Kids across the world are demanding climate action. Greta Thunberg's one-person protest grew into the Fridays for Future movement, with kids going on strike from school every Friday to protest in front of their local town hall. In May, Greta and 46 other youth activists called on adults to join them. Yesterday that call was answered as people around the world went on strike to demand climate action ahead of the United Nations emergency climate summit.

These kids are leading the movement as if their future depends on it — because it does. And while that's inspiring, it should also be alarming. It shouldn't be up to children to protect their own future. It shouldn't be up to them to clean up the mess older generations have made.

It's not too late to get involved. If you missed the global climate strike yesterday, there will be a second strike Sept. 27. Find an event in your area or plan your own.

For the wild,

Crowded Planet / Plant-based alternatives — and their environmental benefits — aren't just for burgers. This plant-based omelet bar at a recent food conference used JUST Egg, made from mung beans, which avoids the air and water pollution caused by factory-farm egg production.

Population / Connecting All the Dots

The Planetary Health Alliance takes an interdisciplinary approach to the human health impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, pollution and other human-caused environmental crises. Center population campaigner, Kelley Dennings, presented at the alliance's annual meeting earlier this month. She discussed the benefits of girls' education and family planning as two of the easier, lower-cost solutions to climate change. Kelley also presented at the UN Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City last month.

While health and equality were common themes at both conferences, the Center brought a unique perspective by connecting the dots between environmental protection, health and human rights. These presentations — along with our Endangered Species Condoms — help destigmatize concerns about unsustainable population growth and rights-based solutions.

Earth-friendly Diet / Fighting Hunger and Climate Change

New research released by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future looked at the challenges of addressing both hunger and the climate crisis. The study, published in Global Environmental Change, assessed the environmental and nutritional impact of nine "plant-forward" diets in 140 countries and concluded that there's no one-size-fits-all solution that can apply to every country. In some regions it may very well mean increasing food-system emissions to meet nutritional needs.

There are vast inequities in the global food system. While some countries struggle to feed their populations, Americans overconsume meat and dairy and waste about 40 percent of food that's produced. By transitioning toward sustainable diets in countries like the United States, we can help balance the increased production needed in regions fighting hunger.

Read more about the study.

Take Action/ A Penny for Your Thoughts

The Center is conducting a national survey to assess what people in the United States think about how population growth and overconsumption affect habitat and wildlife. You can help: Take the 8-minute online survey, then share it with your friends.

Wild Energy / Duke's Latest Deception

The fight for clean energy is going to require major shifts in power. Case in point is North Carolina's fight against its largest utility. Duke Energy's controversial ratemaking bill, S.B. 559, continues its wild ride through the state's legislature. The House voted to cut parts that could increase electric bills by as much as 50 percent. But that version was rejected by the Senate, and the bill was sent back to committee. There Duke Energy was able to use its monopoly influence to put multi-year rate hikes back in the bill.

Along with fellow members of the Energy Justice North Carolina Coalition, we're urging legislators to vote down the bill. This and other similar fights continue.

Five Wild Picks / Good News for Endangered Species

Congressional Democrats pushed back against Trump's attack on the Endangered Species Act with a bill to restore long-standing regulations that protect critical habitat and wildlife. But that's not the only good news we've seen in recent weeks:

1) Mojave poppy bees flew closer to protection. These rare Nevada bees that help desert poppies survive are being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

2) Oregon banned trapping of Humboldt martens. Once thought extinct, fewer than 200 martens survive in the state's coastal forests.

3) Southern Resident killer whales may gain more critical habitat. With just 73 orcas left in this population, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed expanding protected habitat along the West Coast with an additional 15,627 square miles.

4) Lesser prairie chickens will get their Endangered Species Act decision. These dancing birds have been awaiting protection for years as threats continue to mount from climate change, fossil fuel extraction and habitat loss.

5) Several rare plants and animals were protected at the recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Bans on elephant-ivory and rhino-horn trade were rejected, while giraffes, otters, tokay geckos, blue ornamental tarantulas and other animals received new protections.