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Need holiday gift ideas? Grab the best accessories for iPhone, iPad, Mac, moreThese holiday gifts change the game when building fires, printing photos, watching birds and moreVANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eldorado Gold Corporation (“Eldorado” or “the Company”) today releases its updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource (“MRMR”) estimates as of September 30, 2024. “Our updated Mineral Reserves estimate provides a solid foundation and underpins our production profile over the next decade and beyond,” said George Burns, President and CEO. “We were pleased to increase our Mineral Reserves by approximately 2% overall, driven by increases at the Lamaque Complex and Efemcukuru that extends Reserve mine life significantly and complements our already long mine life assets at Skouries, Kisladag and Olympias. The Lamaque Complex Mineral Reserve increased by 45%, driven primarily by the declaration of an Inaugural Mineral Reserve at Ormaque of 619 thousand ounces. This follows a solid track record of successfully replacing Mineral Reserves since acquiring the asset in 2017 and sets up the Lamaque Complex for the long-term with two underground mines with significant Inferred Mineral Resource conversion potential and exploration upside.” “In addition, at Efemcukuru, we increased Mineral Reserves by 23% resulting in an extension to the mine life by an additional two years to an updated life of mine of eight years. Efemcukuru has been a reliable producer since 2011, and our team remains committed to exploring opportunities to extend mine life further. During 2025, our focus will continue to be on extending the mine life at our existing operations and testing near-mine exploration targets, while seeking a discovery from our highly prospective portfolio of early stage exploration targets in Canada and Turkiye.” Mineral Reserves Update The Company’s Proven and Probable gold Mineral Reserves totalled 11.9 million ounces as of September 30, 2024, an increase of approximately 2% from the previous MRMR statement from September 30, 2023. The complete MRMR table and notes can be found at the end of this release. (1) The Company’s total MRMR excludes Mineral Reserves at its non-core Romanian asset (Certej). As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. (2) Depletion declared here are in-situ ounces. Depletion includes the 12-month period of October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. Excluding depletion, the increase in Mineral Reserves is primarily attributable to additions at Kokarpinar South at Efemcukuru as well as an inaugural Mineral Reserve estimate for the Ormaque deposit within the Lamaque Complex. The following table summarizes the period-over-period changes to the Company’s Mineral Reserves: NOTE: Totals may not sum due to rounding. (1) The Company reports its MRMR as of September 30, 2024. As such, the change year over year is from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. Mineral Resources Update Eldorado’s Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources (“M&I Mineral Resources”) totalled 22.0 million ounces gold, as of September 30, 2024. The Company successfully converted Inferred Mineral Resources to M&I Mineral Resources at Ormaque, within the Lamaque Complex, and at Efemcukuru. The total is offset by depletion at the other operating mines. This resulted in a 3% decrease from the previous MRMR statement from September 30th, 2023. Eldorado’s Inferred Mineral Resources totalled 6.8 million ounces as of September 30, 2024, a 10% decrease from the previous MRMR statement. Detailed MRMR disclosure tables are included at the end of this news release. The following table summarizes the period-over-period changes to the Company’s Mineral Resources: NOTE: Totals may not sum due to rounding. (1) Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves. (2) The Company Reports on its MRMR as of September 30, 2024. As such, the change year over year is from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. (3) As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. 2025 Reporting Schedule The Company intends to report, and host a conference call led by senior management, as set out in the table below. The Company reserves the right to amend the schedule in its discretion and will inform the market of any changes in schedule. About Eldorado Eldorado is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkiye, Canada and Greece. The Company has a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with local communities. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO). Contact Investor Relations Lynette Gould, VP, Investor Relations, Communications & External Affairs 647 271 2827 or 1 888 353 8166 lynette.gould@eldoradogold.com Media Chad Pederson, Director, Communications and Public Affairs 236 885 6251 or 1 888 353 8166 chad.pederson@eldoradogold.com Notes: (1) Resource grades are reported undiluted, however resources are assessed for reasonable expectation of economic extraction by applying expected minimum mining shapes. (2) As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. (3) Mineralized shapes based on RPEEE identified based on 2.5 g/t Au COG; within shapes material below incremental COG of 1.0 g/t have been excluded; grades are diluted by must-take material between 1.0 and 2.5 g/t Au. (4) Due to narrow veins, continued conversion of Resources to Reserves at Ormaque will reflect expected lower grades to fully represent mining modifying factors. Notes: (1) Resource grades are reported undiluted, however resources are assessed for reasonable expectation of economic extraction by applying expected minimum mining shapes. (2) As disclosed in the Q3 2024 Managements Discussion & Analysis, the Certej project has been presented as a disposal group held for sale as at September 30, 2024 and as a discontinued operation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. On October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to sell the Certej project. The closing of the disposition is subject to certain conditions. (3) Due to narrow veins, any future potential conversion of Resources to Reserves at Ormaque will reflect expected lower grades to fully represent mining modifying factors. ADVISORIES AND DETAILED NOTES ON MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES General Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are as of September 30, 2024 The Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources were classified using logic consistent with the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves (2014) incorporated, by reference, into National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Sample preparation, analytical techniques, laboratories used, and quality assurance and quality control protocols used during exploration drilling programs are done consistent with industry standards and independent certified assay labs are used. Mineral Reserves are included in the Mineral Resources. The Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources are disclosed on a total project basis. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. With respect to “Inferred Mineral Resources”, there is a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of a “Measured Mineral Resource”, “Indicated Mineral Resource” or “Inferred Mineral Resource” will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Additional information on the Kisladag, Efemcukuru, Olympias, Skouries and Lamaque mineral properties mentioned in this news release (all of which are considered to be material mineral properties to the Company) are contained in Eldorado’s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the following technical reports for each of those properties, all of which are available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.com and www.sec.gov : Qualified Persons Simon Hille, FAusIMM, Executive Vice President, Operations and Technical Services, is the “qualified person” under NI 43-101 responsible for preparing and supervising the preparation of the scientific or technical information contained in this news release and verifying the technical data disclosed in this document relating to our operating mines and development projects, unless otherwise noted. Additional qualified persons have approved disclosures for specific properties as detailed in “Mineral Reserve Notes” and “Mineral Resource Notes” below. Jessy Thelland, géo (OGQ No. 758)., Director Technical Services Lamaque, a member in good standing of the Ordre des Géologues du Québec, is the qualified person as defined in NI 43-101 responsible for, and has verified and approved, the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release for the Quebec projects. Cautionary Note to US Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources There are differences between the standards and terms used for reporting mineral reserves and resources in Canada, and in the United States pursuant to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”). The terms Mineral Resource, Measured Mineral Resource, Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource are defined by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) and the CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources adopted by the CIM Council, and must be disclosed according to Canadian securities regulations. These standards differ from the requirements of the SEC applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Accordingly, information contained in this news release with respect to mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the SEC’s reporting and disclosure requirements. Mineral Reserve Notes Eldorado reports Mineral Reserves in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. Mineral Reserves for the operating sites (Efemcukuru, Kisladag, Olympias, and within the Lamaque Complex – Ormaque and Triangle) were determined using a long-term gold price of $1,450/oz while Mineral Reserves for the Skouries and Perama Hill projects were determined based on a $1,300/oz gold price. A reserve test is undertaken every year to confirm future undiscounted cash flow from reserve mine plan is positive. Qualified Persons The following persons, all of whom are qualified persons under NI 43-101, have approved the disclosure related to the Mineral Reserves for the projects noted below contained within this release: Mineral Resource Notes Eldorado reports Mineral Resources in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. All Mineral Resources are assessed for reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction (RPEEE). The Resource cut-off grades or values (e.g. gold equivalent) are determined using a long-term gold price ($1,800/oz) and modifying factors derived in the resource to reserve conversion process (or by comparison to similar projects for our resource-only properties). These values are then used to create constraining volumes that provide limits to the reported Resources. Resource grades are reported undiluted from within the constraining volumes that satisfy RPEEE. At Efemcukuru, mineralized shapes based on RPEEE identified based on 2.5 g/t Au COG; within shapes material below incremental COG of 1.0 g/t have been excluded; grades are diluted by must-take material between 1.0 and 2.5 g/t Au. Due to the presence of narrow veins, any future potential conversion of Resources to Reserves at Ormaque will reflect expected lower grades to fully represent modifying factors associated with mining. Open Pit Resources used pit shells created with the long-term gold price to constrain reportable model blocks. Underground Resources were constrained by volumes whose design was guided by a combination of the reporting cut-off grade or value, contiguous areas of mineralization and mineability. Eldorado’s Mineral Resources are inclusive of Reserves. Mineral Resource Reporting and demonstration of Reasonable Prospects for Eventual Economic Extraction: The Mineral Resources used a long term look gold metal price of $1,800/oz for the determination of resource cut-off grades or values. This guided execution of the next step where constraining surfaces or volumes were created to control resource reporting. Open pit-only projects (Kisladag, Perama Hill, Perama South, and Certej) used pit shells created with the long-term gold price to constrain reportable model blocks. Underground Resources were constrained by 3D volumes whose design was guided by the reporting cut-off grade or value, contiguous areas of mineralization and mineability. Only material internal to these volumes were eligible for reporting. Projects with both open pit and underground Resources have the open pit Resources constrained by either the permit (Skouries), and pit shell, or by an open pit/underground economic crossover surface, and underground Resources constrained by a reporting shape. (1) Mineralized shapes based on RPEEE identified based on 2.5 g/t Au COG; within shapes material below incremental COG of 1.0 g/t have been excluded; grades are diluted by must-take material between 1.0 and 2.5 g/t Au. Qualified Persons The following persons, all of whom are qualified persons under NI 43-101, have approved the disclosure related to the Mineral Resources for the projects noted below contained within this release: Cautionary Note about Forward-looking Statements and Information Certain of the statements made and information provided in this news release are forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “budget”, “continue”, “estimates”, “expects”, “forecasts”, “foresee”, “future”, “goal”, “guidance”, “intends”, “opportunity”, “outlook”, “plans”, “potential”, “strive”, “target” or “underway” or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “could”, “likely”, “may”, “might”, “will” or “would” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information are by their nature based on a number of assumptions, that management considers reasonable. However, such assumptions involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which, if proven to be inaccurate, may cause actual results, activities, performance or achievements may be materially different from those described in the forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information contained in this release include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to: our Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; long term prospects for the Lamaque Complex, the sale of the Certej project; exploration opportunities to extend the life of mine at Efemcukuru; 2025 focus on extending mine life, testing near-mine exploration targets and seeking a discovery from prospective early-stage exploration targets; the filing of a new technical report for the Lamaque Complex, the disclosed outlook on long term metal prices; and generally our strategy, plans and goals. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information, including assumptions about: our ability to obtain all required approvals and permits in a timely manner and our ability to comply with all the conditions that are imposed in such approvals and permits; timing of filing of a new technical report for the Lamaque mineral properties; timing, cost and results of our construction and development activities, improvements and exploration; the future price of gold and other commodities and the global concentrate market; exchange rates; anticipated values, costs, expenses and working capital requirements; production and metallurgical recoveries; Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; our ability to unlock the potential of our brownfield property portfolio; our ability to address the negative impacts of climate change and adverse weather; consistency of agglomeration and our ability to optimize it in the future; the cost of, and extent to which we use, essential consumables (including fuel, explosives, cement, and cyanide); the impact and effectiveness of productivity initiatives; the time and cost necessary for anticipated overhauls of equipment; expected by-product grades; the use, and impact or effectiveness, of growth capital; the impact of acquisitions, dispositions, suspensions or delays on our business; the sustaining capital required for various projects; and the geopolitical, economic, permitting and legal climate that we operate in (including disruptions to shipping operations and related impacts). Even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Many assumptions may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, risks relating to our operations in foreign jurisdictions (including disruptions to shipping operations) development risks at Skouries and other development projects; community relations and social license; liquidity and financing risks; climate change; inflation risk; environmental matters; production and processing; waste disposal; geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions or failures; the global economic environment; risks relating to any pandemic, epidemic, endemic or similar public health threats; reliance on a limited number of smelters and off-takers; labour (including in relation to employee/union relations, the Greek transformation, employee misconduct, key personnel, skilled workforce, expatriates, and contractors); indebtedness (including current and future operating restrictions, implications of a change of control, ability to meet debt service obligations, the implications of defaulting on obligations and change in credit ratings); government regulation; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; commodity price risk; mineral tenure; permits; risks relating to environmental sustainability and governance practices and performance; financial reporting (including relating to the carrying value of our assets and changes in reporting standards); non-governmental organizations; corruption, bribery and sanctions; information and operational technology systems; litigation and contracts; estimation of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; different standards used to prepare and report Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources; credit risk; price volatility, volume fluctuations and dilution risk in respect of our shares; actions of activist shareholders; reliance on infrastructure, commodities and consumables (including power and water); currency risk; interest rate risk; tax matters; dividends; reclamation and long-term obligations; acquisitions, including integration risks, and dispositions; regulated substances; necessary equipment; co-ownership of our properties; the unavailability of insurance; conflicts of interest; compliance with privacy legislation; reputational issues; and competition. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Information Form & Form 40-F filed on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under our Company name, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect our business and operations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements and information is designed to help you understand management’s current views of our near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company’s business contained in the Company’s reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States.
NoneBy KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Zimmer Biomet Receives FDA Approval for Oxford® Cementless Partial Knee, Only Cementless Partial Knee Replacement Implant in the U.S.A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference said it was “satisfied” with the judge's decision and would continue upholding policies established by its board of directors, which “directly align with NCAA and USA Volleyball.” “We are excited to proceed with the Mountain West Conference Women's Volleyball Championship,” its statement added. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment on whether the Broncos would play SJSU if they won their first-round tournament game. Utah State officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!NoneMist hangs in the air, embracing the giant mosses and clusters of tree orchids that adorn the summit of the majestic Mount Gower on Lord Howe Island. Ascending into this rare island cloud forest is like stepping into a fairytale — a hushed and secret world, carpeted in a tapestry of rich greens, rare palms, and twisted trees veiled in lichens. As the canopy closes over, an otherworldly place emerges, an enchanting reward for those who have made the rugged and arduous climb to the island's highest peak. Above, providence petrels circle and call, while in the shaded, cooler air below, flightless Lord Howe Island woodhens scurry through the ground cover. Remnants of an extinct shield volcano, Mt Gower and the adjacent Mount Lidgbird have stood for millennia as sentinels at the Jurassic-like southern end of the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island. Even in clear weather, their summits are often enveloped in clouds, that form as warm, moist ocean winds hit the mountains and are forced to suddenly rise and rapidly cool. "There are not many islands in the world with very tall mountains that stick up so high into the atmosphere they create their own cloud, so it is pretty special," the island's resident biologist and naturalist, Ian Hutton, said. The fragile ecosystem thriving here at altitudes above 750 metres is home to plants and animals found nowhere else on the planet — the combination of a geographical "sky island", sitting atop an earthly one. "Probably 85 per cent of the plants on Mt Gower are only found on Lord Howe Island, and many of those just on the very summit," he said. "Some plants have evolved over millions of years just to live on that summit ... living on those plants are certain species of beetles and snails that have evolved just to live on those plants." Officially known as the Gnarled Mossy Cloud Forest, the ecosystem is classified as a critically endangered ecological community, a known biodiversity hotspot. In recent decades the ecosystem has struggled to survive, threatened by rodents and climate changes. It's five years since a widescale, $15 million eradication program rid the island of more than 300,000 mice and rats. Introduced owl species were also removed from the island, an 11-kilometre-long crescent in the Tasman Sea, 600 kilometres east of Port Macquarie. "The rodent eradication project wasn't about killing rats; it was about actually protecting this environment," Lord Howe Island Board chief executive Suzie Christensen said. "They [rodents] are responsible for five species of bird that became extinct, 13 invertebrates and a lot of critically endangered animals on the island. "Because of our location and small amount of habitat, the rodents were the biggest threat to the ecology and biodiversity of the island ... and the bounce-back has been enormous." Mr Hutton said the program laid the groundwork for a swift and remarkable environmental resurgence, highlighted by the recovery of more than 30 species of threatened flora and fauna, including birds, insects and snails. "We are just now, five years later, seeing the beginning of [an ecological] renaissance of this island," he said. Trek to a paradise reclaimed One man who has held a front-row seat to the environmental transformation is fifth-generation islander Jack Shick. The 63-year-old trekker estimates he has scaled the 875-metre-tall Mt Gower about 2,400 times, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were both mountain guides. "This is my backyard," he said. "I guess where your grassroots are is where your heart is. "It's just amazing the changes that are happening in the forest — it has blown me out of the water really. "I thought it would change but I just can't believe how quickly things have been happening." The trek up Mt Gower involves a rugged climb, and ropes are needed to safely haul the intrepid up steep sections with dramatic drop-offs. Surprisingly tame endemic currawongs watch on quietly from cliff-side trees, as Mr Shick leads a group up the mountain. He regularly stops to marvel at the number of palm seedlings carpeting the forest floor. The critically endangered little mountain palm — a species found only in the cloud forest in an area of less than 4 square kilometres — is thriving now that the rodents have been removed. "There are so many more seeds now from the palms. The rats would have eaten all those seeds," Mr Shick said. "The number of palms coming back now is just unbelievable." So too, he says, is the resurgence in insect and bird populations, including the number of silver eyes, golden whistlers and black-winged petrels. "I have been walking through here since I was a kid, and you think what you're seeing is normal, but now we are starting to see the real normal when things start to recover," he said. From the summit, the island can be seen stretching out below, its coral lagoon sparkling along its western shore. Emulating their distinctive sound, Mr Shick calls providence petrels down from the sky and the large seabirds land nearby. The species nests almost entirely on the island and their nesting grounds on the slopes of Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird are now safe from rat predation and owls. The Lord Howe Island Board says in recent years their breeding success has jumped from 2 per cent to 50 per cent. Sights and sounds of recovery One of the most prominent signs of ecological recovery is the prevalence of cheeky, noisy Lord Howe Island woodhens. Once pushed to the brink of extinction and confined to the summit regions of Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird, the species is now thriving, scurrying across paths and through forests. Their high-pitched staccato calls form part of the island's unique soundtrack, day and night. In the 1970s, there were fewer than 30 birds left, so a captive-breeding program was started in 1980. Once feral pigs and cats were removed from the island, the woodhen population rose to about 250. It's the removal of egg-eating rodents, though, that has had the biggest impact. "Our Lord Howe Island woodhen numbers have gone from about 200 woodhens five years ago, to over 2,000 now," Mr Hutton said. The island's board reports the woodhens' behaviour has also changed — pairs are now breeding nearly year-round, producing multiple clutches of eggs. Mr Hutton said insect life had also increased remarkably. Earlier this year, while collecting specimens on Mt Gower for the Australian Museum in Sydney, he found a species of beetle that was thought to be extinct. "I was out at night photographing insects and snails," he said. "One of them turned out to be a species of beetle, a type of weevil, that had been declared extinct, and hadn't been collected since 1916. "Yet there it was! I found some on a palm ... so that's very exciting, to think there's a beetle presumed extinct, but it did survive." According to the board, since the eradication of rodents, four of the five endangered land snail species have also been seen more regularly. "They found snails they thought were extinct, and identified 10 new snail species, and found a wood-eating cockroach on the main island for the first time in 80 years," Ms Christensen said. One species, the magnificent helicarionid land snail, only known to live on the upper slopes and summit of Mt Gower, was feared extinct until it was spotted again in 2022. A snail species, had not been seen since 1914 and was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 2021. 'Canary in the coal mine' Scientists flock to Lord Howe Island, keen to study an environment that was untouched by humans until the late 18th century, when whalers stepped ashore to replenish food and water supplies. Researchers say its isolation makes it an ideal "control" for studies looking into the impacts of climate change. "Lord Howe Island, being this fairly intact ecosystem with 85 per cent of its forest still left, and fairly minimal impact, scientists can come here and study the real world in pretty pristine condition," Mr Hutton said. These include studies of the cloud forest and the world's southernmost coral reef. Professor Lesley Hughes, a climate scientist from the Australian Climate Council, said these rare and fragile environments were proving to be the "canary in the coal mine" for climate change. "As the world is warming up, places like the cloud forest are getting much drier and they basically go into drought and can't exist anymore," Dr Hughes said. "So, the cloud forest here is a really important ecosystem to monitor, to really see how climate change is progressing in vulnerable ecosystems." Mr Hutton, who first arrived on Lord Howe Island in 1980 as a weather observer for the Bureau of Meteorology, has been involved in long-running climate change studies on the island. "For about 15 years we have been putting temperature loggers at 100-metre intervals from sea level up, and a few across the summit," he said. Mr Hutton, an author and photographer, uses drone technology to document changes on the mountain summits photographically. "I am able to aerially map the summit and have a record year after year of changes," he said. "When we have extreme dry years, and the cloud lifts off the mountain, we have seen a fairly significant impact on tree species, not just the small plants. "If the trees die up there and they do fall over, potentially it is letting weeds into that environment, and also just opening up the light, and many plants have evolved to live in the dark shade, and they won't cope with that." Reef studies of global importance Dr Hughes said the island's reef was acting as a similar "canary" highlighting the impacts of climate change on reefs around the globe. In February this year, Lord Howe Island experienced a significant coral bleaching event. "Coral reefs all around the world are really being badly affected by warming oceans," she said. "Our oceans are actually absorbing more than 90 per cent of the extra heat in the Earth's system." Dr Hughes said marine heatwaves were stressing corals and causing them to dispel the symbiotic algae that provided their food source. "If the stress goes on for too long, they bleach and die," she said. Professor Bill Leggat, of the University of Newcastle's School of Environmental and Life Sciences, is part of a team, including staff from the University of New South Wales and the state Department of Primary Industries, which is monitoring the impact of coral bleaching on Lord Howe Island. "When climate predictions suggested corals were going to bleach, we went over in January before the coral bleaching occurred and did some baseline studies and now, we've been back a number of times to follow how severe the bleaching has been," he said. "Lord Howe had a bleaching event in 2010 and 2011, also one in 2019, and now in 2024 ... this event was one of the worst they have recorded. "Some reef areas were having 50 per cent bleaching, which is pretty high." Professor Leggat said there were already signs of recovery on Lord Howe Island's reef, but the warming climate remained a concern. "Unfortunately, corals around the world have been undergoing a bleaching event for the past year. It started in the Northern Hemisphere," he said. "We didn't see coral bleaching events before 1980, so it's very concerning. "When you are seeing these impacts from climate change on Lord Howe Island, which is incredibly isolated, the reef is well-managed and it's not subjected to other stressors ... it's really a worrying sign for all reefs around the world." Professor Leggat said a "greener economy" and reducing other stressors on coral reefs would help preserve them for future generations. "We will continue monitoring the Lord Howe reef and looking at recovery, and that's so we can understand the impact of the bleaching event, what corals have survived, how they have recovered, and give some information for future events," he said. At a local scale, he said, managers and communities could help to protect coral reefs by minimising other stressors, such as damaging runoff and disturbances, and look at better managing fisheries efforts. "Corals are a bit like humans, if they are stressed and have multiple stressors, they get sicker and they die quicker," he said. Former Lord Howe Island ranger turned reef tour operator Dean Hiscox said the island's reef had the distinction of being influenced by tropical, sub-tropical and temperate ocean currents. "It provides this really unique combination of different species that flourish in a pristine, really healthy marine system," he said. These species include the double-header wrasse and a local variety of clownfish. "Not only are they unique and have wonderful characters, but they also provide us with a really good benchmark of reef health," he said. Mr Hiscox takes water temperature readings of the lagoon every day and said he felt helpless in February this year when readings reached the "danger zone" above 26 degrees Celsius, leading to the bleaching event. "For us, that is incredibly sad," he said, before noting that Lord Howe Island had been able to recover from previous bleaching events. "We now know that if we go from an El Niño weather pattern to a La Niña cycle, that will traditionally bring cooler air and ocean temperatures to this region and then we will go into a couple of cooler seasons," he said. "We have seen our reef rebound really, really strongly given enough time for recovery." Environmental stewards Moving forward, the focus is on preserving the unique island environment. Mr Hiscox said sustainability was something the island's 400-strong population "lived and breathed". "There's a good reason it remains so beautiful and unspoilt, and that is because the islanders themselves have taken a strong sense of pride and stewardship in the environment," he said. "It's part of our existence." Lord Howe Island Brewery and Nursery owner Tim Maxwell said business operators also supported the ethos to put environmental protection ahead of profits. "The environment is a lens that we all look through first," Mr Maxwell said. "If you want to have a business interest on the island, you have to think first, 'Well, what impact is that going to have on the island and on the community?' "For me, living here for only seven years, I've really noticed the difference when I go back to Sydney. "Here, the proximity of living so close to what you affect is really a different mindset." The island has reaped the benefits of a decision made in the 1950s to cap visitor numbers to 400 at any one time. It's a tourism model that has prevented the over-development seen in other holiday hotspots on the mainland, and on some popular Australian islands. Community consultation done recently by the Lord Howe Island Board as part of its 10-year strategic plan showed zero appetite for changing the cap. Board chief executive Suzie Christensen said it provided a known quantity to all aspects of island life, including the number of daily flights, waste management, water and power provisions, freight considerations and built infrastructure. "It works well for the island and our capacity to service those needs," she said. "Mainly the island wants to retain the beauty of the place as a fairly unspoilt paradise." To that end, under the island's Local Environment Plan, only 25 houses were approved for construction over the past 10 years, each with a minimum lot size of 3,000 metres squared. A hybrid solar farm that was switched on in 2021 now generates 67 per cent of the island's energy needs, and residents generally rely on tanks for their water. Keeping pests out After all the hard work to help the island recover from the effects of invasive species, biosecurity is paramount. Biosecurity team leader Darryl Birch was involved in implementing the rat eradication program, and now works to ensure the pests do not return. Nothing and no one arrives on Lord Howe Island without being scrutinised by a sniffer dog. The dogs and their handlers carry out biosecurity checks when the island's supply ship leaves Port Macquarie every two weeks, and again when it docks. The same checks are done for every flight that takes off bound for Lord Howe Island, and again after each one lands. Every six weeks the island-based dogs are put to work sniffing out any potential rats, with a "second opinion" gathered every 12 weeks by dogs brought over from the mainland. Mr Birch said these biosecurity measures would be in place indefinitely to protect the island from threats including rodents, insects, reptiles and plant pathogens. "Lord Howe is a country in itself, relative to Australia, so everything from the mainland could potentially become an issue," he said. "We have to be vigilant and the only way we can do that going forward is to use the citizens on the island to keep us informed of what's going on. "There's a huge amount of pressure. It's such a unique and special place, so we have to work hard to protect it." Protecting paradise At a grassroots level, even visitors are doing their part. Travellers to Lord Howe Island step onto an airport tarmac surrounded by endemic Kentia palms and lush fields, with a smell of ocean salt in the air. Most eyes immediately lift southward to the breathtaking mountains. It's easy to get caught up in the drive to protect the place. Sydneysider Ian Sinclair fell in love with the island more than 20 years ago. He joined a volunteer weeding group run by Mr Hutton, which aims to eradicate invasive plants including cat's claw creeper and bitou bush. Mr Hutton started the program in 1995, and since then there have been about 100 weeding eco-tours on the island. "This island is very special in a biodiversity sense so it's really nice to be able to do something to help that in a very simple way," Mr Sinclair said. A lot was on the line when Mr Sinclair later brought his partner John Pemble to Lord Howe. "When I brought John here 14 years ago, it was a bit of a test," he said. "I thought, if he likes it, I'll keep him." A proposal followed at the top of Mt Gower and the pair were married at the island's famous Ned's Beach. They return several times a year and regularly work with the weeding group. Mr Sinclair said it highlighted the value of "people power". "This island is a piece of paradise that needs to be looked after," he said. Credits Related stories Cost of Living Human Interest Lifestyle Family Related topics Animals Climate Change Coffs Harbour Conservation Endangered and Protected Species Environmental Impact Invasive Species Lismore Lord Howe Island Native Species Oceans and Reefs Port Macquarie Rural and Remote Communities Sydney Weather Phenomena
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BEIRUT — Israel's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 31 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials claimed they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Bulldozers remove the rubble of a destroyed building Monday that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations also expressed cautious optimism Monday about possible progress on a ceasefire. “Knock on wood,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said as he opened the Group of Seven meeting outside Rome. “We are perhaps close to a ceasefire in Lebanon," he said. "Let's hope it's true and that there's no backing down at the last-minute.” A ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon was foremost on the agenda of the G7 meeting in Fiuggi, outside Rome, that gathered ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the last G7 encounter of the Biden administration. For the first time, the G7 ministers were joined by their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Thick smoke, flames and debris erupt Monday from an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Tayouneh, Beirut, Lebanon. Meanwhile, massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut's southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatiyeh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon's Health Ministry said Monday that 26 people were killed in southern Lebanon, four in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel province and one in Choueifat, a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs that was not subjected to evacuation warnings on Monday. The deaths brought the total toll to 3,768 killed in Lebanon throughout 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah and nearly two months since Israel launched its ground invasion. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians, and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel claims to have killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. Destroyed buildings stand Monday in the area of a village in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel. Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because "we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire." Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were "close to a deal." "It can happen within days," he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. A member of the Israeli security forces inspects an impact site Sunday after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an area in Rinatya, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force. Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel demands the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government says such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. On paper, being more sustainable and eco-friendly while shopping sounds great—so why don't more people do it? There is growing consumer consciousness about the environmental impact of where people choose to shop and the sustainability of the products they buy. According to McKinsey, over 60% of individuals surveyed in 2020 said they would be willing to pay more for a product that is packaged in an eco-friendly way. Since 2019, products marketed as being environmentally sustainable have seen a 28% growth in revenue compared to 20% for products with no such marketing, a 2023 McKinsey and NielsenIQ report found. Much of this is thanks to the preferences and attitudes of Gen Z, who, on average, care more than their older counterparts about being informed shoppers. The younger generation also has more social justice and environmental awareness altogether. Shoppers are willing to spend around 9.7% more on a product they know is sourced or manufactured sustainably, with 46% saying they would do so explicitly because they want to reduce their environmental footprint, according to a 2024 PwC report. Sustainable practices consumers look for from companies include production methods, packaging, and water conservation. But despite the growing consciousness around being more environmentally responsible, consumer actions don't always align with their values. In psychology, this is defined as the "say-do gap": the phenomenon wherein people openly express concern and intention around an issue, but fail to take tangible action to make a change. According to the Harvard Business Review in 2019, most consumers (65%) say they want to buy from brands that promote sustainability, but only 1 in 4 follow through. So why don't people actually shop sustainably, despite how much they express a preference for eco-friendly products—and how can we close the gap? The RealReal examined reports from the Harvard Business Review and other sources to explore why some shoppers want to buy sustainably but struggle to follow through. This lack of action isn't due to a lack of caring—in many cases, it's hard to know how to be a sustainable consumer and other factors are often outside of shoppers' control. But the more people shop sustainably, the easier and more accessible that market will be for everyone—making it much easier for folks to buy aligned with their values. There are many obstacles preventing shoppers from upholding eco-friendly habits as much as they may want to—but not all of these barriers are necessarily real, or accurately understood. Shopping sustainably simply isn't convenient or accessible for many. Those who live in apartment buildings are 50% less likely to recycle , according to Ipsos. Reasons for this can vary from lack of space to buildings being excluded altogether because of recycling contamination issues. Many believe that sustainable products are too expensive or of a lower quality. The former is often true, which does create a hurdle for many: The manufacturing processes and materials for sustainable products are pricey. For instance, organic cotton requires an intensive production process free of certain chemicals or pesticides; by definition, true eco-friendly products can't be mass-produced, further upping their price tag. Using recycled materials for packaging, or obtaining an eco certification, can also be expensive. However, although the narrative of eco-friendly products being more expensive is true, there is often more of an effort to use better quality materials that last longer than their noneco-friendly counterparts. This could end up saving consumers money in the long run: By paying more upfront, they can get more wear out of sustainable fashion, for instance. There is also undeniable political rhetoric surrounding eco-friendly products—however, despite many Conservative politicians decrying sustainable products, members of all generations are increasingly choosing to prioritize shopping sustainably regardless of their political affiliation, according to research from NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business . This finding shows a trend toward seeing sustainability as a nonpartisan subject everyone can benefit from, no matter where they lie on the political spectrum. Some might think eco-friendly clothing, in particular, is not fashion-forward; after all, many of the top clothing retailers in the world partake in fast fashion. However, brands are increasingly being recognized as 'cool' and 'trendy' for supporting environmentally ethical practices, particularly as younger generations prioritize sustainability, as noted before. Many increasingly popular online stores are taking advantage of this paradigm shift by offering secondhand shopping options that are not only fashionable, but also more affordable, like ThredUp or Poshmark. Additionally, many legacy large-name brands are hopping on the sustainability movement and are gaining appreciation from loyal customers. Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly program partners with third-party certification bodies to make it easier for shoppers to identify eco-friendly products as they browse the website. H&M's newly launched H&M Rewear program debuts a resale platform that allows the resale of all clothing brands—not just their own. Similarly, Patagonia's Worn Wear program allows shoppers to trade in and buy used gear and clothing. The federal government is also working to close this gap. The Environmental Protection Agency's Safer Choice program is attempting to make sustainable shopping easier for consumers and companies alike. It includes a directory of certified products, a list of safer chemicals to look out for on labels, a "Safer Choice" label that products can earn to denote they are eco-friendly, and resources for manufacturers looking to adopt more sustainable practices. Most of all, though, the biggest way shoppers can shift toward sustainable shopping is through their behaviors and attitudes amongst their peers and communities. Studies show that humans largely care what others think of their actions; the more shoppers make environmentally conscious shopping the norm, the more others will follow suit. From an economic perspective, the more consumers shop eco-friendly, the more affordable and accessible these products will become, too: Sustainable products are currently more expensive because they are not in high demand. Once demand rises, production rates and prices can lower, making these products more accessible for all. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. This story originally appeared on The RealReal and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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