Conservation News ~ 8 January 2021

• Historical data point to imminent extinction of Tapanuli orangutan
• Platypus disappear from five locations around south-east Queensland
• New bee species found in the Great Smokies
• Lawsuit launched to protect eight Florida plants threatened by sea-level rise, development
• Gray Wolves delisted, remain protected by state in Oregon
• Monk Seal killings on Kauai highlight human threat to endangered species
• Nearly a century after being extirpated, blue whales are moving back to South Georgia Island
• Australian wildlife 20 times more likely to encounter deadly feral cats than native predators
• Alberta to allow new coal strip mines that could kill four blue-ribbon trout rivers
• Rescuing orangutans doesn’t work for apes or forests
• New genus of tiny iridescent snake from Philippines found in collection
• Grey wolves off the endangered species list
• Severe climate-driven loss of native molluscs reported off Israel’s coast
• Uninhabited Aldabara coral atoll filled with plastic from humans
• Finger pointed at poachers after rare lynx killed in France
• In parting gift, EPA finalizes rules to limit its use of science
• Manas National Park doubling its tiger population since 2010
• Discovery of endangered female turtle provides hope for extremely rare species
• Nigeria superhighway project through the rainforest stopped
• Indonesia renews peat restoration bid to include mangroves
• 1 million species are at risk of extinction, new UN report says
• Bali’s beaches buried in tide of plastic rubbish during monsoon season
• South African game reserves forced to cull animals as COVID halts tourism
• China jails ivory smuggling ringleaders for life in landmark case
• Agribusiness giants ADM, Bunge trading in conflict palm oil
• White House vetoes bipartisan bill to protect marine life from cruel driftnets
• World’s oldest python found in Messel Pit
• Kentucky adds its 1st new nature preserve in a decade
• Researchers learn new tricks to save endangered Big Sandy crayfish
• GCF researchers recently spotted two dwarf giraffe in Namibia and Uganda
• New Zealand is seeking to go predator free by 2050 – an audacious effort to save its unique wildlife
• Many scientists now say global warming could stop relatively quickly after emissions go to zero
• Un makes progress on greening the blue
• Masks add up to 6,240 metric tons of plastic pollution to oceans in 2020
• Bald Eagles removed from Indiana endangered species list
• Centralia coal-burning plant shutter unit nine years after Washington law passes to cut emissions
• Life discovered in Deep ocean sediments at temperatures above water’s boiling point
• Pal Alto-based institute supports team’s daunting task of mapping world’s ocean floor
• Groups can’t challenge endangered species plans
• Two white rhinos killed and dehorned at Limpopo game reserve
• State approves Ballona Wetlands restoration plan that divides environmentalists
• 2020 was a breakthrough year for climate tech
• Wild and captive jaguars mate in Argentina to save species
• New glass domed trains offer breathtaking views from Colorado Rockies to Utah's Red Rocks
• Japan adopts green growth plan to go carbon free by 2050
• Fears grow for whale’s life as footage reveals animal trying to break free
• A Chilean archipelago rivaling the Galapagos fends off invasive species
• Exotic animal cafes featuring otters, lizards, and owls raise alarms
• Bush meat now on sale legally in Tanzania
• Study shows roadless forests are key to protecting national parks, drinking water, and more
• Aveda removes beeswax and goes fully vegan
• Collision at sea as Sea Shepherd vessels attacked in Mexico’s Vaquite refuge
• Lawsuit Launched to Protect Firefly, Bees, Poppy Under Endangered Species Act
• Vietnam jails man for smuggling 29 kg of rhino horns
• Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano eruption creates 600ft deep lava lake
• For Latam’s environmental defenders, Escazú Agreement is a voice and a shield
• Historical data point to ‘imminent extinction’ of Tapanuli orangutan
• Canopy beetles and flowering trees rely on each other in the Amazon, study
• "White House Vetoes Bipartisan Driftnet Fishing Bill"
• White House Tried, but Largely Failed, to Derail Top U.S.Climate Report
• "Wall Street Eyes Billions in the Colorado’s Water"
• "DuPont Loses Bid for Mistrial After $50 Million PFAS Verdict"
• Dems Push Regulator To Scrap Rule Forcing Banks To Serve Oil, Gun Firms
• "Mexico Farm Lobby Blasts Ban on GMO Corn; Organic Growers Welcome It"
• Sea Level Rise Reduces Some Norfolk Stormwater System Capacity By 50%
• "Oil, Fuel Leaks Increase As Shipwreck Cutting Progresses"
• "Trees As A Civil Right: 'All We Have Is Cement And Pavement'"
• "EPA Finalizes Rule To Limit Science Behind Public Health Safeguards"
• "117th Congress Opens To New Energy, Environment Fights"
• "Chemicals: EPA Finds Possible Carcinogen Poses No Harm To Public"
• Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to Zero
• "White House To Approve Land Swap For Rio Tinto's Resolution Copper Project"
• "Biden Set To Supercharge Clean Energy Push With $40B Stash"
• "Rainforests: 11 Things To Watch In 2021"
• "Four U.S. Water Stories to Watch in 2021"
• Interior Finalizes Plan To Open 80 Percent of NPR-A To Drilling"
• "Homeless In Seattle Get Help From City Waste Pumper"
• "U.S. Judge Denies Effort To Stop Drilling Auction In Arctic Refuge"
• Massachusetts To Require 100 Percent Of Car Sales To Be Electric By 2035
• "Michigan Judge Nullifies Crucial Permit For Mining Project"
• "Mexican Fisherman 'Dies After Attack On Sea Shepherd Conservationists'"
• "Grasslands May Soon Produce More Greenhouse Gases Than They Sequester"
• "Harnessing Rice Fields to Resurrect California’s Endangered Salmon"
• "Electric Vehicles: 4 Ways 2021 Could Be The Year Of The EV"
• "White House, in Parting Gift to Industry, Reverses Bird Protections"
• Feral Cats 20 Times More Deadly To Australian Wildlife Than Native Predators
• "Sale of Drilling Leases in Arctic Refuge Fails to Yield a Windfall"
• "Early Biden Climate Test: Groups Demand Tougher Rules on Building"
• "For First Time In 5 Years, US Gas Mileage Down, Emissions Up"
• "Exxon Discloses Full Scope of Fuel Emissions for First Time"
• "A New Study on Regenerative Grazing Complicates Climate Optimism"
• FirstEnergy Faces Another Audit As Advocates Press For Investigations
• "Two Florida Panthers Dead In First Week Of 2021"