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Hi John,
Shorebirds like piping plovers are already among the most imperiled species on Earth.
Now they face a new threat: shrapnel from Elon Musk's space rockets bursting into the heart of their migratory pathways.
So the Center went to court to keep the skies and beaches safe for plovers and other endangered species.
Please help with a gift to the Saving Life on Earth Fund. All donations will be matched.
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 20 SpaceX Starship / Super Heavy rocket launches per year for the next five years at Boca Chica in south Texas.
This experimental space program is a disaster for life right here on Earth, as shown by the recent failed launch that destroyed the launchpad, ejecting concrete and metal into the adjacent national wildlife refuge and starting a brush fire.
This treasured coastal landscape is home to irreplaceable wildlife — not a sacrifice zone for space waste.
These are the largest rockets ever built, and they launch right next to important habitat for already imperiled creatures, from piping plovers to northern aplomado falcons, Gulf Coast jaguarundi, ocelots and critically endangered sea turtles.
The FAA is legally required to consider the environmental impact of programs like this. It acknowledged the harm from SpaceX construction and launch activities, like increased vehicle traffic, intense heat, and noise and light pollution.
But it greenlit the launches anyway, so we went to court to force a full environmental review.
The federal government must stand up for wildlife and habitat — not give in to powerful interests without doing all it can to preserve the wild.
The Boca Chica area is one of the most biologically diverse regions in North America. Bird species from both the Central and Mississippi flyways converge there, making it an essential wintering and stopover habitat for migratory birds as they move north and south each year.
Looking to the stars teaches us how precious the Earth really is. We can't destroy our home in the name of exploring space.
The Center will keep going to court to save wildlife that's in harm's way, and we need you with us.
Please make a matched gift today to the Saving Life on Earth Fund.
For the wild,
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