Center for Biological Diversity
Pop X
No. 75, Feb. 24, 2017
The Resistance Marches On

It's been just over a month since Inauguration Day. I wish I could say the news has gotten better since then, but it hasn't. With one exception: The resistance keeps getting stronger.

People continue to engage in protests in the streets, flooding their representatives' phone lines and sending messages through every online avenue. Organizations like the Center are already challenging the Trump administration in court, with plans to continue using every recourse available to block policies that are harmful to the environment, the people and our civil rights.

In the coming months, there will be many more opportunities to get involved in your community. You can join the March for Science (April 22) and the Climate March (April 29), with new satellite marches in cities across the country being organized every day. And read on for information on how you can reach your representatives this week during their recess.

To keep building the movement, the Center also is looking for volunteers to help bring the message of resistance to Earth Day festivals in every state. If you'd like to represent the Center at your local Earth Day event, send me an email.

For the wild,
Stephanie Feldstein Stephanie Feldstein
Population and Sustainability Director
P.S. Today's world population is: 7,497,230,164. We can still save room for wildlife -- spread the word share the newsletter below.

10 Reasons the Border Wall Is a Bad Idea

Border wallThe U.S.-Mexico border wall proposal was a cornerstone of Trump's campaign and a boondoggle from the beginning. Trump bafflingly promised Mexico would pay for it. Even worse, the border wall and other anti-immigration policies in Trump's recent executive orders would further isolate the United States, be ineffective in stemming undocumented immigration, and bring devastating harm to the Southwest's ecosystems and wildlife.

Immigration policies like the border wall and Trump's Muslim ban violate human rights and threaten the environment. In addition, immigration policy is neither an effective nor an appropriate way to address unsustainable human population growth's impacts on the climate and wildlife. The real solutions lie in expanding human rights, universal access to reproductive healthcare, education, smart urban planning, protecting wild places and tackling damaging production practices, resource extraction and pollution.

From pushing endangered wildlife closer to extinction and threatening public lands to inhumanely targeting immigrants and being physically impossible, check out Center senior attorney Brian Segee's 10 reasons why the border wall is a terrible idea.

 
 
Andrew Puzder Rooftop solar
#AntiLaborSecretary Victory

As Trump's corrupt cabinet takes office, we can celebrate a win for justice in the nomination process. Andrew Puzder, a fast-food CEO with a record of employee exploitation and labor violations, was forced to withdraw his nomination for labor secretary. More than 200 nonprofit organizations, including the Center, opposed his nomination alongside thousands of workers demanding a secretary who prioritizes people over profits. While the new nominee, Alexander Acosta, still needs to be vetted, he lacks the alarming track record Puzder had.

Sunny Side Up in Lancaster

Putting solar panels on as many buildings as possible is key to creating a 100 percent renewable energy system that's good for wildlife and puts power back in the hands of communities. The city of Lancaster, Calif., has been pioneering policies to make this a reality since 2014. The city recently passed a model "Zero Net Energy" policy that requires new homes to have 2 watts of rooftop-solar power per square foot of real estate, securing Lancaster's spot as a leader in the wildlife-friendly energy revolution.

 
Make Your Voice Heard -- Attend a Town Hall
Town hall Elephant running away Roaring lion
Home Turf Advantage

Around the country congressional representatives are holding meetings in their home districts, giving people a chance to speak up on the issues they care about most.

GOP on the Run

People across the country have been demanding to be heard, even as Republican representatives shirk their duties by avoiding town halls or moving them online.

Speak Up

Find a town hall meeting in your area, and demand that your representatives take a stand against hate, intolerance and environmental destruction. RSVP here.

 
 
Valentine's Day Celebrated With Endangered Species Condoms

Endangered Species CondomsThis Valentine's Day the Center sent 40,000 Endangered Species Condoms to the 10 most sex-happy cities across the United States. From burlesque shows to breweries, volunteers handed out free condoms in the top-ranked cities identified by Men's Health magazine -- Arlington, Texas; Austin, Texas; Bakersfield, Calif.; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Denver; Durham, N.C.; Houston; Indianapolis; and Oklahoma City -- to get people talking about human population growth and how safe sex helps save wildlife.

The Endangered Species Condoms message was carried far beyond the people who scored free condoms over the holiday weekend through news coverage across the country. Don Moffitt, a city council member in Durham, called the Valentine's Day condom distribution a fun way to draw attention to the issue of population pressure. "Every one of us needs to consider the size of our 'footprint' on the globe and then work to reduce our collective impact if we want our fragile planet to continue to support life as we know it," he said.
 
Photo credits: Stephanie Feldstein staff photo; border wall by Stephanie Buire Smith/Flickr; Andrew Puzder by Gage Skidmore/Flickr; rooftop solar by kincuri/Flickr; town hall meeting by Brent Granby/Flickr; elephant by simonsaysyes/Flickr; lion by tgraham/Flickr; Endangered Species Condoms courtesy Center for Biological Diversity.
 

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To sign up for Endangered Species Condoms, click here. If you'd like more information on the Center's Population and Sustainability program, visit our website.

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