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No. 49, Dec. 19, 2014
The Power of 1.8 Billion

The idea that young people hold the key to the future isn't a new one. But what is making the news is that there are now 1.8 billion people in the world between the ages of 10 and 24 -- the largest generation of youth in history. Their needs for human rights, education and opportunity are becoming increasingly important.

This includes 600 million adolescent girls, whose empowerment and access to reproductive healthcare and education will decide whether our global population skyrockets or stabilizes. It also includes 65 million people in the United States (the fourth largest youth population behind India, China and Indonesia) who can lead the way in ending our addiction to fossil fuels, meat at every meal, and endless growth and overconsumption.

There are challenges in meeting the needs of a young population. But there's also incredible opportunity. With the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature numbers identifying 22,413 species at risk of extinction, it's critical that we engage young people in the fight to save wildlife, stop climate change, tackle population growth and create a more sustainable future.

For the wild,
Stephanie Feldstein Stephanie Feldstein
Population and Sustainability Director
P.S. Today's world population is: 7,233,417,954. We can still save room for wildlife -- spread the word and share the newsletter below.

Condoms for Conservation -- Student Video Contest

JK Studios video screen grabIn the final weeks of a San Jose State University Biology 21 class, instructor Mary Poffenroth decided to shake up the conversation about conservation: She handed out our Endangered Species Condoms and challenged her students to create a short video to get people thinking and talking about the impact of human population growth and overconsumption on wildlife. More than 70 students submitted videos for extra credit.

From mock commercials to animated shorts, our panel of judges was blown away by the creativity of this class and their unique perspectives on how condoms fit into their lives as part of caring for themselves and the planet.

Best Overall Video went to Julie and Kai (JK Studios) for their amazing animated short that takes you from the bedroom to sea turtle nesting beaches. Most Humorous Video was awarded to the team of Donntay Moore-Thomas, Renz Carino and Tyler Clark, who engaged their peers to get condoms across campus to a couple in need. Runners-up Jacquelyn Guerra and Keshav Narula used creative lyrics and visual editing to get their message across.

Watch the top videos.

Inspired to create your own short video or a class project around the Endangered Species Condoms? Email us at condoms@biologicaldiversity.org.

 
 
Wrapping paper waste Beach plastic
Winter Wasteland -- Infographic

From wrapping paper to food and decorations, the holiday season has earned its spot as the most wasteful time of year, generating 25 percent more trash than other months. It may seem grinchy to call out overconsumption this week, but the green guy was right about one thing: Holidays don't have to be bought. Check out our new infographic on holiday waste and spread the word to share a little cheer with wildlife.

Waves of Plastic

Before you buy another plastic toy for the holidays, consider this: A new study found that the world's oceans are teeming with 5 trillion pieces of plastic. That's more than 250,000 tons of nonbiodegradable waste posing hazards to marine life, adding up to an urgent need for the EPA to set strict limits on plastic pollution in oceans and on beaches. Learn more about the Center's campaign.

 
Congress Tries to Take Sustainability Off the Menu
Cow Diet Carrot rainbow

For the first time ever, the committee reviewing the U.S. Dietary Guidelines decided to include sustainability concerns…but then Congress snuck a directive into the spending bill telling them not to.

Food pyramids and MyPlate may seem like just an elementary school lesson, but the dietary guidelines have a huge influence on the food purchasing and environmental footprint of federal menus.

The good news is that congressional directives aren't binding, so there's still time to tell the dietary guidelines advisory committee that sustainability matters.

 
 
Grazing Permits Threaten to Stampede Greater Sage Grouse

Greater sage grouseEarlier this month the “Grazing Improvement Act” passed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, automatically renewing expiring livestock grazing permits on public lands, even if those permits are causing the decline of greater sage grouse and other imperiled wildlife.

Thanks to this new bill, environmental analyses of grazing impacts can be delayed as long as the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service want, while permit-holders will be allowed to continue grazing long after their current permits expire. In other words, the “Grazing Improvement Act” is only an improvement for the livestock industry, not for wildlife, the landscape or the public.

This misnamed provision is just the latest gift from government to the highly subsidized meat industry -- at the expense of wildlife and public lands. The Center fought against this bill, and will keep fighting to protect our public lands and the wildlife that lives there from one of the most dangerous invasive species on the planet: Livestock. Learn more about our public lands program, then help reduce the threat of cattle on public lands by pledging to eat less meat.

 
Photo credits: Stephanie Feldstein staff photo; JK Studios video screen grab; wrapping paper waste courtesy FreeFoto.com; beach plastic courtesy NOAA; cow courtesy Flickr/Massimo Regonati; diet by Peggy Greb, USDA ARS; carrot rainbow courtesy Flickr/afagen; greater sage grouse courtesy Flickr/Dan Dzurisin.
 

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