A rarely-invoked committee colloquially known as the “God Squad” met in late March and unanimously voted to exempt oil and gas activity in the Gulf of Mexico from environmental safeguards put in place by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA is widely recognized as one of the most effective conservation laws in the United States, having prevented extinction of 99% of protected species since 1973.

The God Squad invoked national security to remove protections for critically endangered species including the Rice’s whale, sea turtles, and other marine wildlife—setting a dangerous precedent and putting the fate of countless threatened and endangered species at risk. 

On this episode of Terra Verde, host Fiona McLeod speaks with Michael Jasny, Director of Marine Mammal Protection at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Codirector at the Center for Biological Diversity. They talk about the history of the Endangered Species Act and the challenges it has faced over time, as well as how the God Squad’s recent decision—which both NRDC and the Center for Biological Diversity are fighting in court—could be catastrophic. 

Photo: A Rice’s whale in the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Ocean Alliance (Permit # 21938)

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