Having a ropeless fishery in California was a recent bill that was introduced with the idea to be completed by 2025. Social Compassion in Legislation and the Center for Biological Diversity were the two cosponsors for this bill. Climate change and an intense marine heatwave that triggered ecosystem changes and habitat compression have been attributed to the increase in whale entanglements through the past years. They are trying to find a way to mitigate depredation by charging the equipment they use with the help of scientists from the California Ocean Protection Council and National Marine Fisheries. When researching the longer-term cost we are looking at about 1 million dollars for all this gear. There is also lots of testing going on regarding the technology and how it will all work. 

 This seems like an ambitious but necessary issue because it could lead to a decline in biodiversity and an increase in endangered species in California.   Having and making these new supplies and gear are things that will take time and effort but be crucial for these ocean animals. With all the new technological advances going on right now this is not too far away in terms of technological advancements so I’m optimistic that they will be able to accomplish this goal through all the organization and bills. Overall, these new ways of fishing will be very beneficial to our ecosystem. 

As Joshua Trees (located in California) climate continues to change it is putting the species living there at risk (it is getting hotter). The habit is changing which will then affect the species living there and Joshua Tree is home to some endangered species. Joshua Tree is being a place people are building many new houses and rentals now and while doing this they are cutting down trees lowing the biodiversity while disrupting the ecosystem. They are looking to make a final discussion on if they will put Joshua Trees under the California Endangered Species Act, since Joshua Trees is going to be very impacted by climate change, this was rejected. However, they will get to make a recovery plan for this species if they are put on the threatened species list which is what they are hoping for in Joshua Tree right now. 

This is just one of many areas that will be affected by climate change. As we see Joshua trees will get hotter, have droughts, fire, and more, and this impacts everyone and everything, which is why these acts will help threatened species that may disappear which is why we need to take this one now. Something else that should be done very soon is stopping new development in the area, this restriction will not only help the animal’s habits but also keep Joshua Tree pristine and beautiful for decades to come. Biodiversity is something that will be lost, if this area is just made up of a bunch of houses, we can not afford to lose biodiversity because it will lead to us losing species as well. They are still making discussing exactly what they will do to help these species in Joshua Tree.

The California-based “genetic rescue” team is now cloning endangered species. Now the U.S. The Fish and Wildlife Service has cloned a North American endangered species. The animal that they have now cloned is the black-footed ferret, and is the first of a native species to be cloned and is a huge breaking point. They named this ferret Elizabeth Ann, and she was cloned by frozen cells from over 3 decades ago. Since Elizabeth is young they will continue to keep an eye on her while also trying to clone more of this species very soon. But as of now she is thriving and this is a great advancement for us right now. 

This new cloning has lots of potential especially with this species but we will still have to look at the long run and how these clones last and thrive in the environment. While they thrive the same ways as the originals or will they be slightly weaker and more vulnerable? Also, I’m not sure if there is a certain amount of time the cells have to be frozen for this to work, if a cell is frozen for a shorter amount of time will the outcome be the same? Even though there is still some unknown I say we keep trying in the coming months even if we have not gotten all the results from this first clone. We need it because then we will be able to compare a lot of data from the clones and find common factors or differences and research more from there. This advancement is a pretty big and necessary breakthrough and Elizabeth ann is making history.

There has been a lawsuit to “save Leopards from import to the United States. as Hunting Trophies”. In the United States, we consume leopard trophies from Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zambia and we import about 300 each year. Importing these leopards causes great issues because leopards have been at risk of extinction and In Africa, the leopard population has decreased and it is because of prey depletion, habitat loss, persecution by people, and poaching. However, during this pandemic, there have been less people traveling and hunting on these leopards which are helping these leopard populations. Experts say we need to take action because each day that goes by these leopards are closer to extinction. Untimely, this petition’s goal is for the agency to take instant measures in order to implement a higher bar regarding imports of the leopards as hunted trophies.

This article really brought light to the harm that the United States continues to do to other countries and the species living in those areas. The most surprising fact to me was that 52% of all leopard trophies are imported in trade each year. The fact that there has been no limit made is surprising to me since the extinction of this animal doesn’t just affect Africa, as we have learned this will eventually impact the earth as a whole and we won’t truly know all the problems until the leopard is gone and our biodiversity has decreased. I feel that a limit should be put on these hunters as soon as possible in order to give our earth greater biodiversity for decades to come.

After two months it was discovered that many species and plants are at risk due to the atrazine pesticide that had been approved because of how it finds its way into so many areas that end up harming these animals and plants. It is said that this pesticide can negatively affect 1,000 plants and species (endangered), and now is passed and approved for 15 more years. This pesticide is very strong and has been connected to a higher risk of cancer and reproductive issues among people and is the second most used herbicide in the United States. Species at most risk are California red-legged frog, whooping crane, and San Joaquin kit fox and also affect many aquatic species because of the pollution in the runoff and large bodies of water. Untimely Last week, Across The Center for Food Safety, Center for Biological Diversity and a coalition of public-interest groups all decided to sue regarding the use of this pesticide for 15 more years. 

This article is very informative but extremely crazy that this was approved for 15 more years in the United States. I was mainly shocked by the fact that this affects an endless amount of species and plants, not just one, but thousands, we can’t afford to have so many endangered species and that show be known. Especially the fact that it was approved for 15 years and a lot can happen in the amount of time and it is unknown, after this we won’t magically be able to get these plants and animals back to help our biodiversity.

With the shift from President Trump to presidential nominee Joe Biden we are ready to see lots of changes regarding our climate, environment, and protection of biodiversity. In Biden’s energy and environmental policy, there are 2 trillion dollars in a climate program which by 2030 will conserve 30% of the land’s food and water in the United States since the Endangered Species Act of 1973 this will be a great transition in the science-based biodiversity conservation policy. Biden is also said to rejoin the Paris Agreement which is “an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance”. Research has been done explaining that loss of biodiversity is the core of every corner of harmful environmental change including sea levels rising, droughts, storms, diseases, and greenhouse gas build-up  The path Biden is taking may upset many Republican, and won’t be an easy process but it is a necessary one for our environment’s biodiversity.

This article highlights truly how important biodiversity is and in order to have biodiversity we need to save these endangered species. With the help of presidential nominee Joe Biden will have a better chance to engage in helpful policies and agreements, something that President Trump failed to do in his four years, instead he went backward and it is evident. After reading this I’m hoping Biden will help with the first article I talked about regarding the Trump administration removing the endangered species act that was protecting the gray wolf because species like this are what is keeping biodiversity alive in today’s environment.

Animals such as grizzly bears, ocelots, and whooping cranes are at risk because of the new rule that allows hunting and fishing on 2.3 million acres of land. The Center for Biological Diversity is now planning on suing the U.S fish and wildlife services. This is very problematic because they are using lead ammunition as well as killing important living organisms that help top predators, who are important because they maintain a negative feedback on the prey populations. In the past the risks have been downplayed by the U.S fish and wildlife services which they should not be because many of these species can be killed by mistaken identity or because of self-defense from the hunters. 30,000 letters opposing the rule have been sent since this plan was brought to attention however, the agency established the rule, which now is in action. In order to respond to this The Fish and Wildlife Service they have 60 days and if it does not end up happening the conservation will then sue them with the Endangered Species Act.

This article definitely showcases that several species are now at greater risk of being endangered then later extinction. In the case I am especially worried about the grizzly bear because they are at risk of being poisoned by hunters, the article they specifically mentioned this mainly took place in Swan River National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. The increased risks of poaching, disturbance, ingestion of toxic lead shot is what will eventually lead to their extinction which will lower the biodiversity of the earth. Lastly, I found it surprising that this law was allowed to proceed and take such a big risk for our earth and the species living on it.

This article covers that in the past couple of weeks the Trump administration removed the endangered species act that was protecting the gray wolf. The gray wolf had been endangered and threatened since 1970 which is when the endangered species act started to protect this species. Up till October 2020, the gray wolves had been under this act, this is causing worries because now they are likely able to be hunted which will put the gray wolves in threat of extinction.  Before this species was in danger you could find them in almost every state but now they are mostly located in Michigan and Minnesota and Wisconsin. Taking this act away from the gray wolves has angered many people. Now there are groups that intend to go to federal court to sue the U.S. Interior Department if the wild animals do not gain protection. 

It is evident that this species could go back to being endangered overnight especially with all the changes happening in our climate right now. The reason that groups are trying to keep the gray wolves under this act is because we want the species to be stable before we delist them. If the species are not stable and we end up losing them (while not under the Endangered Species act) then we will never be able to bring them back therefore keeping them under this act would give them a better chance of staying around for centuries to come. Keeping the gray wolves on our earth will consequently greater the Biodiversity on our earth, which is important since Biodiversity benefits our ecosystem in various ways. 

Cox, S. (2020, August 10). British Columbia’s looming extinction crisis. Retrieved from August 25, 2020, from https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-extinction-crisis/

In British Columbia, Canada they are facing an extinction crisis of the “fisher”, that looks like a teddy bear with a pointy face. They are rarely seen in the wild, they like to hide all day when around people. A couple that owns a cabin in the Nazko region and go every year to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, used to trap fishers, but not more than the local populations were able to sustain. In the winter the fishers were gone due to logging, they even took out healthy trees, for as far as they could see it was a clear cut with no trees in sight. They knew this could lead to more extinctions and were reaching out to stop it, but no seems to care. 

This article really exhibits how fast species can go extinct with harmful human actions, once a species is gone it’s irreversible you can just get it back, that is why it is so important for us to be aware, save these species and have more biodiversity in our environment. During this event fishers were not the only species that they could not trap, the couple said they barely trapped anything, they were left with the weasel. This environmental issue should not be something humans just brush off, because one day they may not be able to go to their favorite place or see their favorite things because what is a world without animals, plants and organisms. 

Martindale, D. (2020, August 28). The Strategic Case for Animal Liberation. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/08/28/strategic-case-animal-liberation

Climate change is a pressing issue today all over the world and it will change everything. Naomi Klein talks about how animal liberation is left out of the impacts, the two problems that will be irreversible are meat and wildlife conservation. In the recent pandemic, meat production has slowed down and we have seen some of the impacts, but eventually there may be no meat production because of biodiversity and the loss of the species. Political views are very prominent in this issue because some groups are caring for the animals and others have no care, but once their “food” is gone or limited they will have something to say.  

This article shares that animals have been put on the back brunner, in terms of the effects on climate change and what will happen to them, however, the production of meat by humans is not helpful. It is actually harming earth by emitting carbon. That said, it is not realistic for everyone to be vegetarian, but people need to know the effects to be prepared for everything to change. It was brought to attention for many reasons, “the potential conflicts between climate action and endangered species, climate impacts on biodiversity, and the role of protecting and restoring habitat in sequestering carbon”, the harm of industrially production, and spread of disease.  As the article stated it’s not just cows (meat production) that will be endangered but meat is brought to light because it is something that will affect humans’ ways of life. In conclusion, renewable energy against endangered species should be avoided, instead we have to promote the value of wildlife, and spread awareness about the effects of this issue.