This past summer, the world was gripped by the flames that tore through the Amazon rainforest and released huge volumes of trapped carbon dioxide in the process. Half a world away, far from the social media hashtags, a much smaller patch of tropical forest was revealing the secret of what makes these landscapes such potent […]
Tag: threatened species
South Africa reclassifies 33 wild species as farm animals. A list of iconic and in some cases endangered wild animals can now be manipulated as farming stock.
Lions, cheetahs, rhinos and zebras were among 33 wild species which became farm animals as of May this year when the South African Government approved a brief amendment to the Animal Improvement Act (AIA) which governs livestock breeding.12 There has been virtually no mention of this in the media, as the legislation was slipped through […]
Illegal government advisory panel touts ‘benefits’ of trophy hunting
It may be hard to believe that a group of celebrity and professional trophy hunters, a director of the National Rifle Association, and the president of the world’s largest trophy hunting group are advising our government on wildlife conservation. But that is exactly what the International Wildlife Conservation Council, a panel appointed by the Trump […]
Cheetahs, CITES, and illegal trade: Are consumer countries doing enough? (commentary)
At the end of August, countries from across the world came together at the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)to discuss actions to combat illegal trade in endangered species and to ensure sustainable management of legal trade. […]
The Clean Water Act Under Siege
Before the Clean Water Act, our nation’s waters were in trouble. The average loss of wetlands in the United States was nearly half a million acres annually. Lake Erie was considered functionally dead, thanks to industrial pollution and farm run-off. Ohio’s Cuyahoga River caught on fire more than a dozen times in the century before […]
“Part of something bigger”: the social movement around New Zealand’s Predator-Free 2050 goal
In Whāingaroa/Raglan on New Zealand’s (NZ’s) west coast, trapping for introduced mammals that prey on endangered native birds is something of a competitive sport. Karioi Project, a local conservation NGO named after the bushclad volcano that backs the small surf town and houses a significant population of endemic oi (grey-faced petrels, Pterodroma gouldi), has established […]
End Swimming With Dolphins: 10 Petitions You Should Sign This Week to Help Animals!
It’s horrible to hear about animal abuse cases or read the ways humans are endangering many species. Fortunately, there are things we can do to speak for them. One of the ways we can help and lend our voices to good causes is by signing petitions. Such petitions are sent to people in powerful positions […]
Thirty sharks captured on barrier reef and exported to France all died in captivity
Thirty hammerhead sharks captured on the Great Barrier Reef and exported to a French aquarium over an eight-year period have all died in captivity and the Australian government says it knows nothing about it. The deaths, which are the subject of legal action by Sea Shepherd France, could put a spotlight on the trade of […]