Last month was a good one in our fight to save wildlife. A federal judge rebuffed a Bush Administration rule allowing EPA to permit pesticide makers to ignore the effects of their products on endangered species and their habitats. The rule let EPA consult only with itself, bypassing experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other wildlife agencies. This gave pesticide makers the green light to continue using and registering products potentially harmful to many imperiled species.
The ruling comes on the heels of a better decision by the nation’s top environmental agency. Nearly 20,000 Defenders supporters wrote to EPA, urging them to take the harmful pesticide carbofuran off the shelf. Just days later, EPA banned most uses of the highly toxic substance -- a decision that will eventually protect millions of birds, our drinking water and the safety of farm workers.
Nevermind the polar bears, caribou and migratory birds. Just forget the fact that we can't drill our way out of our energy problems. As Capitol Hill gets back to work with just a few weeks from until the mid-term elections, we’ll be hearing the same tired old song that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will solve our energy needs.
Imagine a place where big corporations and wealthy developers could ignore zoning and environmental laws -- sprawling and polluting as they see fit. This November, voters in Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana and Washington will vote on ballot initiatives that could make that possible. These so-called “takings” initiatives bill themselves as property rights measures, but in reality they threaten taxpayer funds and undermine environmental and public health protections.
St. Petersburg, Florida will host Defenders' sixth conference on carnivores, an event that brings together activists, professionals and academics to discuss the issues involved with carnivore conservation. Attendees will learn about climate change, invasive species, how to live with these special creatures and more. Speakers will include Alan Rabinowitz of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Jeff Corwin of Animal Planet (invited).
For nearly 300 years, America’s wolves were faced with extermination campaigns that threatened to wipe them out for good in the lower 48. By the 1970s, only a small population remained in northern Minnesota. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act and America’s pro-conservation ethic, the wolf is making a comeback. But what can we do to ensure that the wolf will continue a healthy, long-term recovery? In our latest report, Defenders offers a roadmap to help these magnificent creatures howl their way back to a healthy future in the lower 48.
This week, Defenders mourns the loss of a true (or "fair dinkum" as they say Down Under) wildlife hero. As host of Animal Planet’s popular Crocodile Hunter television show, Steve Irwin educated millions about planet earth’s wondrous wildlife. Outside the limelight, Irwin was also a dedicated conservationist.
Irwin once told an interviewer that “My mission is to save the world's endangered species." Indeed, he used his wealth to save tigers in Asia, work with farmers to save endangered pythons, and protect endangered wildlife in his native Australia. He also worked to protect habitat, purchasing and protecting wilderness tracts worldwide, including some in America.
The Crocodile Hunter -- and his important contributions to wildlife conservation -- will be missed.
The Black-Footed Ferret The black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered mammals in the U.S. In fact, these agile critters were once thought to be extinct. Then, 25 years ago, the last 18 wild black-footed ferrets were discovered in Wyoming.
Thanks to the Endangered Species Act and the tireless work of biologists and volunteers, these slim burrow-dwellers have been clawing their way back from oblivion and on to the American prairie. This year, as the silver anniversary of their rediscovery is celebrated (see Upcoming Events), habitat loss still poses a significant risk to the black-footed ferret. Nevertheless, these tenacious critters continue to battle for survival in the badlands.
The Three Rs Back-to-School season is once again upon us, and it’s time to think once again about the “Three Rs” -- not “reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic,” but “reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Reduce waste by packing lunches in reusable containers. Sort out last year’s supplies to find those that can be reused. And recycle any packaging from your new supplies.
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Founded in 1947, Defenders of Wildlife is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 480,000 members and supporters that works to protect endangered species and their habitat.
Defenders can be contacted at: 1130 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
Defenders of Wildlife can be contacted at: 1130 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036
This week, Defenders mourns the loss of a true (or "fair dinkum" as they say Down Under) wildlife hero. As host of Animal Planet’s popular Crocodile Hunter television show, Steve Irwin educated millions about planet earth’s wondrous wildlife. Outside the limelight, Irwin was also a dedicated conservationist. 
