Conservation News ~ April 5 2019

• Missouri Hellbender considered for endangered species status: https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/2019/04/03/eastern-hellbender-salamander-endangered-species-list-missouri/3355710002/
• 7k acre Wildlife refuge opens to save several endangered species in East Texas: http://www.kltv.com/2019/04/04/wildlife-refuge-opens-save-several-endangered-species-east-texas/
• Critically endangered black rhino is pregnant at Michigan Zoo: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/critically-endangered-black-rhino-pregnant-michigan-zoo
• Thirteen new ant species discovered in Hong Kong: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190403135041.htm
• New species of skink from Angola has waited over 70 years to be described: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/new-species-of-skink-from-angola-has-waited-over-70-years-to-be-described/
• Citing climate differences, Shell walks away from US refining lobby: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-shell-afpm/shell-to-quit-u-s-refining-lobby-over-climate-disagreement-idUSKCN1RE0VB
• Michigan Governor halts Great Lakes Oil Tunnel: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-latest-michigan-governor-halts-great-lakes-oil-tunnel/2019/03/28/70bf6586-5198-11e9-bdb7-44f948cc0605_story.html
• Children living near national parks are healthier, more prosperous: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/04/children-living-near-national-parks-are-healthier-prosperous/
• Federal court dismisses key claim of coal industry lawsuit against state of Washington: https://www.oregonpsr.org/federal_court_dismisses_key_claim_of_coal_industry_lawsuit_against_state_of_washington
• Komodo Island is shutting down because people keep smuggling the dragons: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/04/03/komodo-island-closing-dragon-smugglers/
• Manatees face new challenge in Florida from harassing, non-native armored catfish: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-manatee-armored-catfish-20190331-story.html
• City of Sydney announces 100% renewable energy target: https://cleantechnica.com/2019/04/02/city-of-sydney-announces-100-renewable-energy-target/
• Scientists discover a frog with glowing bones: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/scientists-discover-frog-glowing-bones
• Japanese whalers kill 333 Minke whales: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/japanese-whalers-kill-333-minke-whales-many-pregnant
• Solar and wind power has quintupled in a decade: https://grist.org/article/electrifying-news-solar-and-wind-power-has-quintupled-in-a-decade/
• NM Governor Michelle Grisham makes coyote killing contests illegal: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/governor-signs-ban-on-coyote-killing-contests-in-new-mexico/article_0a209c4b-93a8-5fc5-8946-c9504f5a4d39.html
• Kerala is home to two new plant species: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-is-home-to-two-new-plants/article26711882.ece
• New species of wood-munching clams found at the bottom of the ocean: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190402081530.htm
• California adopts new wetlands rules to protect them from Federal rollbacks: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-state-wetlands-protections-20190402-story.html
• Puget Sound’s southern-resident orcas wow Monterey Bay, California in rare sighting: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/puget-sounds-southern-resident-orcas-wow-california-in-rare-sighting/
• League of Conservation Voters defeats offshore drilling ban in court: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/judge-strikes-down-oil-drilling-arctic-ocean-180971842/
• Oil stops spilling in Solomon Islands but environmental toll still being calculated: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/solomon-islands-oil-stops-spilling-but-environmental-toll-still-being-calculated/
• Crab season to be cut short in California to protect whales and turtles: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/crabbing-season-to-be-cut-short-in-california-to-protect-whales/
• Tiger geckos in Vietnam could be the next species sold into extinction: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190401115818.htm
• Amphibian apocalypse is twice as bad as scientific thought: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/03/28/amphibian-apocalypse-is-even-worse-than-scientists-realized/
• Federal Judge rules that White House cannot plan a road cutting through Alaskan wildlife refuge: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/30/us/trump-alaska-road-violates-federal-law/index.html
• Queensland Government ordered to stop killing sharks in Great Barrier Reef: https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/reef-shark-cull-ended/10963930
• New ant discovered in Hong Kong named after Lantau Island: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3004191/new-ant-discovered-hong-kong-named-after-lantau
• New York to impose a statewide ban on single-use plastics: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/nyregion/plastic-bag-ban-.html
• Butterfly numbers fall by 84% in Netherlands over 130 years: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/01/butterfly-numbers-fall-by-84-in-netherlands-over-130-years-study
• UT researchers find new species of ancient monkey that fills in evolutionary gap: https://www.dailytexanonline.com/2019/03/31/ut-researchers-find-new-species-of-ancient-monkey-that-fills-in-evolutionary-gap
• Pacific Mastodon: New species of ancient elephant relative identified: http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/pacific-mastodon-07045.html
• 18 of the 20 cities with the worst air pollution are in South Asia: http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/Press-Centre/Latest-air-pollution-data-ranks-worlds-cities-worst-to-best/
• Meet Jerzego sunillimaye: a new species of jumping spider discovered from Aarey Milk Colony: https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-meet-jerzego-sunillimaye-a-new-species-of-jumping-spider-discovered-from-aarey-milk-colony-in-mumbai-2734975
• A strong sense of place affects how communities care for urban green spaces: https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2019-03-28-protecting-your-place.html
• Wildlife conservation strategies must take animals’ social lives into account: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/wildlife-conservation-strategies-must-take-animals-social-lives-into-account-researchers/
• Fukushima contaminants found as far north as Alaska’s Bering Strait: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alaska-fukushima/fukushima-contaminants-found-as-far-north-as-alaskas-bering-strait-idUSKCN1R90BV
• Boot-melting Mexican sewage has San Diego seeking help: https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/boot-melting-mexican-sewage-has-san-diego-seeking-help
• Return of rare bee after 100 years causing lots of buzz in San Francisco: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/9444372-181/rare-bee-species-makes-a
• Thousands of goldfish removed from pond in UK: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-47717547
• Federal Judge finds order to open Arctic Waters to drilling was unlawful: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/climate/trump-oil-drilling-arctic.html
• Cream-Eyed Bulbul discovered: http://www.sci-news.com/biology/cream-eyed-bulbul-07040.html
• NASA study finds earth is greener thanks to tree-planting projects in China and India: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/world/china-india-greener-planet-scli-intl/index.html
• Styrofoam containers officially banned in New York City: https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-city-bans-foam-containers-coffee-cups-in-landmark-legislation
• Amphibian-killing invasive fungus cause record wildlife loss: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus/
• Nestle to face lawsuit saying Poland Springs water not from a spring: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nestle-lawsuit-polandspring/nestle-to-face-lawsuit-saying-poland-spring-water-not-from-a-spring-u-s-judge-idUSKCN1R92TO
• Suspected poachers shot by Mexican authorities protecting last Vaquita porpoise: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/suspected-totoaba-poachers-shot-by-authorities-in-mexicos-sea-of-cortez/
• Costco stops selling controversial Roundup weedkiller: https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/roundup-costco
• Widespread losses of pollinating insects revealed across Britain: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/26/widespread-losses-of-pollinating-insects-revealed-across-britain
• Chester becomes the world’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City: https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chester-worlds-first-sustainable-palm-15953353
• Court upholds habitat protection of 1.8 million acres of Endangered California frogs: https://yubanet.com/regional/court-upholds-habitat-protection-of-1-8-million-acres-for-endangered-california-frogs/
• Virgin Atlantic removes beef and palm oil from flight menus: https://www.livekindly.co/virgin-atlantic-beef-palm-oil-sustainability/
• Marine plastic pollution costs the world up to $2.5bn a year: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/apr/04/marine-plastic-pollution-costs-the-world-up-to-25bn-a-year-researchers-find
• Fossil of ancient four-legged whale with hooves discovered: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/apr/04/fossil-ancient-four-legged-whale-legs-hooves-discovered
• Great Barrier Reef suffers 89% collapse in new coral bleaching event: https://www.edie.net/news/9/Great-Barrier-Reef-suffers-89--collapse-in-new-coral-after-bleaching-events/
• The Nature Conservancy to acquire over 6,200 acres in the largest conservation effort on South Padre Island: https://www.nature.org/en-us/explore/newsroom/tnc-to-acquire-over-6200-acres-on-south-padre-island/
• Idaho Power sets record low solar price in shift to 100% renewables: https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/idaho-power-sets-record-low-solar-price-in-shift-to-100-renewables/