energy development
Credit: David Wilson/Flickr
Wildfires are pushing Alberta's caribou to the brink
The relentless wildfires in Alberta are decimating the already endangered woodland caribou population, raising urgent questions about their survival.
In short:
- Alberta's woodland caribou are losing critical habitat to unprecedented wildfires, with 2023 alone seeing over 5% of their range destroyed.
- The caribou, adapted to old-growth forests, now face threats from more frequent and severe fires, further compounded by human disturbances like logging and oil extraction.
- Indigenous communities and environmental groups are increasingly alarmed, noting that without immediate action, caribou may vanish from Alberta's landscape.
Key quote:
“It’s a question that could extend beyond caribou. How do we account for climate change and these larger events, whether it’s wildfires, rain, snow or flooding, in management plans and conservation efforts?”
— Laura Finnegan, caribou program manager, fRI Research
Why this matters:
With only 2,000 of these animals remaining in Alberta, the question looms: can they adapt quickly enough to survive, or are we witnessing the final chapter in the story of these once-thriving herds? Read more: US wildfires’ increasing toll on wildlife.
Keep reading...Show less
Gerry/Flickr
Blueberry River First Nations beat B.C. in court. Now everything’s changing
New agreements between the province and Treaty 8 nations are a first step towards healing land devastated by decades of heavy industrial activity.
Biden plans to declare Hudson Canyon a marine sanctuary
Hudson Canyon, an underwater gorge off the coast of New York and New Jersey, would receive permanent federal protection.
Sergei Shoigu has a grand masterplan for Siberia. It could move Russia towards Eurasia
The Russian defence minister wants to build several new mega-cities and connect the vast region to the Arctic.
newrepublic.com
Meat plants, oil pipelines, and the ethical tensions of tribal sovereignty
The pursuit of questionable economic projects by tribal nations offers the chance to think about what the end goals of sovereignty should, or even can, look like.
Deb Haaland, nominated to be the first Native American cabinet secretary, faces GOP opposition
Republicans have called Haaland radical over her support for the Green New Deal. But her views align neatly with President Biden’s climate plan.
www.hcn.org
Trump’s impact on Indian Country over four years
From legal decisions to on-the-ground policies, Indigenous lawyers describe the administration’s tactics as an “onslaught” removing federal protections of land and wildlife.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
