A Population Turning Point

From Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Program Director

Thirty years ago, in Cairo, the International Conference on Population and Development changed the population conversation. Instead of talking about “controlling” population, governments shifted to focusing on reproductive health and rights, gender equity, and universal access to education for women and girls.

The new approach was necessary and effective in advancing human rights and lowering fertility rates. At the same time, policymakers became reluctant to talk about the pressure population puts on the planet, even though sustainability was integral to the ICPD vision. The health of people, the environment, and wildlife are intertwined. We see that deep interdependence in heat waves, extreme storms, pollution, and the loss of nature. The population conversation needs to shift once again to acknowledge these connections.

Watch the Wilson Center’s World Population Day event on revitalizing the goals of ICPD, and then read on for the latest news on human-caused threats to wildlife, sustainable food policy, and how to have an ocean-friendly beach day.

Fifty thousand years ago, there were more than 50 species of land-dwelling herbivores that weighed more than a ton. Today there are only 11, and their populations are dwindling. A major new survey of research on lost megaherbivores supports the hypothesis that while climate change was a factor, many of these animals were lost to extinction because people hunted them.

Saving Elephants From Trophy Hunters

Researchers found that African elephants have specific rumbles for different individuals — essentially calling each other by name. This type of communication hasn’t been observed in nonhuman animals before. As one researcher said, if we can learn elephant language and warn them of danger, it could help prevent human-elephant conflicts, an ever-increasing threat due to population pressure.

One group of elephants between Kenya and Tanzania faces another persistent threat: trophy hunting. The Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro elephants are the longest-studied elephant population, and over the past nine months, five males have been killed. The United States is the primary importer of Tanzania elephant trophies, so shutting down the U.S. market could help save these incredible animals.

Here's one thing you can do: Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ban all imports of elephant trophies from the Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro elephant population.

Climate-Smart Ag’s Transparency Problem

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has invested more than $3 billion in Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities, a program to promote “climate-smart” agriculture. It’s crucial that the USDA address agricultural emissions, but it’s unclear exactly how the agency is choosing which “climate-smart” projects to fund or evaluating their success to ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t being spent on practices that could worsen the climate crisis. And recently, agency officials indicated that they plan to roll back data reporting requirements.

The Center and partners have petitioned the USDA asking it to explain how it collects and reports on data through the Partnerships program. The petition also asks for a public comment period on what data should be gathered and shared moving forward.

Here’s one thing you can do: Learn about agricultural solutions that can effectively fight climate change and protect biodiversity.

How to Have a Low-Waste Beach Day

With summer in full swing, people are headed to the beach in droves to enjoy the sun, sand, and ocean. But on a recent visit to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, senior campaigner Kelley Dennings noticed a serious side effect. Garbage bins overflowed, and plastic was strewn across the sand. The ocean and its marine life are already suffering on multiple fronts from ocean acidification, pollution, and overfishing, so how do we make sure our beach days don’t cause even more harm?

In a recently published article, Kelley discusses how to have a low-waste beach day. She offers tips, from packing reusable water bottles filled with ice to rethinking how you get your beach gear. Chairs and umbrellas can often be rented; items like coolers can be found at thrift stores or from local Buy Nothing groups. Some beaches even have toy-borrow boxes so you don’t have buy more plastic toys.

A Step Toward Climate-Friendly School Meals

School cafeterias often serve up menus that look more like fast food than nutrition. Not only is pizza not a vegetable, but dairy-heavy dishes aren’t great for the planet either. But now there’s a better chance that schoolchildren across the country will have access to healthy, sustainable meals. As Senior Food Campaigner Jennifer Molidor explained in an op-ed, the USDA recently updated its standards for child nutrition programs to make it easier for schools to serve healthier meals, including entrees with beans, peas, and lentils. The standards also allow more plant-based options, like nuts and seeds, to count as meat alternates and bean dips like hummus to be served as a smart snack. As a result, school food will have less sodium and added sugar, as well as a lower environmental footprint.

Here’s one thing you can do: Learn more about the environmental impacts of school food and the work being done to improve it.

Protecting America’s Wetlands

Earlier this spring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service released a report to Congress that found the lower 48 states have lost 50% of their wetlands since the 1780s. Over the past 15 years, the rate of loss has accelerated. The report notes that these are conservative estimates of the effect of drivers of wetland loss, including human population growth, which increases water demand.

The Center just launched a new Save Our Freshwater website highlighting our decades of work to protect freshwater for people, plants, and animals. The website has details with photos, videos, and maps about how we’re fighting — and winning — to protect waterways in regions across the country.

Here’s one thing you can do: Check out the new website, and then donate to support our work to protect wetlands and other fresh waterways.

Wildlife Spotlight: White-Tailed Ptarmigan

The smallest members of the grouse family, white-tailed ptarmigans are among the few animals who spend their entire lives on alpine mountaintops. In the breeding season, their mottled feathers make them almost invisible against the rocks and patches of melting snow. They change their plumage with the seasons, turning white in time for winter. They save energy in the cold months by often roosting in snowbanks and using their snowshoe-like, feathered feet to walk instead of fly.

White-tailed ptarmigans are so well adapted to alpine weather that warming temperatures are a serious threat to their survival. In response to legal action by the Center, the Mt. Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan was just protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

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Photo credits: Hands holding model of Earth via Canva; hippos by dapple1/Pixabay; Amboseli ecosystem elephant “Craig” courtesy Amboseli Trust for Elephants; agricultural fields by James Baltz/Unsplash; beach via Pexels; school lunch via Canva; San Pedro River, Ariz., by Robin Silver/Center for Biological Diversity; Mount Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan by Dan Streffert/Flickr.

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