By Jeff Turrentine
The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined our priorities. Everyone right now is — or should be — concerned first and foremost with keeping themselves, their loved ones, and their communities safe. And when nearly the entire world shifts into triage mode, as it has over the past several weeks, it's hard for many of us to focus on anything else beyond making it through the day and preparing for the next one.
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
By Jeff Turrentine
From day to day, our public health infrastructure — the people and systems we've put in place to keep populations, as opposed to individuals, healthy — largely goes unnoticed. That's because when it's working well, its success takes the form of utter normalcy.
A good backup generator can help you keep your home running smoothly, even in the event of a major power outage. And, when you choose a solar generator, you can power your home using clean, renewable energy from the sun. By contrast, gas and diesel generators burn fossil fuels, and are extremely loud and spew harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Here are the best solar power generators available today that can provide a cleaner alternative for home generators.
Goal Zero Yeti 6000X
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTIxMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NDY0MTU0MH0.DESPf736lfPascaXVa9R6mJQNSv5sI8U8yB4gu1tDmM/img.png?width=980" id="534d0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="832f91baeadf06dc4410b8261cf7ef4a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Goal Zero
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Inverter-Generator-Generators-Emergency/dp/B08MBDN4VK" target="_blank">Yeti 6000X</a> is actually a portable power station that can be used for off-grid camping or powering an RV. With 6,000 watt-hours and two 2000W AC charger ports, it will give you plenty of power for your home. With a home integration kit, it's easy to use the Goal Zero Yeti 6000X to power essential circuits.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Though it isn't exactly cheap, the Yeti 6000X power station is a great all-purpose backup generator, including a top-of-the-line charge controller and two robust AC outlets that make it easy for you to keep your household essentials up and running. It can even power a full-size refrigerator or microwave.</p>Renogy Lycan Powerbox
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTIwMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTM3NjI1N30.EDSdmpiGcknKhn94YhJLnyJUEn3zxWo9vGzmT2c4Zcs/img.png?width=980" id="0cab1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5c9cd60d3ab98503fd3ad5e32909229" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Renogy
<p>Renogy produces several different power stations and chargers, but we especially like the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Powerbox-Portable-Outdoor-1075WH-Generator/dp/B01N6BCDZD" target="_blank">Lycan Powerbox</a>, a solar power solution that's only a little bit bigger than a suitcase. It comes with an easy-grip handle and heavy-duty wheels, making it one of the most portable solar generators around while still offering 1200W of output, which is enough power for most electronic devices and some appliances.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> The Lycan Powerbox can provide 1075 watt-hours of continuous power without the noise or fumes associated with gas generators. It offers great portability and includes an LCD display and easy, intuitive controls that allow you to switch between DC power and AC power as needed, as well USB ports and 12 volt car charger ports.</p>Jackery Explorer 1000
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE3NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTA3MDIwNX0.bTHIOQjgpXbREPl1C9qHAtcXkJ-uKXhWfNZYoD-bjjA/img.png?width=980" id="e2b71" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c5f59c32bc198c9ea57ac1c35a25ec4b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Jackery
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083KBKJ8Q/?tag=best-solar-generator-20" target="_blank">Jackery Explorer 1000 portable power station</a> is one of the best all-around options, equally suited for outdoor activities and for emergency power readiness. Though it's rated for 1,000 watts, it can actually get closer to 2,000. The lithium battery pack offers a capacity of 1,200 watt-hours, and Jackery's professional MPPT technology makes it easy to get your unit fully charged in a relatively short span of time (usually just eight hours if you have two panels going).</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Jackery is one of the leading names in outdoor equipment and in clean energy products. This portable power station is a great pick for campers and can also be a very effective home backup power solution for small appliances and electronics thanks to its pure sine wave inverter AC outlets.</p>Westinghouse iGen600s
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE2OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0Nzg2OTg0Nn0.gQOrdLgsS7ZBw5ccrVoCXHqYvZ5JZIOA282ltOO8kHY/img.png?width=980" id="f5e59" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="369df3dc290b5be3708f7e424b072f4e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Westinghouse Outdoor Power
<p>Westinghouse is another company that specializes in solar powered generators, most of which are more ideally suited for camping trips. Their <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-iGen600s-Portable-Generator-Lithium-ion/dp/B08SJ8JBBC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&m=A2MDFVW08TGIW8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&qid=1614289724&s=merchant-items&sr=1-2" target="_blank">iGen600s</a> portable generator, however, offers a wattage of up to 1,200 peak watts, which can certainly function as a decent emergency backup for certain household appliances and small devices.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>For a portable yet still very versatile solar generator, Westinghouse is a company to keep on your list. The iGen600 power system can run a mini fridge for up to 42 hours or a CPAP machine for up to 46 hours thanks to its lithium-ion battery that offers 592 Watt-hours of energy and a long battery life.</p>EcoFlow DELTA
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE2MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NzYzOTAxNn0.ZFdqRPZfKPd_vOGK8FEUVY_3git-ATlmAvKSqQk47aM/img.png?width=980" id="991f2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e60ae1ca24865db60be46fe486c9c8a9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />EcoFlow
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EF-ECOFLOW-Portable-Station-Generator/dp/B083FR3762" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EcoFlow DELTA power station</a> is a wonderfully rugged, dependable backup generator that can help meet your power needs during a blackout. For one thing, the charging time is incredible; you can potentially go from zero to 80 percent in under an hour with a wall outlet. Should you ever find yourself facing a power outage, this is an emergency energy solution you'll be really thankful for.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> The DELTA station from EcoFlow offers a lot of value and usability; in particular, it has one of the fastest recharging times of any solar generator, which may be reason enough for you to choose it over the competitors. The DELTA unit offers 13 ports, meaning it's compatible with pretty much any device or appliance you could ever need to charge.</p>MAXOAK Bluetti AC200P
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTE1MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDEzMjAwNn0.qU0EE--tgolDhaaU-EumYLOs_jtFd9L4SWvDhP4PySk/img.png?width=980" id="aa450" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7eb54f1dd0974c5fe4a9920bdbfe98c1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Bluetti
<p>For a heavy-duty emergency power solution, look no further than to MAXOAK, and particularly to a product called the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Portable-Station-Generator-Emergency/dp/B08MZJW9Y5" target="_blank">Bluetti AC200P</a>. With a 2000 Watt-hour capacity, this is one of the most robust solar generators you'll find anywhere.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> MAXOAK's Bluetti AC200P is the one you're going to want for really heavy-duty home energy backup. With massive AC inverters that offer up to 4800W surge capacity, it can provide more than enough power to fuel all your most critical home appliances, even some HVAC units. Also note the two-year warranty, a generous consumer protection.</p>Point Zero Energy Titan Solar Generator
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTc5OTEzMi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjY5NzcwMH0.urU8n-Yghr4O-LzDr_nAath6k8XMFZrCGU5JISwbwp8/img.png?width=980" id="93ad7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8526191ca3bffa4638b69e80d61809ce" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="349" />Point Zero Energy
<p><a href="https://www.pointzeroenergy.com/product/titan-solar-generator/" target="_blank">Point Zero Energy</a> is one of the foremost names in disaster preparedness, and when you take a look at their product specs, you'll see why. Their Titan model solar generator offers almost twice the storage of similarly priced units with a high-capacity 2,000-watt-hour battery capacity and 3,000 watt high-efficiency inverter.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>On a purely technical level, this is the beefiest generator on our list, though of course, it's also one of the priciest. The unit is made with high-efficiency components, meaning it doesn't waste a lot of energy running the system; instead, it just supplies you with plenty of functional electricity when you need it the most.</p>We Should Be Listening to Our Scientists and Experts Right Now—Not Driving Them Away.
By Jeff Turrentine
Back in 2017, a few weeks before Donald Trump became the most powerful individual in the world, a New Yorker cartoon by Will McPhail did what the best New Yorker cartoons do: It made you laugh, and then — once you stopped laughing — it made you think. Trump had just won the presidency in part by redefining populism as the belief that experience and expertise should count for far less than ideology and intensity. Without mentioning him by name, and without even making reference to politics for that matter, McPhail managed to capture the frustration and anxiety that millions were feeling.
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Trending
Guam Rails Are No Longer Extinct in the Wild (Something Only One Other Bird Can Claim)
By Jason Bittel
When you walk into the tropical rainforest room at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, the first thing you'll probably notice are the hyacinth macaws perched in mango trees. The feathers of these massive parrots are so impossibly blue that the birds look like birthday party piñatas. And the first thing you'll likely hear is the trill of the much tinier laughing thrushes as they swoop from tall cacao plants to the indoor-jungle floor. But watch out for Gus! He's the blue-headed great argus pheasant who likes to commandeer the walkway while unfurling his four-foot-tall fan of feathers in an attempt to woo female pheasants.
Shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante: Trump’s Monumental Mistake
Well, he told us he would do it. And now he's actually doing it — or at least trying to. Late last week, President Trump, via the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, announced that he was formalizing his plan to develop lands that once belonged within the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah. The former is a stunningly beautiful, ecologically fragile landscape that has played a crucial role in Native American culture in the Southwest for thousands of years; the latter, just as beautiful, is one of the richest and most important paleontological sites in North America.
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By Jeff Turrentine
By fourth or fifth grade, most American schoolchildren have learned about the water cycle. They come to appreciate water's elegant efficiency as it moves from phase to phase: journeying from sea to sky to land and back out to sea again, supporting all life on earth along its transmutative path. I still smile at the memory of my own daughter excitedly sharing with me what she'd discovered about the water cycle at school, the way her voice rose as she informed me that "all the water is connected!" The idea that the substance making up the world's creeks, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans was the very same stuff — literally, the same molecules — as what she found in her bath, or in a snowman, or coming out of a water fountain ... well, it just blew her little mind.
By Jason Bittel
High up in the mountains of Montana's Glacier National Park, there are two species of insect that only a fly fishermen or entomologist would probably recognize. Known as stoneflies, these aquatic bugs are similar to dragonflies and mayflies in that they spend part of their lives underwater before emerging onto the land, where they transform into winged adults less than a half inch long. However, unlike those other species, stoneflies do their thing only where cold, clean waters flow.
From left: meltwater lednian stonefly (Lednia tumana); a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey looks for aquatic insects in an alpine stream at Glacier National Park.
Glacier NPS
Clockwise from top: a meltwater stonefly at Glacier National Park; close-up of two meltwater lednian stoneflies; close-up of western glacier stonefly (Zapada glacier)
Glacier NPS / Flickr. Western glacier stonefly: Joe Giersch / USGS
Trending
One of Our Most Important Environmental Laws Just Turned 50—Cue Trump Attacking It
By Jeff Turrentine
To celebrate the 50th birthday of one of America's most important environmental laws, President Trump has decided to make a mockery out of it.
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By Jeff Turrentine
At first glance, the images seem more like nightmares than real life. Blood-red skies that appear to have seeped into the earth below, staining it hellishly. Cyclone-like whirls with columns of flame at their centers. People and animals huddled close together on a beach, ready to jump into the ocean should the encroaching fires reach their makeshift camp and leave them with no choice.
Trending
Corporate Leaders to Trump: Withdrawing From the Paris Agreement Makes Bad Business Sense
By Courtney Lindwall
President Trump says fulfilling the country's commitment to the Paris climate agreement would be bad news for the U.S. economy, but the growing tally of business leaders pledging to take action anyway suggests otherwise. These businesspeople understand that while climate action costs money, climate change costs far more.
Bottom Lines
<p>Trump often says that the Paris Agreement "<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-trump-paris-climate-accord/" target="_blank">punishes</a>" the U.S., particularly its businesses, but he outright ignores the far more destructive economic force of climate change. According to a <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w26167" target="_blank">recent study</a> from the National Bureau of Economic Research, a business-as-usual high-emissions scenario (like the one Trump touts) could result in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/19/climate-change-could-cost-us-up-percent-its-gdp-by-study-finds/" target="_blank">7.2 percent drop in GDP</a> per capita worldwide by the end of the century. Disruptions to global supply chains are <a href="https://epsnews.com/2018/02/01/resilinc-supply-chain-disruptions-nearly-doubled-2017/" target="_blank">already upon us</a>, and as carbon pollution continues to collect in our atmosphere, more will come. <a href="https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2019/06/20/climate-change-economy-impacts/" target="_blank">Experts predict</a> far-reaching impacts to the infrastructure that supports nearly all businesses, such as extreme weather affecting the transportation of raw goods and rising sea levels swamping the fiber-optic cables essential to the internet.</p><p>Of course, climate change will also jeopardize specific industries, such as winter sports (see: <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/year-without-snow" target="_blank">decreases in snowfall</a>), and products, like your morning cup of coffee. In fact, it's little wonder that Starbucks has also <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/06/05/trump-paris-climate-amazon-microsoft-starbucks.html" target="_blank">signed on</a> to We Are Still In. Climate change may bring increasingly irregular growing seasons (and skyrocketing prices) for <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17012019/coffee-climate-change-risk-wild-arabica-endanagered-kew-study" target="_blank">coffee beans</a> on top of increased sick days for field workers exposed to <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/too-hot-handle" target="_blank">extreme heat</a>. Such concerns would apply to almost any business dependent on either agriculture or a global workforce, or both. According to a <a href="http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materials-based-on-reports/booklets/warming_world_final.pdf" target="_blank">2011 National Academy of Sciences</a> report, for every additional degree Celsius that the planet warms, we can expect a 5 to 15 percent reduction in total crop yield.</p>Big Penance
<p>While many corporations have spewed more than their fair share of carbon pollution, several are now taking the opportunity to have a supersize impact on emissions reductions. Look at the world's two biggest retailers: Amazon and Walmart. Amazon says it will go carbon neutral by 2040, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/technology/amazon-carbon-neutral.html" target="_blank">10 years ahead</a> of the Paris goals, and recently made moves to start transitioning its <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/story-normal-car-factory-abandoned-gas-guzzlers-soon-be-buzzing-electric-vehicles" target="_blank">fleet of delivery trucks</a> to electric vehicles. Soon after Trump took office, Walmart announced its <a href="https://www.walmartsustainabilityhub.com/project-gigaton" target="_blank">Project Gigaton</a> initiative, which set the ambitious goal of lowering the company's global carbon emissions — by pressing for action on the part of its suppliers — by one billion metric tons before 2030. Walmart has since reported that it's <a href="https://www.greenbiz.com/article/walmart-inches-toward-audacious-project-gigaton-goal" target="_blank">on track to meet</a> its goal, which is no small feat: the entire U.S. emitted <a href="https://www.c2es.org/content/u-s-emissions/" target="_blank">6.5 billion metric tons</a> of carbon in 2017.</p>Market Trends
<p>Climate action is <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-false-choice-between-economic-growth-and-combatting-climate-change" target="_blank">no longer seen as the enemy</a> of economic progress. While the <a href="https://www.e2.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/E2_CleanEnergyJobs_National.pdf" target="_blank">clean energy industry</a> has known this for a while, the notion is (finally) catching on in other corners of the economy — and most excitingly it's creating opportunities for market-disrupting innovation.</p><p>Take electric vehicles (EVs). While Trump <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/trump-trying-stand-way-electric-cars-theyre-breezing-right-past-him" target="_blank">fights the auto industry's progress</a> in manufacturing cleaner cars and trucks, countries such as China are investing in zero-emission vehicle technology at warp speed. According to a <a href="https://www.jpmorgan.com/global/research/electric-vehicles" target="_blank">recent report by JP Morgan Research</a>, China is expected to account for <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/327143" target="_blank">nearly 60 percent</a> of all global EV sales by next year, and many Chinese businesses (the ride-sharing company Didi Chuxing, for example) are eager to profit while they help the world progress. The same goes for the folks behind other innovations — like <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/can-a-burger-help-solve-climate-change" target="_blank">plant-based faux meats</a>, and energy-efficient fabrics <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/78m7mz/this-taiwanese-company-makes-clothes-out-of-coffee-grounds" target="_blank">made from coffee grounds</a>, and <a href="https://reset.org/blog/compostable-bottle-every-use-veganbottle-11192017" target="_blank">petroleum-free plastics</a>, and delivery vans <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3068244/these-grocery-delivery-trucks-are-powered-by-food-waste" target="_blank">fueled by food waste</a> and ... you get the idea. A poll by the data firm Nielsen showed that <a href="https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2018/global-consumers-seek-companies-that-care-about-environmental-issues/" target="_blank">81 percent</a> of consumers feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. The sustainability economy is booming — and <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/friday-school-out-and-climate-strike" target="_blank">climate-conscious Gen Z'ers and millennials</a> are ready to buy accordingly.</p>Consumer Trust
<p>At their best, corporate climate pledges open business practices up to public accountability and mark a first step toward real-life emissions cuts. At their worst, they provide a greenwashed shield behind which polluting companies can hide their status quo behaviors. Procter & Gamble, for one, boasts about the forest-friendly sourcing and certifications of its Charmin toilet paper (the company has no climate pledges to speak of). But in practice, P&G has been <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/shelley-vinyard/unrolling-charmins-sustainability-claims" target="_blank">clear-cutting</a> one of the world's most important carbon sinks, Canada's boreal forest, in the name of softer TP.</p><p>We are all in this climate crisis together, which is why it's crucial to make sure our leaders and retailers keep their promises. Presidents have power, but so do corporations. Corporations have power, but so do consumers.</p>By Jeff Turrentine
Years ago, my wife and I decided to while away an idle summer afternoon in her Texas hometown by driving our infant daughter to a neighborhood park. We pulled into the empty lot, liberated the baby from her car seat, and made our way somewhat warily through this public yet noticeably deserted space toward its small, forlorn playground. If the grass had ever been green there, it wasn't any longer; the punishing South Texas sun had dried it into a brittle yellow hay. There were few trees next to the playground equipment, and no shade of any kind to be found, so any metal or even plastic surface was searingly hot to the touch. The slide was a nonstarter. I flinched and had to let go immediately when I grasped the chains of the baby swing. The water fountain didn't work. We lasted all of five minutes before returning to the car.
By Jason Bittel
Authorities in Hong Kong intercepted some questionable cargo three years ago — a rather large shipment of shark fins that had originated in Panama. Shark fins are a hot commodity among some Asian communities for their use in soup, and most species are legally consumed in Hong Kong, but certain species are banned from international trade due to their extinction risk. And wouldn't you know it: this confiscated shipment contained nearly a ton of illegal hammerhead fins.
Silky shark. NOAA / Teachers at Sea Program
<p>For instance, <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12457" target="_blank">a study</a> of Hong Kong's market, published last year in <em>Conservation Letters</em>, found that silky sharks were the second-most commonly sold species there from 2014 to 2016. The animals are considered <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39370/117721799" target="_blank">vulnerable to extinction</a> by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And close behind the silkies, ranking fourth and fifth, were scalloped hammerheads (<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39385/10190088" target="_blank">endangered</a>) and smooth hammerheads (<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39388/10193797" target="_blank">vulnerable</a>). All <a href="https://www.cites.org/eng/prog/shark/history.php" target="_blank">three species are listed</a> under Appendix II of CITES, which strictly regulates their trade. The study also found evidence of illegal hammerhead fins in 46 out of 46 sampling events in Hong Kong.</p><p>The U.S. obviously can't control what happens in every market all over the world. But we could be doing more to watch over what's moving in and out of our own ports<em>.</em></p><p>Part of the answer is logistics, says Murdock. Better communication among agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could help. Some budgetary improvements could also be made — currently, wildlife shipments are mandated to funnel through just 17 U.S. ports that have the appropriate inspection personnel.</p><p>But honestly, a lot of the problem comes down to wording.</p>- Sea Shepherd Uncovers Huge Shipments of Shark Fins - EcoWatch ›
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