Conservation News ~ February 2 2018

• Washington state is considering a tax on CO2 emissions: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/11/will-washington-state-pass-the-nations-first-carbon-tax/
• In New Park, China creates a refuge for the imperiled Siberian Tiger: http://e360.yale.edu/features/china-carves-out-a-park-for-the-imperiled-siberian-tiger
• Meigs County man charged in operating ‘bearbaiting’ event: https://www.10tv.com/article/meigs-county-man-charged-operating-bearbaiting-event
• An end in sight for Laos’ Sin City illegal wildlife supermarket: https://eia-international.org/blacklisted-end-sight-laos-sin-city-illegal-wildlife-supermarket
• Cambodian forest protectors slain after confronting loggers: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/cambodian-forest-protectors-slain-confronting-loggers-52731855
• More than 30% of all electricity in the EU now comes in renewables: https://qz.com/1193603/two-countries-are-the-reason-the-eu-is-hitting-its-ambitious-renewable-energy-targets/
• First new species of temperate conifer tree discovered in more than a decade: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/ulleungdo-hemlock-tree-discovered-korea-wooly-adelgid/
• Farmer saves oldest living Icelandic Sea Eagle: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/farmer-saves-oldest-living-icelandic-sea-eagle
• Orcas can imitate human speech: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jan/31/orcas-killer-whales-can-imitate-human-speech-research-reveals
• Suspected rhino poachers killed: https://zululandobserver.co.za/163805/suspected-rhino-poachers-killed/
• Hundreds of polar bears spotted feasting on a whale: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/hundreds-of-polar-bears-spotted-feasting-on-whale-carcass/
• Hong Kong votes to ban domestic ivory sales: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/31/hong-kong-votes-to-ban-domestic-ivory-sales
• Camera trap captures spotted hyena in Gabon national park, the first in 20 years: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/camera-trap-captures-spotted-hyena-in-gabon-national-park-the-first-in-20-years/
• Three abalone poachers hit with heavy fines, other penalties: https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/three-abalone-poachers-hit-with-heavy-fines-other-penalties/
• London reaches legal air pollution limit just one month into the new year: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/30/london-reaches-legal-air-pollution-limit-just-one-month-into-the-new-year
• The Whitetip shark was just protected under the endangered species act: http://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/oceanic-whitetip-first-shark-listed-threatened-continental-us-atlantic
• Once vanished Fishers are making their comeback in Washington: https://kcts9.org/programs/earthfix/once-vanished-fishers-are-making-their-comeback-in-washington
• UN kicks off international year of the reef in Fiji: https://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/un-kicks-off-international-year-of-the-reef-in-fiji.html
• Canada pushing G7 nations to sign no plastics pledge to save world’s oceans: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-pushing-g7-nations-to-sign-no-plastics-pledge-to-save-world-s-oceans-1.3774479
• Foxconn wants to tap 7 million gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan: http://www.thestate.com/news/business/national-business/article197233449.html
• 11 billion pieces of plastic are riddling corals with disease: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/plastic-junk-coral-disease/551495/
• VW, BMW and Mercedes funded dirty diesel tests on monkeys caged in gas chambers: http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2018/01/29/vw-bmw-and-mercedes-tested-dirty-diesels-on-monkeys-caged-in-gas-chambers.html
• Big game hunter is shot dead as he stalked lions in South Africa: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5325943/Big-game-hunter-killed-stalked-lions-South-Africa.html
• Newly discovered lemur in Madagascar is so cute: https://www.sciencealert.com/new-dwarf-lemur-discovered-madagascar-cheirogaleus-grovesi
• Leaked memo shows that politics is replacing science for Endangered Species: http://www.hcn.org/articles/endangered-species-politics-replace-science-at-the-us-fish-and-wildlife-service
• China’s latest energy megaproject shows that coal really is on the way out: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-floating-solar-power-station-megaproject-coal-energy-a8183476.html
• North of Lake Tahoe, the Pika has gone locally extinct: https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2018/01/north-of-lake-tahoe-pika-vanishes/
• UK yacht makers vow to examine supply chains for illegal Myanmar timber: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/luxury-british-yacht-makers-vow-to-examine-supply-chains/
• Bears’ paws burned in California fires were treated with fish skin: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/01/26/two-bears-were-badly-burned-in-wildfires-and-fish-skin-helped-heal-them/
• EPA loosens rules on major air pollution sources: http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/370786-epa-loosens-rules-on-some-major-air-pollution-sources
• President of France accelerates timetable to shut down coal-fired power plants: https://futurism.com/france-officially-shutting-coal-fired-power-plants-three-years/
• Seahorse kebbs sold in Thai market spark anger: https://news.sky.com/story/seahorse-kebabs-sold-in-thai-market-spark-anger-11220580
• Tesla’s giant battery in Australia made almost a million dollars in just a few days: https://electrek.co/2018/01/23/tesla-giant-battery-australia-1-million/
• Submersible expedition in Antartica reveals secrets of the deep: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/submersible-expedition-in-antarctica-reveals-secrets-of-the-deep-and-why-it-needs-protecting/
• New species of Handfish from Tasmanian divers’ recent discovery: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/rare-red-handfish-endangered-tasmania-hobart-bay-spd/
• US asks mariners to slw down after report of another NA whale death: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/north-atlantic-right-whale-dead-virginia-1.4503334
• In 2017, the ocean were by far the hottest ever recorded: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/jan/26/in-2017-the-oceans-were-by-far-the-hottest-ever-recorded
• Florida brewery brings biodegradable six-pack rings to market: http://www.greenmatters.com/food/2018/01/25/Zw5sNj/florida-brewery-eco-six-pack-rings
• Diesel spilled after barge sinks in Howe Sound: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/port-mellon-barge-sinking-diesel-spill-1.4514102
• Northern Yellowstone elk herd at highest level in more than decade: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/environment/northern-yellowstone-elk-herd-at-highest-level-in-more-than/article_44b86caf-db36-57b4-9624-4fad1d19490c.html
• EPA leader suspends Clean Water rule: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/climate/trump-water-wotus.html
• Wildlife orgs sue Feds for failing to protect the Mexican Wolf: https://www.environews.tv/013018-breaking-news-wildlife-orgs-sue-trump-admin-failing-protect-el-lobo-mexican-wolf/
• Volkswagen vows to eliminate testing cars on animals: http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=10741&catId=1
• Police say Elgin trapper illegally caught wolf, then shot it: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2018/01/police_say_elgin_trapper_illeg.html​