The Agriculture Department provides nearly $6 billion annually for land, water and wildlife conservation on farms. President Trump’s 2019 budget drastically reduces funds for these programs.
Mangroves in the Florida Everglades.
Alan Sandercock
As Earth’s climate warms, mangroves are expanding north and south from tropical zones. Mangroves reinforce shorelines and store huge quantities of carbon, so protecting them is an effective climate strategy.
Rock salt is widely used to deice roads around the world.
(Shutterstock)
With frigid temperatures and snow in the forecast, slippery roads can’t be far behind. Salt keeps roads safe, but it’s harmful to aquatic environments.
New research by scholars, conservationists and the insurance industry shows that coastal wetlands provide hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of protection from flooding, boosting the case for protecting them.
Snow geese settle on a wetland in North Dakota. If the Trump administration successfully rescinds the Clean Water Rule, many wetlands might lose federal protection.
Krista Lundgren USFWS/Flickr
The Clean Water Rule spells out which streams, wetlands and other water bodies receive federal protection. The Trump administration wants to repeal it, but will face high hurdles in court.
The Murray-Darling Basin is an incredibly complex ecological system.
Mike Russell/Flickr
A recent report argues more water is needed to resurrect the Murray-Darling Basin. But simply increasing river flow alone could actually harm the Basin.
Diverse bushland and wetlands in urban areas contribute to the health and wellbeing of all residents.
Author provided
Urban bushland has health benefits beyond being a great place to go for a walk. Planners need to consider these when making decisions about the future of our cities.
Papyrus can alleviate pressures on native forest ecosystems.
Author supplied
The capacity of woody biomass to provide the energy requirements for sub-Saharan Africa is declining. Papyrus wetlands are a sustainable source of biomass that holds potential to substitute for wood.
Mangroves have died along a 1,000km stretch of coastline in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
NC Duke
With WA’s election looming, Perth’s battle over the Roe 8 highway extension brings other environmental issues to the fore.
Prairie potholes in South Dakota are important breeding and feeding areas for many types of birds. Under the Clean Water Rule, farmers cannot fill them in or discharge pollutants into them without a permit.
Laura Hubers, USFWS/Flickr
President Trump signed an executive order to roll back the 2015 Clean Water Rule. Two water experts explain why the rule alarms farmers and ranchers concerned about over-regulation.
Protesters against the Roe 8 project make their voices heard outside WA Premier Colin Barnett’s office.
Beeliar Wetlands Supporter
Reflections on World Wetland Day on how this precious resource can be used sustainably to reduce rural poverty, improve food security and strengthen livelihood in the face of climate change.
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt gestures as he answers a question during a news conference in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 13, 2013.
AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has sued the federal government repeatedly. If he becomes head of EPA and tries to weaken environmental laws, opponents are likely to do the same to him.
Lucy Rodina, University of British Columbia and Leila Harris, University of British Columbia
Many African cities are sites of rapid urbanisation. To ensure that such societies are water resilient, it is necessary to address formal and informal forms of development.
Flock of ibis, Everglades National Park.
Linda Friar, National Park Service/Flickr
Rehydrating the Florida Everglades is the largest ecological restoration project in the world. Ecologist Peter Frederick explains why this massive effort is worth its multi-billion-dollar cost.