In 2024 our experts explored subjects ranging from autocratic governments to green jobs and new ways to help endangered species.
Not long ago a writer submitted an op-ed that made me worry for their safety.
I asked, “Are you going to get in trouble if we publish this?”
Maybe, they replied. But telling the truth was more important.
Of course, a good op-ed doesn’t need to put anyone at risk. But expert commentaries can shine a light on truth, share critical information, or encourage people and systems to move in a fresh direction.
Here’s a list of some of The Revelator’s best environmental commentaries from 2024. They offer lessons from the autocracies rising around the world, advice for saving species from extinction, guidance on shaping green jobs, insights into Indigenous knowledge, and more.
Do you have a story to tell in the year ahead? We’re always open to op-eds and other commentaries from activists, scientists, conservationists, legislators, government employees, and other experts — especially anyone with insight about the regressive and repressive second Trump administration. You can find out how to submit here, or drop me a line at any time.
Solutions to our environmental ills abound in these popular Revelator articles from 2024.
Environmental news stories tend to slip through the cracks during election years — and this year we saw that like none other.
Still, this year brought more readers than ever to The Revelator. People wanted to know about the environmental threats the planet faces — and how to stop them.
Solutions stories were particularly popular this year, a sign that people are done with putting up with the status quo. Maintaining that energy and drive will be difficult but essential in 2025.
Here’s a list of some of our most popular articles of 2024. They cover people helping sloths and other endangered species, studying our blind spots, building environmentally conscious communities, looking at the threats of autocracy, and fighting climate change. They should all continue to offer inspiration and guidance in the troublesome year(s) ahead.
We asked conservation researchers to send us their best papers of 2024. They surprised us with some powerful and important science.
Every month scientific journals publish hundreds of new papers about endangered species and wildlife conservation. It’s a firehose of information in a world that feels increasingly in flames.
That’s why I started writing this column. “This Month in Conservation Science” is an opportunity to sort through some of that critical research and filter it for an audience who can put these scientific discoveries to good use.
Our first few columns looked at papers published over specific four-week periods. This month, as we all wrap up 2024, we asked researchers to send us their best or favorite papers of the past year. We received submissions that offer hope, guidance, analysis, and insight into emerging threats.
Stuart Pimm, president of Saving Nature, recommended a paper he and his colleagues published in Science Advances revealing surprising news for elephants. He wrote: “The public may think that elephants in the African savannah are in freefall. In fact, over the last quarter century, their numbers have held their own across Southern Africa (mid-Tanzania southwards), an area that holds three-quarters of them. The paper shows what strategies led to this success and recommends that connecting now-isolated populations will be vital for future progress.”
Sukakpak Mountain. Photo: Bob Wick/BLM
Aerin Jacob, director of science and research at Nature Conservancy of Canada, sent a coauthored paper from Conservation Biology about mountains — a habitat type that deserves more attention. “People often think that mountain ecosystems are so rugged and inaccessible that they don’t need habitat protection, but that’s not true,” she wrote. “We studied six major mountain regions around the world and found that on average half of them are as modified as the rest of the world; two-thirds of them don’t (yet) meet the 30×30 global protection target; and existing protected areas don’t include the vast majority of mountain ecosystem types. Mountains are super-important for biodiversity, ecosystem function, and the benefits people get from nature. We ignore them at our peril.”
Speaking of 30×30, marine expert Stacy Jupiter with the Wildlife Conservation Society recommended a paper in Marine Policy, cowritten by two other WCS specialists, that she tells us sought to “identify highly productive marine areas around the world to help the world achieve the protection of at least 30% of the planet by 2030. This analysis adds to the current body of knowledge by exploring the notion of marine productivity as an enabling condition that drives ecological integrity in marine ecosystems. It’s a critically important feature to inform and complement future conservation efforts.”
An endangered Caribbean reef shark. Photo: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY 2.0)
Sticking with the ocean, shark scientist David Shiffman (a frequent Revelator contributor) sent a commentary he published in Integrative & ComparativeBiology about how misinformation shapes the public’s perspective on shark conservation. “This invited commentary summarizes the last decade of my research into public misunderstanding of ocean conservation issues,” he wrote. “In a career sitting in rooms with global science and conservation experts and a career talking to the interested public about how to save the ocean, I’ve noticed something striking: both groups talk about the same issues, but they talk about them very differently. This inspired a decade-long research project looking at where concerned members of the public learn about ocean conservation threats and their policy solutions, and what type of information is spread through those information pathways. It turns out that nearly every information pathway is flooded with misunderstandings if not straight-up pseudoscience, a big problem as we work to save endangered species and key ecosystems.”
Sharks get a lot of press, but many other species fly under the radar. Wildlife trade researcher Lalita Gomez shared a DiscoverAnimals paper cowritten with frequent Revelator contributor Chris Shepherd about a cat-like mammal called the binturong that faces an underappreciated threat. “This little creature is currently being traded under the radar in large numbers for the pet trade, which is ridiculous considering its vulnerable status,” she wrote. “The online trade of live animals is also out of hand and with this paper we push for stronger regulation of social media platforms that perpetuate the trade.”
Shepherd, meanwhile, was the senior author of a paper in the European Journal of Wildlife Research that examined Canada’s role in international wildlife trade. “Wildlife trade is embedded in Canada’s history, dating back to the early fur traders, evolving to include multiple commodities such as the contemporary fur industry and the thriving pet trade of today,” he wrote. “Considering recent reports of animals legally and illegally imported into Canada and the potential threats of wildlife trade studied elsewhere, wildlife trade may pose risks to Canada’s natural heritage, biodiversity, biosecurity, and animal welfare. Our review underscores the need to enhance academic knowledge and policy tools to effectively identify and address trade issues concerning Canadian and nonnative wildlife.”
Continuing the theme of wildlife trade, Neil D’Cruze shared a Journal of Environmental Management paper from several authors at World Animal Protection and John Jay College of Criminal Justice that “highlights significant gaps in global wildlife trade laws despite a century of growing legislation. Examining 11 biodiversity-rich countries, the research found that the Global Biodiversity Index does not correlate with the scope of wildlife trade laws. Legislation is unevenly distributed across trade stages, with animal welfare notably underrepresented, particularly in captive breeding and farming. Our study urges the alignment of national and international regulations to address critical gaps, protect biodiversity, and prioritise animal welfare, emphasising its importance for public health and environmental sustainability.”
Moving on to a different topic, let’s talk about the damaging ways people move through the natural world. William Laurance, distinguished research professor at James Cook University, shared a Nature paper led by one of his Ph.D. students about ghost roads — often-illegal roads that don’t exist on maps but pose a serious danger to ecosystems. “Globally, ghost roads are one of the most serious, understudied threats to ecosystems and biodiversity — especially in poorer nations that harbor much of Earth’s biodiversity,” he wrote.
We also heard from Dr. Sara Cannon with the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, who was the lead author of a paper in Facets that argued the open data movement is putting too much pressure on Indigenous people to make their scientific data public. “This paper highlights why Indigenous data sovereignty is crucial for addressing environmental challenges like climate change and cumulative effects on ecosystems, particularly salmon-bearing watersheds in British Columbia,” she writes. “It underscores the need for respectful collaborations between Indigenous knowledge-holders and external researchers, offering actionable steps to honor Indigenous data sovereignty and improve data management practices. By reading this paper, the public can better understand how Indigenous data sovereignty supports ecosystem resilience and empowers Indigenous communities to maintain sovereignty over their territories and knowledge.”
Samantha Strindberg of the WCS submitted two papers, both authored with expansive teams, that showcased the value of large, long-term conservation monitoring programs. The first, published in Oryx, assessed the population size of the Mongolian gazelle. “The Eastern Steppe of Mongolia harbors the largest remaining temperate grassland on the planet and is home to millions of Mongolian gazelles,” she wrote. “This is the first comprehensive assessment of this species that roams over 750,000 square kilometers, predominantly (91%) in the Mongolian open plains, and also Russia and China. It highlights the importance of comprehensive monitoring surveys and the value of cross-border collaboration to provide important information for conservation of this species in the long-term.”
The second, published in Primates, examined great ape surveys: “The Republic of Congo expanded the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park to include the gorilla-rich, previously unlogged forest of the Djéké Triangle. These survey results for western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee are part of a 25-year history of globally important scientific research on the ecology and behavior of western lowland gorillas. Empirical evidence of the environmental value and strategic conservation importance supported the inclusion of the Djéké Triangle into the NNNP with long-term monitoring results also informing best-practice standards and ape tourism certification.”
Finally, this month, we heard from Liber Ero Postdoctoral Fellow Jayme Lewthwaite, who recommended a paper she didn’t work on as one of the best she’s seen in 2024. Published in Nature Sustainability, lead author Laura Melissa Guzman and colleagues examined the effects of pesticides on wild bee distributions in the United States. “This paper is so important because it’s the first national assessment of how pesticide use is affecting native bees across their ranges,” Lewthwaite wrote. “While overall pesticide use has plateaued in the U.S., Guzman et al. show that the novel pesticides that are increasingly being favored (such as neonicotinoids) are extremely deadly to native insects, perhaps more than any of their predecessors. While this was suspected and shown through a few studies in the UK (where they were subsequently banned), this is the first study to do so in the U.S. on such a large taxonomic and spatial scale. We should all be worried about the decline of native bees because they are by far the most effective pollinators out of any group, and this has important food security implications.”
We’ll return to our regular format next month, which will link to papers published between Dec. 15, 2024, and Jan. 15, 2025. We’re happy to hear from any author or team with a new paper coming out in a peer-reviewed journal or other publication during that timeframe, especially if you’re from the Global South or an institution without much public-relations support. For consideration in a future column, drop us a link at [email protected] and use the subject line TMICS.
Arguments abound on the benefits and dangers of trophy hunting. We need a careful, measured approach to analyzing how it’s justified and promoted.
Trophy hunting remains a contentious subject amongst scientists, conservationists, and the public. Each side fervently defends its stance, but the underlying narrative pushed by trophy-hunting proponents urgently deserves close scrutiny.
We saw it most recently in August, after trophy-hunting critic and economist Ross Harvey wrote an op-ed criticizing the killing of five “super-tusker” elephants from Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. In response, wildlife conservation professor Amy Dickman criticized his assertions as “knee-jerk reactions” ranging from “misunderstanding to misinformation.” She asserted we should aim for alternatives to trophy-hunting bans (something Harvey has previously proposed) but her language suggests those opposed to trophy hunting are too quick to engage in rash calls to action.
This is where it becomes critical that we don’t accept the many rationalizations of trophy hunting at face value and examine each one.
Who Benefits?
Proponents often use the plight of local African communities to position trophy hunting as a contribution to social justice — usually poverty alleviation, a solution for human-wildlife conflict, and food provision.
“Valuable revenue” is often touted as trophy hunting’s primary contribution to both conservation and local communities. Quantifying these benefits is a tricky affair, however. A 2013 study by Economists at Large examined the contributions of hunting and found that on average only 3% of hunting operators’ revenue trickled down to communities. More recently, a 2022 report from Harvey’s organization Good Governance Africa found that only 9% of trophy-hunting revenue (or a paltry R1,530,000, about $86,000) from South Africa’s privately owned Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) was allocated to community outreach and low-income households — although where and how it was distributed remains unclear.
Corruption is another significant concern, further running the risk that revenue destined for community development doesn’t reach its intended recipients, according to Economists at Large.
The report goes on to quote a local village resident in Northern Tanzania who was interviewed for a paper by conservationist Hassanali Thomas Sachedina:
“We’re more closely allied with the photographic operators than the hunters. They are finishing off the wildlife before we’ve had a chance to realize a profit from it. Hunters don’t recognize us; they only recognize the government… 25% of hunting fees goes into the ‘hole’ at the district. We’re supposed to get 5%: we don’t even see that.”
Trophy hunting generates enormous revenue for hunting operators, with bull elephants fetching $20-40,000 depending on tusk weight. But as sustainable and ethical tourism researcher Mucha Mkono told me earlier this year, “the very underdeveloped status of many of the rural areas where hunting occurs tells us what we need to know. The benefits are not trickling down enough to make a real difference in the local communities. Whatever benefits there are, their scope fails to justify the ethical and environmental cost.”
The homogenous grouping of African communities in pro-trophy-hunting messaging is worryingly unsubstantiated and too often taken at face value.
Dickman refers to “local people, who legitimately choose trophy hunting” as a wildlife management strategy. The statement requires analysis on two fronts. First, we require empirical evidence of multiple local communities freely choosing trophy hunting before a generalized statement can be made. Second, the use of “legitimately” is questionable. A 2019 paper by Mkono suggests that African social media users, for example, perceive trophy hunting as a holdover of colonialism and a sign of politicians’ greed. Furthermore, decision-making on trophy hunting often takes place at the national level, outside the realm of local communities and without public participation.
Is there genuine participation by local stakeholders, or do governments and pro-hunting organizations speak on their behalf? To what degree are the carefully crafted narratives of pro-trophy hunting groups such as Safari Club International being taken at face value?
A 2023 paper by environmental anthropologist Sian Sullivan explores Safari Club International’s original objective of making Africa the “greatest hunting grounds in the world” for its elite members. SCI’s argument that hunting contributes to conservation was promoted by dismissing any opposition as ‘neocolonial,’ despite their deeply extractivist practices that continue to see thousands of African animals exported as trophies and trinkets to the United States and other primarily western countries. Such activities benefit only a few and exploit natural resources and local community members, who are paid minimum wages for precarious jobs. Jobs within the hunting industry are temporary and the field requires fewer staff compared to safari and photographic tourism lodges, according to a 2020 paper in the journal Tourism Geographies.
This leads to further discursive inconsistencies in the debate: The assertion that trophy hunting incentivizes local communities to coexist with wildlife cannot be reconciled with “legitimately” choosing trophy hunting if those living in close proximity to hunting areas are being incentivized (i.e., motivated or led to see something as attractive). A legitimate choice suggests something freely pursued, which does not appear to be the case.
We must be cautious of the use of “local communities” as a blanket justification for trophy-hunting if this is used in place of admitting vested interests. In a recent article, conservation writer Jared Kukura highlighted a concern that JAMMA, an international conservation organization, has a vested interest (in the region of $10 million) in pursuing trophy hunting in Mozambique and providing significant funding to organizations with explicit pro-trophy-hunting agendas, including Morally Contested Conservation, a trophy-hunting public relations initiative, and Resource Africa, a campaign against anti-hunting legislation.
The intricacies of the “local communities” angle being spun into a social justice argument require the most attention. If the community benefits are minimal, trophy hunting is perceived as a colonial pursuit, and genuine grassroots participation in decision-making is lacking, is the argument valid?
As Dickman stated, “rather than amping up international pressure, we should give local stakeholders space to discuss among themselves, respect their decisions, and focus far more on listening rather than lecturing.” I couldn’t agree more, but the voices of well-funded organizations continue to drown out those of the people whose welfare they’re claiming to protect.
Likewise, where are the voices of community members who do not agree with trophy-hunting practices and do not feel their purported benefits?
Without the immense funding poured into public relations, organizational vested interests, and political influence, would trophy hunting still be legitimately chosen by local stakeholders?
Ethics, Protocols, and Outright Disregard
Dickman suggests a potential “collaborative” solution to protect Kenya’s tuskers in which Amboseli elephant researchers share their data with hunting operators to call certain elephants off-limits to hunters. She “thinks” hunters would be open to this and “apparently” concerned operators have agreed not to touch Amboseli’s most famous bulls.
It is worth drawing attention to the multiple occasions in which trophy hunters and hunting operators have not acted ethically or in accordance with protocols or researchers. The very nature of trophy hunting is to pursue the most iconic animals for trophy purposes. Can we reliably assume that Amboseli’s most iconic elephants are therefore safe from hunters?
Cecil the lion is an example that garnered immense uproar. He was being studied by Oxford’s WildCRU researchers, who had affixed him with a visible and recognizable GPS-tracking collar, when he was baited and lured outside of Hwange National Park before being shot in 2015. The hunters brazenly removed and dumped his tracking collar before discarding his body. Not only was Theo Bronkhorst, the professional hunter, a member of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, but he acted against their own regulations in which lions should not be lured and baited outside of no-kill zones. (Note: Dickman became the executive director of WildCRU in 2022.)
According to a study in Biological Conservation cited in Africa Geographic, Cecil was not alone: 24 out of 62 tagged research lions were killed by trophy hunters in Zimbabwe between 1999 and 2004. Shockingly, 72% of the tagged Hwange male lions were killed for trophies and 30% of these lions were under the age of 4 years.
In 2018 two elephant hunts occurred in Balule Nature Reserve in which the professional hunting outfitters and their clients acted against established protocols. In one hunt, Balule admits to a “harrowing and traumatizing incident” in which an elephant was shot 13 times several hundred yards from a lodge, in view of the guests. An illegal hunt also took place in 2018 in which a collared elephant studied by Elephants Alive was shot under the guidance of a professional hunter and reserve warden.
Also in Maseke, a property within Balule Nature Reserve, a botched elephant hunt took place in which the animal was shot no less than eight times after fleeing onto a nonhunting property, followed by a helicopter chase back onto Maseke. Not only was this hunt grossly unethical, but according to HSI-International, it may have been illegal due to a court interdict.
And in the APNR, Skye the lion was hunted despite several concerns raised that he should not be targeted by trophy hunters. Skye was baited using buffalo and elephant carcasses also killed by the client.
Two things are striking here: First, the wasteful use of two carcasses to simply lure a lion as opposed to the oft-heard narrative of donating meat to those in need; second, wildlife contained within the Kruger National Park are “deemed public assets” according to the Protected Areas Act (2003). Baiting and luring this lion out of the park demonstrates gross neglect alongside the fact that the hunters did not take reasonable precautions to identify a lion who was agreed to be off limits.
Another lack of reasonable precaution can be seen in the trophy hunting of young male lions. “Aging errors,” when lions of key reproductive age are killed instead of older males, further exacerbate lion mortalities, according to a study in Nature.
If Dickman’s collaborative approach to elephant hunting were implemented, what guarantee could be provided that hunting operators would act ethically and transparently in light of existing transgressions?
My goal here is not to engage in a “knee-jerk reaction” but to engage with the language and ideas of trophy-hunting proponents. With local communities and iconic African species being used to advance those narratives, critical consideration is the least we can give them.
This year brought essential reading on climate change, endangered species, ecology, environmental justice, and other important topics about protecting the planet.
Looking for a good book about endangered species? We’ve got a few dozen for you, along with many more books about climate change, ecology, environmental justice, sustainability and every other environmental topic you can imagine.
We’ve spent the past year tracking the environmental book that crossed our desks — more than 280 of them. (Update: We’re now closer to 300.) The list includes novels, memoirs, academic books, how-to texts, stories for children, photography collections, and a whole lot more. It’s not comprehensive, and it’s weighed toward nonfiction for adults, but it’s still impressive to see publishers and readers embrace these topics while the world faces so many compounding crises.
The Revelator has already reviewed many of these books, and we hope to read a few more of them in the months ahead — even as we start to tackle our growing list of 2025 publications.
The links below go to the publishers’ websites, but your local library or bookseller should also have access to any book on this list.
(Authors and publishers: Send news about your 2025 books — or any 2024 titles we missed — to [email protected]. Include the title, author, a link to the book’s page on the publisher’s website. Review copies are also welcome.)
Special thanks to Dr. Colleen M. Crary for help compiling this list.
Title
Author
Link
A Woman Among Wolves: My Journey Through Forty Years of Wolf Recovery
The United Kingdom, a major European player in the global ornamental fish trade, offers a case study of this industry’s problems — and its potential solutions.
“We’ve got to shrink the flavors of fishes available to hobbyists.”
This is not what I expected to hear from ornamental fish trade veteran Tim Haywood when we connected to discuss the aquarium industry. It’s rare to come across businessfolk calling for a constriction of their market.
Then again, Haywood is no ordinary industry insider. He’s a man determined to confront what he calls the aquarium trade’s “gray areas” so the hobby he loves can become fit for the 21st century.
Haywood comes across as someone who’s aware that the honesty required to fix his beloved hobby also risks causing damage by opening it up to criticism. So he speaks frankly but carefully when he tells me about these gray areas: the often hidden tolls of the trade, such as the negative effects of intensive captive breeding on fishes’ welfare, and the deaths of millions of fish and other aquarium organisms each year so people can enjoy watching the colorful survivors in their home tanks around the world.
These are problems few people see or understand, despite the aquarium trade’s massive scope and ubiquity around the world — and particularly in the United Kingdom.
Goldfishes — a longtime favorite in aquariums — were imported into the UK by the millions in 2020. Over 88,000 goldfishes (Carassius auratus) entering the country from outside the EU that year were dead on arrival. Photo: Conall/Flickr
Fishkeeping in the United Kingdom has grown a lot since then. According to the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association, the country’s aquarium market is worth £1 billion (about $1.3 billion) a year, with more than 100 million fishes — representing hundreds if not thousands of species — in tanks and ponds across the nation.
The UK plays an outsized role in the global aquarium trade, considering its small size. Trade figures collated by the World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution database show the country was among the top five importers of ornamental fishes by trade value in 2023. The other four leading importers were the United States, the European Union, China, and Malaysia.
Overall the industry operates in around 125 countries and is worth $15-30 billion a year, according to a 2019 paper co-authored by John Pinnegar, scientific advisor to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science. This paper was based on a presentation by aquarist Hans-Georg Evers.
Haywood, who has spent decades in the business after first being “bit” by the hobby at the tender age of 10, says he isn’t opposed to the trade flourishing. He believes fishkeeping is a “wonderful hobby” that allows people to get close to nature and inspires individuals to “take more care of the world around them.”
Tim Haywood discusses fishes that he bred in captivity in England. Credit: Tim Haywood
But he looks at the industry from two unique viewpoints: He’s the owner of an aquatic study and breeding center called OSAquatics, as well as the chair of the conservation nonprofit Seahorse Trust. With that combined perspective, he thinks the industry needs to change — quite drastically.
The problems — and solutions — that he points to center on the UK and the trade in freshwater fishes. Nonetheless, they provide insights into the wider global aquarium trade’s present state and its possible future.
Gray Areas
Freshwater fishes, particularly tropical ones, dominate the ornamental trade. The CEFAS paper found that the hobby involves more than 5,000 freshwater species. Fish are typically exported from Asia and South America, and around 90% of tropical freshwater species in trade are captive bred, according to the paper.
As Haywood puts it, intensive production involves a lot of unhappy fish.
“If the fish are happy, they will breed. There’s no need to do the intensive side of things,” he insists.
Many species are also caught in the wild, which has implications for their conservation. This is particularly true for marine species exploited in the trade, which are generally taken from coral reefs in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. However, the conservation impact of this exploitation is largely unknown because oversight of the trade is so poor.
South American tetra fishes, such as cardinal tetras and glowlight tetras, are heavily traded in the aquarium industry. Around 25,000 tetra fishes imported into the UK from outside the EU in 2020 were dead on arrival. Photo: Brian Gratwicke (CC BY 2.0)
Around 10% of traded tropical freshwater fishes are also wild caught, according to the CEFAS paper, which says wild fisheries can sometimes promote freshwater conservation by providing income to people who therefore have an incentive to keep fish populations healthy.
But overexploitation is an issue, the paper reports, as are destructive fishing practices and mortality linked to poor management.
“Losses” (to use the industry’s commerce-based language) also happen once imported fishes reach retailers. A 2014 analysis involving over a dozen UK stores, which was undertaken as part of a thesis, found mortality rates of 3-10%. The analysis assessed a range of factors that played a role in mortalities, such as the number and variety of fishes in tanks, and whether the fishes were wild caught or captive bred.
Haywood also says post-sale deaths after buyers bring fish home are likely significant, although they are not officially measured in the UK.
Deaths can occur during the transport of fishes between countries, too. According to Svein Fosså, vice president of the trade association Ornamental Fish International, traders aim to keep transport mortalities low and mostly succeed in doing so, due to the industry being professionalized over the past few decades. He says the bigger traders report to him that persistent mortalities over 0.5% would lead them to look for other suppliers. Keeping mortalities low is necessary for “the best possible welfare and health” of fishes, says Fosså, and for economic reasons, as the cost of logistics, such as air freight fees, is now very high.
Still, the transport-related body count can be significant with such a large trade. The UK, for instance, imported over 19 million live ornamental fishes from outside the EU in 2020, according to figures provided by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in response to Freedom of Information requests. That same year, the figures show that nearly 360,000 live ornamental fishes imported from non-EU countries were recorded as dead on arrival.
Poecilia fishes, namely guppies and mollies, are popular in the aquarium trade. Over 25,000 Poecilia fishes imported into the UK from outside the EU in 2020 were dead on arrival. Photo: Timothy Jabez (public domain)
These figures exclude the millions of live trout imported for breeding purposes in 2020 — fishes that are both consumed and kept in ornamental ponds in the country — and their transport mortalities.
To address the trade’s “gray areas,” Haywood wants to see a future where more fishes are responsibly captive bred in the countries where they’re sold. To advance this vision, he’s put his money where his mouth is. Although he used to import fishes to sell, he now only trades the select aquatic organisms he breeds himself.
Haywood is not calling for an absolute end to imports and supports initiatives like the Amazon Research Center for Ornamental Fishes that seek to ensure sustainable production of ornamental fishes abroad. But he believes the UK market should mainly be limited to species that hobbyists can keep alive and happy, which are captive bred on British soil where possible.
To achieve this change, Haywood says, the government should limit the import licenses it issues to a smaller list of freshwater genera and species. “We don’t need as many flavors as we’ve got,” he argues.
Many governments, including the UK, maintain lists of permitted freshwater fishes to prohibit imports of fishes who could cause havoc if released into the natural environment (illicit dumping of fishes into waterways is a problem in the trade). The UK does not have a similar list for marine ornamental species, although there are some limits on imports of these animals due to global trade restrictions.
Haywood also stresses that reining in imports would limit the trade’s carbon-intensive air travel, as fishes are typically transported — in bags of water — on planes.
“It’s ridiculous that we’re flying water around the world” in the climate crisis, he says.
Responsible Choices
Haywood sees education as key to any transformation in the trade. He says hobbyists’ knowledge of how the industry operates is very limited, giving them little understanding of how to make responsible choices.
He suggests that retailers worldwide could increase hobbyists’ awareness through the educational labelling of fishes. These labels should explain the “milestones” in the fishes’ lives, such as whether they were raised on farms or captured in the wild, and their International Union Conservation of Nature Red List status, says Haywood.
It’s important to note, however, that Red List assessments for many ornamental species in trade are dated. A study published earlier this year found that 14 of the top 20 marine ornamental species imported into the European Union between 2014 and 2021 have Red List assessments that are more than 10 years old. Other analysis has shown that the assessments often use old sources. So Red List information would need to be shared with the necessary context.
And before consumers can be educated, importers may need some knowledge-building too. Haywood says retailers rarely know the detailed backstory of imported fishes because traceability in the trade is “nonexistent.” Similarly, the CEFAS paper highlighted a need for “better traceability for both wild-caught and tank-reared fish” in the industry.
The changes that Haywood advocates for would likely lead to fishes being more expensive, due to the increased costs involved in less intensive and more sustainable production abroad or responsible captive-breeding at home.
This may be a tough pill to swallow for some, according to Fosså. He says consumers are “very price conscious” and often shop around for the “cheapest products.”
For Haywood, changing that mentality is part of the point. He insists that fishkeeping comes with responsibility. Just as people will pay more for goods that are considered sustainable or seek responsible breeders for their pet dogs and cats, the same should be true for ornamental fishes. Haywood tries to instill this message of responsibility in his customers.
“We are taking this planet over and making a bit of a mess,” he says. “If we can all put our heads up and make a little difference, that may get momentum going for everybody to make a difference.”
Beef and soybean agriculture are carving up this massive forest, which spans four countries and has some of the world’s highest deforestation rates.
The Place:
The Gran Chaco covers 303,782 square miles spanning Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. It is the second-largest natural forest in Latin America and has experienced some of the highest levels of deforestation on Earth.
Why it matters:
The Gran Chaco is home to 25 different Indigenous communities at risk of displacement from their ancestral lands by deforestation and land conversion, leaving them with nowhere else to go. Its great variety of ecosystems are also home to endemic, endangered, and threatened plants and wildlife, including around 3,400 species of plants, 150 mammals, and 500 bird species. Several IUCN Red List species, such as jaguars, peccaries, solitary eagles, giant anteaters, and lowland tapirs, are facing habitat loss within the Paraguayan Chaco, as land use change poses an increased threat to their survival.
A Gran Chaco resident. Photo: Quadriz
The threat:
The rapid forest loss within the Gran Chaco is primarily driven by the expansion of commercial agriculture, particularly beef and soybean production, with Paraguay emerging as a top 10 exporter of these commodities. Contributing to this trend are the largely private ownership of the majority of the Paraguayan Chaco and a legal framework that allows up to 75% of privately owned forest land to be deforested for agricultural purposes.
Agricultural fields seen from the air, carving up the Gran Chaco. Photo: Quadriz
My place in this place:
I have been working as country manager of Quadriz Paraguay since February 2021.
As a nature lover, I have a particular fascination with the Chaco, as a wildly unique haven of biodiversity and a vital carbon sink that is often overlooked internationally.
I have experienced the joy of conservation work. Seeing the beauty of my country and the animals we share it with has been a privilege that has fueled my dedication to the protection of the forest for generations to come.
Who’s protecting it now:
In response to this crisis, initiatives like the Corazón Verde del Chaco (Green Heart of the Chaco) project, developed by my organization Quadriz, are working to protect native forests and provide safe havens for wildlife. This project safeguards 124 square miles (32,000 hectares) of Gran Chaco forest and offers landowners an economic alternative to commercial agriculture through carbon credits.
What this place needs:
To conserve the Gran Chaco for future generations and prevent further biodiversity loss, we need to support a constructive dialogue between landowners and impact investors. By raising awareness and increasing understanding of the environmental, ecological and economic value of the Chaco, we can boost conservation efforts.
Formal recognition of the very real threat facing the unique ecology of the Gran Chaco has provided the foundations for research and pilot programs. Now ongoing collaboration and awareness are required.
Lessons from the fight:
My work with Quadriz has taught me that both public policy and carbon policy frameworks are effective instruments to prevent deforestation and biodiversity loss.
But speed and scale are limiting factors. To overcome these we need partnerships that channel climate finance to ensure immediate forest conservation actions that generate multiple benefits for the community.
Another important lesson is to celebrate and share the images we have been able to capture of jaguars, snakes, birds, and the landscape’s natural beauty to convey what a truly spectacular place the Paraguayan Chaco is and underscore the importance of our work to protect it.
Follow the fight:
We regularly share news and updates on our project’s progress, conservation updates and snapshots of our work on our website, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Our latest group of reviews showcases books that remind us about what we’re saving — and why we do it.
Everywhere I go this holiday season, I hear the same refrain: People are desperate for something to inspire them.
That’s why I’ve spent the past several weeks with my head in a series of books, all offering insight into the natural world and how to protect it.
Here are 20 environmental books published in 2024 for readers of all ages and experience. They offer vision, knowledge, and a sense of wonder — necessary to help us build a better planet no matter who’s in the White House in the year to come.
You’ll find my capsule reviews below, along with the books’ official descriptions. The links for each title go to the official publishers’ pages, but you should also be able to find any of these books through your local booksellers or libraries.
Quite possibly the best ecology book I’ve ever read. An eye-opening memoir that has me looking for life — and often finding it — amidst the broken places in my suburban neighborhood.
From the publisher: “During the real estate crash of the late 2000s, Christopher Brown purchased an empty lot in an industrial section of Austin, Texas. The property — abandoned and full of litter and debris — was an unlikely site for a home. Brown had become fascinated with these empty lots around Austin, so-called “ruined” spaces once used for agriculture and industry awaiting their redevelopment. He discovered them to be teeming with natural activity and embarked on a 20-year project to live in and document such spaces. There, in our most damaged landscapes, he witnessed the remarkable resilience of wild nature, and how we can heal ourselves by healing the Earth.”
A marvelous, melancholy, celebratory book from an internationally bestselling author. Rundell writes brief, moving essays about nearly two dozen imperiled species (or groups of species), with each chapter digging deep into literature (historic, cultural, and scientific) to present a portrait of why these animals are worth saving. She only has personal experience with a couple of these species, but she’s met a pangolin, which is more than most of us can say.
“This urgent, inspiring book of essays dedicated to 23 unusual and underappreciated creatures is a clarion call insisting that we look at the world around us with new eyes — to see the magic of the animals we live among, their unknown histories and capabilities, and above all how lucky we are to tread the same ground as such vanishing treasures.”
Kolbert (best known from The New Yorker and her book The Sixth Extinction) is among our most important and insightful climate journalists. Here she speak to a younger audience in a way that’s sure to click with the next generation.
“In H Is for Hope, Elizabeth Kolbert investigates the landscape of climate change — from “A”, for Svante Arrhenius, who created the world’s first climate model in 1894, to “Z”, for the Colorado River Basin, ground zero for climate change in the United States. Along the way she looks at Greta Thunburg’s “blah blah blah” speech (“B”), learns to fly an all-electric plane (“E”), experiments with the effects of extreme temperatures on the human body (“T”), and struggles with the deep uncertainty of the future of climate change (“U”).”
This book is a virtual forest. It’s a beautiful collection of hundreds of artistic interpretations of trees, executed in every conceivable medium, with mini-essays putting each image in context. This is what coffee table books were invented for.
“Spanning continents and cultures, Tree reflects the diversity of its subject, depicting giant sequoias, cherry blossoms, palms, poplars, ginkgoes and other species found across Earth’s forest biomes, in a wide-ranging selection of visuals dating from Ancient Greece to the present day. Curated by an international panel of botanists, naturalists, art historians and other experts, the images expand the definition of botanical art, together forming a vibrant, vital homage to the natural world.”
“Published in association with the Library of Congress and edited by the twenty-fourth Poet Laureate of the United States, a singular collection of poems reflecting on our relationship to the natural world by 50 of our most celebrated contemporary writers.”
A powerful, important book that illuminates global environmental crises and cries out for change. It’s gotten a lot of notice (Reese Witherspoon added it to her book club), so I’m hoping it will generate some action.
“Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest — one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s — Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing. She was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders… Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of Indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as a spear — honed by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies and missionaries.”
A unique memoir from the author of novels like A Children’s Bible (as well as a fellow Center for Biological Diversity employee and The Revelator’s primary copyeditor). The narrative ebbs and flows like the ocean, sharing waves of memories interspersed with eddies of conservation facts and history. Each aspect illuminates the other, and the result is a book that shines a light on pain and wonder.
“Emerging from Millet’s quarter century of wildlife and climate advocacy, We Loved it All marries scenes from her life with moments of nearness to “the others” — the animals and plants with whom we share the earth. Accounts of fears and failures, jobs and friendships, childhood and motherhood are interspersed with exquisite accounts of nonhumans and arresting meditations on the power of story to shape the future.”
An eyewitness to history, Boyd unspools an amazing account that makes me wonder what wolf conservation will look like in another 40 years (not to mention the next four).
“Called the Jane Goodall of wolves, world-renowned wildlife biologist Diane Boyd has spent four decades studying and advocating for wolves in the wilds of Montana near Glacier National Park… She faced down grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolverines — and the occasional trapper — as she stalked her quarry: a handful of wolves that were making their way south from Canada into Montana…. In this captivating book, Boyd takes the reader on a wild ride from the early days of wolf research to the present-day challenges of wolf management across the globe, highlighting her interactions with an apex predator that captured her heart and her undying admiration. Her writing resonates with her indomitable spirit as she explores the intricate balance of human and wolf coexistence.”
A stunning memoir, a testament to the natural world, and a perfect example of why printed books still outshine e-books (although you’ll still need a phone or tablet to access the online extras).
“Foster explores his struggles to remain present to life when a disconnection from nature and the demands of his professional life begin to deaden his senses. And his own reliance on nature’s rejuvenating spiritual power is put to the test when catastrophe strikes close to home.”
This profusely illustrated science book presents young readers with engaging facts about four amazing animals. It’s a perfect one-two punch, encouraging species conservation and saving the planet in one joyful package.
“In our left corner we have the meanest villain that’s ever existed. Responsible for rising seas and loss of biodiversity, it’s climate change ready to wreak havoc on the Earth. But in our right corner? We have four superheroes ready to save the day! Forest elephants protect our forests by trampling trees. Whales boost ocean health with their massive poo-nados. Sea otters defend kelp forests from purple invaders. And echidnas bury tons of soil to stop climate change. But we can’t leave them in this fight alone. We need to protect our heroes who, in return, defend our planet. Get ready to learn all about these four legged, and two-flippered, creatures and how YOU can be a climate hero too!”
An unexpected joy of a graphic novel that brings classic poetry (and a classic poet) to new life.
“Follow along as we delve into Emily Dickinson’s childhood, revealing a young girl desperate to go out exploring — to meet the flowers in their own homes. Wade through tall grasses to gather butterfly weed and goldenrod, the air alive with the ‘buccaneers of buzz.’ And, don’t forget to keep a hot potato in your pocket to keep your fingers warm.”
Literary legend meets feathered friends. Tan’s impassioned prose is complemented by her surprisingly accomplished illustrations. We’re lucky this joyful and meditative book exists.
“In 2016 Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater — an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.”
You need to have a lot of reverence and respect for wildlife to write a book like this fun guide, which centers around one region of California but provides details on species that can be found in many other places. Even though I don’t hail from the Bay area or expect to visit soon, I found this to be an entertaining, informative, and occasionally angry celebration of wildlife and a vibrant part of the country. (Full disclosure: Miller is a fellow employee of the Center for Biological Diversity.)
“Jeff Miller’s quirky guide to the coolest animal neighbors in the Bay Area will have you gawking at elk, whooping with cranes, and crowning yourself a crossing guard for newts before you know it. Join Jeff on a local safari to meet more than sixty species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects, and discover the fascinating and sometimes bizarre mating, feeding, and athletic antics of our most charismatic animals.”
I need to meet more young parents so I can watch them and their families put this book to the test.
“Whether you are in the forest, in your own backyard, or in the city, there are so many exciting ways to engage with nature — and forester Peter Wohlleben has the best ideas for doing so. Kids will learn how to press flowers, harvest algae, skip stones, observe spiders, and even how to build their own tiny sailboat.”
Cryptozoology (the study of wildlife that may or may not exist, like Bigfoot) can be a great lens through which to examine environmental issues like pollution and habitat loss. This book brings the mythical to life and gives it surprising relevance to the very real environmental problems we face.
“In the summer of 1978, residents along the Virginia side of the Potomac River were startled by sightings of a strange creature lurking in the water. Eventually dubbed Chessie, this elusive sea serpent tantalized reporters and the public alike, always slipping away just out of reach… As the bay transitioned from a hub of labor-intensive activities to a recreational destination, Chessie became a symbol with multilayered meaning. Environmentalists seized the opportunity to educate the public on the bay’s importance as an ecosystem, while tourists and suburbanites found solace in connecting culturally with the bay. Meanwhile, watermen faced the unsettling prospect of a declining way of life.”
Regular readers may remember Lange’s Revelator essay about Germany’s “Green Belt” and what it represents for humans and nature. That essay just scratched the surface — this book-length examination takes us on a powerful journey through the Green Belt’s history, culture, and ecology.
“During the four decades the Iron Curtain divided Germany and the European continent, over 1,200 rare animal and plant species found refuge in the border strip — today’s Grünes Band or Green Belt. Lange uses the 1,400-kilometer-long German Green Belt as a map for a personal reconnaissance of her home country and as a prism through which to investigate the transformation of the border, along with the societal reverberations of the division and its aftermath.”
A vital history book uncovering forgotten heroes faced with making choices few of us have had to make. It has painful relevance in a world where monocultures increasingly squeeze out rare and potentially valuable plants and crop varieties and the threat of war lurks around every corner.
“The riveting, untold true story of the botanists at the world’s first seed bank who faced an impossible choice during the Siege of Leningrad: eat the collection to prevent starvation, or protect their life’s work to help end world hunger?”
The kind of book that belongs on every end-of-year gift-book list — if only because it celebrates the exact opposite of the season’s crass commercialization.
“As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth — its abundance of sweet, juicy berries — to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution insures its own survival.”
Notes From an Island by Tove Jansson with paintings by Tuulikki Pietilä, translated by Thomas Teal
Long available in Europe, this brief but illuminating tome by the author of the delightful Moomintroll series is finally available on our shores. It’s half diary and half memoir — a love letter to a remote, rocky island, its challenging ecosystem, and its two human inhabitants. (I’m still upset about what they did to Big Boulder, though.)
“In the bitter winds of autumn 1963, Tove Jansson … raced to build a cabin on a treeless island in the Gulf of Finland. The island was Klovharun, where for 30 summers Tove and her beloved partner, the visual artist, Tuulikki “Tooti” Pietilä, lived, painted, and wrote, energized by the solitude and shifting seascapes. The island’s flora, fauna, and weather patterns provided deep inspiration which can be seen reflected in all of Jansson’s work, most famously in her bestselling novel The Summer Book and her longstanding comic strip and novels for children, Moomin. Tove’s signature spare, quirky prose, and Tooti’s subtle ink washes and aquatints combine to form a work of meditative beauty, a chronicle of living peacefully in nature and observing the island’s ecology and character.”
We don’t usually cover books that focus on individual action, since we prefer to take a more systematic approach, but there’s no more basic way to help the planet than by looking at the clothes on our backs — especially during this season of endless consumerism.
“Reportedly, the clothing industry produces 80 billion garments a year, employs 15% of the world’s population, exploits labor, and seriously pollutes the environment. However, we as consumers have the power to make a difference with the clothing choices we make. Top fashion writer turned sustainability activist Tiffanie Darke sheds light on the unsustainable practices and immense environmental impact of the fashion industry and presents a compelling argument for why transformative change is urgently needed.”
A richly illustrated book by a scientist who spent four decades exploring the southernmost continent, seeing things few people will ever see. His stories and photographs bring that remote world to life (and remind us that we could lose this hidden beauty in the decades to come).
“With stories of Stump’s forty years of journeys and science, Otherworldly Antarctica contains 130 original color photographs, complemented by watercolors and sketches by artist Marlene Hill Donnelly… Many of Stump’s breathtaking images are aerial shots taken from the planes and helicopters that brought him to the interior. More were shot from vantages gained by climbing the mountains he studied. Some were taken from the summits of peaks. Many are of places no one had set foot before — or has since. All seem both permanent and precarious, connecting this otherworld to our fragile own.”
That’s it for this month, but you can find hundreds of additional book recommendations in the “Revelator Reads” archives.
Melting glaciers, plant genetics, protection from forever chemicals, and more: An annual look at the conservation horizon reveals priorities for the years ahead.
Each year since 2009, researchers from Cambridge University have brought together scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and other experts from around the world to identify the emerging threats and opportunities likely to affect biological conservation in the future. This year a team of 32 authors distilled a list of 15 issues that they judged to be most novel and potentially impactful.
“The 15 issues presented here are essential reading for anyone interested in global biodiversity conservation and potential future trajectories,” the authors wrote in this year’s paper. “Whilst it is impossible to predict exactly how the future will transpire, all the issues raised in this latest horizon scan are worthy of increased consideration from the conservation sector, as we seek to address the drivers of biodiversity loss.”
Here are the results of their 16th horizon scan:
Not-So-Forever Chemicals?
Some 15,000 kinds of synthetic chemicals collectively known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” have dispersed widely through the environment. With recent recognition of the physiology-disrupting threats these chemicals pose to humans and animals, researchers have ramped up efforts to find ways to destroy them. Recent advances have brought forward several new approaches that hold promise for removing the pollutants from the environment and limiting their spread and potential for future harm. They include using heat generated by electricity to destroy them in soil and deploying a mix of other chemicals to degrade them in drinking water. Reducing the presence of PFAS in the environment can help reduce their threat to wildlife already on the brink from other stresses.
Nighttime Ozone
Low-level ozone is an air pollutant produced when nitrogen oxides combine with organic compounds released into the air by vehicles, factories, homes, and trees. Recent observations in some places have shown a nighttime increase in the odorless gas, which can harm ecosystems. The reason remains unclear, but cutting emissions of nitrogen oxides and organic compounds through targeted strategies such as selecting low-emitting trees for urban areas could help alleviate the problem.
Tree Trouble
Two EU laws are changing the conditions for forest harvesting: the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products, effective at the end of 2024, which reduces the risk that wood harvesting will destroy or degrade forests, and the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, which aims to prevent harm to old-growth forests. At the same time, wood consumption is increasing, and disasters like wildfires and pest outbreaks are constraining supply. Much of the land that could provide wood in the future is in private hands, further complicating the ability to meet demand. The new laws are good news when it comes to lessening forest destruction and damage. They also may stimulate tree planting and more intensive management in Europe and elsewhere. At the same time, they could make it harder for the EU to achieve climate and other sustainability goals.
Micro Filters
Novel porous micromaterials known as metal organic frameworks can form the basis of new technologies that offer environmental benefits such as soaking up pollutants, storing carbon dioxide, and improving batteries needed to support renewable energy. Even newer variations on the theme, nonmetal organic frameworks, have yet more desirable characteristics. Together these two types of innovative filters and collectors have potential to contribute to species conservation by enhancing our ability to remove pollutants from ecosystems, decreasing the need to mine metals, and directly and indirectly helping to reduce the concentrations of climate-changing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Elements From Algae
So-called “rare earth” elements such as neodymium and yttrium are in increasing demand for use in renewable energy technologies, medical procedures, and more. Obtaining a secure supply can be problematic, though, because these elements tend to be dispersed rather than concentrated in the earth, and much of the current supply comes from China. Recent discoveries that certain algae can take up and concentrate rare earth elements from wastewater and ocean water hold promise for generating a novel supply of the elements. As a bonus, processes for further densifying the elements can yield biomass (fuel derived from algae) that can help provide the energy needed to do so.
Thrip-Tripping Hair Traps
Conventional pesticides pose threats to pollinators and other beneficial insects, with cascading adverse impacts on entire ecosystems. The search for safer alternatives has turned up an intriguing option: Selectively trapping undesirable insects by luring them to a sticky surface coated with hairs that mimics natural pest-deterring “trichome” hairs on plants. The approach has been tested experimentally with some success on western flower thrips, which spread a pathogen affecting tomatoes, piquing interest in applying it to control other species as well. If the approach becomes more widely applicable, it could help reduce the need for ecosystem-harming pest-control practices.
Customized Plant Evolution
What if we could hyperdrive plants’ ability to cope with climate change or other human assaults, or selectively kill weeds or invasives without harming crops or other desirable species? A technology called genetic welding may soon make that possible. Researchers recently developed the ability to insert into a plant’s genome a specialized DNA-based tool called a gene drive that dramatically enhances the chances the gene it contains will be passed from one generation to the next. Applied judiciously, this capability could speed adaptation to changing environmental conditions and reduce the use of ecosystem-harming interventions like pesticides. However, care will be needed to prevent gene drives from getting out of control in target species or leaping to nontarget plants.
No Heat Needed
It’s not often a basic physics discovery opens the door to exciting new opportunities to more sustainably meet human needs, but the current moment is an exception. Researchers recently reported that water commonly uses light without heat to transform from liquid to gas in nature. Recognition of this phenomenon of “photomolecular evaporation” has sparked ideas for new ways to improve the efficiency of desalination plants, which produce water for uses such as consumption and irrigation from brackish or ocean water. It also holds promise for improving our ability to predict the effects of greenhouse gas production on Earth’s climate.
Climate-Friendly Use for Old Cement
Cement production is currently responsible for more than 7% of global CO2-eq emissions and is increasingly rapidly. In addition, extraction of the raw materials used to make it harms ecosystems. New technology is making it possible to use old cement in place of conventional material in one stage of steel recycling, which also emits greenhouse gases. Not only that, but after the material has done its job there, what’s left can go back into the cement production cycle. How much the process reduces greenhouse gas emissions depends on the details. But with cement production expected to grow one-third by 2050, this offers a potentially valuable approach to reducing cement’s adverse impacts on biodiversity.
Hot Pockets
Technologies that use the heat beneath the Earth’s surface to generate electricity can be 10 times more productive if they tap into pockets of molten rock found near volcanoes. As the ability to access these hot pockets grows, so do concerns about the ramifications for ecosystems. Plans to further explore near-magma geothermal reservoirs and exploit them as an energy source in Iceland in 2026 open the door to a novel opportunity to reduce climate-changing fossil fuel use. At the same time, they raise a red flag for potential application in the tropics and other biodiversity-rich areas where the technology could stimulate the development of habitat-disrupting industry and policies.
Water, Water, Everything
As the most common substance on Earth, water is easy to take for granted. But recent modeling suggests that its ability to sustain life may be at risk. Some 3 billion people and 15.5 million square miles (40 million square kilometers) of land potentially face shortages of clean water by 2050, thanks to changes in quality and distribution due to alterations Earth’s climate and land use as well as contamination with nitrogen and other pollutants. Such disruption would not only affect ecosystems directly but could also alter where people live, posing new challenges to habitats and so new threats to species conservation.
Southern Sea Ice
The Southern Ocean has seemed to avoid the extensive losses of ice being observed due to climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere — until now. In recent years scientists have observed extensive reductions of seasonal sea ice around the entire perimeter of Antarctica. This trend holds portents for living things large and small as the location and extent of algae that thrive at ice edges alter, the penetration of light into the ocean increases, and ecosystem-wide shifts potentially favor algae over animal life.
Glacier on the Go
One of the wild cards of climate change has been the melting rate of glaciers in the cold regions of the world, which hold enough water to substantially raise the level of Earth’s oceans. Recent observations show the Thwaites glacier in western Antarctica is melting more quickly than anticipated due to insufficiently anticipated consequences of early loss of ice. Water from the glacier alone could increase sea level by more than 1.6 feet (half a meter). If the loss of the glacier leads to the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, that number soars to more than 10 feet (3 meters). Resulting coastal inundation around the world would dramatically alter ecosystems directly and cause mass migrations of humans that could further threaten species. Geoengineering could slow the loss, but that also carries risk of unintended adverse consequences for biodiversity.
Mucking up the Sea Bottom
Much of Earth’s carbon is locked up in the sediments on the ocean floor, and more is added each day. Trawling and other disturbances can stir up sediments and eventually move that carbon back into the atmosphere, where it’s able to contribute to climate change. To date there has been little regulation of human activities that disrupt this part of the planet. But as fishing, mining, and other potential for disturbance grow, attention to the value of this resource in storing greenhouse gas precursors, along with strategies to protect it, could go a long way toward preventing future unintended consequences of meddling with the sea floor.
Wind and Sea
Giant wind turbines attached to the bottom of the ocean or floating on the surface are being constructed or considered around the world as a promising source of electricity to replace fossil fuels. Conservation threats include disrupting travel pathways for animals changing physical and chemical traits of the ocean water and disrupting currents and thus movements of creatures floating in them. Researchers are working to understand the extent to which such shifts will not only affect ocean life in the immediate vicinity but create larger snowballing effects through the broader ocean ecosystem as a first step in mitigating adverse impacts on biodiversity.
In addition to the new elements, the researchers reviewed the horizon scan’s predictions from a decade ago to see how they fared and how they connected to this year’s report. Among their findings:
As predicted, the loss of sea ice in the southern hemisphere has disrupted krill populations. New research has shown that these animals have migrated, likely due to climate change — affecting the birds and mammals who depend on them for food.
Loss of sea ice was and remains a concern for life along the Antarctic coastline.
Algae have a repeat performance as a potential benefit — in the previous report as a substitute for palm oil, and in this one as a source of rare earth elements.
Electric vehicle adoption has been higher than was anticipated in 2015.
The effect on the environment from increased cocaine and cannabis production remains a concern.
Impact investment, noted in 2015 as in a growth spurt, continues strong, although biodiversity is a minor beneficiary and demand exceeds supply.
After several decades of precipitous decline, new efforts to protect this species begin in earnest in late 2024.
Extirpated from the United States a century ago and almost unknown until the mid-1990s, this endangered species can make a comeback if we give it a small boost. New technology for tracking has allowed an assessment and intervention that may help these birds hold on in several critical areas.
Species name:
Thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha)
Description:
A typical parrot-green, mid-sized bird weighing 14-17 ounces (400-500 grams) with a distinctive wine-red mask. In flight, a distinctive yellow band is visible under the wings. Their raucous calls sound like laughter in the middle of the forest.
We’re back, she calls! Thick-billed parrots mate for life, usually spending more than 30 years flying together in mature forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Photo: Ernesto Enkerlin/OVIS
Where They’re Found:
Thick-billed parrots live mostly in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. They were presumably once abundant representatives of high-altitude pine forests, where they persist to this day in much smaller numbers due to the destruction of most old-growth forests and the reduction of mature forests. The species is only present in a small number of zones with adequate conditions for nesting, where they’re mostly under protection or good forest management.
IUCN Red List status:
Considered “endangered” in the most recent 2020 assessment, mainly due to habitat loss and an apparent constant decline. The first comprehensive population estimate will be conducted this fall. The parrot will be one of the first bird species to undergo the IUCN’s new Green Status Assessment, which measures the recovery of species populations and their conservation success.
Major Threats:
The extirpation of thick-billed parrots in the northern part of their range is believed to have been caused by hunting or shooting the parrots for “sport” or food. In the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico, where the core populations and range have been holding on, massive land-use change — particularly forestry practices to harvest all old-growth and large trees and remove snags that serve as nesting trees — resulted in precipitous decline over the past century, up until very recently. From the 1970s to the 1990s, demand by collectors and the pet trade became an additional threat that has since largely disappeared or represents minimal pressure on the species.
Notable Conservation Programs or Legal Protections:
For 30 years a small group of individuals and institutions have been doing research and developing a suite of techniques for thick-billed parrots, not only for research but also to enhance population growth by mitigating or eliminating factors that increase mortality and reduce productivity.
Most of the work during this time, which provided valuable information and insights, was done at a “pilot scale” and with meager resources. As a result we were basically frustrated witnesses to a species’ decline and potential demise.
Photo: Ernesto Enkerlin/OVIS
Fortunately the species is currently the focus of a comprehensive binational effort of community-based conservation to change the trajectory of decline. The field team is led by Organización Vida Silvestre (OVIS) and supported notably by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, World Parrot Trust, and additional supporters and donors.
Over the next five years (2024-2028) we will implement the full suite of actions, including intensive nest monitoring and management, parasite control on an ad-hoc basis, food supplementation to chicks in select clutches to prevent emaciation, an enhanced nesting box program, fire pre-suppression activities, incentives to local communities, community-based monitoring and nest protection, greater understanding of landscape level need of the thick-billed parrot, and amplifying the telemetry information to include not only long distance movements but also daily activities to food, water and clay licks.
From the first results recorded in 2024, we have renewed optimism that the species can be at least stabilized within a few years and probably begin to recover.
My Favorite Experience:
I had recently finished my Ph.D. when the research and conservation efforts began in the mid-1990s. We negotiated the first-ever “payment to forgo logging rights” in Mexico on what eventually became the Thick-Billed Parrot Sanctuary. The community depended on logging as their main economic activity, and they were not convinced of the utility of forgoing lumber for a small payment to protect a bird. After more than two hours of tense and stalled negotiations, a woman literally stood up to the men who opposed the deal and said, “This is not for us, it is for our children.”
From that moment the negotiations started to move again. Within an hour the deal was sealed for a 15-year moratorium on logging in the core nesting area. Present at the time were a bunch of children running and playing as the negotiations proceeded; one of them was the daughter of the woman who changed the tide.
In 2023 I returned with my former student Miguel Angel Cruz Nieto, who had become principal investigator for the project (and who has sadly since passed away). During our visit we went to a nice, modest house on the way to the parrot sanctuary. Here he reintroduced me to the woman of the negotiation 27 years earlier and to another woman and her two children. The younger woman was at that time the president of the community and had recently signed for another 15 years of forgoing logging. She laughed and said, “You don’t remember me because I was a child when you were here many years ago, but my mother told me how you had led a negotiation that the men opposed until she spoke out.”
What Else Do We Need to Understand or Do to Protect This Species?
The comprehensive population estimate being conducted in fall 2024 will provide a much-needed baseline that has been direly missing. We will continue using our 30 years of data and experience to implement a whole suite of techniques to protect habitat and manage populations in the key nesting areas. We also need to expand our community-based conservation and bring opportunities for education and wellbeing to our allies in the forest-dependent human communities in the parrot’s range. There’s a growing captive flock in zoos around the world, and particularly in the United States, which we view as an insurance population and also serves to educate and sensitize the general public on the plight of the species.
Key Research:
James K. Sheppard et al. Spatial behaviors and seasonal habitat use of the increasingly endangered thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha). December 2023. Global Ecology and Conservation 48(e02712):2712
Noel F. Snyder, Ernesto C. Enkerlin-Hoeflich, M. A. Cruz-Nieto, Rene A. Valdes-Peña, Sonia G. Ortiz-Maciel, and Javier Cruz-Nieto. Thick-billed Parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha. Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Tiberio Monterrubio-Rico and Ernesto Enkerlin-Hoeflich. Present use and characteristics of thick-billed parrot nest sites in northwestern Mexico. J. Field Ornithol. 75(1):96–103, 2004
Dedicated to Miguel Angel Cruz-Nieto (1962-2023), principal investigator in thick-billed parrot research and mature forest conservation 2005-2023.
