Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a US law protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats. It's newsworthy due to the recent convening of the Endangered Species Committee, often called the "God Squad," a group with the power to grant exemptions from the ESA. This committee, which hadn't met in decades, voted to exempt oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from ESA regulations. This decision, made at the request of the defense secretary, is controversial because critics argue it could harm or even doom endangered species like Rice's whales, sea turtles, and whooping cranes. The move is justified by proponents as being in the interest of national security by expanding oil and gas operations. In contrast, there's positive news regarding monarch butterflies in Mexico, whose population has increased by 64%, offering hope for the species' survival.