A new report highlights the threat posed to a wide range of species by the extraction of fossil fuels in the United States.
The environmental costs of fossil fuel extraction and use are generally viewed in terms of pollution, specifically particulates and their impacts on public health, and GHGs and their contributions to climate change. A new report goes deeper by identifying specific species whose habitats are being devastated by the fossil fuel industries. According to the progressive news site CommonDreams,
"[A] new report [from the Endangered Species Coalition] highlights the destructive impact of fossil fuel consumption in the United States. The report, called Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink, highlights the top 10 US species whose survival is most threatened by the development, extraction, transportation, and consumption of fossil fuels. Coalition members nominated species for inclusion in the report; submissions were then reviewed, judged and voted on by a panel of scientists.
Whether or oil exploration in the arctic (Bowhead Whale and Polar Bear), mountaintop removal and coal mining in Appalachia (Kentucky Arrow Darter and Tan Riffleshell), tar sands extraction in the US West and Canada (Whooping Crane and Wyoming Pocket Gopher), or western shale oil and gas development (Graham's Pentsemon and Sagebrush Lizard), the pattern holds. [As Mitch Merry at the Stop Extinction blog puts it] 'They're being driven closer to the edge of extinction by our nation's continued reliance on energy sources produced in the age of dinosaurs.'"
FULL STORY: US Thirst for Fossil Fuels is Decimating Nature's Wildlife: Report

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

Making Mobility More Inclusive
A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
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