No. 1281, January 23, 2025 |
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We’re Not Wasting Precious Time |
Minutes after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, the Center for Biological Diversity sued his administration to demand hidden records relating to Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency Committee, aka DOGE. DOGE’s goals include eliminating regulatory safeguards, reducing the federal workforce by 70%, cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, and disempowering “unelected bureaucrats.” If Trump, Musk, and the DOGE team get their way, more species will be pushed to the brink and the climate emergency will worsen.
This lawsuit against DOGE is just the beginning. Our expert staff will be filing more lawsuits and resisting newly empowered anti-environment forces in every possible way.
The threats posed by Trump 2.0 are breathtaking in scope. But we won’t give up, give in, or go away. We’re fighting as hard as ever for the survival and wellbeing of everything we love and need — animals, plants, a livable climate, and each other.
Please stay by our side through the tough battles ahead. Keep reading our emails, sharing our social content, telling your friends about our work, and taking action online. And if you can, fund our fight with a gift to the Future for the Wild Fund. The only way to get through this is together. |
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Stop This Road From Harming a Refuge |
Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, is one of the most ecologically important areas in the United States. Home to awe-inspiring wildlife like brown bears and caribou, it’s also a critical stopover for millions of migratory birds — including almost the entire Pacific population of black brants. Now this refuge faces a devastating threat: a proposed road that would cut through its heart, damaging wetlands and eelgrass beds essential for climate resilience and wildlife.
If you're one of the 22,000 people who’ve already spoken up to defend Izembek, thank you. If you haven’t yet, here's your chance — every comment counts.
Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reject this destructive road now. |
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Win for 76 Species — in the Nick of Time |
In the three weeks of 2025 before President Trump’s return, the Center won scores of victories for vulnerable species to help shield them from the political tsunami making landfall. Once a species has Endangered Species Act protection, it takes time and resources to undo it — even for an executive branch that's hostile to wildlife.
Last week alone we won for a 5-foot-tall Texas flower called big red sage, three Nevada species, California’s Clear Lake hitch, longfin smelt in San Francisco Bay, and foothill yellow-legged frogs.
And on Thursday we capped it off with a landmark agreement compelling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide, in five years, on protecting 76 more species — from Oregon vesper sparrows to golden-winged warblers.
All 76 species have been waiting for protection for more than a decade in a process that’s supposed to take two years maximum. |
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Help Raise Awareness for Colorado Wolves |
Good news for beleaguered Colorado wolves: The state just released 15 wolves in the second of several planned releases in its historic effort to restore these crucial carnivores. The state also re-released a wolf mother and four pups, the remaining members of the Copper Creek pack, who’d been in captivity since last summer — when a poacher shot the pack’s father. Shockingly, in response to misinformation that some wolves would be released at a ranch, armed would-be poachers drove there, apparently prepared to shoot them.
“This release is a big step toward righting the historical wrong of wolf extermination in our state,” said the Center’s Alli Henderson. “But we’re really worried about the wolves’ safety.”
If you love wolves, head to social media or email to share our press releases about the new wolf release and our reward to bring the Copper Creek poacher to justice. |
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Celebrating 15 Years of Endangered Species Condoms |
The Center has given away more than 1.5 million free Endangered Species Condoms since we started the project 15 years ago. In honor of that anniversary, all year we’ll highlight the condoms — along with our Population and Sustainability program’s other work — across our communications platforms.
To address the underlying causes of the extinction crisis, this unique program tackles human population pressure, unsustainable consumption, and endless growth with solutions advancing health, environmental and economic justice, and a compassionate world. “Population pressure isn’t easy to talk about,” said Center organizer Malia Becker. “But the Endangered Species Condoms are wild enough to help people start those conversations.” Join us: Sign up for Pop X, a monthly newsletter from our Population and Sustainability team. The next issue will tell you how to get your own box of condoms to share. |
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Revelator: Trump v. Marine Animals |
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That’s Wild: Dragonfly Loops |
To dry off after they take a dip, dragonflies perform aerial somersaults that would shame an Olympic gymnast, as new recordings made by London biomechanics experts show. So — how many times a minute can a dragonfly flip upside down? 2,000, it turns out. Watch the video. |
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Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States
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