a href="https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv/statuses/1280956331550261258">1594238763.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>CBD joined the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, the <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank">Sierra Club</a> and the <a href="https://www.npca.org/" target="_blank">National Parks Conservation Association</a> in suing to reinstate protections for the bears. The plaintiffs were represented by <a href="https://earthjustice.org/" target="_blank">Earthjustice</a>, according to a <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/9th-circuit-upholds-endangered-species-protections-for-yellowstone-grizzlies" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services delisted Yellowstone area grizzlies in 2017, in a decision that impacted around 700 bears in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/506446-court-upholds-protections-for-yellowstone-grizzly-bears" target="_blank">The Hill</a>. Those who supported the move said that the bears' population as well as successful <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> efforts and state policies justified the move. Then Idaho and Wyoming said they would allow up to 23 bears to be hunted and killed outside of Yellowstone National Park, according to CBD.</p><p>But the Montana court ruled that the FWS did not consider the impact of delisting on a remnant population and did not use the best available <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/science/" target="_self">science</a> when making its decision, according to <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/grizzlies-saved-ninth-circuit-stops-yellowstone-trophy-hunt/amp/" target="_blank">Courthouse News Service</a>, and the Ninth Circuit agreed.</p>
<p>Specifically, the court found that FWS did not take into account how delisting and trophy hunting would impact the genetic diversity of Yellowstone grizzlies.</p><p>"Because the 2017 rule's conclusion that genetic health no longer poses a threat to the Yellowstone grizzly is without scientific basis, this conclusion is arbitrary and capricious," U.S. Circuit Judge Mary Schroeder wrote.</p><p>The court ordered the FWS to reconsider its decision with a view towards how delisting would impact a remnant population and genetic diversity.</p><p>"The importance of this court ruling for the grizzly bears found in our most iconic national parks cannot be overstated," Northern Rockies Associate Director for the National Parks Conservation Association Stephanie Adams said in the Earthjustice press release. "This decision sets the stage for practical, science-based and on-the-ground collaboration to ensure a healthy future for grizzlies in Grand Teton, Yellowstone and beyond. And now, communities can continue their work to create opportunities to safely connect the grizzly bears of Yellowstone and Glacier."</p>
<div id="a6f0e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f7e4ff4c6e38a577c6285e8596d17696"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1280967734965264386" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">VICTORY: Today, a circuit court upheld the district court's opinion reinstating Endangered Species Act protections… https://t.co/wtdOhUcOiF</div> — National Parks Conservation Association (@National Parks Conservation Association)<a href="https://twitter.com/NPCA/statuses/1280967734965264386">1594241481.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Not everyone was happy with the decision, however.</p><p>"Wyoming — not an activist court — should determine how the bear is managed. The state has a strong, science-based management plan and it should be given a chance to succeed," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said in a statement reported by The Hill.</p><p>FWS did not return requests for comment from either The Hill or Courthouse News Service.</p><p>Grizzly bears once roamed across North America and the Western U.S., but now mostly live in Alaska. Of around 55,000 total U.S. bears, 1,500 live in the lower 48 states, most of them in the Yellowstone area, according to Courthouse News Service.</p>
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A climate activist holds a victory sign in Washington, DC. after President Obama announced that he would reject the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal on November 6, 2015. Mark Wilson / Getty Images
By Jake Johnson
The Supreme Court late Monday upheld a federal judge's rejection of a crucial permit for Keystone XL and blocked the Trump administration's attempt to greenlight construction of the 1,200-mile crude oil project, the third such blow to the fossil fuel industry in a day—coming just hours after the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the court-ordered shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
<p>While the ruling was not a total victory for the climate—the high court <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/06/politics/keystone-xl-supreme-court-pipeline/index.html" target="_blank">said</a> other pipeline projects can proceed as environmental reviews are conducted—green groups applauded the delay of Keystone XL construction as further confirmation of their view that the Canada-owned pipeline will never be built thanks to legal obstacles and fierce grassroots opposition.</p><p>"Three dangerous pipelines delayed within 24 hours should serve as a clear warning to any companies hoping to double down on dirty fossil fuel projects," <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/scotus-denies-trump-administration-further-delaying-keystone-xl-pipeline/" target="_blank">said</a> Greenpeace USA climate campaign director Janet Redman. "For more than a decade now, a powerful movement has been taking on reckless oil and gas pipelines and fighting to put Indigenous rights, a just economy, and our environment before oil company profits."</p><p>"It is past time to leave fossil fuels in the ground," Redman added, "and begin a just transition to a Green New Deal and 100 percent renewable energy."</p>
<div id="4dce6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d65802fa887eb38051c6d92edeab4500"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1280301750352633857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">24 hours. 3 dirty pipelines delayed.
✅ #NoACP
✅ #NoDAPL
✅ #NoKXL
The movement to put people before profits and… https://t.co/51cuHSdp9w</div> — Greenpeace USA (@Greenpeace USA)<a href="https://twitter.com/greenpeaceusa/statuses/1280301750352633857">1594082698.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The Supreme Court's decision upheld a Montana judge's April <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/16/tremendous-victory-indigenous-and-climate-campaigners-celebrate-federal-court-deals" target="_blank">ruling</a> that the Trump administration violated the Endangered Species Act by issuing a water-crossing permit for Keystone XL without fully assessing the damage the pipeline could inflict on wildlife along its planned route from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska.</p><p>As <em>Bloomberg</em> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-06/keystone-pipeline-stays-blocked-in-u-s-supreme-court-order" target="_blank">reported</a>, the Supreme Court's ruling "means almost all Keystone XL construction is delayed until 2021."</p><p>Kendall Mackey, Keep It in the Ground campaigner with 350.org, <a href="https://350.org/press-release/us-supreme-court-kxl-permit-ruling-upheld/" target="_blank">celebrated</a> the high court's decision to stall construction of Keystone XL "despite the Trump administration's desperate pleas and corporate pandering."</p><p>"This pipeline continues to be an epic boondoggle for Big Oil," said Mackey. "Tribal nations, farmers and ranchers, and allies across the country in solidarity with resistance to Keystone XL are not going anywhere—we will continue fighting to protect our climate from fossil fuel corporations at every turn."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/07/24-hours-3-dirty-pipelines-delayed-supreme-court-rejects-trump-effort-greenlight" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p><a href="https://commons.commondreams.org/t/24-hours-3-dirty-pipelines-delayed-supreme-court-rejects-trump-effort-to-greenlight-keystone-xl-construction/79909" target="_blank"></a>From Your Site Articles
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