Our food system is caught in a vicious cycle: The effects of climate change make it harder to grow food, and food production is a major contributor to the climate crisis. As severe weather events, drought, desertification and other climate-related challenges reduce crop yields, it only gets worse.

That cycle has to be broken, says a special report issued last week by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. To preserve food security and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we have to transform agriculture, end deforestation, reduce food loss and waste, and eat less meat and dairy.

As individuals we can change our diets to reduce waste and choose more plant-based foods. But to achieve the necessary widespread changes, we must reform food policy, from subsidies to nutritional guidance. The Center will continue to fight to shift diets, increase access to healthier foods, and promote agricultural solutions that protect wildlife and the future of our food.

For the wild,

Crowded Planet / Solar panels can do more than provide clean energy — they can also help provide habitat for pollinators. Check out this photo essay to see more examples of pollinator-friendly solar installations.

Population / Center Joins Coalition for Sexual Health

Ensuring that people can choose if and when they have children is critical to protecting wildlife and the environment. But reproductive justice is only possible with widespread, intersectional support. That's why the Center is excited to have joined the National Coalition for Sexual Health.

This national coalition is made up of more than 120 physician groups, educators and nonprofits like the Center. Together we're working to help people feel comfortable talking about sexual health and improve access to family planning information and services.

To do that, the coalition developed materials to promote an open dialogue, including action steps for good sexual health. Learn more and check out the resources on the coalition's website.

Wild Energy / Solar Grows on Drought-stricken Farms

Drought is forcing California's agriculture industry to scale back production, but a crop of new initiatives could create environmental and economic benefits for retired farmland. As the Los Angeles Times reports, farmers are planting solar energy in fields that are no longer suitable for growing food. By focusing solar development in these agricultural areas, the state can increase its renewable energy capacity without sacrificing sensitive desert habitat.

Siting solar on already degraded land can help solve agricultural, energy and conservation challenges. This type of win-win solution is an example of the often-overlooked benefits of solar outlined in a study recently published in Nature Sustainability and co-authored by Center researcher Greer Ryan. Learn more about how solar development can also help ecosystems.

Earth-friendly Diet / Park Service Proposes Shooting Elk

There's been a lot of attention on the climate impact of the meat and dairy industry, but a new proposal from the National Park Service provides a stark reminder that livestock production threatens wildlife beyond its carbon footprint. A draft plan released by the Park Service calls for shooting native tule elk at California's Point Reyes National Seashore to make room for more cattle ranching and agriculture. The proposal would enshrine cattle grazing as the primary use of a huge swath of the cherished national seashore, at the expense of native wildlife and natural habitats.

"This is a shockingly anti-wildlife plan, and killing these elk will do nothing to fix or reduce the environmental damage caused by cattle ranching," said Jeff Miller, senior conservation advocate at the Center.

Read more about the plan in The Sacramento Bee. And look for an action alert from us next week that will help you speak out against this proposal.

Endangered Species / Bedrock Law Attacked

In a massive attack on imperiled wildlife, the Trump administration significantly weakened the Endangered Species Act Monday. The new rules could give polluters a free pass to develop areas where threatened species live and lead to extinction for hundreds of animals and plants.

"These changes crash a bulldozer through the Endangered Species Act's lifesaving protections for America's most vulnerable wildlife," said Noah Greenwald, the Center's endangered species director. "For animals like wolverines and monarch butterflies, this could be the beginning of the end. We'll fight the Trump administration in court to block this rewrite, which only serves the oil industry and other polluters who see endangered species as pesky inconveniences."

Read more about the dangerous move and our fight against it.

Take Action / Speak Up for Endangered Species Act

We need your help to stop Trump's gutting of the Endangered Species Act. Tell Congress to defend this bedrock environmental law.

Five Wild Picks / Population in the News

As evidence mounts that we have no time to lose in taking action to avoid the worst impacts of the climate and extinction crises, it's no surprise that people are taking a new look at how population growth factors into the state of the world. Here are five recent articles on population and planetary health.

1. Earth.com covers a recent study that found economic growth and gender equity benefit wildlife, while rapid population growth does not.

2. ABC News reports on how more people, less wilderness and Instagram culture are putting pressure on national parks.

3. The Brink talks to a Boston University professor about why we need a contraception revolution to save lives and protect the planet.

4. The Guardian looks at the connection between the climate crisis and migration, and tough choices people are forced to make when faced with drought and famine.

5. The Atlantic examines what happens when global population stabilizes at around 11 billion people at the end of the century.