Many people may wonder what they can do to help our planet — whether it is saving an endangered species, fighting deforestation or preventing the causes of global warming — every cause is important to the future of our natural world. The Center for Biological Diversity — CBD — is creating innovative ways for people to get involved with these issues.
CBD uses biological data, legal expertise, citizen petitioning, and the Endangered Species Act to help protect hundreds of animals that are on the verge of extinction. CBD is also in constant battle to protect the world's oceans and natural habitats from destruction or pollution.
The center is working to protect a diverse spectrum of plants, animals and ecosystems. There are hundreds of animals in California alone that CBD is fighting to protect. Specifically, one mammal is the Sierra Nevada red fox, one of the rarest and most endangered species in North America.
Public Lands Campaign Director Taylor Mckinnon of CBD explained their campaign process. “In 2011, we filed a formal petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Sierra Nevada red fox as threatened or endangered under the endangered species act,” he said.
“The Endangered Species Act has a strong track record of recovering and protecting species from extinction. In addition to protecting the fox's last swaths of habitat, the act provides a formal plan and much-needed research and monitoring to facilitate recovery. The Center will continue to shepherd that petition through the listing process to ensure that needed protections are ultimately realized,” Mckinnon stated.
CBD has a strong team of legal support to push legislation for habitat protection and Endangered Species petitions in order to help our natural world that so desperately needs government sanctioned protection.
The center is working within the federal government to protect not just our nation's wildlife, but also the habitats in which they thrive. CBD’s Oceans Program has made great progress with campaigns that have included forcing critical habitat protections for more than 40,000 square miles off the West Coast. CBD filed some of the first petitions to regulate carbon dioxide impacts on the ocean under the federal Clean Water Act and has protected many endangered species from reaching the brink of extinction.
One such protected species is the North Pacific right whale — Eubalaena japonica — an extremely endangered species. Known for being a calm and playful mammal, the North Pacific right whale greatly suffered from the booming whaling industry in the last century. What used to be a thriving population of over 20,000 is now down to just 30 of these marine mammals.
The organization has been fighting for protection and habitat designation for over 12 years for the North Pacific right whale with multiple petitions and lawsuits against the National Marine Fisheries Service — NOAA — a governmental agency mandated to protect marine life. After the most recent Notice of Intent to sue them for breach of mandate, the NOAA finally announced a recovery plan for the North Pacific right whale in April 2012.
Rebecca Noblin, director of a regional CBD office in Alaska, explained what poses as a threat to the North Pacific right whale, and what the community can do to help fight for endangered whales. In her words, “Offshore oil and gas development poses threats to many whale species. People can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, such as oil, and tell their elected representatives that they do not support offshore oil drilling.
“Unsustainable fishing practices are also responsible for many whale deaths. People can support healthy fishing practices by only buying seafood that has been sustainably caught.”
CBD also focuses on specific regions that have a great need for habitat and wildlife protection. The Arctic is a region of high concern because of rapid ice melting due to the effects of global warming. Melting ice in the Arctic has detrimental effects on species such as the spotted, ringed, and bearded seals which rely on the ice to nurse their young, breed, feed, and molt.
Polar bears rely on the ice in the Arctic for hunting, finding mates, traveling long distances, and building dens for cubs. As the sea ice melts away, chances dwindle for their survival. Climate Science Director Shaye Wolf of CBD explained what the community can do to help these Arctic animals: “People can help protect these seals by supporting Endangered Species Act protections for these wonderful animals. They can also urge President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency to use the Clean Air Act to fight climate change. An entire ecosystem is rapidly melting away. If we don't take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, we risk losing not only ice seals but also the polar bear and other ice-dependent species.”
The organization relies upon grassroots campaigns, educational lectures and support from thousands of Americans in order to carry out its many accomplishments over the last 23 years. Tierra Curry of the center explained the best way to help the organization and their cause: “We have a lot of online activists; people can receive action alerts by giving their email address on our website.
“We have to send letters to Washington or to various agencies to get protection for species or oppose projects that are going to kill different species. The more people who are in the online activists network, the better because of the increased number of comments we can get in favor of protecting species.”
The organization has protected tens of thousands of acres of habitat and thousands of species of endangered animals. A vertical species bar is prominently displayed on their website below a frog logo at http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/. Click any circle to show clickable links with extensive information about species the center has fought to protect under the Endangered Species Act.
