Last week, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), held a session on expanding rights for dolphins and whales. Since cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are highly intelligent animals and very social, some scientists and ethicists argued cetaceans deserve legal protections as "non-human persons." The panelists outlined a "Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans," which among other rights, would recognize whales and dolphins' right to life, an undisturbed natural environment, and the right to not be held in captivity. So say goodbye to whale sushi and SeaWorld.

The United Mexican States are characterized by their diverse ecosystems, and are very rich in terms of their flora and fauna, while many of the organisms are endemic and exclusive to that zone. However, the inhabitants of these ecosystems are sometimes subject to neglect, excessive hunting and threatening conditions. These factors have caused many animals and plants to become vulnerable, threatened, endangered, and in some cases even extinct. 

We should remember that in order for the ecosystems to be in a suitable state, it’s necessary that its organic and inorganic elements be in balance. If some being or factor undergoes some type of alteration (absence, mutation, decrease or increase) in the long run, the whole habitat will suffer from it, and in turn, be at risk of disappearing. 

Species in Mexico

The list of animals, plants, and even fungi that need protection in Mexico is enormous, and currently consists of a little more than 200 species. Those already extinct in our country consist of approximately 30 different animals and an undetermined number of flora. Undoubtedly the most famous of those that have already disappeared is the Mexican wolf, but we can also cite the Imperial Woodpecker, the Passenger Pigeon, the Trumpeter Swan, various fish (Bluntnose Shiner, Phantom Shiner, Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, etc.), the Elf Owl, and the Caribbean Monk Seal.

A Canadian senator has launched a campaign to replace the industrious beaver with the indomitable polar bear as Canada's national emblem, saying the incumbent is "a dentally defective rat."

A polar bear was inadvertently shot to death by a security guard at BP's Endicott field on the North Slope of Alaska when it approached a compound where oil workers live.

The shooting earlier this month marked the first time one of the region's iconic bears -- listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act -- has died during a hazing operation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Bruce Woods said in an interview. The guard tried to "haze," or scare away the bear, but ended up shooting it.

The government has undertaken an action plan for saving the Royal Bengal Tigers of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forests, a top forest official said on Friday.

Well-known authors and artists publish an open letter demanding the council rethink its 'extraordinary' move

A group of some of Britain's best-known authors and artists has condemned the British Council's "extraordinary" decision to all but end its groundbreaking international work on climate change and demanded the decision be reconsidered.

A Kansas State University geographer is part of a research team out to prove what environmental scientists have suspected for years: Increasing the production of soybean and biofuel crops in Brazil increases deforestation in the Amazon.

Although this cause-and-effect finding seems fairly straightforward, the issue of deforestation in the Amazon is more complex and more devastating than previously believed, said Marcelus Caldas, an assistant professor of geography at Kansas State University.

Known by some as "America's Nile," the Colorado River stretches about 1,450 miles across seven states and two countries — and photographer Peter McBride has traveled the entire thing, shooting photos for his new book, The Colorado River: Flowing Through Conflict.

McBride explains the conflict in an interview with All Things Considered host Michele Norris. The delta, which was once a vast, lush ecosystem, has all but dried up. "It shows what happens when you ask too much of a limited resource: It disappears," he says.

To get citizens out of their cars and onto a newly-opened public trolley system, the city of Murcia, Spain recently embarked on a rather radical campaign: it offered people lifetime trolley passes in exchange for permanently relinquishing their cars.

Despite the growing popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles, giving up your car is still the single best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Car sharing services like Zipcar and RelayRides make a significant impact, but the bottom line is that those vehicles still contribute to poor air quality, traffic, and wear and tear on the roadways.

BY Ariel Schwartz

Many major cities have seen a decline in driving over the past few years. The reasons for this are varied, but if it's a continuing trend, it's going to mean drastic changes for the way we shape our cities.