Namibia has authorized the culling of hundreds of animals, including elephants, as part of a plan to feed people in the drought-stricken southern African country. 

About half of Namibia’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity, the United Nations said last month. Meat from the 723 culled animals will be distributed as part of a drought relief program, the country’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced Monday.

“This exercise [is] necessary and is in line with our constitutional mandate where our natural resources are used for the benefit of Namibian citizens,” the ministry said. 

Namibia has experienced a 53% decline in cereal production and a nearly 70% reduction in dam water levels amid the drought, the United Nations said. A national state of emergency was declared on May 22.

Professional hunters and safari outfitters will handle the culling, which is being limited to national parks and communal areas with sustainable game numbers. The plan is to cull 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebras, 83 elephants and 100 elands. 

Officials said the culling will provide meat for people while also reducing the negative impact of drought on the conservation of wild animals, which are competing for grazing areas and water as the drought continues. 

Other countries, such as Australia, have previously permitted the culling of animals. The country has approved the deaths of thousands of kangaroos over the years, with officials warning in the past that there wasn’t enough food available to support the population of kangaroos. 

The severe drought in Namibia was brought on by El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that occurs when the Pacific Ocean experiences warmer-than-average surface temperatures. Climate change can exacerbate El Niño, leading to new record temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Increasing temperatures and inconsistent rainfall are two of the biggest threats to natural resources in Namibia, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Wildlife with access to fewer resources can also push into human settlements. 

Namibia, in its release about the culling plan, noted that the National Conference on Human Wildlife Conflict Management in 2023 determined elephant numbers should be reduced as a way to cut down on human-wildlife conflict.

“With the severe drought situation in the country, conflicts are expected to increase if no interventions are made,” officials said. 

Credit card debt has become an increasingly pressing issue for millions of Americans. That’s because, unlike other forms of debt, credit card balances can quickly spiral out of control due to the high interest rates these borrowing tools come with — and how little the minimum payments impact the balance. 

One sign of how widespread the credit card debt issue has become is the recent uptick in maxed-out card users, with about 20% of cardholders now at their borrowing limits. Credit card delinquencies have also been climbing, showcasing how truly strapped many borrowers have become. But perhaps most startling is the fact that credit card debt has reached $1.14 trillion nationwide, a new record high.

While there are various solutions available for those grappling with credit card debt, debt consolidation can be a particularly appealing option. By combining multiple high-interest debts into a single, more manageable payment, debt consolidation can offer a path to financial relief. And, there are a few reasons borrowers may want to pursue it this September, in particular. 

Learn how the right debt relief company could help with your high-rate card debt now.

3 big reasons to consolidate your credit card debt this September

Here’s why credit card debt consolidation could make sense to pursue this September:

Loan rates are likely to fall in September

One of the most compelling reasons to consider consolidating your credit card debt this September is the anticipated decrease in loan rates. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut the cost of borrowing by at least 25 basis points at its September meeting, a move that would have a ripple effect across various lending products. This reduction in the federal funds rate typically translates to lower interest rates on consumer loans, including loans used for debt consolidation.

For those looking to consolidate their credit card debt, this potential rate cut could mean substantial savings. Debt consolidation loans and home equity loans, two popular options for rolling multiple credit card balances into a single debt, are likely to become more affordable. By taking advantage of these lower rates, borrowers could significantly reduce the overall interest they pay on their debt, potentially saving thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

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Credit card rates may not follow

While loan rates are expected to decrease, credit card interest rates may not follow suit, at least not to the same extent or with the same speed. Unlike lenders that offer personal loans or home equity products, credit card issuers are often slower to adjust their rates in response to Federal Reserve actions. In turn, any impact that the Fed decision has on card rates is likely to be minimal — and probably won’t provide much relief to cardholders. 

By consolidating credit card debt into a lower-interest loan this September, though, borrowers can potentially lock in significantly lower rates than what their credit cards are currently charging. This move could provide immediate relief from high-interest charges and accelerate the debt repayment process. Plus, if credit card rates do eventually decrease, the reduction is unlikely to match the savings offered by a well-timed debt consolidation strategy.

The longer you wait, the more your debt compounds

Another big reason to consider debt consolidation this September is that credit card debt doesn’t stand still — it grows, and often at an alarming rate. Credit card balances are subject to compound interest, meaning that interest is calculated on the principal amount borrowed and also on the accumulated interest from previous periods. This compounding effect can cause debt to snowball rapidly, making it increasingly difficult to pay off.

The longer a balance is carried on a high-rate credit card, the more it will cost in the long run. By waiting to address credit card debt, borrowers are essentially signing up for larger future payments. This is particularly concerning given the current high interest rate environment, where each day of delay translates to more interest accrued.

Consolidating credit card debt in September can put an immediate stop to this growth. By transferring high-interest balances to a lower-interest loan, borrowers can halt the compounding effect and begin making real progress toward paying down their principal. 

The bottom line

With loan rates likely to fall, credit card rates remaining stubbornly high, and the ever-present danger of compound interest, consolidating your credit card debt now could lead to significant financial benefits. By doing so, you can potentially save money, simplify your finances and put yourself on a clearer path to financial stability. That said, it’s important to carefully consider your unique financial circumstances before doing so, but for many, this September could mark the beginning of a journey toward a debt-free future.

Going green isn’t only good for the planet — it can also put some green in your pocket.

The U.S. added 142,000 clean energy jobs last year, with employment in the emerging sector growing more than twice as fast as the rest of the energy industry and the economy overall, the Department of Energy said Wednesday in an annual report. Of the more than 250,000 jobs added in the energy sector last year, 56% involved clean energy, the agency found. 

“The data clearly show that clean energy means jobs — good jobs, union jobs and jobs retained — in communities across the country as we race to dominate the global clean energy economy,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.

The sectors seeing significant job growth include zero-emission vehicles and renewable energy, as well as transmission and storage — growth the Biden administration views as essential for meeting its goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.

In addition to 90,000 traditional energy construction jobs, the agency found 28,000 more in 2023 involved building new battery and solar module factories, ports for offshore wind, and warehouses to store and transport clean energy products.

President Biden in November announced a federal jobs training program — dubbed the American Climate Corps — to employ more than 20,000 young adults to build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and perform other work to boost conservation while helping prevent catastrophic wildfires. 

Local officials are also increasingly looking to stoke hiring in clean energy. For example, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker last month announced a $30 million investment to build a clean energy workforce on Chicago’s historically impoverished South and West sides, with the goal of creating more than 1,000 jobs in solar energy over the next three years. In Brooklyn, New York, workshops train electricians for projects dealing with climate resiliency and sustainability.

Globally, job postings requiring at least one green skill jumped more than 22% in 2023 from the previous year, while the share of workers who had clean energy experience rose by just 12.3%, according to findings published by LinkedIn.