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Is The World’s Largest Sea Turtle No Longer Endangered?

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The rapid disappearance of many plants and animals around the world has many scientists saying we are experiencing a sixth mass extinction – the first since the dinosaurs were wiped out some 66 million years ago.  Despite all sorts of conservation efforts, living things are struggling as a result of climate change, habitat loss, and countless other natural and manmade pressures.  Conservation success stories have been few and far between. 

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Are Big Cats In Big Trouble?

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According to researchers with the National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative, cheetahs are much closer to extinction than previously thought. The research team has released a study, which was recently published in the journal PeerJ, that updates the cheetah population numbers in southern Africa, the largest of its remaining habitat.

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North Atlantic Right Whales

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North Atlantic right whales are one of the rarest marine mammals in the world.  In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there are only about 450 of the whales left.  Measuring approximately 50 feet long and weighing close to 100,000 pounds, North Atlantic right whales are now more critically endangered than mountain gorillas, black rhinos, and giant pandas.

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The Monarch Highway

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We have talked about the monarch butterfly on a number of occasions.  The population of these iconic orange and black butterflies in North America has plummeted from 1 billion to 33 million over the past 20 years.  People have undertaken a variety of efforts to try to save the species but now a major project to restore the dwindling habitat of the monarch is underway.

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Save The Turtles

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New York is home to 11 native species of land turtles.  Many of the species can’t breed until age 10 and then they lay just one small clutch of eggs each year by digging in a suitable patch of sandy soil.  As a result, breeding females are at a premium for the welfare of the species.  Overall, turtles are on decline in the Empire State.

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Wildlife Rediscoveries

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We recently brought you the rediscovery story of cave squeakers.  These tiny frogs, known for their high-pitched whistling calls, were native to the mountainous region of eastern Zimbabwe but had not been seen since 1962.  That all changed in late 2016, when researchers found four cave squeakers, confirming that after 58 years the species was not extinct.  Cave squeakers remain critically endangered according to the IUCN’s Red List of Endangered Species. 

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Solar Power In China

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Installations of solar power continue to increase rapidly around the world and in no place more than China.  By the end of 2016, total solar generating capacity in China reached 77.4 gigawatts, making it the largest producer of solar energy in the world.  Globally, there is a total of 228 gigawatts of solar power installed, although that number keeps changing rapidly.

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Squeaking By

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Amphibians are one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet.  Since the late 1980s, scientists have measured dramatic population declines from locations all over the world.  The plummeting amphibian populations are perceived to be one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity.  According to the IUCN, about 1 of every 3 amphibian species is facing extinction.  Some of the greatest threats facing amphibians include climate change, disease, and habitat destruction. 

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Pandas No Longer Endangered

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Back in June, we reported that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature was reassessing the giant panda’s status as an endangered species.  Well, in an update of the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species in September, the giant panda was indeed downgraded to “vulnerable.”

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Too Much Waste

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As the world’s population grows and becomes more urban and affluent, the amount of solid waste we produce grows and grows.  Over the past century, the total amount has risen tenfold.  By 2025, the world-wide total is expected to double again. The average person in the United States throws away their body weight in garbage every month. 

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WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states (more...)