Natalie Jacewicz

I can’t begin to enumerate the ways the Corporation for Public Broadcasting made my life better, literally from my earliest memories until today. This is gut wrenching.

Trump's EPA chose today to release its finding that GHG pollution does not endanger public health.

Hmm. Don’t love this.

The Global Internet Is Being Attacked by Sharks, Google Confirms The Internet is a series of tubes ... that are sometimes attacked by sharks.

Happy #sharkweek! Here’s a reminder that sharks tried to save us from all this. slate.com/technology/2...

#ICJ: States liable for issuing oil & gas exploration licenses, incl in 🌊. #ClimateJustice
@oceansteinmann.bsky.social @oceanthyrza.bsky.social

E.P.A. Is Said to Draft a Plan to End Its Ability to Fight Climate Change

Going to be cool to see how EPA makes this “scientific” finding with *checks notes* all the scientists it fired.

For junior environmental law folks, we’re hosting our 2nd Annual Early Environmental Law Scholars (EELS) Conference at @uflaw.bsky.social this Nov 6-8. We’ve got it all: paper talks, teaching workshops, a field trip into nature, and more!

Register here:
www.law.ufl.edu/events-feed/...

We’re three days into #shark #week, and I get that there’s a lot going on in the world, but frankly my feed hasn’t been showing me nearly enough sharks. So I’m being the change I want to see in the world and sharing these excellent pics. Prego.

Ha! Yes, the article acknowledges that people may have different preferences about the abundance of different kinds of wild animals. And a few types of wildlife (see jellyfish) have increased in recent years. But mostly, we’re in a world with less wildlife, even the boring, stalker kind.

I argue diminishing abundance threatens goals set out by various environmental laws and suggest ways to better protect common wildlife. Thanks to all who gave feedback on this piece! (And there's still time for more feedback, if you feel so inclined.)

Sharing my draft article, Protecting Wild Animal Abundance, forthcoming in Utah Law Review, @sjquinney.bsky.social. It highlights loss of relatively common wild #animals as distinct from the #biodiversity crisis, and discusses why US #environmental #law failed to stop such losses.

You know, geology is great and meteorology is great, but when the two combine it can become a transcendent experience. This was our view in upper Pine Creek Canyon near our Honeymoon Lake camp on Wednesday. Rainbows and high elevation glacially-sculpted granites on #publiclands for the win!

E.P.A. Says It Will Eliminate Its Scientific Research Arm

Well tonight’s Friday government news dump is horribly depressing- EPA to eliminate their entire research branch (ORD). I’ve been on ORD’s science advisory board the last few years and they do amazing work across climate, air, water and other issue. This sucks www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/c...

E.P.A. Says It Will Eliminate Its Scientific Research Arm

These cuts threaten the science underlying clean air, water, toxins, etc. Henceforth when the agency claims to change regs based on the scientific grounds, as some statues require, there could be fertile ground for lawsuit. How can #EPA without scientists evaluate what the best science is?

Videos From the Amazon Reveal an Unexpected Animal Friendship

I love this as an example of a probably under-appreciated phenomenon (animal cooperation) exposed through underused method (observed behavioral anecdotes, often dismissed because of low n, according to my ecologist colleagues). #opossum + #ocelot = better hunting, maybe?

This is in powerful tension with Interior's touting "cutting red tape" to make energy cheaper in its recently released promotional video.

I loved Laurie’s New Yorker piece on this! It’s clear from that piece that many of Earhart’s friends thought Putnam took advantage of her. I’m curious if Laurie came across any evidence of how Earhart herself felt. Did she feel trapped? Resentful? Or totally enamored?

The environmental & climate harms of coal/oil projects go unacknowledged, and conservation concerns for #wildlife, such as the bison in the agency’s crest, don’t get any love either.

YouTube video by US Department of the Interior Inside Interior | July 11, 2025

Dept of Interior is making video updates, which is a good idea. But the video shows a single-minded focus on pushing through #fossilfuels & cutting red tape for cheaper energy without any mention of all the red tape being created for #renewables. youtu.be/60sxLdcufk4

Since April 4, #SCOTUS has issued 15 rulings on 17 emergency applications filed by Trump (three birthright citizenship apps were consolidated).

It has granted relief to Trump ... in all 15 rulings.

It has written majority opinions in only 3.

Today's order is the 7th with no explanation *at all.*

What to know about California’s new low-carbon fuel standard The state is speeding up its timeline to cut the carbon intensity of fuels, which could increase gasoline prices by between 6 and 15 cents per gallon.

California still believes in the need to mitigate climate change, and is tackling transportation-sector emissions with an update to its low-carbon fuel standard. #ClimateFederalism
www.eenews.net/articles/wha...

I like this research too! And who knows; maybe in the future we’ll learn the behavior in fact continues to have a useful function. In the meantime, good on the researchers (and media) for publishing findings about non-adaptive traits.

This story about #sharks is a good reminder that #evolution isn’t perfectly efficient. Easy to be drawn into just-so stories, but some things about earth (and ourselves) probably seem to make no sense because…they make no sense.

International Proposals Aim To Stop Shark Extinction Spiral Scientists and governments are calling for the strongest international protections yet for sharks and rays, citing unsustainable trade as a key threat.

🦈 “… 7 proposals representing over 70 species…. If these proposals are adopted in Nov they could represent a major turning point for marine conservation. If not, we risk watching these species vanish within our lifetimes…”

Great piece by @melissacmarquez.bsky.social

www.forbes.com/sites/meliss...

Polar bears and crude oil don’t mix Western premiers dream of a new economic corridor to Hudson Bay, linking mineral and energy exports to global shipping routes. But some eco-tourism operators in Churchill worry an oil spill would deva...

We sent @chrispollon.bsky.social to Churchill, Man. to write about big changes happening as all eyes turn north.

Enjoyed discussing my work on wild #animal wellbeing with @richblaustein.bsky.social for this CEB ClimateBrief. The article also features Jim Salzman's work on #RightsofNature. research.ceb.com/posts/climat...

The security reason to electrify transport is not about oil imports, it’s economic resilience. Oil powers 90% of US vehicles, so when the price of oil spikes because of a war, people & companies pay more for energy, which hurts the economy. The more transport is electrified, econ security goes up.

Nonhuman Rights Project Applauds New York Court Decision Recognizing Dogs As Family Members The Nonhuman Rights Project celebrates Justice Aaron Maslow recognizing dogs can legally be considered family members in New York.

NY court recognizes dog as "immediate family member" in case where @nonhumanrights.bsky.social filed amicus briefs. First time in NY that witnessing a pet's death can support emotional distress damages. ⚖️🐾

#animallaw #legalnews #legal #animalrights #dogs

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www.nonhumanrights.org/blog/dog-fam...

Wow, had not been tracking this bill; that’s great! Hopefully the provision requiring zoning ordinance compliance doesn’t majorly slow things down, but…still right direction!

I’m intrigued by this paper’s proposal to prioritize for CEQA reform infill areas suitable for housing. I’d be interested if there’s appetite for a tailored approach along such lines: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....