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Demand a Safe Cleanup of Vieques, Puerto Rico

For more than half a century, beginning in the 1940s, the US Navy used Vieques, Puerto Rico as a military training ground and bombing site. The Navy has acknowledged using napalm, depleted uranium, and other toxic chemicals and heavy metals on the island. After military exercises ended there in 2003, part of the island was declared a Superfund site. Ongoing cleanup efforts involve open detonation of munitions and open burning, both of which expose local residents to toxic emissions. Join the Cease Fire Campaign and Earth Island's Action for a Livable Tomorrow by signing a letter to Congress demanding installation of a detonation chamber on the island for the safe cleanup of military munitions. A Congressional allocation for this chamber will set a critical precedent for similar cleanup efforts around the country. 

In Solidarity with Hawaii's Mauna a Wākea Protestors<

Seeding Sovereignty is proud to stand in solidarity with Native Hawaiians resisting the Thirty Meter Telescope, a massive telescope and astronomical observatory set to be constructed atop Mauna a Wākea. The mountain is a holy place for the Kanaka Maoli (native Hawaiians) and home to ceremonies that have been practiced since time immemorial. While Seeding Sovereignty acknowledges the significance of learning about the universes around us, the Earth Island project rejects science that is predicated on the oppression of Indigenous peoples and sacred lands. Communications and Digital Director Eryn Wise heads to the Mauna this weekend to stand in solidarity. Join the journey by signing a petition of support, following Seeding Sovereignty on social media @seedingsovereignty, and supporting protectors on the ground with a donation.

Pushing EPA to Set Stricter Pollution Limits for Plastics Plants

Earth Island Institute joined more than 270 community and conservation organizations in filing a legal petition this week demanding that the US Environmental Protection Agency adopt strict new water pollution limits for plastic manufacturing plants. Last year, plastic plants discharged 128 million pounds of pollutants into US waterways. The industry expects to increase plastic production in the US by at least 35 percent by 2025. Updated regulations are essential to protect both waterways and public health.

Help End Mendocino's Lethal Wildlife Management Program

EII's Project Coyote and coalition partners sued California's Mendocino County in 2015 to stop the senseless, cruel, and counterproductive killing of wildlife by USDA Wildlife Services. The coalition successfully argued that the county violated the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to analyze the site-specific and cumulative impacts of its lethal killing program on the environment and on target and non-target animals. Under a resulting 2016 settlement agreement, Mendocino suspended its lethal predator management program and is performing an environmental impact study that will evaluate the merits of non-lethal programs. Your voice is needed to urge the county to permanently terminate its Wildlife Services contract and implement a non-lethal program instead. The county is accepting public comments until August 12. Learn more about how you can help!

Food Shift is Hiring for Leadership Positions

Food Shift is looking for a new executive director and a program manager! The ideal ED is bold and creative, with deep cultural competency and a passion for equity. The Earth Island project invites you to read a letter from Founder Dana Franz and explore the executive director job description to learn more. Food Shift is also seeking an experienced program manager who is passionate about the power of food and the potential for social enterprise to impact communities. Check out the program manager job description for details. These vital roles will help shape Food Shift's future, and so please share widely. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with interviews starting in August.

Join Nature in the City for Benefit Concert

Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg, two of the greatest living mandolinists, are performing at San Francisco's beautiful Swedenborgian Church on August 18. Their performance will include a wonderfully eclectic collection that ranges from Bach to Brazilian choro and Venezuelan dance. All profits benefit Earth Island's Nature in the City and two other nonprofits. Learn more.

The best of Earth Island Journal

Most Popular: Despairing about the Climate Crisis? Read this. Laurie Mazur, editor of Island Press' Urban Resilience Project, speaks with climate scientist Susanne Moser about everything from climate communication to finding the sweet spot between denial and despair.

Editors' Pick: The Healthiest Thing You Can Do Today? Get Dirty! Agricultural ecologist and author Gary Paul Nabhan explains how getting physically engaged in ecological restoration work can benefit our gut microbiomes.