900,000 Voices Demand Continued Wolf Protections

Wow. We just delivered nearly a million comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opposing Trump's plan to end federal protections for almost all gray wolves in the lower 48.

This is the most comments the feds have ever received on an Endangered Species Act issue in the law's 45-year history. They include 35,000 handwritten notes delivered in person to the Interior Department in Washington, D.C. The Center for Biological Diversity says thank you to everyone who submitted a comment, shared a social post about our wolf campaigns, canvassed their neighborhood for comments, or in any other way raised their voice for the voiceless.

And we're not done yet. At the last minute the Interior Department extended its comment deadline to July 15, so we and our allies have a new goal: 1.5 million voices raised for wolves.

Learn how you can help in our upcoming call. And consider supporting our campaign to save wolves with a donation to our Predator Defense Fund.

Suit Launched to Save Species From Appalachia Coal Mining

The Center and partners have launched a lawsuit against federal agencies and the state of West Virginia for failing to protect endangered species from coal mining.

Documents obtained by the Center show that state officials appealed to the Trump administration for ways to bypass protections for the Big Sandy and Guyandotte River crayfishes — all to appease the coal industry.

"The Trump administration is putting coal-industry profits ahead of people and wildlife in Appalachia whose health is threatened daily by pollution," said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center. "So we're relying on the courts to protect endangered animals and the creeks where they live."

Read more in The Washington Post.

The 13 Best Environmental Books of the Month

Did you know that The Revelator publishes a monthly roundup of the best environmentally themed books? It's a great resource for nature lovers, activists and policymakers. The list for this month is here: a baker's dozen of books on topics that include a pioneering conservationist, the history of water woes in California, the dirty legacy (and future) of coal, and the psychology of climate change.

Check it out and subscribe to The Revelator's weekly newsletter.

Urgent Safeguards Sought for Near-Extinct Firefly

The Center and allies just filed an emergency petition requesting Endangered Species Act protections for the Bethany Beach firefly, an insect on the brink of blinking out forever.

The rare firefly has been documented at only seven sites along the Delaware coast. It's under dire threat from urbanization, light pollution, habitat fragmentation, pesticides, storm surges and sea-level rise. And now the wetland area home to the firefly's largest remaining population is being developed.

"Without immediate protections, the magical green flashes known to generations of children will be snuffed out forever," said the Center's Dr. Tara Cornelisse.

Read more in The Washington Post and learn more about fireflies at our website.

Trump Expands California Oil and Gas Drilling

Trump's Bureau of Land Management just proposed new oil and gas drilling on 725,000 acres of public lands across California's Central Coast and the Bay Area. This is the first step toward ending a 5-year ban in the state on leasing federal lands to oil companies — terrible news for the climate and a long list of imperiled species, including California condors and San Joaquin kit foxes.

"From Monterey to the Bay Area, the president wants to let oil companies drill and spill their way across our beloved public lands and wildlife habitat," said Center lawyer Clare Lakewood.

Read more in The Sacramento Bee.

Wild & Weird: Zoom (Way) Into This Butterfly Wing

The wings of blue morpho butterflies are a vivid, iridescent blue. But get this — they actually contain absolutely no blue pigment.

Morphos achieve that bright blue color in a way that's structural rather than chemical: Their wings are covered in tiny scales that have ridges, ribs and other features that play with the physics of light at the nanoscale. Diffracted light waves interfere with each other, canceling out certain color wavelengths to reflect brilliant blues.

Admire the brilliance of morpho butterflies in our new video on Facebook or YouTube.