We're Suing to Save Endangered Beluga Whales

The Center for Biological Diversity and our allies sued the Trump administration Wednesday for authorizing an oil company to harm endangered beluga whales and other marine mammals through its offshore-drilling operations in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The corporation, Hilcorp Alaska, already has a record of environmental and worker-safety violations.

Cook Inlet's tiny population of a few hundred belugas is facing serious threats from Hilcorp's seismic blasting, "pile driving" and other dangerous offshore oil and gas development over the next five years.

"We can't allow Hilcorp's acoustic attack on these rare whales," said Julie Teel Simmonds, a Center attorney. "Trump doesn't care about protecting marine mammals, so we're turning to the courts."

Read more and consider supporting our fight for belugas with a donation to our Wildlife and Wild Places Defense Fund.

Sept. 20: Join the Youth Climate Strike

On Sept. 20, three days before the U.N. Climate Summit in New York City, people across the world will strike to demand transformative action on the climate crisis.

Inspired by Greta Thunberg, young people have been leading the global climate-strike movement — and now it's time for everyone else to join them. Together we'll demand science-based policies that end the era of dirty fossil fuels, protect wildlife and human communities, create thousands of good jobs, and save life on Earth.

We're at a crossroads: irreversible climate catastrophe or a safe, healthy future. Find an event near you and join the movement.

Trump Aims to Kill Rules Cutting Methane Pollution

Trump's EPA has announced plans to roll back Obama-era rules meant to cut methane pollution from oil and gas operations.

Methane is a potent pollutant that heats the atmosphere 87 times more than the same amount of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. It's also a factor in the formation of smog, which contributes to asthma and other health threats.

"This reckless rollback pours fuel on the flames of a world on fire," said the Center's Kassie Siegel. "The EPA is now so determined to actually increase greenhouse pollution that it's even shrugging off concerns from oil and gas companies about gutting these protections."

Read more in The Washington Post.

In our new BorderViews video, the Center's Laiken Jordahl takes us to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to reveal the border-wall construction underway now. Endangered species, sacred American Indian sites and protected wilderness are under immediate threat. Watch on Facebook or YouTube.

Our 1,000th E-newsletter

Here's a milestone: The email you're reading is the 1,000th edition of Endangered Earth Online, the Center's weekly e-newsletter.

Our executive director Kierán Suckling sent the first edition to Center supporters in 1995. Almost a quarter-century later, it still comes out every Thursday. And it's still the fastest way to find out about the extensive, energetic work we do to save wild creatures, plants and places.

Thank you for being our reader. You can help get the word out by forwarding this message to someone who might be interested — and if they like what they see, they're welcome to sign up.

Wild & Weird: Underwater Rain at Palmyra Atoll

A speck in the vast ocean halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa, Palmyra Atoll is one of the most remote national wildlife refuges under the purview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Take a micro-vacation to this extraordinary place by watching new footage of "underwater rain" on Facebook and YouTube.