- Ballast
Water Management
- Experts
believe that, every minute, 40,000 gallons of foreign
ballast water contaminate U.S. waters – likely
the single largest source of foreign species invading
America’s ecosystem.
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- Biodiversity
- Humans
are dependent upon the products supplied by the
diversity of biological organisms on earth and their
associated ecosystems (i.e., biodiversity). Yet,
the continued destruction of species is testament
that we are not protecting these ecosystems that
protect us.
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- Chronic
Wasting Disease
- Chronic
Wasting Disease is part of a family of diseases
known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
(TSEs), which also includes mad cow disease, scrapie
in sheep, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in
humans.
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- Genetically
Engineered (GE) Food
- The
use of GE organisms has presented a host of questions.
One of the greatest concerns is genetic contamination
and its effect upon the natural environment. There
is already evidence that crops containing pesticides
can harm non-target insects, and that crops engineered
to resist herbicides encourage increased spraying
of chemicals which pollute our water and soil.
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- Green
Infrastructure
- The
“green” infrastructure approach emphasizes
planning in order to maximize the benefit of conservation
efforts. Green infrastructure applies a systematic
approach to conservation and recognizes the importance
of conserving sufficient land to maintain ecosystem
services and provide habitat for wildlife.
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- Lead
Fishing Tackle
- Lead
has been estimated to kill between 1.5 and 2.5 million
migratory waterfowl in North America annually.
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- Protecting
Endangered Species
- Today,
our planet is losing species faster than at any
other time in all of human history. State endangered
species acts can help mitigate this trend in our
nation by seeking to assure the survival of the
plants and animals unique to each state, from piping
plovers in the East to Swainson’s hawks in the West.
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- Regulating
Pesticides
- There
is growing public concern regarding pesticide exposure,
and for good reason. Studies have shown that all
persons, but especially children, pregnant women,
farmers, farmworkers, and the elderly, may experience
negative health effects from exposure to pesticides.
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- Stopping
the Spread of Invasive Species
- Over
the past two centuries, thousands of new species
have been introduced to the United States; one in
seven has become invasive, meaning it causes environmental,
health, or economic harm.
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- Transgenic
Fish
- As
the field of genetic engineering advances, we are
beginning to see increased commercial application
of this technology. Aquatic animals are being engineered
to increase aquaculture production, for medical
and industrial research, and for ornamental reasons.
While some of these alterations may provide some
benefits, the potential effects on human health
and the environmental risks that transgenic fish
pose to native ecosystems remain unstudied and unknown.
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- Wolf
Preservation
- Wolf
numbers have been reduced to roughly 15% of what
formerly roamed North America, and most of these
wolves are the product of an extensive, long-term
conservation effort.
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