From Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Program Director |
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Every year on the third Friday in May, Endangered Species Day is celebrated around the world. The day is an opportunity to learn about at-risk species and take action to protect them. From hobbling federal agencies to dismantling environmental regulations, the dangers to endangered species have escalated under President Donald Trump — and in April his administration issued a proposed rule to rescind nearly all habitat protections for endangered species across the country. The proposal has profound, life-altering implications for rare and vanishing plants and animals in the United States.
A new Center for Biological Diversity report shows just how damaging Trump’s proposal is by highlighting 10 species under direct threat from the administration’s destructive plans. From monarch butterflies to Florida panthers, many of our beloved and imperiled species could be pushed to the brink. Read on to learn about how we’re pushing back against the Trump administration’s disastrous agenda, celebrating biodiversity, and more. |
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The Ag Secretary's Anti-Trans Crusade |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s role has always been to recognize the vital importance of agriculture in our country and protect America’s food supply. In the months since President Trump took office, USDA funding has been gutted, and farmers, rural communities, schools, and food banks are paying the price.
But as food prices rise and farmers become collateral damage in Trump’s trade war, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has decided to turn her attention to attacking transgender youth by threatening to withhold funding for educational institutions if they continue to support transgender students and athletes. Instead of bullying educational institutions into following her harmful, anti-trans agenda, I argue in a recent op-ed in Ms. magazine, Secretary Rollins needs to focus on the real, existential threats to small farmers and food security in America.
Here’s one thing you can do: This administration has exposed how deeply intertwined the fights for human rights and a healthy environment are. Keep track of issues facing the trans community. |
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Join Us for Virtual Trivia on World Biodiversity Day |
May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity, a day created by the United Nations to promote biodiversity around the world. Celebrate life on Earth — and learn more about the critical issues threatening species big and small — by joining the Center and Population Connection for a virtual trivia event on May 22 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or just curious to learn more, this is a great chance to test your biodiversity knowledge in a relaxed, game-style format. There will be prizes for top scorers and plenty of opportunities to learn something new. Register for the event now. Here’s one thing you can do: Speak up for biodiversity and tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the Endangered Species Act. |
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Three Webinars About Fixing Our Food System |
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Bring Sexual Health Kits to Your Community |
Climate-fueled storms, wildfires, and flooding — as well as related disasters like fossil fuel-derived chemical plant explosions — can cause sexual and reproductive health disruptions, but items like condoms, emergency contraception, and pregnancy tests are often left off emergency preparedness checklists. This worsens the disproportionate effect of the climate crisis on women and gender-diverse people.
Last year the Center launched a program to bring sexual health preparedness to communities in Florida. This year we’d like to support others who want to bring the effort to their towns and cities. If you’re interested in helping your neighbors prepare for sexual and reproductive health disruptions during climate-related disasters and extreme weather events, fill out this form, and we’ll reach out to you.
Here’s one thing you can do: Learn more about how extreme weather can make reproductive autonomy more difficult by reading our report on gender and the climate crisis. |
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Reduce Fast Fashion by Design — Not Disaster |
The impacts of tariffs on industries that exist on cheap imported products — like fast fashion — are uncertain and complicated. As I recently told MarketWatch, reducing consumption should always be done by design and not disaster to ensure that it’s effective and lasting and has minimal consequences on workers and the environment. Trump’s chaotic tariffs fall into the disaster category.
One thing we do know is that now’s a good time to change the way we approach fashion. The fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Purchasing secondhand clothing keeps items in circulation longer, reducing their environmental footprint and avoiding the destructive extraction and production of raw materials that would have gone into making and shipping new clothes — plus it saves money, supports local businesses, and helps build the reuse economy.
Here’s one thing you can do: Read up on the high cost of the fast fashion industry and the benefits of secondhand shopping. |
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Wildlife Spotlight: Bog Turtle |
Bog turtles are North America’s smallest turtles, measuring about the length of a crayon. They live in mountain wetlands that are being drained for development. Only 500 acres of mountain bog habitat remain across the bog turtles’ entire southern range, making these tiny reptiles one of the world’s most threatened turtles — fewer than 2,000 survive.
In 2022 the Center filed a petition to protect southern bog turtles under the Endangered Species Act. The agency was required to decide more than a year ago whether to officially list the turtles. This April the Center and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reached an agreement that requires the agency to make that decision by October 2028.
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Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States |
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