No. 1241, April 18, 2024

Rallying for a Plastic-Free Future

Next week countries across the globe will meet in Ottawa, Canada, for the fourth session of the United Nations’ negotiations for a global plastics treaty.

So this weekend the Center for Biological Diversity and others in the Break Free From Plastic movement will rally to remind those countries what’s at stake: human rights, public health, the climate, and the environment.

We want a treaty that slashes plastic production, bans toxic additives, and combats plastic pollution at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, from oil and gas extraction to disposal. (You know plastic is made from fossil fuels, right?)

Petrochemical companies and trade groups are lobbying fossil fuel-producing countries — including the United States — to weaken the treaty. We won’t let industry’s lies and false solutions derail progress.

Follow our Oceans program on Twitter for updates.

And join the action by telling the U.S. secretary of state: It’s not negotiable — plastic poisons people, and it’s time to end the plastic era.

Op-Ed: Let’s Stop Trading in Elephant Trophies

In a new op-ed for Newsweek, the Center’s Tanya Sanerib laments that elephants in Africa are still being hunted for trophies — most recently, three majestic males who were important members of their community.

Shockingly, Tanya writes, the United States imports far more mammal trophies than any other country — more than 10 times the number of the second-highest importer. (Though China and Europe are also major offenders.) We’re pushing for a U.S. ban on all trade in trophies from endangered species.

Support that work with a gift to the Center’s Saving Life on Earth Fund.

Wolf-Torture Tragedy: A Center Expert Weighs In

Warning: This story describes extreme animal cruelty.

In Wyoming a young wolf was recently run down by a man on a snowmobile. Instead of being immediately put out of her misery, the muzzled and powerless animal was then tormented by dogs and forced to pose for shocking photos and videos before finally being beaten or shot.

The state’s lax wolf laws gave the man little more than a slap on the wrist.

How is that possible? Amaroq Weiss, one of the Center’s wolf experts, explained the situation to Outside Magazine for an article on the torture and killing. “This kind of monstrous conduct happens all the time in northern Rockies states,” she says.

The Center just sued to restore northern Rockies wolves’ federal protection, which would ban their killing.

Write to the feds to back our fight.

Win: Plan to Frack in Los Padres Deep-Sixed

After a decade of opposition from the Center and our allies, two federal agencies nixed permit applications to drill and frack eight new wells on federal public land in California’s Los Padres National Forest — shortly after state officials proposed banning this dangerous fossil fuel extraction technique.

Together the two steps signal the end of the toxic era of fracking in the Sespe Oil Field.

“Condors have suffered from oil wells and pipelines in this area in the past, and steelhead critical habitat in Sespe Creek is downstream from the oilfield,” said the Center’s Lisa Belenky. “I’m so relieved these applications have been canceled.”

Bills Urge New Protections for SoCal Landscapes

With support from the Center, other conservation groups and Tribes, California lawmakers have introduced bills to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park — landscapes rich in biodiversity that are also home to threatened desert tortoises, kit foxes, and golden eagles.

Thank you for speaking up on the need to protect these precious places. Center members and activists submitted more than 13,000 comments on the issue.

Look for Us at Upcoming Neil Young Concerts

Are you going to see Neil Young on tour this spring? If so, come find the Center’s table before the music starts. We were invited to be part of Neil’s Love Earth Village gathering, which is highlighting folks fighting for sustainability and social justice.

We’ll have staff, volunteers and Frostpaw the polar bear at many shows. Visitors to our table can learn more about our work and sign up to take action to protect ancient forests and the Okefenokee swamp.

The Revelator: Urban Biodiversity

What wondrous creatures may be hiding in your backyard? According to the author of Nature at Your Door, urban and suburban landscapes abound with hidden biodiversity — we just need to look for it.

Read more in The Revelator and subscribe to the free weekly e-newsletter for more wildlife and conservation news.

That’s Wild: Bedazzled Skunk Scat?

No, it’s not a dream — or even a filter. It’s bedazzled skunk scat.

The artist? The gastrointestinal system of a skunk on the banks of the San Pedro River in Arizona, near the U.S.-Mexico border. The media? Shimmering, metallic exoskeletons of carnivorous insects called fiery searcher beetles (Calosoma scrutator).

Just by coincidence, skunks and fiery searcher beetles can both defend themselves with scent glands that release fluid with a strong, musky odor.

Watch and share our video on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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Photo credits: Hawaiian monk seal by Matthew Chauvin/NOAA; African elephants by Vince Wance/Wikipedia; wolf eyes courtesy Shutterstock; California condor by Wade Tregaskis/Flickr; desert tortoise by sandy redding/Flickr; Frostpaw courtesy Center for Biological Diversity, Neil Young by Ralph_PH/Wikimedia, and Love Earth Village via the Love Earth Village website; fox by Helen Beaumont; skunk scat from video by Russ McSpadden/Center for Biological Diversity.

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