Center for Biological Diversity
Pop X
No. 72, Nov. 18, 2016
The Fight Ahead

Many of us are still reeling from last week's election results, and the insults keep piling on: Potential cabinet and transition team members with dangerous track records, vows to undo progress across the spectrum, and open intolerance and oppression. On top of all that, it's undeniable that a Donald Trump White House is going to be devastating for wildlife and wild places.

But we won't sit by and watch while Trump's administration and the Republican-led Congress destroy the planet and take away the rights of women, immigrants and minorities. Since the day after the election, Center staff have been regrouping, strategizing and preparing for the fight ahead. In the Population and Sustainability program, we're connecting with allies and preparing to mobilize people like you who care about curbing population growth and creating just and sustainable food and energy systems that allow humans and wildlife to thrive.

Read on for more information about what we're facing in the coming months, and stay tuned for more details on what you can do. We're in this together.

For the wild,
Stephanie Feldstein Stephanie Feldstein
Population and Sustainability Director
P.S. Today's world population is: 7,473,746,785. We can still save room for wildlife -- spread the word and share the newsletter below.

Renewable Energy Can Still Shine

Rooftop solarWhen it comes to our energy future, we'd be better off picking a random person off the street to run the country for the next four years than we are with President-elect Trump. Unlike the incoming administration, which actively denies the reality of climate change, at least 7 out of 10 Americans believe in the science of human-induced climate change, and 9 in 10 favor expanding the use of solar power.

There's a lot Trump can, and likely will, do to stall the progress of wildlife-friendly energy. So even as rooftop solar has become more affordable and competitive across the country, and despite high clean-energy growth in red states like Iowa and Texas, renewable energy faces challenges that could delay the rapid transition needed to stave off the worst effects of climate change.

But it's not time to start planning a funeral for renewable energy; it's time to start fighting for the renewable-energy revolution. We must defend the progress we've made with federal policy and continue pushing for distributed solar development at the state and local levels to make clean energy accessible to everyone. We can't afford to wait four years for climate action. With public demand for clean energy on our side, we're going to fight to ensure that renewable-energy growth and climate action aren't stopped by Trump's presidency.

 
 
Cookbooks Library of Congress interior
Cookbooks for the Planet

The country may be in turmoil, but one thing never changes: You still have to eat. As we prepare to face the food-policy challenges of a Republican-controlled government, we can start by making sure our personal choices reflect the world we want to see. From Southern favorites remixed with a plant-based spin to a case for insect proteins, there's no shortage of cookbooks to help you eat a more Earth-friendly diet. Check out our latest #EcoList to discover 10 cookbooks for people who love the planet.

Help Solarize the Government

The federal government owns or leases 360,000 buildings, with a total footprint of 1.2 billion square feet. That's a lot of potential space for rooftop solar panels, and if we're going to meet the emissions-reduction commitments of the Paris climate agreement, the government needs to lead the way in the energy transition. Before he leaves office, President Obama has the power to require federal agencies to invest in distributed solar energy. Sign the petition calling for solar panels on every possible federal building.

 
Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline -- Take Action
Native youth marching from Cannonball to the Oceti Sakowin Camp #NoDAPL Day of Action demonstrators LED display reading Every Drop Counts
Sacred Lands in Danger

Despite a voluntary hold by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Dakota Access Pipeline company continues construction on sacred land.

Day of Action

Earlier this week thousands of people in cities across the country joined with native leaders to call on President Obama to permanently reject the pipeline.

The growing resistance to this pipeline is critically important to indigenous rights and our collective water and climate futures -- add your voice today.

 
 
Reproductive Rights Under Attack

Birth control graphicThe National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy honored "Thanks, Birth Control" Day this week to celebrate how far we've come in empowering people to make their own family planning decisions. Unfortunately there's no getting around the fact that the progress that's been made in providing access to contraception, as well as reproductive healthcare and gender equality -- all core solutions to unsustainable human population growth -- are at risk under a Trump administration.

The president-elect has already made clear statements about his intentions to roll back women's rights, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence has a history of targeting reproductive healthcare with some of the most brazen and restrictive state policies in the country. The truth is that these rights have been under attack by state and federal legislators for some time now, and a Trump/Pence White House does not bode well for the future -- for women or wildlife.

If we want to see species recovering in the wild, we have to ensure that everyone has access to the type of contraception that's right for them. We need a powerful grassroots movement that's not only dedicated to protecting the environment, but also allied with those defending the rights of women, immigrants and other communities that have been targeted by Trump's dangerous rhetoric. We'll be launching a new campaign soon to help build that network, and I hope you'll be a part of it.
 
Photo credits: Stephanie Feldstein staff photo; rooftop solar panels courtesy Minnesota Solar Challenge/Flickr; cookbooks courtesy Center for Biological Diversity; Library of Congress interior by onasill/Flickr; Native youth marching from Cannonball to the Oceti Sakowin Camp by bahesmama_Flickr; #NoDAPL Day of Action protest courtesy Center for Biological Diversity; LED display by Joe Brusky/Flickr; "Let's Not Make a Baby" graphic courtesy The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
 

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