Environmental protection efforts collide with commercial and political pressures

by Wanjiru Kamande About Wanjiru KamandeOctober 23, 20266 links · ~47 min read · ~1 min for the TL;DR

Parts Per Million by Wanjiru Kamande: six links on Environment every week.

TL;DR

Three Michigan tribes are attempting to restore the Arctic grayling a century after its disappearance, while confronting the impacts of climate change on culturally significant species.
A regulatory loophole allows private firms to catch protected sand tiger sharks in Delaware Bay and sell them to foreign aquariums despite bans on angler catches.
Rising summer temperatures driven by climate change are prompting some British residents to relocate northward in search of cooler weather.
Scientists and policymakers worldwide, including in Maine, are collaborating to commercialize floating offshore wind technology despite project delays and shifting policies.
Scientists engineered a plant immune receptor to recognize multiple fungal threats simultaneously, creating a defense to protect global rice, wheat, and barley crops.
Governments are slashing Arctic wildlife research funding to prioritize national security and rare mineral extraction, curtailing unprecedented monitoring as climate change reshapes the region.

From the curator

Environmental conservation and climate adaptation efforts are constantly tested by commercial exploitation and shifting government priorities. Vivian La's 6-minute read article for Grist reports that three Michigan tribes are working to restore the Arctic grayling a century after it disappeared, even as a changing climate complicates their mission. At the same time, the Guardian's 7-minute read article shows how a regulatory loophole permits private companies to profit from conservation successes in Delaware Bay by catching protected sand tiger sharks to export overseas. Meanwhile, Yale E360's 9-minute read article notes that governments are cutting funding for Arctic wildlife research to pursue mineral hunting and national security, leaving scientists without vital monitoring just as warming transforms the region.

Wanjiru Kamande

Curated for this issue

Grist6 min readIn Michigan, 3 tribes are on a mission to bring back a fish that disappeared 100 years ago
Tribal nations across the country are trying to restore culturally important species, like the Arctic grayling, while grappling with climate change.

Vivian La · curated 1 time

the Guardian7 min read‘Like selling wolves from Yellowstone’: how protected US sharks are being sold off to foreign aquariums
While anglers cannot take endangered sand tiger sharks, a loophole lets private firms catch the fish to sell abroad, profiting from Delaware Bay’s conservation success

NPR5 min readMeet the people moving north to escape increasingly hot summers
As climate change fuels hotter summers, some Britons are moving north in search of cooler weather. Could a similar shift be on the horizon in the United States?

Canary Media12 min readFloating wind industry leans into global collaboration amid headwinds
Even as projects face delays and policy reversals, scientists and policymakers worldwide — including in Maine — are teaming up to commercialize floating…

ScienceDaily6 min readA fungus is threatening the world’s food supply. Scientists just found a new defense
Scientists have discovered a potential new weapon against a devastating fungus that threatens rice, wheat, and barley worldwide. By engineering a special type of plant immune…

Yale E3609 min readArctic Wildlife Research Suffers as Geopolitical Competition Grows
As national security and the hunt for rare minerals come to dominate Arctic agendas, governments are slashing support for wildlife research. Scientists say the loss of monitoring…

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From the curator

Grist6 min readIn Michigan, 3 tribes are on a mission to bring back a fish that disappeared 100 years agoTribal nations across the country are trying to restore culturally important species, like the Arctic grayling, while grappling with climate change.

the Guardian7 min read‘Like selling wolves from Yellowstone’: how protected US sharks are being sold off to foreign aquariumsWhile anglers cannot take endangered sand tiger sharks, a loophole lets private firms catch the fish to sell abroad, profiting from Delaware Bay’s conservation success

NPR5 min readMeet the people moving north to escape increasingly hot summersAs climate change fuels hotter summers, some Britons are moving north in search of cooler weather. Could a similar shift be on the horizon in the United States?

Canary Media12 min readFloating wind industry leans into global collaboration amid headwindsEven as projects face delays and policy reversals, scientists and policymakers worldwide — including in Maine — are teaming up to commercialize floating…

ScienceDaily6 min readA fungus is threatening the world’s food supply. Scientists just found a new defenseScientists have discovered a potential new weapon against a devastating fungus that threatens rice, wheat, and barley worldwide. By engineering a special type of plant immune…

Yale E3609 min readArctic Wildlife Research Suffers as Geopolitical Competition GrowsAs national security and the hunt for rare minerals come to dominate Arctic agendas, governments are slashing support for wildlife research. Scientists say the loss of monitoring…