Environment | WPN World People News

United Nations agencies are calling for immediate financial support for farmers and families in Madagascar in order to address the growing food crisis that could worsen if crops are not planted by December and January.

The Bureau of Land Management Thursday released its long-awaited plan for protecting the Roan Plateau, an extraordinary landscape known for rich wildlife, rare plants and scenic vistas.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on November 17, Administrator Gina McCarthy announced the inaugural class of the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, U.S. businesses and organizations pledging concrete steps to reduce food loss and waste in their operations 50 percent by 2030. Champions announced on November 17 include Ahold USA, Blue Apron, Bon Appétit Management Company, Campbell Soup Company, Conagra Brands, Delhaize America, General Mills, Kellogg Company, PepsiCo, Sodexo, Unilever, Walmart, Wegman’s Food Markets, Weis Markets and YUM! Brands.

On November 17, the U.S. Forest Service moved closer to reinstating a controversial coal mine loophole, issuing a final environmental impact statement that discloses that the mining and burning of the coal at issue would result in millions of tons of climate pollution, and cause up to $3.4 billion in global damage due to worsened climate change.

COP22 (Conference of the Parties) is taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, from 7-18 November 2016. The Paris Agreement adopted at COP21 December 2015 set out the long-term goal of limiting global warming “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C”.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (on screens) addresses a high-level event on accelerating climate action in Marrakech.

Jake Gladstone, Montana's Blackfeet Troubadour, in the Badger-Two Medicine area on the Blackfeet Reservation in northwest Montana.

The Global Wildlife Program has released the first-ever review of international donor funding for combatting illegal wildlife trade in Africa and Asia, which shows that over $1.3 billion was committed by 24 international donors since 2010, or approximately $190 million per year.

The Colorado Latino Forum, Elyria and Swansea Neighborhood Association and the Cross Community Coalition have filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights requesting an investigation of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) decision to expand I-70 through predominantly Latino neighborhoods.

Last week, a legal settlement became the final nail in the coffin of the Morrow Pacific coal export proposal for Boardman, Oregon. At one point, there were six live proposals for coal export terminals in Washington and Oregon. After, only one proposal remains to be denied, on November 16.