Host Jeff Corwin celebrates the Endangered Species Act (ESA), landmark 1973 legislation protecting vulnerable wildlife and ecosystems. The bald eagle, once near extinction, exemplifies the ESA's success, having recovered and now thriving across the U.S.

The ESA also protects sea turtles, with Florida's beaches being globally vital nesting sites. Conservation efforts, like Boca Raton's beachfront parks, are crucial. While only 1 in 10,000 hatchlings survive to adulthood, protecting their habitat allows these keystone species to flourish. All six sea turtle species nesting in America are protected by the ESA. Learn more at www.defenders.org/wildlifenation.

Host Jeff Corwin travels to Alaska's Cook Inlet to assist conservationists Nicole Whittington-Evans and Suzanne Steinert in monitoring the critically endangered beluga whale population. These "great white canaries of the sea" are uniquely adapted to Arctic life, using echolocation and feeding on salmon, but their numbers have drastically declined.

The Cook Inlet beluga population has plummeted by nearly 80% since the late 1980s due to habitat degradation, climate change, and other cumulative human impacts. Conservation efforts focus on reducing these threats and balancing human and wildlife needs to ensure these iconic whales survive for future generations. Learn more about wildlife conservation at www.defenders.org/wildlifenation.

Join host Jeff Corwin in Central Florida as he helps rescue threatened gopher tortoises from new real estate developments. Florida's rapid growth, with 1,000 new residents daily, leads to habitat destruction. Alarmingly, older permits still allow developers to bury tortoises alive, along with the over 360 other species that rely on their burrows.

Gopher tortoises are vital "nature's engineers," digging extensive underground tunnels that provide essential shelter from weather, fires, and predators for countless creatures. Corwin, alongside experts from Defenders and Saving Florida's Gopher Tortoises, meticulously excavates these animals from development sites to prevent them from being entombed. Learn more about the wildlife featured in the episode at www.defenders.org/wildlifenation.

Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure across central Florida, exploring the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers, vital habitats for manatees. These gentle giants face severe threats, including habitat loss, dangerous cold snaps, and harmful algae blooms destroying their food sources. Tragically, manatee deaths are at an all-time high, impacting Florida's environmental integrity.

Conservationists, including Defenders of Wildlife, are racing to save this iconic species. A key solution involves restoring natural warm water habitats and removing man-made barriers like the Kirkpatrick Dam. A free-flowing Ocklawaha River would grant manatees access to essential warm springs, ensuring their survival and promoting coexistence with Florida's natural environment. Learn more at www.defenders.org/wildlifenation.

On June 27, 2022, a discussion explored Blue Shield's latest Youth Climate Survey, focusing on how climate change impacts the mental health of young people.

The event featured insights from David W. Bond (Director of Behavioral Health, Blue Shield of California—Promise Health Plan), youth environmental activist Kat Lee (APEN), and student representative Maya Gomez (Mind Out Loud, Whitney High School). Additional speakers included Antoinette Mayer (Senior Director, Corporate Citizenship, Blue Shield), Joel Castro (President, Cesar Chavez Service Club), and co-host Michelle Meow (Producer and Host, "The Michelle Meow Show").

U.S. buildings are highly inefficient, accounting for 40% of primary energy use and emissions, and often negatively impact inhabitants. Bioneers brought together visionary architects Deanna Van Buren and Jason McLennan to redefine healthy, nature-honoring, and socially equitable built environments.

Van Buren (Designing Justice) creates "restorative" infrastructure addressing mass incarceration's root causes. McLennan, a leading "green" architect, champions truly "living" and regenerative buildings. This discussion explored how their distinct but vital visions for our built environment can be synthesized.

Moderated by Dawn Danby, this conversation was part of the 2022 Bioneers conference. Find more talks and discussions at bioneers.org.

Kevin Patel, a 21-year-old LA-based climate justice activist, demands immediate youth inclusion, rejecting the "leaders of tomorrow" label. Drawing from his health struggles in polluted South Central Los Angeles, Patel emphasizes the inseparable link between climate action and ending racial and class disparities.

Visit bioneers.org to watch more talks and discussions from the 2022 conference.

California is the world's largest consumer of Amazon rainforest oil. This extraction fuels climate change, deforestation, ocean pollution, and displaces Indigenous peoples who protect the Amazon's vital biodiversity. It also harms communities along the supply chain, including those near toxic refineries in California.

We are honored to host Indigenous Amazonian forest-protectors, sisters Nina and Helena Gualinga. Working with Amazon Watch, they urge Californians—and all of us—to #EndAmazonCrude and demand corporate responsibility for people and the planet.

Nick Estes, Ph.D. (Kul Wicasa/Lower Brule Sioux), is an Assistant Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico and a member of the Oak Lake Writers Society. He co-founded The Red Nation in 2014, an organization dedicated to Native liberation, serving on its editorial collective and writing its bi-weekly newsletter. Estes is the author of "Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline" and "The Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance."

For more talks and discussions from the 2022 Conference, visit www.bioneers.org.

Kenny Ausubel delivered his opening remarks at the 2022 Bioneers Conference.

For more talks and discussions, visit www.bioneers.org.

The U.S. faces a critical energy dilemma: immediate fossil fuel needs, exacerbated by global crises, conflict with the urgent scientific imperative to rapidly reduce production to avert climate catastrophe. Fossil fuel companies' claims of decarbonization are unsubstantiated, given their history of obstructing climate action.

Climate politics expert Kate Aronoff explores how policymakers must expand their toolkit to manage an orderly decline of the fossil fuel era, fostering a collective stake in our energy future.

Watch more talks and discussions from the 2022 conference at www.bioneers.org.

The current food system is failing and unsustainable. Leaders offer inadequate solutions to hunger and poverty, a critical issue given the UN's projection of 2 billion more people by 2050, primarily in urban areas.

Achieving a fair, just, and equitable food system requires radical new thinking and significant effort. Renowned food activist Karen Washington argues for a dramatic transformation, not just a fix.

Watch more talks and discussions from the 2022 conference at Bioneers.org.

Women worldwide, particularly in the "developing world," disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change and environmental degradation, yet their voices are frequently overlooked. Climate, physical, and psycho-spiritual health are deeply interconnected, not separate issues.

A panel of leading women activists, including Zainab Salbi, Nina Simons, Justin Winters, Kahea Pacheco, and Helena Gualinga, explored climate's impact on women. They advocated for women's full inclusion in all climate solutions, linking these struggles to personal healing and authentic global change.

This discussion took place at the 2022 Bioneers Conference. Learn more at http://www.bioneers.org.

Enric Sala, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, launched the Pristine Seas project in 2008. This initiative explores and inspires protection for the ocean's last wild places, crucial for global marine ecosystems. Sala, a former professor, leads a team of scientists and conservationists dedicated to this mission.

Pristine Seas combines exploration, research, and media, helping establish 25 of the world's largest marine reserves. These protected areas now cover over 6.5 million square kilometers. Sala emphasizes the critical importance of healthy oceans for humanity's future. This talk was delivered at the 2022 Bioneers Conference. Learn more at http://www.bioneers.org.

Indigenous communities are vital guardians of Earth's biodiversity, safeguarding 80% of what remains globally. Their traditional knowledge and ancestral ownership of vast areas, including nearly half of the Amazon's intact forests, are crucial for mitigating the climate crisis, as these biodiverse regions serve as major carbon sinks. Respecting Indigenous peoples' internationally recognized rights is paramount for protecting our planet's most important rainforests, climate, and life.

Nemonte Nenquimo, a Waorani leader and co-founder of Ceibo Alliance and Amazon Frontlines, champions this cause. Named one of Time's 100 most influential people and a Goldman Environmental Prize winner, she fights against oil drilling on ancestral lands. Learn more about Amazon Frontlines and explore Bioneers videos.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer multiple benefits for business, nature, and people, yet their adoption by companies to meet climate goals and mitigate risks remains limited. Increased corporate engagement across value chains is crucial for achieving a net-zero, nature-positive world.

CISL acknowledges the challenges companies face in adopting NbS, particularly in quantifying benefits for initial projects like regenerative agriculture. To address this, CISL, with support from the We Mean Business Coalition, launched a diagnostic tool in March 2022 to help unlock NbS investments within value chains.

An upcoming webinar, part of CISL’s project to support business to #GetNBSready, will explore progress on nature-positive ambitions, discuss implementation challenges, and demonstrate how this tool can assist companies.

Join us for an online talk with acclaimed environmental journalist Eugene Linden, author of nine non-fiction books. He will discuss his new book, *Fire and Flood*, which examines how business interests have historically obscured scientific warnings and hindered climate action. Linden, whose *Winds of Change* won the Grantham Prize, previously covered environmental issues for *Time*.

In *Fire and Flood*, Linden reveals how big money prioritizes short-term profits over long-term threats. He details the insurance industry's dramatic shift, now retreating from high-risk regions like Florida and California due to unmanageable fire and flood risks. This signals a broader business awakening to the urgent need for rapid climate action as long-term consequences become immediate.

Growing concern about beef's environmental impact faces political backlash, driving new climate commitments. Food and climate experts will discuss the climate science of beef, exploring effective solutions, regenerative practices, and emission reduction strategies. They will also examine carbon markets, consumer awareness, and how cultural factors influence the debate.

Renowned experts Dr. Jonathan Foley (Project Drawdown), Dr. Matthew Hayek (NYU), and Dr. Silvia Secchi (University of Iowa) will lead this discussion. Sign up for our Food X e-newsletter: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/food-x/

Register now for Bioneers 2022 at conference.bioneers.org.

Facing a civilizational stress test, authentic transformation is urgently needed. Bioneers 2022 will explore solutions, strategies, and paradigm shifts to accelerate this change, emphasizing the power of community and collective action.

Join us in San Francisco, CA, at the Palace of Fine Arts for our in-person event, or access live virtual content from anywhere in the world.

Dive into Earth’s oceans with *Hostile Planet*, a beautifully filmed series showcasing animals adapting to extreme environments. Hosted by survivalist Bear Grylls, the show reveals epic stories of survival on our fast-changing planet.

Watch the full season on Disney+, or stream other National Geographic content on Hulu, the NGTV app, or ABC app. Subscribe to Nat Geo on YouTube for more episodes and follow them on social media for updates.