Help Vanishing Wetlands and Their Wildlife
Marshes, wet meadows, swamps, and other wetlands in the United States need your help.ÂÂ

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, half of wetlands in the lower 48 states — an area about the size of Yellowstone — have disappeared since the 1780s. And those that remain are at high risk: In 2023 the U.S. Supreme Court stripped 50 years of federal protection from many of these precious areas, leaving them vulnerable to draining, filling, excavating, and other destructive processes.

Learn more at www.saveourfreshwater.org.

Nearly 50% of threatened and endangered species use wetlands for breeding, nesting, feeding, and migration. More than 33% of them live only in wetlands. Losing these water-saturated ecosystems harms water quality, increases vulnerability to flood and climate change, and pushes thousands of animals and plants closer to extinction.ÂÂ

But not all endangered wetland species have designated critical habitat, even though the Endangered Species Act requires it — northern bog turtles, Florida Key deer, salt marsh harvest mice, Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders, and mountain sweet pitcher plants are just a few who desperately need their wetland homes protected.ÂÂ

This video highlights just a few of the species who need more protected critical habitat. Take action for giant garter snakes, mountain lions, and more: Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect more critical habitat for wetland-dependent species.

www.saveourfreshwater.org

PHOTO & VIDEO CREDITS:
Video clip of mountain lions courtesy Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge; photo of salt marsh harvest mouse by Rachel Tertes/USFWS; photo of tricolored bat by Pete Pattavina/USFWS; photo of bog turtle by Gary Peeples/USFWS; photo of Benton County cave crayfish by Pedro Ardapple-Kindberg; video clip of American alligator by Laura Bonneau/USFWS; photo of Santa Cruz long-toed salamander by Carmen Leong Minch/USFWS; photo of giant garter snake by Zarina Sheikh/USGS; photo of swamp pink by Yianni Laskaris/USFWS; photo of Guam rail by Peter Xiong/USGS.


*********************
About the Center:

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. At the Center, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, we work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. We do so through science, law and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that species need to survive.

We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive.

Where to find us:

WEBSITE: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/centerforbiodiv
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@centerforbiodiv

For questions or media inquiries, email us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.

2023: A Year in Review | Oceana
As we welcome a new year, we’re full of hope and gratitude. Our work to protect the oceans means protecting our own future, and Wavemakers like you are true beacons of light and critical in making our victories a reality. Here’s a look back on all we achieved in 2023!

Looking for ways to get involved in 2024? Visit www.oceana.org/waystogive

OCEANS IN TROUBLE by Oceana
Many ocean animals are endangered and face extinction, watch to learn about some of them and what Oceana is doing to protect life under the sea.

Subscribe to our channel to join our community of Wavemakers! ðŸŒÅ

LET’S STAY CONNECTED:

INSTAGRAM » https://www.instagram.com/oceana/
TWITTER » http://twitter.com/oceana
FACEBOOK » https://www.facebook.com/oceana/

Cows, Climate and Culture Wars: Putting Bad Policy Out to Pasture
There’s growing concern among scientists and the public about the environmental cost of the United States’ outsized appetite for beef. But there’s also a fierce political backlash against the suggestion that we reduce our beef consumption. These dynamics have everyone — from federal policymakers to local producers and big corporations — scrambling to broadcast new climate commitments on beef production, such as net-zero pledges.

In this conversation, food and climate experts will break down the climate science of beef and explore which solutions are most effective — and most needed — in climate policy and commitments. What’s the role for grass-fed and so-called regenerative beef in a climate-friendly food system? Where are the gaps in our ability to reduce climate emissions, and what are the limits and potentials of carbon sequestration, methane capture, carbon markets, consumer awareness and industry oversight? We’ll also discuss how culture wars shape the way we talk about, think about, study, and address climate impacts in beef production — and whether voluntary benchmarks can work under these conditions.

Sign up for our Food X e-newsletter: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/food-x/

Speakers:
Dr. Jonathan Foley is a world-renowned environmental scientist, sustainability expert, author, science communicator and public speaker. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including in Science, Nature, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He is the executive director of Project Drawdown and holds a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Matthew Hayek is an assistant professor of environmental sciences at New York University. He has presented and written numerous influential peer-reviewed papers on this topic broadly and holds a Ph.D. from Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, in addition to a degree in physics from Wesleyan.

Dr. Silvia Secchi is trained as a natural resource economist, geographer and transdisciplinary scholar. She is a professor at the University of Iowa in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences and Public Policy Center. A thoroughly published scholar in food, agriculture and policy issues, she holds a Ph.D. in economics.

Paul Watson at The Nantucket Project (TNP7)

Paul Watson gives the talk of his life at the 7th Annual meeting of The Nantucket Project. 

Paul Franklin Watson (born December 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American marine wildlife conservation and environmental activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation and marine conservation activism.

Recycling is Not the Solution to Our Plastics Problem
Recycling is not the solution to our plastics problem. It's time to REDUCE the amount of plastics being produced. Join Oceana in urging companies to offer plastic-free alternatives: https://bit.ly/2WVh4O7