Conservation News ~ 30 August 2019

• Greta Thunberg arrives in New York after successful Atlantic crossing: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/28/greta-thunberg-arrival-in-new-york-delayed-by-rough-seas
• Wildlife groups sue Feds to update predator kill plan: https://www.courthousenews.com/wildlife-groups-sue-feds-to-update-predator-kill-plan/
• Dazzling new mimic beetles found, may already be under threat: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/jewel-weevils-philippines-beetles-discovery/
• New Zealand bans swimming with bottlenose dolphins after numbers plunge: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/28/new-zealand-bans-swimming-with-bottlenose-dolphins-after-numbers-plunge
• Penn St. scientists may have discovered way to control spotted lanternfly: https://www.inquirer.com/science/spotted-lanternfly-kill-pesticide-research-penn-state-cornell-university-20190828.html
• Near-total ban imposed on sending wild African elephants to zoos: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-cites-near-total-wild-elephants-zoos.html
• US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued Mexican Wolf Kill Order: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/trumps-fish-and-wildlife-service-has-issued-mexican-wolf-kill-order-2019-08-23/
• Oaks in vineyards a win-win for bats and growers: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=31166&
• Protestors in New Jersey draw attention to lead in Newark’s drinking water: https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754617645/protesters-in-new-jersey-draw-attention-to-lead-in-newarks-drinking-water
• No more fish farms, announces Danish government: https://salmonbusiness.com/no-more-fish-farms-announces-danish-government/
• White House pushes to allow logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest: https://www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/headlines/trump_moves_to_allow_logging_in_worlds_largest_intact_temperate_rainforest
• New species of Canadian Gall Mite challenges current classification of a major lineage: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-species-canadian-gall-mite-current.html
• Scandinavian Airlines CEO warns airlines to get real over environment: https://skift.com/2019/08/27/scandinavian-airlines-ceo-warns-airlines-to-get-real-over-environment/
• Indigenous communities pleased with REDD+ consultations: https://dpi.gov.gy/indigenous-communities-pleased-with-redd-consultations/
• Wildfires in Canada are burning down forests of mushrooms: https://massivesci.com/articles/wildfire-boreal-forest-fungal-diversity-climate-change-healthy-soil-ecosystem/
• New Zealand is planting 1 billion trees to fight climate change: https://educateinspirechange.org/nature/new-zealand-is-planting-1-billion-trees-to-fight-climate-change/
• Brazil rejects $20m pledged by G7 for Amazon fires: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/27/amazon-fires-brazil-to-reject-20m-pledged-by-g7
• Major conservation win at CITES as a record 18 endangered species of shark and ray are afforded protection: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/major-conservation-win-at-cites-as-a-record-18-endangered-species-of-shark-and-ray-are-afforded-vital-protection-300906914.html
• New family of spiders found in Chihuahuan Desert: https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/new-family-of-spiders-found-in-chihuahuan-desert/
• Worm-slurping, hopping rats discovered in the Philippines: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/like-spaghetti-worm-slurping-hopping-rats-discovered-in-the-philippines/
• Americans’ love of hiking has driven elk to the brink: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/25/hiking-elk-driven-to-brink-colorado-vail
• Cuba drastically reforms fishing laws to protect coral reef, sharks, and rays: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/26/cuba-drastically-reforms-fishing-laws-to-protect-coral-reef-sharks-and-rays
• Endangered panthers are stumbling as though they’ve been poisoned and scientists don’t know why: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/08/21/endangered-panthers-are-stumbling-like-theyve-been-poisoned-scientists-dont-know-why/
• DNC shuts down climate debate compromise: https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/08/26/dnc-shuts-down-climate-debate-compromise
• Leonardo DiCaprio gives $5m for Amazon rainforest: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-49472920
• Appearance of male and female cycad on Isle of Wight evidence of global warming: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-male-female-cycad-isle-wight.html
• Siberia just experienced wildfires on a staggering scale: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-08-21/russia-siberia-forest-fires-policy-change
• Countries vote to protect endangered Mako sharks: https://www.dw.com/en/countries-vote-to-protect-endangered-mako-sharks/a-50158675
• Researchers discovered a pink seaweed that completely knocks out greenhouse gasses expelled by cows: https://www.businessinsider.com/pink-seaweed-stops-cow-burping-and-could-cut-methane-emissions-2019-8
• Wildfires ignite across Indonesia: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49444325
• Scientists discover new way to reconstruct what extinct animals looked like: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-scientists-reconstruct-extinct-animals.html
• 7 new species of insects that can walk on water discovered: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/7-new-species-of-insects-that-can-walk-on-water-discovered/article29247171.ece
• Macron asks shippers to shun Arctic route to protect environment: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-24/macron-asks-shippers-to-shun-arctic-route-to-protect-environment
• UK is failing to protect wildlife habitats: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/25/uk-failing-to-protect-wildlife-new-eu-report-shows
• In the Santa Barbara Channel, an underwater sound system tries to keep whales and ships apart: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-14/in-the-santa-barbara-channel-an-underwater-sound-system-tries-to-keep-whales-and-ships-apart
• San Francisco airport just banned plastic water bottles: https://www.today.com/food/san-francisco-airport-becomes-1st-ban-plastic-water-bottles-will-t160125
• Leaked audio shows oil lobbyist bragging about success in criminalizing pipeline protests: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/20/leaked-audio-shows-oil-lobbyist-bragging-about-success-criminalizing-pipeline
• Social media calls for boycott of Jimmy Johns after CEO elephant hunting photo goes viral: https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2019/08/23/jimmy-johns-boycott-ceo-jimmy-john-liautaud-elephant-hunting-photo-goes-viral/23800248/
• Scientists extract hydrogen gas from oil and bitumen, giving potential pollution-free energy: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-scientists-hydrogen-gas-oil-bitumen.html
• Brazil greenlights new pesticides while 500 million dead bees: https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-pesticides-bees-bolsonaro-2639936373.html
• Scandinavia’s biggest offshore wind farm is officially open: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/23/scandinavias-biggest-offshore-wind-farm-is-officially-open.html
• Judge declines to block killing of more wolves in the Kettle River Range of Ferry County: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/aug/23/judge-declines-to-block-killing-of-more-wolves-in-/
• Thousands of people marched in Sao Paulo to pressure Brazilian government: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/amazon-rainforest-protest-photos-sao-paulo-2019-8-1028470786
• Washington cancels wolf meetings under threats of violence: https://mailtribune.com/oregon-outdoors/wildlife/washington-state-wolf-meetings-canceled-after-threats-of-violence
• Madagascar no longer insisting on selling its seized rosewood: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/madagascar-no-longer-insisting-on-selling-its-seized-rosewood-for-now/
• Latin America saw most murdered environmental defenders in 2018: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/latin-america-saw-most-murdered-environmental-defenders-in-2018/
• Two new species of eels discovered: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/two-new-species-of-eels-discovered/article29292101.ece
• The world’s first solar road has officially crumbled into a total failure: https://www.sciencealert.com/the-world-s-first-solar-road-has-turned-out-to-be-a-disappointing-failure
• Wedge-tailed eagles among 120 native birds found dead in Victoria after suspected poisoning: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/29/wedge-tailed-eagles-among-120-native-birds-found-dead-in-victoria-after-suspected-poisoning