elephants Archives - Author K. Williams

Welcome back for another round up for The Environment This Month. I’m so sorry I didn’t get to round up any of the news in October. It’s tough finding time for the blog since having a child. I’m so glad I wrote the articles I could ahead of time. This month, while we feel an early cold snap in New York, I’m hoping to get back to my schedule and bringing you the best content possible.

First up this month is a cause close to my heart. I’m very excited to report that the DiCaprio Foundation has taken on the preservation of North American Grey Wolves. That means there is a lot more hope for our local canids. The foundation has done extensive environmental work already. I’d like to see them add Mexican Wolves to their lists, too. That species is in grave danger. Check out the announcement here:

To help in the recovery of this iconic species Leonardo DiCaprio is supporting the work of Defenders of Wildlife and their effort to bring back the Mexican Gray wolf in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Over the past year because of their work with ranchers and other partners for the first time, the wild population reached a record 113 wolves, up from 97 during the previous year.

White Wolf : The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation stands up to protect American gray wolves

Despite the attempts of 45 and his administration, the world is moving ahead with the Paris Agreement. Which, quite frankly, makes me feel a hell of a lot better. We might be poisoning our own back yard, but the rest of the world is going to do their damnedest to fix things, and that will put the pressure on the United States necessary to make addressing environmental issues a priority. They can try to resist, but that will fizzle, especially in the court of public opinion.

The United Nations is hosting the annual climate change conference in Bonn, Germany this year and the first one taking place since US President Donald Trump took office.

COP23: What to expect from the UN’s latest climate talks | The Independent

I don’t know about you, but I’m seriously exhausted by people who want to go an kill other animals for sport. There’s no sport in it at all. Besides, the fact of the matter is, that behavior is deeply sociopathic and should not be condoned. This is not hunting to feed a family. No. This is hunting to make one’s ego feel good and full. I don’t know about you, but my gut tells me when I’m doing something wrong. Even just preparing a fish or chicken fills me with dread unless it’s already been dressed. Hunting of big game is just a big fat waste. A lot of the animals are also endangered. To feel entitled to kill something—that’s just disturbing. I’m glad to see the following response to 45’s ludicrous decision.

The suit, filed in federal court in Washington D.C. by the Center for Biological Diversity and Natural Resources Defense Council, charges that President Trump’s decision to allow big-game hunters to import the remains of elephants and lions hunted legally in Zimbabwe and Zambia violates the Endangered Species Act.

Environmental groups sue Trump over big-game trophy decision | NY Post

Sometimes, when we think we’re fixing a problem, another presents itself or worsens. Light pollution is not anything new. Not by any stretch. I remember hearing of this when I was barely out of a car seat. It panicked me then, but I’m numb now, because there is so much wrong with our planet after using it like a disposable terrarium. You’d think by the time we each become adults, we’d know better from experience, but too many live in denial or believe that some fantasy being is going to make it all okay.

Thus, we must be aware that not all solutions result in a perfect answer…

To reduce energy consumption, many jurisdictions around the world are transitioning to outdoor LED lighting. But as new research shows, this solid-state solution hasn’t yielded the expected energy savings, and potentially worse, it’s resulted in more light pollution than ever before.

The Switch to Outdoor LED Lighting Has Completely Backfired | Gizmodo

Here’s something to keep in mind this holiday season…

There are lots of good arguments for buying local, but if you’re trying to reduce your impact on the climate, local isn’t always best. If you compare online shopping with driving to the store, in many cases online shopping can have a smaller carbon footprint: Trucks have to deliver goods to stores, just like they do to your house.

Problems start when we opt for speed: We don’t just want things delivered to our door, we want them delivered to our door right now. If we can get a pair of socks delivered in two days instead of five, we’re going to choose the faster option, especially if it’s free.

The environmental cost of free 2-day shipping | Vox

Remember: there are no perfect fixes. There are only steps forward.

Thanks for reading! Until next time…

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Welcome back for another round up for The Environment This Month. Holy cow did July get here already? I guess the year just flies by when you’re tracking trends and following daily news about the environment as well as keeping on top of writing. Let’s see what is up with this month, and if we’ve made any progress. You never give up! That is the first rule of activism. It’s a long haul, and the small victories must be celebrated to keep up your steam.

Let’s dig into July…

Sadly the first article I have for you isn’t very good news. I think I’m committing a pattern! But, don’t blame the messenger. I’m just sounding the warning bells so we can all make the best choices for the future.

Climate has influenced the distribution patterns of Adélie penguins across Antarctica for millions of years.

Penguin population could drop 60 percent by end of the century

The news isn’t getting any better for us, either…

A changing climate will put New Yorkers at risk of overheating, according to a new study

New York City Could See Thousands of Heat Deaths by 2080 – Scientific American

If you’re still in denial about global warming, then you’re in for a wake up. Science has your anti-arguments beat. But, seriously, is anyone still in denial? That would be insane at this point.

The first six months of 2016 were the hottest ever recorded, NASA announced on Tuesday, while Arctic sea ice now covers 40% less of the Earth than it did just 30 years ago.

World swelters after 14-month record breaking heat wave – CNN.com

And then, Rollingstone Magazine hit us with this…

The worst predicted impacts of climate change are starting to happen — and much faster than climate scientists expected

The Point of No Return: Climate Change Nightmares Are Already Here | Rolling Stone

This is one of the nightmares that will fast become a common tragedy…

Algal blooms that have recently hit southeastern Florida waters are the latest of such environmental disasters that have hit with increasing frequency.

Source: Miles of Algae and a Multitude of Hazards – The New York Times

What are we doing, if anything, about it? Here’s some good news for you. Volkswagen has settled over it’s pollution, from cars that were polluters with cheating computers. It’s not the answer, but it’s hitting a big corporation for scheming to cheat regulations right in the pocket.

As part of its landmark $14.7 billion settlement with US regulators, Volkswagen will be shelling out cash to improve the land it sullied with its excess diesel emissions.

Where Volkswagen’s $5 billion environmental payout is going – Roadshow

Problems in the environment aren’t just for Americans and manufacturers, so I like to make sure I branch out to see how other nations are doing on the topics of greatest concern. This month, let’s check in with Australia…

As Australians prepare to vote in federal election, the country’s environmental challenges are only increasing. Here are five charts that explore where we are and what’s ahead.

Australia’s environmental peril revealed in five charts

Yet, if the threat of climate change doesn’t abate the greed that drives it. In the United States, companies who benefit from the continued use of fossil fuels are trying to sell customers the nonsensical idea of clean coal, and many have bought it. I’ve heard it mentioned in a few politically based conversations, and always with the same erroneous propaganda slurry meant to fool us into continuing our dirty ways. Thanks to the NY Times for talking about the truth of the industry…

A Mississippi project, a centerpiece of President Obama’s climate plan, has been plagued by problems that managers tried to conceal, and by cost overruns and questions of who will pay.

Piles of Dirty Secrets Behind a Model ‘Clean Coal’ Project – The New York Times

The following is a story that has disturbed me for a very long time. In my 4o+ years on the planet I have yet to see any change on the front of ivory poaching. It’s a devastating trade that leaves families wrecked, and science has already proved the high sentience of Elephants. they know things just as we do. Their attachments to one another are real. Yet, it seems, as forever and always, greed will not consider the trauma or the other long term effects of its being sated.

As illegal hunting thins out the ranks of matriarchs, their daughters are taking over as leaders of their social groups.

Poaching Leaves Elephant Daughters in Charge – The New York Times

I wanted to make sure that I am keeping up with this story. If you remember, I included the death of another activist just a couple months ago. More have died since, and it is not by accident…

An environmental and indigenous rights activist in Honduras has been killed four months after the slaying of award-winning environmentalist Berta Caceres stirred international outrage. The Public Ministry said in a statement Thursday that it had formed a special commission to investigate the killing of 49-year-old Lesbia Janeth Urquia. Authorities said Urquia’s body was found Wednesday in a garbage dump in Marcala, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Tegucigalpa. She had disappeared Tuesday afternoon after going out to ride her bicycle.

Another Environmental Activist Killed in Honduras – ABC News

Deep breath folks! The month of July has a lot of stories around this topic. Hang in there!

It’s a rare, and striking, piece of good news about the global environment.

The Antarctic ozone hole has finally started to ‘heal,’ scientists report – The Washington Post

Here’s something interesting I stumbled across this month… What if the everyday items we use are making us lazy?

Mice exposed in the womb to phthalates, found in everything from plastic bottles to shampoos, grew up to be less active.

Could Environmental Chemicals Shape Our Exercise Habits? – The New York Times

Speaking of environmental things shaping our habits, I’m sure you’ve heard about the amount of space junk in orbit of Earth. I believe I covered this in an older installment of The Environment This Month, but I am too lazy to go hunting for it. I have an update, anyway, that takes precedence. Nations are finally taking action on dealing with the enormous amount of space debris. Check out the video at the link below…

The European Space Agency’s e.Deorbit mission is currently working on the technology to facilitate the removal of space debris. They plan on capturing and de-orbiting a large piece of space junk in 2023, making it the first mission of its kind.