Conservation News ~ 12 August 2019

• China to remove soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil import quotas: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-trade/china-to-remove-soybean-oil-rapeseed-oil-palm-oil-import-quotas-idUSKCN1UX04A
• New documents reveal more about alleged ethics violations at Department of Interior: https://psmag.com/environment/new-documents-reveal-more-about-alleged-ethics-violations-at-the-department-of-the-interior
• PETA condemns SD Zoo Safari Park for breakthrough rhino birth as rape: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1163035/PETA-animal-rights-rhino-san-diego-zoo-safari-park
• Remains of giant parrot found in New Zealand: https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/07/ancient-giant-parrot-discovered-in-new-zealand
• Oregon illegally denied Marbled Murrelet Endangered Species protections: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/court-oregon-illegally-denied-marbled-murrelet-endangered-species-protections-2019-08-07/
• Illinois sightings raise hope for Endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee: https://news.wttw.com/2019/08/07/illinois-sightings-raise-hope-endangered-rusty-patched-bumblebee
• IPCC: change food production and stop abusing land to halt climate crisis: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/ipcc-report-change-food-production-and-stop-abusing-land-to-halt-climate-crisis/ar-AAFvY1B?index=1
• Costa Rica powered by nearly 100% renewable energy: https://www.ecowatch.com/costa-rica-net-zero-carbon-emissions-2639681381.html
• Rhino shot by poachers and left to die gets new cast: https://ladyfreethinker.org/rhino-shot-and-left-to-die-by-poachers-gets-new-cast-to-help-her-heal/
• New species of dinosaur discovered after lying misidentified in fossil vaults for 30 years: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190806101522.htm
• Snow Leopard DNA helps develop ‘pregnancy test’ technique that could quickly identify endangered species in wild: https://www.mix96.co.uk/news/world/2928350/snow-leopard-dna-helps-develop-pregnancy-test-technique-that-could-quickly-identify-endangered-species-in-wild-using-faeces/
• Trudeau announces protection for Nunavut’s last-ice area: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/trudeau-announces-protection-for-nunavuts-last-ice-area/
• New orchid species from Japan lives on dark forest floor, never blooms: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/new-orchid-species-from-japan-lives-on-dark-forest-floor-never-blooms/
• More people die defending the environment in a year than UK and Australian soldiers combined: https://www.indiatimes.com/news/more-people-are-dying-to-save-the-environment-than-uk-australian-soldiers-combined-and-that-s-scary-373101.html
• Threats to endangered species more than doubled in past 40 years: https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2019/extinction-by-the-numbers-threats-to-endangered-species-more-than-doubled-in-past-40-years,-study-finds.php
• Ireland joins France, Germany, and Bulgaria in Banning fracking: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/ireland-joins-france-germany-and-bulgaria-in-banning-fracking-1.3137095
• Caterpillars of the peppered moth perceive color through their skin: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190802104526.htm
• Britain exports over 50 tonnes of shark fins in two years: https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/shark-fin-soup-uk-greenpeace-exports-a9025011.html
• Logging, mining companies lock eyes on biodiverse island like no other: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/logging-mining-companies-lock-eyes-on-a-biodiverse-island-like-no-other/
• Stunning new Wrasse species underlines need to protect deeper-lying reefs: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/stunning-new-wrasse-species-underlines-need-to-protect-deeper-lying-reefs/
• A Chinese mine painted its rocks green to look like trees: https://www.vice.com/en_asia/article/zmjbya/chinese-mine-spray-painted-rocks-green-look-like-trees-trick-environment-authorities
• Researchers document first known case of dolphin mom adopting whale calf: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-document-first-known-instance-dolphin-mom-adopting-whale-calf-180972769/
• Milky Way’s twisted spiral revealed in 3D: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02364-3
• Severed wolf head found in Siberia is 30k to 40k years old: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/06/11/30-000-year-old-severed-wolf-head-found-siberia/1426761001/
• The Guardian journalist says oil execs should be tried for crimes against humanity: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jun/23/fossilfuels.climatechange
• New fossil species named after Millenium Falcon: https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/08/scientists-name-new-fossil-species-after-millennium-falcon-from-star-wars/
• Nikolai Kardashev passes away: http://meti.org/en/blog/nikolai-kardashev-1932-2019
• Second Enbridge Pipeline explosion this year kills 1 and injures 5: https://www.ecowatch.com/kentucky-pipeline-explosion-2639622771.html
• Lawsuit filed to stop Washington state from killing wolves: https://democratherald.com/news/state-and-regional/lawsuit-filed-to-stop-washington-state-from-killing-wolves/article_c17d03b5-69a8-5693-ac98-9eb57103d01f.html
• The last foie gras farm in Ukraine is shutting down: https://www.plantbasednews.org/news/last-foie-gras-farm-ukraine-shut-down
• Brazil space institute director sacked in Amazon deforestation row: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/02/brazil-space-institute-director-sacked-in-amazon-deforestation-row
• Six underwater volcanoes found hiding in plain sight: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/08/six-volcanoes-found-hiding-plain-sight/
• Africa’s largest reserve may lose half its area to oil development: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/africas-largest-reserve-may-lose-half-its-area-to-oil-development/
• Red flags raised as Indonesia eyes relocating its capital to Borneo: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/red-flags-as-indonesia-eyes-relocating-its-capital-city-to-borneo/
• In Zimbabwe, the water taps run dry and worsen a nightmare: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/world/africa/zimbabwe-water-crisis.html
• US forest service aims to fast-track logging by removing requirement for environmental review: https://www.ecowatch.com/forest-service-logging-plan-2638830051.html​