Center for Biological Diversity
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Endangered Earth
No. 992, July 11, 2019
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Lawsuit Against Methane-spewing Mine Brings Our Count to 143
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies just sued the Interior Department for unlawfully approving the expansion of Colorado's West Elk Mine — the state's largest industrial source of methane pollution. This challenge, filed last week, brings the count of Center lawsuits against Trump's administration to a whopping 143.
These lawsuits make a difference. With no checks on his power, Trump would be leaving a scorched Earth in his wake.
Through our legal work we've killed his worst proposals, including drilling in national monuments. We've slowed his blitzkrieg against science-based rules and policies. We keep winning necessary protections for imperiled wildlife. And our Freedom of Information Act litigation uncovers the lies and hypocrisy of Trump's industry pals, giving us a leg up in our fight for wildlife, climate, public lands and human health.
Learn about all 143 lawsuits at our Trump Lawsuit Tracker: [link removed]
And consider making a donation to support our fierce fight to protect the planet from Trump: [link removed]
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We're Fighting to Save the Home of a Jumping Mouse
New Mexico jumping mice are water-loving, super-jumping cuties who play important roles in their riparian ecosystems. They're also on the brink of extinction and protected as an endangered species.
Now they're facing a new threat from two cattlemen's associations, whose destructive grazing is a prime threat to the mice and their streamside homes. The livestock owners sued to remove the species' habitat protection — so we intervened to defend it.
"New Mexico cattlemen are threatening the very survival of these tiny, imperiled creatures," said Center attorney Ryan Shannon. "We had no choice but to file a motion."
Get more from our press release.
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Revelator: Koalas in Decline
Once numbering in the millions, populations of Australia's wild koalas have fallen to below 80,000 individuals. The much-loved marsupials are struggling to survive a multitude of threats, including habitat loss, climate change, heat stress and a sexually transmitted disease that's often fatal.
Koalas could lose their fight — but not if conservationists get the tools they need to protect the species.
Learn more from The Revelator: [link removed]
Sign up for The Revelator's newsletter: [link removed]
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Exciting Sign of Wolf Recovery
Photos of a dark gray wolf taken earlier this week could be the first wolf sighting in Colorado in four years. This particular animal most likely crossed into the state from Wyoming. Says Collette Adkins, our carnivore conservation director, "Colorado could once again be home to a wolf population."
Get more from the Coloradoan.
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Defying Reality Once Again, Trump Tries for a Greenwash
On Monday President Donald J. Trump gaslit the nation about his disastrous approach to environmental protection, making false statements about his administration's record on wildlife, clean air and clean water. Numerous environmental groups, including the Center, were obliged to point out that in fact, Trump's record on conservation and pollution has been the worst in modern history.
"Trump thinks he can get away with slapping a happy-face sticker over the vast wounds he's inflicting on America's environment," said the Center's Brett Hartl.
Read more in USA Today.
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Congressional Resolution Declares Climate Emergency
On Tuesday Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) unveiled a resolution to declare the climate crisis an emergency that warrants a "massive-scale mobilization to halt, reverse and address" its consequences.
"With a climate denier in the White House, it's on Congress to steer us away from climate suicide," said Bill Snape, Center senior counsel. "This resolution recognizes the science that says we need a massive transition away from dirty fossil fuels."
Get more from our press release.
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UN Names Vaquita Porpoise Habitat in Mexico 'In Danger'
With as few as 10 vaquita porpoises left in the world, the United Nation's World Heritage Committee has declared their Gulf of California habitat as officially "in danger." The designation is a response to a 2015 petition filed by the Center and allies.
The small cetaceans have been driven toward extinction, in large part, by the illegal catch of a fish called totoaba, which is also endangered.
"This designation is a crucial step toward saving the last surviving vaquitas from deadly gillnets, but Mexico still has to act," said Alejandro Olivera, the Center's Mexico representative. "And it has to act now."
Get more from Fronteras.
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Court Upholds Protection for Rare California Songbird
A judge showed developers the door — again — after their latest attempt to strip safeguards from coastal California gnatcatchers. These little birds, whose call sounds like a kitten's meow, are so rare they've been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1993. Yet developers keep trying to get protections removed ... and keep failing.
A federal court threw out the latest lawsuit this month, after the Center and allies intervened.
Read more.
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Today Is World Population Day. Ready to Get Creative?
We're about to give away our 1 millionth Endangered Species Condom. To celebrate we're inviting you to write the next great condom-package slogan.
Think you can do better than "Wrap With Care, Save the Polar Bear" or "Cover Your Tweedle, Save the Burying Beetle"? Find an endangered species and share your best slogans for it on Twitter and Facebook using the #HumpSmarter hashtag and @centerforbiodiv handle.
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You can also email us submissions at
[email protected] (with "Hump Smarter" in the subject line).
If you're chosen as our winner, we'll send you our 1 millionth condom package later this summer — and use your slogan in the newest versions of our condoms this fall.
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Wild & Weird: Fungus Creates Sex-crazed Zombie Cicadas
Researchers at West Virginia University have discovered that a fungus growing in some cicadas contains chemicals like those found in psychedelic mushrooms.
That may sound groovy, but the effect of the fungus on the cicadas is far from copacetic. It causes the bugs' body parts like legs, butts and genitals to slough off — and meanwhile makes the males crazily try to mate with anything they bumble into.
Read more at WVU Today.
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Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702
United States
