Tag: Biodiversity
-
Dying to Give Back: The Green Burial Movement
I met with Jean shortly after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As I approached her home for the first time, I was greeted by voluminous blue barrels at the bases of the gutters collecting rainwater from a passing storm. An attached hose snaked outwards towards a garden burgeoning into spring. She welcomed me inside…
-
Eco Euphemisms That Confuse Our Understanding of Environmental Destruction
In his now-classic essay, Politics and the English Language, George Orwell warned: “Political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible. … But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation even among people who should and do know better.” Orwell’s insights are as…
-
Rare Alaskan Wolves Considered for Endangered Species Act Listing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago wolves may need protection under the Endangered Species Act because of unsustainable logging in the Tongass National Forest and elsewhere in southeast Alaska. The agency will now conduct an in-depth status review of this rare subspecies of gray wolf, which lives only in…
-
Surge in Illegal Trade of Turtles and Tortoises Spells Trouble for Rare Species
Hot on the heels of three major tortoise and freshwater turtle seizures in Asia comes another seizure in Bangkok involving hundreds of animals and the arrest of two men suspected of attempting to smuggle them. [caption id="attachment_328409" align="alignnone" width="500"] Indian Narrow-headed Softshell Turtles seized during at attempt to smuggle them via Bangkok. © TRAFFIC[/caption] On March…
-
4 Tips for Companies to Avoid Illegal Logging That Leads to Deforestation
Illegal logging drives deforestation in many countries, robbing national governments and local communities of valuable income and contributing to global biodiversity loss and climate change. Experts estimate that up to 10 percent—or about $7 billion—of the global wood supply is sourced illegally—meaning that the wood was harvested in violation of national laws or international agreements to…