Save Wild
Orcas
Tell the Obama administration to protect these struggling whales from extinction.
The first American climate refugees show how difficult resettlement is
If you have a hard time moving dozens of people, it becomes impossible in any kind of organized or fair way to move thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or, if you look at the forecast for South Florida, maybe even millions.
—Mark Davis, director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, discusses the U.S. government's first attempt to relocate an entire community—about 60 members of two American Indian tribes who live on Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana—due to the effects of climate change on their land.
Indigenous cultures may help fill gaps in climate data
Researchers collected climate change observations recorded by more than 90,000 people from subsistence communities across 137 countries. The scientists hope the stories will add nuance to existing climate data and offer strategies for adaptation. Reuters
New York City businesses pledge to cut waste in half by June
As part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal of reducing the Big Apple's waste 90 percent by 2030, more than 30 businesses in the city are participating in the “Zero Waste Challenge,” which kicked off in February. So far, the participants have shrunk their trash output by an average of 60 percent. Reuters
The world would have run out of freshwater 15 years ago if everyone ate like Americans
According to a WikiLeaks document from 2009, Nestle told U.S. officials that global water shortages are on the horizon as countries around the world adopt a Western-style, meat-centric diet. The world’s largest food company predicts that one-third of the human population will experience freshwater scarcity by 2025, and shortages could become catastrophic by 2050. Center for Investigative Reporting
Climate change could cause large dead zones in the oceans by 2030
Warm water absorbs less oxygen, and a new study finds that as temperatures continue to rise, deoxygenated patches of seawater will start having widespread impacts on marine life within the next 15 years. VICE News
Washington kids win climate change lawsuit
The nonprofit Our Children’s Trust filed a complaint on behalf of eight Seattle-area junior high students earlier this year, saying that the state government has failed to protect the younger generation from climate change. On Friday a Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, saying that the Washington State Department of Ecology must come up with an emissions reduction rule by the end of the year. Well done, kiddos. Grist
Push to make increase diversity in National Parks and public lands
Unfortunately, many families … don’t see their culture, their history, reflected and presented in their public parks.
—U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva, of Arizona, comments on a push by civil rights, environmental justice, and green groups to use the National Park Service’s centennial as an opportunity to increase the diversity of visitors to our national parks.
African leaders meet to tackle poaching crisis
Kenya is hosting the inaugural "Giants Club" summit, where delegates will discuss how to save African elephants from extinction. When the meeting adjourns Saturday, the country will set aflame more than 100 tons of confiscated ivory—equivalent to the tusks of more than 6,700 elephants—to send a message to poachers. BBC
Three common pesticides threaten nearly all U.S. endangered species
A new EPA report finds that it is likely that both chlorpyrifos (used on crops) and malathion (used for mosquito control, agriculture, and lawn care) adversely affect 97 percent of species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The agency says a third chemical, diazinon, likely negatively impacts 79 percent of the country's endangered species. Climate Progress
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