Planning for Sexual Health in Climate Disasters

From Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Program Director

When intense storms and extreme weather wreak havoc on communities, the damage goes far beyond property loss. The climate crisis affects us all — and especially women and gender-diverse people — but sexual and reproductive health concerns are often left out of emergency preparedness plans and checklists. This can make it harder for folks living through climate-fueled disasters to care for their sexual health or access contraception, leading to unintended pregnancies.

Last year we piloted sexual health emergency preparedness (SHEP) kit giveaways in hurricane-battered Florida. This year we’re releasing a Sexual Health Emergency Preparedness Kit How-To Guide to help people bring SHEP kits to their own communities.

Check out our new guide and reach out to Center Senior Campaigner Kelley Dennings to learn more. Then read on for the latest on planning for wildlife-friendly holidays, our upcoming Food Justice Film Festival, and new research on fashion’s methane footprint.

Crowded Planet: South Florida’s critically endangered pine rocklands ecosystem is home to more than 20 species listed under the Endangered Species Act, from Key deer to the threatened Everglades bully — and it sits in one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. The Pine Rocklands Conservation Team, a public-private partnership that includes the Center, just won a Regional Recovery Champion Award in recognition of its collaborative efforts to protect and recover this incredible ecosystem that’s threatened by population pressure, invasive species, sea-level rise, and storms.

Support the REUSE Act of 2025

Every day the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic waste are dumped into the world’s oceans and waterways. As more Americans become aware of this crisis for our oceans, climate, and health, many are rejecting single-use plastic and opting for reusable alternatives.

A bipartisan, commonsense bill called the Research for Environmental Uses and Sustainable Economies (REUSE) Act of 2025 takes an important step toward tackling the plastic pollution crisis. It directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study how reuse and refill systems can be expanded across the country.

Reusable packaging is a proven solution in the fight against the plastic problem, and it has the lowest carbon footprint of any packaging option. By reducing reliance on single-use plastics, reuse and refill infrastructure can cut waste, lower emissions, and create jobs in a truly circular economy.

Here’s one thing you can do: Urge your Senators to cosponsor the REUSE Act of 2025.

Simplify the Holidays Webinar: Creative Ideas

Now’s the time to get a jumpstart on planning holiday season outreach and engagement activities to reduce waste, strengthen the local economy, and foster connection. The Center is hosting a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT with partners across the country who’ve used our Simplify the Holidays campaign to address consumerism with creative flair during the holiday season. Our panelists include a county waste official, small-business owner, and nonprofit board member who’ll share ideas — from alternative gift fairs and workshops to holiday-leftovers recipe contests — to try out yourself.

Here’s one thing you can do: Register now to learn how you can bring this campaign to your community for celebrations filled with more connection and less consumption.

Save the Date: 2025 Food Justice Film Festival

The Center’s sixth annual virtual Food Justice Film Festival will take place Oct. 23-26. This year we’re featuring four feature-length documentaries highlighting Indigenous food sovereignty, land reclamation by people of color, agricultural heritage, community foodways, and food access.

“We’re seeing unprecedented attacks on the farm- and food workers that keep our food system running,” said Linda Rico, the Center’s film festival coordinator. “The festival gives filmmakers, activists, organizers, and workers a platform to showcase the critical work they do every day to feed this country.”

Stay tuned for more information on the films and bonus content, including interviews with the film directors, farmers, and activists. In the meantime, join the festival platform so you’re all set to watch next month:

• If you joined last year’s festival, log in with your password.
• If you’re new to the festival, sign up.

Need help? Here’s how to sign up and watch.

Research Reveals Fashion’s Massive Methane Footprint

Collective Fashion Justice released a groundbreaking report with the first-ever calculation of the fashion industry’s methane footprint. The report, endorsed by the Center, found that the industry’s annual methane footprint is nearly four times that of France. And although animal-based materials like leather, wool, and cashmere account for less than 4% of materials used, they’re responsible for 75% of methane produced by the fashion industry.

“The fashion industry’s footprint is too big to ignore, especially when slashing methane emissions is crucial to staving off the worst impacts of the climate crisis,” said Stephanie Feldstein, population and sustainability director at the Center. “This report not only reveals the hidden cost of the most harmful materials — it also provides a way forward for climate-conscious fashion.”

Here’s one thing you can do: Learn about alternative materials that can reduce fashion’s reliance on leather, wool, and cashmere.

How MAHA Threatens U.S. Dietary Health

When President Donald Trump promised to let Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “go wild” on food, some people hoped that would translate into breaking Big Food’s stranglehold on our food system to make it easier for people to eat healthy diets. But, as Food and Agriculture Policy Specialist Leah Kelly writes in her latest Rooted in Policy blog post, Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda to consume saturated fats, beef tallow, and whole milk will only make the chronic disease crisis worse. With the Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture preparing to release the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Leah cautions that we could be facing nutrition recommendations “rife with food industry influence, false and unscientific claims, and promotion of Kennedy’s pet issues.”

Here’s one thing you can do: Read about why the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are one of the most powerful policy tools to shift toward healthy, sustainable diets.

Wildlife Spotlight: Lesser Prairie Chickens

Most of the year, lesser prairie chickens blend in with the tall pale grasses of their Great Plains habitat. But when spring rolls around, these grouses are anything but wallflowers. Males gather for dance battles that involve puffing out reddish-orange air sacs, lifting long plumes above their heads, and a drumroll of foot-stomping in the hopes of attracting a mate.

Despite these impressive moves, the birds’ numbers have plummeted from habitat loss caused by agriculture and fossil fuel development, fencing and power lines that attract predators, and climate-related heat and drought.

Following decades of work by the Center and allies, lesser prairie chickens finally received Endangered Species Act protection (for the second time) in 2022. But this summer a Texas court ruled in favor of a Trump administration request to strike the birds’ listing, removing their safeguards against the oil and gas industry and other threats. The Center quickly filed an appeal to restore protection to these iconic creatures.

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Photo credits: Florida SHEP kit event courtesy of Kelley Dennings/Center for Biological Diversity; Florida pine rocklands and threatened Everglades bully by Elise Bennett/Center for Biological Diversity; key deer in the public domain; webinar graphic courtesy of Changing Markets Foundation; cozy feet near fireplace via Canva; Food Justice Film Festival photo collage via Canva; fashion methane report image courtesy of Collective Fashion Justice; dinner plate via Canva; lesser prairie chicken courtesy of Kevin Rolle/Flickr.

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