US (RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK) : 21,000 ACRES of WETLANDS are AT RISK .

 

The Gulf Coast is a biodiversity hot spot – crucial habitat for endangered species, critical wetlands that protect communities from major storms, migratory routes for birds and marine animals, and fisheries that local communities depend on. But all of this abundant life is at risk because of methane gas build-out in the region. Over 15,000 documented species live in or travel through the area, 130 of which are federally protected, including whales, sea turtles, corals, dolphins, ocelots, migratory birds, snakes, and bats. Among those threatened include species only found in the Gulf of Mexico, like the critically endangered Rice’s Whale. There are already 20+ existing and planned methane gas (aka liquefied “natural” gas or LNG) export terminals along the US Gulf Coast that threaten every one of these species, the communities in the area, and the entire region. Dredging, habitat loss, air and water pollution, noise and light pollution, vessel traffic, and the climate impacts of methane gas: every step of the LNG value chain — from construction to operations to transport — creates layers of cumulative ecological stress. Check out our newest research! The Gulf Coast is home to 66% of the country’s vital estuary wetlands, but it’s experiencing more dramatic wetland loss than any other US coastal area. 5,411 acres have already been permanently impacted, with 1,123 acres forever lost, and future LNG construction and expansion threatening at least 21,000 more. Banks and insurance companies are financing and underwriting this devastating fossil fuel expansion, harming Key Biodiversity Areas, protected areas, and Red List endangered species habitat designated by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Our new research hub, Climate Breakdown, shines a light on the financial sector’s ties to fossil fuel expansion and its deadly impacts on people and planet. We’ve done the work to bring their dirty investments to light, combining exclusive research with stories from people fighting for their communities, and tracing the money behind climate chaos to uplift pathways for a just transition. Get the full breakdown: LNG Impacts to Biodiversity in the Gulf South.

The Climate and Energy Team Rainforest Action Network

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