** The world isn't moving fast enough to protect biodiversity
------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Earth's biodiversity is at risk, but protecting more natural land is a surefire way to work toward protecting it | Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management ([link removed])


**
------------------------------------------------------------
As Earth's biodiversity continues to collapse, a new report finds that countries have made insufficient progress on goals designed to halt the catastrophic slide ([link removed]) . The sweeping United Nations report ([link removed]) highlights the fact that, despite commitments made a decade ago, countries across the world have not come close to meeting the scale of the crisis and have failed to meet a single established goal ([link removed]) . This is the second consecutive decade ([link removed]) in which governments have failed to meet targets.

Failure to act on the targets could not only result in massive loss of biodiversity, but also undermine established climate crisis and sustainable development goals. Scientists say that humanity is now at a crossroads. The UN's biodiversity head stated ([link removed]) , “Earth’s living systems as a whole are being compromised. And the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own wellbeing, security and prosperity."

The report demonstrates the urgency and necessity of working to protect 30 percent of America ([link removed]) —and the world ([link removed]) —by 2030 (the 30x30 goal ([link removed]) ). In the face of the collapse of our natural systems, scientists have stated that achieving this goal is necessary to prevent the unraveling of fundamental natural systems. Protecting and restoring natural areas is the most effective way to slow extinctions and retain resilient ecosystems, with much higher animal and plant abundance ([link removed]) within protected areas.

The United States provides a key opportunity to make strides toward this goal: nearly 60 percent ([link removed]) of lands in the continental U.S. are still in a mostly natural condition or could be restored, making the U.S. one of the top five countries ([link removed]) for retaining lands in their natural state.


** Senators demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency
------------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday, U.S. Senators took the floor ([link removed]) to demand that the White House fire anti-public lands extremist William Perry Pendley, who continues to head ([link removed]) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) despite his inability to gain Senate confirmation. Pendley not only has a history of calling for the sale of public lands, explicitly racist comments, and climate denial; he also continues to serve as de facto head of the BLM via a succession order that he signed himself.

“President Trump has shown that he's willing to circumvent Congress and skip the constitutionally required confirmation process for other key federal leadership posts by illegally placing people into unofficial and indefinite acting roles,” said ([link removed]) Senator Martin Heinrich.
Quick hits


** How climate migration will reshape America
------------------------------------------------------------

New York Times ([link removed]) and ProPublica ([link removed])


** The science behind this year's terrifying fire season, and why it signals the start of a planetary fire age
------------------------------------------------------------

Atlantic ([link removed]) | The Conversation ([link removed])


** Trump’s fossil fuel agenda gets pushback from federal judges
------------------------------------------------------------

Associated Press ([link removed])


** Wildfire smoke takes toll, could have dangerous health impacts, as it spreads across the U.S. and into Europe
------------------------------------------------------------

National Geographic ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed]) | C ([link removed]) NN ([link removed])


** Water shortages in western U.S. more likely than previously thought
------------------------------------------------------------

Associated Press ([link removed])


** The Trump administration has a plan to not fight climate change, commits to short-term thinking
------------------------------------------------------------

Wired ([link removed])


** Sweeping changes are on the way for Alaska lands, wildlife, salmon
------------------------------------------------------------

Climate Connections ([link removed])


** A trip through the wildfire wreckage; but we may need to learn how to live with fires
------------------------------------------------------------

New York Times ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed])
Quote of the day
Many of the decisions the Trump administration has been making are arguably illegal and in some cases blatantly so. They've lost a lot of cases."

—Mark Squillace, associate dean at the University of Colorado Law School and a specialist in natural resources law, A ([link removed]) ssociated Press ([link removed])
Picture this


** @USFWSRefuges ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
CAPTION CALL! Got a good one for this black bear cub at Assabet River #WildlifeRefuge ([link removed]) in Mass? Enter here: [link removed] ([link removed]) We’ll name our favorite tomorrow. /Tina Shaw, USFWS)

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2020 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])