U.S. Earth Overshoot Day Is Nearly Here |
From Stephanie Feldstein, Population and Sustainability Program Director |
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Just as a bank statement tracks income and expenditures, “Earth overshoot” tracks a population’s demand on ecosystems and those ecosystems’ ability to provide the resources and services demanded of them. March 20 is Overshoot Day in the United States, a symbolic day that represents when humanity would exhaust the Earth’s ability to regenerate itself if everyone consumed like Americans.
Of course not everyone consumes in the same way. A new study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, found stark inequalities in the way people consume and the pressure they put on the planet. Researchers looked at data from 168 countries and found that the top 10% of global consumers contribute 36% of global total household consumption, while the bottom 50% of consumers account for only 18%.
Consumption is often a story of haves and have-nots. Some people need to consume less — and some need to consume more — to bring humanity into ecological alignment.
Read on to learn about why reuse belongs in climate plans, our fight for stippled studfish, and more. |
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Crowded Planet — Relentless development is chipping away at the last remaining panther habitat in southwest Florida. A massive new residential and commercial development slated to be built a stone’s throw from the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge could make the situation even worse. The Center and other conservation groups have notified agencies of our intent to sue if the project moves forward.
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Municipal climate plans are important tools in the fight against climate change. But they often overlook two important strategies that cut pollution and strengthen communities: waste prevention and reuse.
In an op-ed published in the Florida Times-Union, Center Senior Campaigner Kelley Dennings wrote that when we use fewer products we extract fewer raw materials, burn less energy in manufacturing and distribution, and prevent methane emissions from landfills. By extending the life of products, reuse decreases pollution and avoids the emissions that come with producing new stuff. Reuse also increases equity and resilience by providing low- or no-cost options for everyday items people need to survive and thrive. By including reuse in climate plans, local officials can help make sure the infrastructure exists to make reuse more widely available, supporting small businesses and community resilience in the process.
Here’s one thing you can do: The Center helped launch a “library of things” — a place where useful items can be borrowed — at the University of North Florida. Learn how to bring this resource for reuse to your community. |
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New Food Pyramid Truly Stinks |
The new dietary guidelines are a boon to the meat and dairy industries, exacerbating a problem that quite literally stinks, the Center’s Food and Agriculture Policy Specialist Leah Kelly explained recently in an op-ed for Civil Eats. Conventional U.S. beef and dairy production generates well over 40 million tons of manure annually — and it’s a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Measured on a 20-year timeframe, methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
The Trump administration’s new food pyramid encourages nearly double the consumption of protein from red meat and full-fat dairy. If people were to increase their intake by just 25%, the impact on human health and ecosystems would be dramatic.
Here’s one thing you can do: The manure problem is just one more reason to ignore the unscientific advice doled out by the Trump administration and follow dietary advice based on science and sustainability.
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Sexual Health Emergency Kits Head West |
Extreme weather events can limit access to abortion, contraception, and other types of reproductive healthcare, but sexual health is often left off emergency preparedness checklists. To help fill this often-underfilled need, the Center first piloted sexual health emergency preparedness kits — which contain items like emergency contraception, condoms, and pregnancy tests — in Florida in 2024. We distributed hundreds of kits, including 250 around Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
In 2026 we’re expanding our efforts to bring SHEP kits to communities around the country. Our next distribution will take place in Tucson, Arizona, on March 6. If you’re interested in bringing SHEP kits to your community, check out our how-to guide.
Here’s one (more) thing you can do: Email Kelley Dennings to join our SHEP listserv and stay up to date on SHEP kit news and distribution events.
(And if you’d like to help with our Tucson distribution, email Kelley to let her know. We’d love you to get involved.) |
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Get the Facts on Plant-Based Milk |
Plant-based milk is a $2.8 billion industry that meets the needs of more than one-third of Americans who can’t digest lactose, as well as those who are adding plant-based milk into their diets for other health or environmental reasons. Schools, too, now have more flexibility to serve plant-based milk in their lunch programs.
Demand for plant-based milk is skyrocketing, with no end in sight. To help institutions increase their offerings of plant-based milk — and to help advocates ask for plant-based options — we’ve created a new factsheet that lays out consumer demand, cost savings, and environmental benefits.
Here’s one thing you can do: Plant-based milks are a great way to bring sustainable options to more people, but let’s not stop there. Check out our guide to bringing sustainable food to schools and other institutions. |
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Trump Approved a ‘Forever Chemical’ Pesticide, We Sued |
In the latest blow to its Make America Health Again supporters, the Trump administration recently approved “forever chemical” isocycloseram for use on golf courses, lawns, and a host of food crops — including apples, oranges, lettuce, and tomatoes. Studies found the pesticide reduced testicle size, lowered sperm counts, and harmed the liver when tested on animals. It’s also highly toxic to bees and other pollinators.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of isocycloseram ignores human and environmental health risks and violates federal law, so the Center and other conservation groups sued.
“We’re going to fight like hell to make sure these forever pesticides aren’t allowed to poison our grandchildren’s grandchildren,” said the Center’s Environmental Health Science Director Nathan Donley. Here’s one thing you can do: Tell the EPA to stop approving forever pesticides that hurt people, wildlife, and the environment. |
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Wildlife Spotlight: Stippled Studfish |
Stippled studfish are dazzling, freckly fish that were once widespread across the Tallapoosa River system in Alabama and Georgia. They depend on cold, clear water and clean sand and gravel to reproduce, performing a rare spawning ritual in which pairs dive into the streambed to lay eggs.
Decades of development, pollution, and worsening drought have reduced these studfish to just a few isolated streams in Alabama. In response to a petition by the Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently determined they may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, potentially setting the little fish up to stage a comeback.
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Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States |
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