A female condor above the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County, California. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
<p><br/></p>
<p>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) <a href="https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/threats-to-birds.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">estimated</a> that a median average of 234,012 birds were killed by land-based wind turbines a year as of 2017. While that number is far fewer than the 599 million killed by glass buildings and the 2.4 billion killed by cats, it is not nothing. Further, the American Bird Conservancy <a href="https://abcbirds.org/program/wind-energy-and-birds/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">warns</a> it could climb to five million a year if wind power increases to provide 35 percent of U.S. electricity.</p>
<p>Now, at least one wind energy company is trying to compensate for the damage it might cause. Avangrid Renewables is working with federal <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> officials and the Oregon Zoo to breed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered</a> California condors to replace any that might be killed by its turbines, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildlife-wind-power-california-condors-2f8fc5848b6d903718593d4fc7f24409" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported Monday</a>.</p><p>"We see this as a win for condors," Amy Parsons, Avangrid's operations wildlife compliance manager, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/01/california-condor-endangered-wind-turbines-breeding" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>Specifically, Avangrid seeks to offset any damage done by its Manzana wind power project, a 126-turbine wind farm in the Tehachapi mountains northeast of Los Angeles. The turbines have 252-foot diameter blades, which might pose a threat to the birds that have a 9.5 foot wingspan.</p><p>The farm has been open since 2012, and since that time there are no records of any condors being killed there. However, the company estimates that as many as two adult condors with two chicks or eggs each may be killed by the turbines in the next 30 years, according to The Associated Press.</p>
<p>To offset this, the company will provide more than $500,000 in funding to breed six condors over three years at the Oregon Zoo's Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation.</p><p>"We're prepared to start this condor mitigation effort as early as this spring," Oregon Zoo condor recovery lead Kelly Flaminio told The Associated Press. "Our zoo already nurtures the second-largest breeding population of condors in the nation."</p>
<p>Once raised, the condors will then be released into the wild. California condors were nearly driven to extinction by the 1980s because of hunting, habitat loss and poisoning from lead bullets left in the animals they scavenged from, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-condor-chick-born-2639303735.html" target="_self">as EcoWatch reported previously</a>. A breeding program has helped their populations to recover, however, and there are now more than 300 in the wild and 500 worldwide.</p><p>If no condors are killed by Avangrid's turbines, then the wild population will simply increase by six, Flaminio told The Associated Press. However, some conservationists argue that the company's plans do not go far enough.</p><p>The plan "should provide funding to raise a minimum of 30 condors to 1.5 years of age when they are released into the wild." the Center for Biological Diversity wrote in comments to the FWS.</p>
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The Arctic fox's coat changes from the mixed gold and black of summer to a mostly pure white fur in winter. Dennis Fast / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
By Jacob Job
Maybe you've seen a video clip of a fluffy white fox moving carefully through a frozen landscape. Suddenly it leaps into the air and dive-bombs straight down into the snow. If so, you've witnessed the unusual hunting skills of an Arctic fox.
<p>During winter at the most northern parts of Earth, snow and ice transform the Arctic tundra into a blanket of white as far as the eye can see. It's a long, cold and harsh season, and animals like the Arctic fox have a number of special tricks that help them survive. Here's how they're able to locate and catch their prey.</p>
<h3>Blending in With the Arctic Landscape<br></h3><p>Some Arctic animals have evolved unique camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. The most obvious example is the polar bear. These large predators have white fur that makes them nearly invisible as they hunt seals on the white sea ice.<br></p><p>Arctic foxes actually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.359.6379.1004-a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">change color with the seasons</a>. During summer, their <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/arctic-fox" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gray and brown fur blends in</a> with tundra rocks and plant life. This camouflage helps Arctic foxes slowly sneak up on their prey and avoid being eaten themselves.</p><p>But dark fur would make Arctic foxes easy to see on the all-white winter tundra once it's covered with snow. As winter nears, Arctic foxes shed their dark fur and begin growing all white fur to blend in with the snow and ice. Their changing color helps keep these foxes hidden year-round.</p>
<h3>Changing Hunting Strategies</h3><p>Many of the bird species that Arctic foxes hunt during the summer migrate south to escape the harsh winter weather. The foxes are left with fewer food choices. While they still hunt some birds, like ptarmigan, on top of the snow, Arctic foxes often turn their attention to <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Arctic_fox/natural_history.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food found underneath the snow</a> – specifically, lemmings.</p><p><a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lemmus_lemmus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lemmings are small rodents</a> that live on the Arctic tundra all year. To survive the cold winters, they remain active under deep snow, moving through tunnels, and search for leaves, roots and berries to eat. The snow insulates them from the cold air above, allowing them to stay active even during the middle of winter.</p><p>But how do Arctic foxes find lemmings that are hidden underneath the snow? The answer: by listening for their footsteps!</p>
<h3>Hearing Like a Dog</h3><p>Like other canid species – a fancy way to describe dog-like animals – Arctic foxes have very sensitive ears.</p><p>Have you ever seen a dog running through tall grass and then suddenly stop short, tilting its head back and forth? It probably looked like it was listening to something, even though you couldn't detect what might attract its attention. In fact, there was probably a mouse or vole moving nearby, and your dog was able to hear its footsteps.</p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/RCqQYpM1hCA?start=100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What does a mouse or lemming sound like</a> when it runs through the grass or snow? It makes a quiet, high-pitched rustling sound. It sort of sounds like the softest gust of wind causing grass blades to rub against each other.</p><p>Most people can't hear this sound, but your dog and Arctic foxes can hear it just fine. Because human beings domesticated dogs, they don't need to use their special hearing to find food – we make it easy by filling their food bowls every day. But wild canids, including Arctic foxes, still very much <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2014.12.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">need this unique ability to survive</a>.</p>
<h3>An Ambush From Above</h3><p>Arctic foxes spend hours each day roaming across the tundra during winter looking for food. This includes listening for lemmings under the snow. But hearing a lemming is only the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515562.003.0008" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first step in getting a meal</a>. Arctic foxes still must catch them.</p><p>Once a fox hears a lemming, it becomes almost completely still. The fox then tilts its head back and forth, trying to better locate where the lemming is. It requires careful listening to pinpoint the lemming's quiet movements in the snow.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1800819bdac6e7df21ea2779baf7db94"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r2Ou58p_D7k?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>When a fox is confident it knows exactly where the lemming is, the ambush begins. It will jump straight up in the air, sometimes several feet, and plunge headfirst into the snow with its mouth wide open. If the attack was successful, the fox will emerge from the snow with a lemming in its mouth. Dinner is served.</p><p>Although this pouncing technique, known as "mousing," may seem easy enough, an Arctic fox may attempt it hundreds of times per day with little success. It takes <a href="https://youtu.be/9UaX4RBIThI?start=62" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">practice and persistence</a>.</p>
<h3>Hunting in Noise</h3><p>Humans make a lot of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12207" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noise that makes it harder for predators to find prey</a>. Although Arctic foxes live far enough north to avoid most noise pollution, other species including coyotes and red foxes live much farther south, where many more people live.</p><p>Coyotes and red foxes also hunt like Arctic foxes. The noise from airplanes, vehicles and other engines likely makes it harder for these species to hear rodent footsteps under the snow. And as the human population grows, bringing noise with them as they spread across the globe and into Arctic regions, it's reasonable to assume that Arctic foxes will also have a harder time finding food.</p>
<p>
<em>Jacob Job is a research associate in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University.<br/>
</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: Jacob Job does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795" target="_blank">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>.</em><br/>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from The <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-arctic-foxes-hunt-in-the-snow-153371" target="_blank">Conversation</a>.</em>
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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 by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<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" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><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>
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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" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><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>
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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" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><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" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><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" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><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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OR-93 traveled hundreds of miles from Oregon to California. Austin Smith Jr. / Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs / California Department of Fish and Wildlife
An Oregon-born wolf named OR-93 has sparked conservation hopes with a historic journey into California.
<p>A young male, OR-93 traveled hundreds of miles from an area southeast of Mount Hood, Oregon, to California's central Sierra Nevada mountain range, the <a href="https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2021/02/25/dispersing-gray-wolf-travels-from-oregon-to-the-central-sierra-nevada/" target="_blank">California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Friday</a>. The agency said he traveled farther south into California than any previous collared wolf. His trek is also the longest tracked journey of any gray wolf during the last century, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/27/oregon-wolf-journey-california-wolves" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>"OR-93's historic trek so far south into California's central Sierra Nevada is thrilling news for wolf recovery throughout the West – and underscores that species recovery is not isolated to separate states; what happens in the Northwest greatly affects the success of wolves in other states, and vice versa," California Program Director at Defenders of Wildlife Pamela Flick said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch.</p><p>OR-93 hails from Oregon's White River pack, according to the CDFW. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs fitted him with a tracking collar in June 2020 within his home territory. At some point he left the area, likely in search of new territory and a mate. He reached California's Modoc County by the beginning of February; by the end of the month, he had traveled to Alpine County, between trans-Sierra State Highways 4 and 108. He then passed into Mono County. This put him just east of Yosemite National Park and marks the first time a wolf has been known to approach the park in more than 100 years, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/travel-national-parks-california-animals-parks-143167309e434e3b26702550f9c4b1c3" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>.</p><p>The wolf is the 16th one to travel into California, and most have hailed from Oregon. However, this journey is notable from a conservation standpoint for two reasons. For starters, OR-93 is the first wolf from the White River pack to enter the state, which is important for the population's diversity.</p>
<p>"As the first known member of the White River Pack from western Oregon to disperse into California, OR-93 also importantly brings the potential for increased genetic diversity to our state," Flick said. "We look forward to watching the journey of California's newest wolf, and we will continue to welcome gray wolves back to their historical home in the Golden State."</p><p>OR-93's epic journey also places him in a habitat with enormous potential for wolves.</p><p>"We're thrilled to learn this wolf is exploring deep into the Sierra Nevada, since scientists have said all along this is great wolf habitat," Amaroq Weiss, senior West Coast wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), said in an email to EcoWatch. "He's another beacon of hope, showing that wolves can return here and flourish as long as they remain legally protected."</p><p>California's wolves were eradicated in the early 20th century following a concerted campaign by the livestock industry. The first wolf to return to the state in 2011 included another Oregon wolf, named OR-7. There are now fewer than a dozen wolves living in California, including the Lassen pack, which has produced pups every year between 2017 and 2020, according to CDFW. Another pair of wolves has also been spotted in Siskiyou County, and scientists think they will produce pups this spring.</p>
<p>While the Trump administration <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gray-wolves-endangered-trump-2649746799.html" target="_self">removed federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves</a>, they remain listed as an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> within California. CDFW Spokeswoman Jordan Traverso told the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oregon-wolf-has-traveled-deeper-into-California-15984246.php" target="_blank">San Francisco Chronicle</a> that OR-93's incredible journey proved the protections were working.</p><p>"We have a burgeoning population," she told the Chronicle. "It's exciting."</p><p>However, not everyone shares her excitement. The presence of wolves in the state has concerned ranchers.</p><p>"There are diverse constituencies with varying viewpoints — we do our best to walk that tight rope," Traverso told the San Francisco Chronicle.</p><p>There have been some wobbles on that walk. The seven-member Shasta pack, the first wolf pack to be discovered in California in almost 100 years, disappeared months after being found in 2015, the CBD said. The disappearance followed the pack's implication in two livestock casualties, and there are concerns they may have been poached.</p><p>Defenders of Wildlife called for more strategies to reduce livestock and wolf conflicts as wolves' California presence increases. Meanwhile, OR-93's success in the state will likely depend on more personal matters.</p><p>"Given the time of year, we assume OR-93 has traveled such a long way in search of a mate," CBD's Weiss said. "I hope he can find one."</p>
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Storks in a nest near a construction crane. In the past 50 years, America's bird populations have fallen by a third. Maria Urban / EyeEm / Getty Images
By Tara Lohan
What does a biodiversity crisis sound like? You may need to strain your ears to hear it.
<p>In the past 50 years, America's bird populations have fallen by a third, and worldwide the average mammal population has dropped 60%, writes acclaimed environmental philosopher and nature writer <a href="https://www.riverwalking.com/" target="_blank">Kathleen Dean Moore</a> in her new collection of essays, <a href="https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/earths-wild-music/" target="_blank"><em>Earth's Wild Music: Celebrating and Defending the Songs of the Natural World</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>And with all that loss comes an unsettling silence.</p><p>"Unless the world acts to stop extinctions, I will write my last nature essay on a planet that is less than half as song-graced and life-drenched as the one where I began to write," she explains in the book's preface. "My grandchildren will tear out half the pages in their field guides. They won't need them."</p>
<p>Her book uses sound as a reference point to better understand what we stand to lose as extinction rates climb higher. But the essays are also a celebration of the natural world's chorus and the joy of learning to hear what's still there.</p><p>The essays are also being <a href="https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/feature-story/music-save-earth-s-songs" target="_blank">set to music in a series</a> for Oregon State's Spring Creek Project that will feature 20 4-minute-long concerts combining live musical performance with excerpts from <em>Earth's Wild Music</em>.</p><p>"I've never been so excited about a project in my life," Moore tells us. "It combines everything I care about with the cause that I believe in more than anything else."</p><p><em>The Revelator</em> spoke to Moore about the moral stakes of our environmental crisis, what it's like to find a truly quiet place to listen, and what we lose as wild songs disappear.</p>
<p><strong>You've been writing about nature for 50 years. During that time our environmental problems have become graver. Has this changed how you approach your work?</strong></p><p>At first I was a celebrant. I believed Mary Oliver when she said, "My work is loving the world... which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished." And that went along fine for years and years, but then it became clear that what I was writing celebrations of were disappearing.</p><p>I was right in the midst of an essay on frog song, and bulldozers came and took away the marsh and put in a condominium. I was writing about a bald eagle nest, and the nest — and the tree it was in — burned to the ground in a forest fire. So it was starting to become clear to me that I was going to have to do more than celebrate. I was going to have to demonstrate. I was going to have to protect. I was going to have to defend the natural world.</p>
<p><strong>Why did you decide to focus this collection on sound?</strong></p><p>I started thinking about how I could open people's hearts without breaking them. How I could point to the onrushing extinctions and not force people to turn away in absolute grief. I decided that I was going to have to write in a way that was like a wave — I would lift people and smash them at the same time.</p><p>What is it that reaches people without breaking them? What is it that goes straight into people's hearts? What do they love about the world and will call them to action?</p><p>I decided that of all the things I loved about the world, what I loved the most was the music. What I loved the most was the sound. I've been writing about this for quite some time, so I had a couple of essays already under my belt, and I couldn't think of a more wonderful writing assignment for myself then to go outside and listen.</p>
<p><strong>Nature may be getting quieter. But people are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/science/ocean-marine-noise-pollution.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">getting louder</a>. How is our noise affecting wildlife?</strong></p><p>We are deafening. Noise that we create is causing extraordinary harm to the creatures. Think about the pain caused to the whales from the exploratory thudding of those machines that go through the ocean and stamp to try to find oil.</p><p>Think about the meadowlarks that lived in the fracking fields and had to endure endless noise of drilling and trucks. And as a result, the songs of the meadowlarks are fractured and abbreviated. They haven't been able to hear their parents well enough to imitate them.</p>
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<p><strong>Many of us may be out of practice at listening. In fact, a lot of folks walk around with earphones on so we can't hear what's around us. How do we get better at both listening to and understanding the sounds of nature?</strong></p><p>Listening is an art that we should practice because it does two things. It makes us shut up and it makes us open up. We stop listening just to the songs of "me, me, me." When we set aside our own stories, it opens us up so we can listen to the stories of other beings. It's a skill of empathy, isn't it? Listening to other people's stories and other creatures' sounds is a way of understanding the world from their point of view. It's a moral training.</p><p>When it comes to understanding what we hear, Rachel Carson, who wrote <em>Silent Spring</em>, and cared so much about bird song, took pains to tell us that it doesn't matter if we know the names of what we see. That comes later. But the first thing that has to happen is love.</p><p>So I'm not so concerned about knowing which bird is calling. I'm surrounded by people who could do that in a majestic way. My husband can identify birds by their call. My neighbor can. I think it's a beautiful skill that I don't have.</p><p>But I do have the ability to catch a song. To hear it, which isn't nothing. It can catch my attention and I can seek it out and I can listen to it. Knowing its name — maybe that's not so important as knowing its tune.</p>
<p><strong>How are people affected by this loss of nature's song, and what's the importance of preserving silent places where we can still experience what's left?</strong></p><p>We lose joy. Let's face it — the sounds of the natural world are beautiful and they make us happy. I think we also lose a connection to the world around us.</p><p>In the book, I write about going with acoustic ecologist <a href="https://www.soundtracker.com/about-gordon-hempton/" target="_blank">Gordon Hempton</a> to <a href="https://onesquareinch.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">One Square Inch of Silence</a>, a small spot in Olympic National Park [possibly the quietest place in the United States]. It was a wonderful experience. At the time, we were in pouring rain. Nature itself was cacophonous, but we didn't hear a human sound for 20 minutes, which is the definition in Gordon's mind of a quiet place.</p><p>Gordon now is recording in a jungle somewhere that can only be reached by canoeing down a wild river, because it's one of the last places on Earth he can find that's silent.</p><p>He's famous for these recordings called the <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Gordon-Hempton-Dawn-Chorus/release/7648571" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Dawn Chorus</em></a> that captured the outpouring of bird song that's triggered by morning light. But he couldn't do that anymore, because that music box is broken. We're in the process of wrecking what we should be treasuring.</p><p>It's hard to find a balance between grief and celebration. But you know, people often ask me, "What can one person do?" And I say, "Stop being one person."</p><p>You don't have to do it all. Other people are working all around the world on the same causes you believe in. Find them, join up with them. You'll find your place in the choir. [Author and teacher] <a href="https://www.joannamacy.net/main" target="_blank">Joanna Macy</a> says to choose what you love and devote yourself to it. That, she says, is enough.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/earths-music-moore/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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This Popular Condiment Is Helping Save Sea Turtles From One of Israel’s Worst Oil Spills
25 February
Animals
A sea turtle rescued from Israel's devastating oil spill. MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP via Getty Images
Rescue workers in Israel are using a surprising cure to save the sea turtles harmed by a devastating oil spill: mayonnaise!
<p>The condiment can both help break down the tar that has coated even the turtles' insides and clean out their system, Guy Ivgy, a medical assistant at the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center in Michmoret, explained to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mayonnaise-help-turtles-oil-spills-c5f679439e7a0f95fb79384978944cde" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>.</p><p>"They came to us full of tar. All their trachea from inside and outside was full of tar," he said.</p>
<p>Tar from a mysterious oil spill began washing up on Israeli beaches last week, as EcoWatch reported previously. The spill is being called one of the worst ecological disasters in the nation's history, and has now covered most of Israel's 120 miles of coastline along the Mediterranean, according to The Associated Press. It has now also spread to the coastline of Lebanon.</p><p>The spill has generated around 1,000 tons of tar, which has seriously affected <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a>, including sea turtles. The injured turtles have been taken to the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center, which is north of Tel Aviv. Ivgy told The Associated Press Tuesday that the center was currently treating 11 turtles. Yaniv Levy, the center's founder and director, told <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-with-mayonnaise-and-q-tips-israelis-save-oil-drenched-turtles-1.9562907?v=1614269214502" target="_blank">Haaretz</a> the same day that the center was treating 27 turtles total and six for tar damage specifically.</p>
<p>The tar-coated turtles have to be cleaned both inside and out, Levy explained.</p><p>"They all got here with a coat of tar on their heads, and in their eyes, nostrils, mouth, digestive system and stomach," he said. "With this kind of damage they have no chance to survive without treatment. We removed the tar from their nostrils and eyes so they could breathe and see."</p><p>The mayonnaise helps clean the digestive system. First, volunteers use vegetable oil to thin the tar. Then, they use mayonnaise to dilute the tar and remove it from the stomach and intestinal lining. At the same time, the mayonnaise provides fats and proteins to the turtles while it is not safe for them to eat solid food.</p><p>"If they eat regular food, it turns into a lump with the tar and could cause blockages, which is why we don't give them solid foods during the first days," Levy said.</p>
<div id="69149" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5c72399c478551575fe4f92bdb8d25dc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1364507790841180160" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">At this Israeli turtles hospital, oil spill victims are saved with Q-tips and mayonnaise
https://t.co/XrmHbKrmHu https://t.co/bmmlcY4wTJ</div> — Haaretz.com (@Haaretz.com)<a href="https://twitter.com/haaretzcom/statuses/1364507790841180160">1614158983.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>This isn't the first time mayonnaise has been used to treat sea turtles rescued from an oil spill. The Turtle Hospital in Florida also recommends it as a safe and effective treatment, according to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56194624" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BBC News</a>.</p><p>Mayonnaise is an effective treatment because of its unique properties, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/mayonnaise-sea-turtle-treatment-after-isreal-oil-spill.html" target="_blank">Live Science explained</a>. That is because it is an emulsion, a mixture of two liquids that don't usually mix, in this case oil and water. The egg yolks in mayonnaise contain both water and lecithin, a molecule that is hydrophilic (water-attracting) on one side and hydrophobic (water-repelling) on the other. That means that, when the yolks are combined with acid (usually lemon juice or vinegar) and oil to make mayonnaise, the oil sticks to the hydrophobic sides of the lecithin molecules, and the hydrophilic sides stick out, sticking to the water and preventing it from separating from the oil.</p>
<p>Live Science explained why this is good news for tar-coated turtles:</p><blockquote>Because mayonnaise has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, it can interact with both the oily, hydrophobic tar and hydrophilic molecules in a turtle's digestive tract. The hydrophobic oil can mix with the tar, making it thinner and less viscous; meanwhile, the hydrophobic ends of the lecithin molecules are also drawn towards the tar, with their hydrophilic ends facing out. This creates a barrier around the tar that better interacts with water, making the toxic substance less sticky.</blockquote><p>In Israel, the treatment appears to be working. Levy told Haaretz he thought the turtles in his care would be ready to be released in a month or two.</p><p>"A little more mayonnaise and they'll all recover and get back to natural food," he said.</p>
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Yves Adams / Instagram
A rare yellow penguin has been photographed for what is believed to be the first time.
<p>Belgian <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> photographer Yves Adams snapped the shot in December 2019 on an island in South Georgia during a two-month expedition, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/yellow-penguin-photo-south-atlantic-b1804738.html" target="_blank">The Independent reported</a>. However, he first posted the photograph on Instagram this month.</p><p>"While unpacking our rubberboats merely after landing on a remote beach on the island of South-Georgia, this leucistic King penguin walked up straight to our direction in the middle of a chaos full of Sea elephants and Antarctic fur seals, and thousands of other King penguins," Adams wrote in his post. "How lucky could I be!"</p>
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<p>Leucism is a genetic mutation that causes some but not all of an animal's melanin to disappear, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/yellow-penguin-south-georgia.html" target="_blank">Live Science explained</a>. King penguins typically have black and white feathers with a yellow bow-tie-like stripe on the collar. Melanin, or dark pigment, is responsible for the darker feathers. While pigment anomalies in penguins are rare, they can be either melanistic (all black), albanistic (all white) or leucistic (a mix of both).</p><p>Dee Boersma, a University of Washington conservation biologist who was not a part of Adams's expedition, told Live Science that she agreed with his diagnosis.</p>
<p>However, Kevin McGraw, an integrative behavioral ecologist at Arizona State University who also was not a part of the expedition, was less sure, as he told Live Science:</p><blockquote>"It does look albino from the perspective that it lacks all melanin" in its plumage, feet and eyes, McGraw said. Still, "we'd need feather samples for biochemical testing if we aimed to unequivocally document," whether melanin is present, he said.</blockquote><blockquote>Animals can be albino but still have non-melanin pigment, he added.</blockquote>
<p>McGraw added that the mutation might put the unique penguin at a disadvantage, since penguins use their coloring for choosing mates and protecting themselves from both predators and the sun.</p><p>"It's conceivable that such color aberrations could impact both survival and reproduction," McGraw said.</p><p>For whatever the reason, the white-and-yellow coloring is rare enough that it has never been seen before, as far as experts are aware. A white chinstrap penguin was spotted in Antarctica in 2012, The Independent reported.</p><p>The rarity made Adams feel especially lucky to get a chance to photograph this individual. He said that it was one of at least 120,000 penguins in the colony.</p><p>"It was heaven that he landed by us. If it had been 50 metres away, we wouldn't have been able to get this show of a lifetime," Adams told The Independent.</p>
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A gray wolf is seen howling outside in winter. Wolfgang Kaehler / Contributor / Getty Images
Wisconsin will end its controversial wolf hunt early after hunters and trappers killed almost 70 percent of the state's quota in the hunt's first 48 hours.
<p>By the end of Tuesday, the second day of the hunt, 82 wolves had been killed, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-wolves-animals-eau-claire-monroe-4319806de94ca754dcfc95e19b869694" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>. As of Wednesday morning, 135 had been killed, exceeding the quota, according to the <a href="https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/wolf/index.html" target="_blank">Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)</a>.</p><p>"Wisconsin's actions offer a tragic glimpse of a future without federal wolf protections," the Wolf Conservation Center <a href="https://twitter.com/nywolforg/status/1364338681776070657" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in response.</p><p>President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gray-wolves-endangered-trump-2649746799.html" target="_self">delisting</a> of gray wolves under the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species-act" target="_self">Endangered Species Act</a> triggered the hunt. The DNR originally set a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gray-wolf-wisconsin-hunt-2650553450.html" target="_self">quota of 200 wolves </a>to be killed between Feb. 22 and Feb. 28. Of the 200, 81 were allocated to the Ojibwe Tribes in accordance with treaty rights, the <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_d575dba3-6e63-54de-9927-e59c2ca5cfb9.html?fbclid=IwAR06BdtuJaJmVPgX4cSgM_H2jH0fHCFXsFi2kDzBssU6Tm7Kec1jybQwqTs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wisconsin State Journal reported</a>. Hunters killed about half of the remaining 119 by Tuesday morning and 69 percent by Tuesday afternoon, The Associated Press reported. By Wednesday morning, hunters exceeded the quota by 16 wolves.</p><p>Hunters also exceeded the quota set for three of the state's hunting zones, according to DNR. They killed 33 of an 18-wolf quota in zone 2, located in the northeast; 24 of a 20-wolf quota in zone 3 located in the center; and 30 of a 17-wolf quota in southern zone 6. The hunt ended Wednesday at 10 a.m. CT in the most depleted zones and will end at 3 p.m. CT for the remaining half.</p>
<p>The hunt is the state's first since 2014, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. After wolves were returned to state management under Trump in January 2021, Wisconsin intended to plan a hunt for November 2021, arguing that it needed the time to study the population and consult with Native American tribes and the general public. However, pro-hunting group Hunter Nation sued the state to start the hunt earlier in the year, with a judge ruling in their favor. This past Friday, an appeals court dismissed the Wisconsin DNR's appeal, <a href="https://www.wpr.org/wolf-hunt-will-move-forward-after-panel-judges-dismisses-dnr-appeal" target="_blank">Wisconsin Public Radio reported</a>.</p><p>"The reckless slaughter of 135 wolves in just three days is appalling," said Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Sound science was ignored here in favor of catering to trophy hunters who were all too eager to kill wolves even at the height of breeding season. It will take years for Wisconsin's wolf population to recover from the damage done this week. And without federal protections, this bloody spectacle could easily play out in other states."</p><p>The hunt killed about 12 percent of Wisconsin's wolves, which last numbered between 1,034 and 1,057 according to 2020 DNR <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATURDPtJG0H2bp-2FS2p7qmrdoE1k0lZGUnoapBLdZjmTJCK15VS_9DWd1IQpF0pa6moAa2K0USVLPw-2BdyUxYOf6Uxh7iNF2j-2F-2B0i4WsvfzVmvKM60HQTKBTl7-2FdSSDZkDf9HSA47QUmgHfQ3pfCbKBt6d7suISzSlDId36RWi2csLv7-2FEXhWWSkoFglobYU5KfJ7V3rYnRLAHtVsTP8O04pEbdY9PBs-2FAxY8iDOIk6FL2bAvqwldRziPkNjC-2BKVHe2TrnwXpAIlV04TbyPn9o7CtwxLPlvMAhJI3e9jhBOxTwgwhRoCaVts11Bai8tW99bXDuohXcTwxsWRJcrKOj5sA0Ou0d4lTdNEXHwRnqoYdIhdKAhslQX1vA6J-2Bi9MX9nfC-2BVBjgrRm0YUvz-2FtiGSLBiybmIHg-3D" target="_blank">data</a>.</p><p>Other <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> groups also raised concerns about the rushed hunt. At the same time, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/indigenous" target="_self">Indigenous</a> communities criticized the lack of consultation. The state is required by law to consult with tribes on resources management.</p><p>"This hunt is not well-thought-out, well-planned, totally inadequate consultation with the tribes," Peter David, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission wildlife biologist, told Wisconsin Public Radio. "And maybe the biggest concern of all is that this season is not so much a hunting season as it is a killing season. No justification, really, was given for what was the legitimate purpose other than killing wolves."</p>
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Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation safely returned 10 rescued orangutans to the wild on Borneo Island, Indonesia. Afriadi Hikmal / Getty Images
With lockdowns in place and budgets slashed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many environmental protections vanished this past year, leaving some of the world's most vulnerable species and habitats at risk. But conservationists at the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation were faced with an entirely different threat.
<p>Their beloved orangutans share a strikingly similar DNA to humans, making them susceptible to respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-orangutans/ten-rescued-orangutans-returned-to-the-wild-in-indonesia-idUSKBN2AN0R7" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>. So when it came time to reintroduce a group of rescued orangutans back into the wild, conservationists had to rethink their usual transportation methods to prevent potentially spreading the virus.</p><p>The solution? Reintroduce the critically endangered species via helicopter.</p><p>Last week, ten orangutans returned to the wild by taking a flight to the Indonesian portion of Borneo Island, Reuters reported.</p><p>"For an entire year, we have not been able to release orangutans due to the global pandemic, but we are still strongly committed to the orangutan conservation effort," Jamartin Sihite, CEO of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, said in a <a href="https://orangutan.or.id/press-release-bos-foundation-conducts-back-to-back-orangutan-releases-in-central-and-east-kalimantan/" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
<p>Prior to their release, the orangutans were held in rehabilitation centers, according to Reuters. They included five males, a mother and two babies and two other females.</p><p>"Using a helicopter is the best way to transport orangutans during the pandemic," Denny Kurniawan, BOSF program manager, told Reuters. Normally it would take three days to drive the orangutans to their drop-off area, adding to the risk of further exposure between humans and orangutans, Reuters noted. However, air travel reduced travel time and kept veterinarians and orangutans at a safer distance.</p><p>"Efforts to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus have hampered many conservation-related activities," Handi Nasoka, acting head of Central Kalimantan's conservation agency, told Reuters.</p><p>Orangutans are critically endangered, according to the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund</a>, with about 104,700 Bornean orangutans remaining. While the decline in populations is partially due to the expansion of palm oil and other agricultural plantations, causing habitat loss, orangutans also fall prey to illegal hunting and trading. The latter has been on the rise since the pandemic started.</p>
<p><br>In Africa, for example, international travel restrictions caused the continent's $39 billion tourism industry to decline, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/science/coronavirus-poaching-rhinos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The New York Times reported</a>. Highly visited areas have become empty, making it difficult for conservation groups to keep track of illegal activity across Africa's vast lands, The New York Times reported.<br></p><p>"These animals are not just protected by rangers, they're also protected by tourist presence," Tim Davenport, who directs Africa's species conservation programs at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told The New York Times. Since the March lockdown, South Africa had experienced a rapid increase in rhino poachings. Now poachers are taking advantage of unpatrolled lands, illustrating "the risks of relying too heavily on tourism to support conservation," Davenport added.</p><p>While the pandemic highlights the unique threat that economic struggle poses to endangered species, it also emphasizes the necessary role conservationists play in protecting them.</p><p>"We cannot afford to stop our work under any circumstance," Sunandar Trigunajasa, head of the East Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency, which helped with the orangutan release, <a href="https://orangutan.or.id/press-release-bos-foundation-conducts-back-to-back-orangutan-releases-in-central-and-east-kalimantan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said in a statement</a>. "What we must do is keep on innovating and adapting to the dynamic conditions and moving forward."</p>
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A worker at the Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Center removes oil from a sea turtle in Mikhmoret, Israel on February 21, 2021. Menahem Kahana / AFP / Getty Images
A mysterious oil spill began to wash up on Israel's coast last week, closing beaches and harming wildlife.
<p>The Israeli government urged people not to visit a wide stretch of beach on Sunday, <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-tells-public-not-to-visit-beaches-after-worst-oil-spill-in-its-history-1.9556663" target="_blank">Haaretz reported</a>. Of Israel's 119 miles of beach, 105 were impacted by the disaster, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/middleeast/israel-oil-spill-ecological-disaster-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">according to CNN</a>. That's 40 percent of Israel's coastline, Haaretz noted.</p><p>"The enormous amounts of tar emitted in recent days to the shores of Israel from south to north caused one of the most severe ecological disasters to hit Israel," the country's Nature and Parks Authority said Sunday, CNN reported.</p>
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<p><br>People first noticed the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil" target="_self">oil</a> last Wednesday, according to Haaretz. It washed up as sticky, dark pieces of tar, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/21/969949310/mediterranean-oil-spill-injures-wildlife-closes-israels-beaches" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NPR reported</a>. As of Monday, it had spread to the beaches of southern Lebanon, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/israel-environment-oil-spill-lebanon-int/oil-spill-off-israel-reaches-south-lebanese-beaches-idUSKBN2AM1AZ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">Animals</a> have also been found covered in tar, including a few <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/birds" target="_self">birds</a> and nine <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-turtles" target="_self">sea turtles</a>, Haaretz added. Sadly, four of the turtles died. The rest have been taken to the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center to recover.</p><p>Additionally, a fin <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/whales" target="_self">whale</a> washed up dead on the Israeli coast on Thursday. Preliminary tests revealed that it did contain oil in its body, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/israel-environment-oil-spill-int/israels-beaches-blackened-by-tar-after-offshore-oil-spill-idUSKBN2AL0AZ" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>Not least, ecologists are worried about <em>Dendropoma petraeum, </em>a reef-building snail whose population is already declining because of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, NPR reported.</p>
<p>Volunteers have rallied to help with cleanup efforts, with more than 4,000 people from the non-profit EcoOcean working to remove the tar. However, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said it would take years to remove all of it, Haaretz reported. Most of the work will have to be done by hand.</p><p>The government is currently investigating the cause of the spill with the help of European authorities, according to NPR. Israel thinks it likely spilled from a ship about a week ago during stormy weather in the Mediterranean. One candidate is a Feb. 11 oil spill from a ship passing about 21 miles from shore, Reuters reported.</p><p>Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said the investigation had pinpointed nine ships as potential culprits.</p><p>"There is a more than reasonable chance that we will be able to locate the specific ship," she told Ynet TV, Reuters reported.</p>
<p>Israel could take legal action if the responsible vessel is identified, such as suing insurance companies for the cost of the cleanup.<br></p><p>However, in a move journalists are calling irregular, a court placed details of the investigation under censor Monday following a request from the Environmental Protection Ministry, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-oil-spill-disaster-investigation-details-placed-under-censor-659765" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Jerusalem Post reported</a>.</p><p>This has prompted criticism from environmental organizations.</p><p>"When the entities operating at sea and producing a risk of pollution are rich oil companies and shipping companies that have much influence on the regulator, Zalul demands a transparent investigation and that the [censor] order be lifted immediately," Maya Jacobs, director-general of the Zalul Environmental Association, told The Jerusalem Post.</p>
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About EcoWatch
27 June 2016
A swamp wallaby searches for food in a bushfire-scorched forest on February 3, 2020 in Braidwood, Australia. John Moore / Getty Images
By Tara Lohan
A hailstorm in South Texas. Tornadoes in Tennessee. Wildfires across the West. A barrage of Gulf Coast hurricanes. Those are among the record 22 weather and climate disasters that each topped $1 billion in damages last year in the United States.
<p>In all, the price tag for 2020 hit a whopping $95 billion — and that's just in the United States. Reinsurance firm Swiss Re put <a href="https://www.swissre.com/media/news-releases/nr-20201215-sigma-full-year-2020-preliminary-natcat-loss-estimates.html" target="_blank">global economic losses</a> at $175 billion last year, including $32 billion for <a href="https://qz.com/1950391/the-10-most-expensive-natural-disasters-of-2020/" target="_blank">floods in China</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/weather/cyclone-amphan-damage-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">$13 billion in damages</a> from Cyclone Amphan across India and Bangladesh.</p><p>The worst news? Our profligate burning of fossil fuels means we're in store for more.</p><p>Studies show that climate change is supercharging some weather and climate events and will lead to more severe and longer-lasting <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/305/5686/994" target="_blank">heat waves</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/climate/climate-changes-hurricane-intensity.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stronger hurricanes</a>, an <a href="https://www.c2es.org/content/wildfires-and-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased wildfire risk</a> and a longer wildfire season. We can also expect more <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2881/earths-freshwater-future-extremes-of-flood-and-drought/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heavy rain events</a> and <a href="https://www.c2es.org/content/drought-and-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">severe droughts</a>, not to mention other extreme events like February's polar vortex.</p><p>"You can't attribute any particular storm to climate change, but what we do know is that climate change tips the odds of making many of these events more severe," says Bruce Stein, chief scientist and associate vice president at the National Wildlife Federation.</p><p>While experts tabulate the economic losses — homes destroyed, crops ruined, businesses shuttered — ecosystems and wildlife can also sustain damage that's harder to quantify.</p><p>Many plants and wildlife evolved with and have adapted to dealing with large-scale disturbances, but we're beginning to see "megadisturbances" at levels beyond what we saw in the past, says Stein.</p><p>And that can take a toll. Extreme weather can kill animals directly — or indirectly, like by destroying food sources, contaminating water or altering habitat, forcing a species to move into areas where there may be more competition, fewer resources or a greater risk of predation.</p><p>"What we begin to find when you get some of these mega disturbances is that it's beyond the ability of a species — or their adaptive capacity — to bounce back," says Stein.</p>
<h1>The Research</h1><p>The effects of climate change on the natural world are being felt at two speeds. One is more gradual, referred to by scientists as "ramping" — shrinking glaciers, rising sea levels. The second is quick, like extreme weather events.</p><p>Both are problematic, says Sean Maxwell, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland's Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. But, he adds, "I think the changes to acute events have the greatest potential to devastate local populations or ecosystems, and the impacts of these events are often more difficult to plan for or avoid."</p><p>Maxwell was the lead author of a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ddi.12878" target="_blank">2018 study</a> published in the journal <em>Diversity and Distributions</em> that examined how changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events affected wildlife. The researchers looked at 519 studies of ecological responses to extreme events — including cyclones, droughts, floods, and heat and cold waves — that took place from 1941 to 2015. They found that the response was negative 57% of the time. (And in those instances where species benefited, they were mostly invasive species.)</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MjMxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDQ5MjcwMX0.vWOhTY5PgWrupHYIMFFce6KUG1XH6n1aw0qMCWv3-bE/img.jpg?width=980" id="3f9df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f1ccfeffe9a6723900d8f76612d9f9b8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="533" />
A manatee stranded by Hurricane Irma in Melbourne, Florida. Bill Greer, FWC / CC BY-ND 2.0
<p>"Some of the negative responses we found were quite concerning, including more than 100 cases of dramatic population declines and 31 cases of local population extinction following an extreme event," says Maxwell. "Populations of critically endangered bird species in Hawai'i, such as the palia, have been annihilated due to drought, and populations of lizard species have been wiped out due to cyclones in the Bahamas."</p><p>Plant species, the researchers found, had the highest number of negative responses to extreme events, followed by reptiles and amphibians.</p><p>"Collectively, the studies in our review suggest that extreme weather and climate events have profound implications for species and ecosystem management," the researchers concluded.</p><h1>The Most Vulnerable</h1><p>Species that are already threatened or endangered are of course especially at risk.</p><p>Take the Attwater prairie chicken. A million of these birds once ranged across the prairies of Texas and Louisiana.</p><p>Today fewer than 100 remain in the wild and scientists have sought to bolster their populations with captive breeding programs. But when Hurricane Harvey walloped Texas with 130-mile-per-hour winds and record rainfall in 2017, the birds were right in harm's way.</p><p>"The Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge tracked 29 individual birds, mostly hens. Post-hurricane, staff confirmed only five of them still alive," <a href="https://texasclimatenews.org/features/attwaters-prairie-chicken-population-hit-hard-by-harvey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Texas Climate News</a> reported. "The hurricane also killed roughly 80% of a prairie chicken population on private property in Goliad County."</p><p>Other species with limited ranges, like those on islands, also face big threats.</p><p>"If a species is well distributed, then if one part of its range gets hit, there's the ability for it to recover," says Stein. "But if essentially all its eggs are in one basket, and that particular place gets hit by one of these big disturbances, that's when you have a real concern."</p><p>In 2017 Hurricane Maria <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/after-hurricane-dorian-survey-shows-hope-and-concern-bahamas-birds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cut the population of just 200 Puerto Rican parrots</a> in half. The year before, Hurricane Matthew was believed to have wiped out the last Bahama nuthatches (<em>Sitta insularis</em>). It took two years before a few of the birds were found — and then Hurricane Dorian struck in 2019, making their survival unlikely, according to Diana Bell, a professor of conservation biology at the University of East Anglia.</p><p>"In fact, Dorian may have not only sealed the fate of the nuthatch but also severely impacted other birds endemic to these islands, particularly the Bahama warbler and the Abaco parrot," Bell <a href="https://theconversation.com/hurricane-dorian-was-also-a-catastrophe-for-the-bahamas-unique-birds-123493" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> in an essay for <em>The Conversation</em>. "Also known as the Bahama Amazon parrot, this subspecies uniquely nests in limestone cavities on the ground which are likely to have been flooded by the storm surge."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MjMxOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NTgxMjYyMH0.GEcdU7i6_0jsNoolMUAM1ZNpvsQWjlDj8KfSZzLxvNE/img.jpg?width=980" id="47539" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0aaf95300b450d0f8d0a49b310aeae5a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="533" />
Damage in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian. Seaman Erik Villa Rodriguez / U.S. Coast Guard
<h1>Compounding Crises</h1><p>The risk to wildlife from extreme storms can be compounded by the ramping effects of climate change, too.</p><p>"If you have increasingly severe hurricanes where you've also got sea-level rise essentially providing a higher lodge point for the storm surge, then you start seeing impacts beyond the historical record," says Stein.</p><p>In other places, extreme weather is an extra blow to species already struggling with other environmental pressures, like habitat loss, invasive species or pollution.</p><p>Last year the world watched in horror as land-use management, climate change and drought helped push Australia's bushfires to a terrifying new level, killing 34 people and burning 37,500 square miles.</p><p>In the immediate aftermath, one expert put the death toll for wildlife at <a href="https://therevelator.org/australia-bushfires-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1 billion animals lost</a>. Since then the figure has been revised to <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/study-says-australias-bushfires-harmed-3-billion-animals/a-54344204" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3 billion killed or displaced</a> by the blazes.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-1251-1.epdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study</a> published in <em>Nature Ecology and Evolution</em> found that the fire impacted the critical habitat of 832 native species, with 70 species losing more than 30% of their natural range. Twenty-one of those were already at risk of extinction.</p><p>Those that survived could find themselves hard-pressed in future climate disasters. "Multiple extreme events are likely to act in synergistic ways to exacerbate risk of species' extinction," wrote Maxwell and the other researchers of the 2018 study.</p><p>Australia already has one of the highest extinction rates, and the wildfires could limit the capacity of some species to recover — like the endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart and the long-footed potoroo — and threaten others. Australia's record blazes last year could push the number of endangered species in the country up by 19%, the study in <em>Nature Ecology and Evolution </em>found.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MjMyMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTE0NDI3NX0.GIq4Um10O8jxxaX6lV8YLVU0ZEeSfml4KGSas0xx_rc/img.jpg?width=980" id="b65a7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="23f41600dfbd2c618b67fac0e1b87ac6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="533" />
Kangaroo Island, the only habitat of the endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart, after the 2019-2020 Australia wildfires. StephenMitchell / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
<h1>Solutions</h1><p>When Hurricane Irma sacked the Florida Keys in 2017, the storm tossed boats ashore, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and left a trail of debris across the islands.</p><p>It also endangered one of the region's beloved endemic species, the tiny Key deer, which today primarily live on Big Pine Key. Some deer were killed in the storm, and surviving animals faced threats to their already limited freshwater supply as the storm surge dumped saline ocean water into freshwater pools.</p><p>Island residents responded the way folks often do after a disaster — they offered help to their neighbors.</p><p>"What you saw during and shortly after Irma is that these Key deer were coming up to houses looking for fresh water," says Stein. "And people were putting out kiddie pools of water for them."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MjMyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjM4MTE0OH0.x_zKoXw0-UArsFon5rOFwKQ93UVDBTyJdRClAD98qvE/img.jpg?width=980" id="7cf53" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7af4c5a126d38d68aeda4daaaa4ad61c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="533" />
Key deer after Hurricane Irene. Carol Lyn Parrish /CC BY-ND 2.0
<p>Following Australia's bushfires last year, the country's government jumped to the aid of wildlife by dropping 4,000 pounds of carrots and sweet potatoes to starving brush-tailed rock-wallabies who lost their food source in the blazes.</p><p>"There's a lot of things that we can do to help human communities as well as wildlife after these acute disturbances," says Stein.</p><p>But beyond immediate food and water relief, there's a much bigger task ahead: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to address the ongoing dangers of climate change and the ability of ecosystems to adapt. Key deer, for example, also face a long-term threat to their drinking water supply from rising seas, something no number of kiddie pools can repair. And more severe hurricanes are likely in their future, too.</p><p>"As climate change continues to ensure extreme climate and weather events are more and more common, we now need to act to ensure species have the best chance to survive," says Maxwell. "Wherever possible, high-quality and intact habitat areas should be retained, as these are the places where species are most resilient to increasing exposure to extreme events."</p><p>If such intact habitat doesn't exist, ecological restoration efforts can be used to help species adapt, his study found.</p><p>And the more we know, the better.</p><p>"Incorporating extreme events into climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans will be challenging," the researchers of the 2018 paper concluded. "But by doing so we have a greater chance of arriving at conservation interventions that truly address the full range of climate change impacts."</p><p>And that could give more species a fighting chance in a changing climate.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/taralohan/" target="_blank"><em>Tara Lohan </em></a><em>is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis.</em></em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="The%20Revelator" target="_blank">The Revelator.</a></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Photos of alligators engaged in "icing" were posted on Facebook by an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation worker. David Arbour / Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
As unusually cold temperatures descended on the south and central U.S. this week, it wasn't only humans who struggled to adjust.
<p>In Texas, sea turtles had to be <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/turtle-rescue-texas-2650597417.html" target="_self">rescued by the thousands</a> as cold water temperatures made them go limp. Now, in Oklahoma, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/alligators" target="_self">alligators</a> have been pictured engaging in an extraordinary survival technique.</p><p>That technique is called "icing," and David Arbour of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation posted photos on Facebook Tuesday of alligators engaging in this odd-looking strategy.</p><p>What is icing exactly?</p><p>"They keep [their] nose up through the ice to maintain a[n] air hole so they can breathe," Arbour explained in the comments.</p>
<p>Arbour took the photos in the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area, a 5,814-acre wetland in southeastern Oklahoma that is home to alligators as well other reptiles, fish, mammals and amphibians, the <a href="https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article249345545.html#:~:text=The%20alligators%20were%20recently%20seen,helps%20the%20alligators%20breathe%20properly." target="_blank">Tri-City Herald reported</a>.</p><p>The behavior is also called snorkeling, and this is not the first time it has been observed in American alligators (<em>Alligator mississippiensis</em>). Alligators in a frozen-over pond in North Carolina were pictured doing the same thing during a cold snap in 2018, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/61389-alligators-snorkel.html" target="_blank">LiveScience reported at the time</a>.</p>
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<p>Because alligators are cold blooded, they depend on the surrounding environment to keep warm. That is why they bask on sunny days. But when it freezes, this kind of basking isn't possible, and that is when they "ice."</p><p>"It's an interesting behavior because it's opposite of what most crocodilians do," James Perran Ross, a retired associate scientist of wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida, told LiveScience. "The normal response of most other crocs when it gets really cold is to come out of the water and try to bask to get warm again."</p><p>However, Ross added, this would be a bad idea for alligators in a cold climate, since the air is usually colder than the water. If they left the water, they might freeze.</p>
<p>Arbour wrote on Facebook that the alligators in his pictures would not freeze as long as the water remained liquid. He added that the ice did not hurt their snouts, because they are only made of cartilage.</p><p>Instead of hibernating, Arbour wrote, alligators enter a state called brumation.</p><p>"They can still move and are aware of things," Arbour said.</p><p>Brumation is a reptile-wide response to cold weather, according to <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/this-how-alligators-stuck-frozen-swamps-spending-winter-brumation-hibernation" target="_blank">Science Alert</a>. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> slow down their metabolism and are very lethargic. Usually, alligators brumate at the bottom of swamps and come up once a day to breathe. When water freezes over, however, that is not possible.</p>
<p>Alligators can survive in water as cold as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is not ideal.</p><p>"Obviously, that is not optimal, being frozen like that," North Carolina's Shallotte River Swamp Park general manager George Howard told <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/frozen-alligators-winter_n_5a55043de4b01e1a4b1a401e" target="_blank">HuffPost in 2018</a>, when alligators were videoed icing in his swamp. "I can't imagine it being very good for them if it was much over a week in cold water. That's why you don't see indigenous alligators north of North Carolina. Their bodies like the warmth."</p><p>In Oklahoma, temperatures have now been below freezing for 10 days as of Thursday, according to <a href="https://www.wlbt.com/2021/02/18/oklahoma-alligators-frozen-water-with-snouts-sticking-out/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WLBT3</a>. However, the Southern Plains are expected to finally thaw this weekend, according to the <a href="https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/discussions/hpcdiscussions.php?disc=pmdspd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Weather Service</a>.</p>
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A South Korean woman looks at a view of Seoul shrouded by fine dust during a polluted day on March 06, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
By Brett Wilkins
As the United Nations on Thursday released a report on the triple emergency of the climate crisis, the destruction of wildlife and habitats, and deadly pollution, the head of the world body sounded the alarm on what he called humanity's "senseless and suicidal war on nature."
<p>The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report, entitled <em><a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/34948/MPN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Making Peace With Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies</a></em>, was <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2021-02-18/secretary-generals-joint-press-conference-executive-director-of-unep-inger-andersen-launch-unep-report-entitled-%E2%80%9Cmaking-peace-nature-scientific-blueprint-tackle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">introduced</a> by Secretary-General António Guterres at U.N. headquarters in New York.</p><p>"I want to be clear. Without nature's help, we will not thrive or even survive," said Guterres. "For too long, we have been waging a senseless and suicidal war on nature. The result is three interlinked environmental crises—climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and pollution—that threaten our viability as a species."</p><p>"They are caused by unsustainable production and consumption," he added. "Human well-being lies in protecting the health of the planet. It's time to reevaluate and reset our relationship with nature. This report can help us do so."</p>
<div id="274d1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f096109107a9c272d381b1a5b4ffb26e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1362433482270642184" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">⚠️ Humanity is waging a senseless war on nature. This trio of crises: #ClimateChange, biodiversity loss & pollutio… https://t.co/1uSTdAvcdl</div> — UN Environment Programme (@UN Environment Programme)<a href="https://twitter.com/UNEP/statuses/1362433482270642184">1613664429.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Among the report's recommendations are carbon taxes; a redirection in the nearly $5 trillion in annual worldwide subsidies to sectors including fossil fuels, mining, industrial agriculture, and fishing "toward alternative livelihoods and new business models;" and re-envisioning indicators of economic performance so that the value of mitigating the climate emergency, preserving ecosystems, and reducing pollution count—not just GDP.</p><p>Additionally, the report asserts that "changes in patterns of consumption are critical to transforming food, water, and energy systems and can be achieved through altered norms in business and cultural practices."</p><p>"Changing the dietary habits of consumers, particularly in developed countries, where consumption of energy- and water-intensive meat and dairy products is high, would reduce pressure on biodiversity and the climate system," the report states. "These habits are a function of individual choices but are also influenced by advertising, food and agricultural subsidies, and excess availability of cheap food that provides poor nutrition."</p><p>Robert Watson, the report's lead author, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/18/un-chief-backs-new-blueprint-to-end-suicidal-war-on-nature" target="_blank">told</a> <em>Al Jazeera</em> that "vested interests" were thwarting many of the policies and actions needed to make peace with nature.</p><p>"We have subsidies for agriculture, for energy, for fossil fuels that are perverse," said Watson. "They encourage the use of fossil fuels. They encourage the use of bad agricultural practices."</p><p>"If we can get the business community to work with governments around the world, I'm optimistic we can start to move in the right direction," he added. </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/18/un-head-decries-senseless-and-suicidal-destruction-nature-new-report-urges-systemic" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>
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