Sign Up for IslandWire

Global Plastics Treaty

Earth Island’s Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) is joining allies from around the world in calling for a bold, binding global plastics treaty that covers plastic pollution for its entire life cycle, from extraction to disposal. The timing is critical because representatives convening at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in late February will lay the groundwork for a plastics treaty. PPC will then host a webinar on March 16 to recap what happens at UNEA-5. (Follow PPC for more details.) Earth Island currently has three lawsuits underway against the world’s top corporate plastic polluters. Read more about the status of these lawsuits here, here, and here.

Hope for Sharks

On February 4 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act (HR 4521), a bill aimed at bolstering U.S. innovation. It contains several provisions that would benefit sharks and other wildlife, including a ban on the sale, purchase, and possession of shark fins in the United States. Last June, the Senate passed its version of this bill, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S 1260). The two chambers will now reconcile the differences between the versions and then vote on the resulting bill. Earth Island’s Shark Stewards has been steadfastly campaigning for the federal shark-fin trade ban, and launched a petition that gathered more than 135,000 signatures in support of these bills. More information here.

Partial Victory for Wolves

Last week a federal district judge restored Endangered Species Act protections for all wolves in the United States except for those in the Northern Rockies (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). This victory was driven by 16 wildlife conservation organizations and three related lawsuits, but it is also a temporary and incomplete gain. This ruling doesn’t help the wolves wandering outside Yellowstone National Park and throughout the Northern Rockies, where they are being decimated by virtually unregulated hunting seasons. To raise public awareness, Earth Island’s Project Coyote has launched a billboard campaign in Idaho and Montana, demanding full federal protections for Northern Rockies wolves. More information here.

Earth Island Annual Report

Earth Island has just released its 2021 annual report. Like much of the world, Earth Island was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic as we reconfigured our systems to support remotely the projects in our network that continue to work tirelessly on all aspects of environmental issues. We are happy to report that, despite the challenges we faced, significant progress was made on numerous fronts. Our annual report highlights the positive difference that the projects are making in the United States and in other parts of the world. In addition, the report features updates on our in-house programs, including our project support efforts, legal initiatives, coverage of environmental news, and the celebration of young environmental leaders. Check it out here!