Fracking Companies Warned to Scale Back Operations Linked to Earthquakes or Get Sued
Weitz & Luxenberg, in partnership with Public Justice, served a Notice of Intent to Sue today on behalf of the Sierra Club, demanding four energy companies operating in Oklahoma scale back operations that have been linked to increasing seismic activity in the area.
The notice formally requests that Sandridge Exploration and Production, New Dominion, Chesapeake Operating and Devon Energy Production Company substantially reduce the amount of production waste they are injecting into ground wells in Oklahoma or face further legal action.
Despite clear and compelling evidence linking the fracking and oil industries to the increasing number of earthquakes in Oklahoma, these companies continue to operate in a way that threatens the health, environmental, aesthetic and economic interests of the people of this state.
It is time these companies take responsibility for the impact they are having on their surroundings and change their operations to protect the future of Oklahoma.
Seismic activity has been steadily increasing in frequency and intensity in Oklahoma, and has recently been linked to the growing volume of production waste that is injected into the ground by oil and fracking companies. Prior to 2009, Oklahoma recorded a maximum of 195 earthquakes in any given year. By 2014, seismologists recorded more than 5,000 earthquakes and, in 2015, experts predict there will be more than 6,000. Since late 2009, the rate of magnitude 3.5 or larger earthquakes in north central Oklahoma has been almost 300 times higher than in previous decades.
At the same time, the total volume of production waste injected into ground wells has grown from two billion barrels in 2009 to more than 12 billion barrels in 2014. The four companies listed in the Notice of Intent to Sue contributed more than 60 percent of the total volume of production waste injected into ground wells in Oklahoma in 2014.
The Oklahoma Geological Survey determined in the spring of 2015 that “the majority of recent earthquakes in central and north-central Oklahoma are very likely triggered by the injection of produced water in disposal wells” and that “seismologists have documented the relationship between wastewater disposal and triggered seismic activity." The U.S. Geological Survey also fully supports this conclusion.
Weitz & Luxenberg, Public Justice and the Oklahoma Sierra Club are formally requesting that the four companies take immediate steps to reduce the amount of production waste injected into ground wells to levels deemed safe by experts. They are also asking that the companies reinforce structures that current forecasts show could be damaged or destroyed by large earthquakes and establish an independent earthquake monitoring and prediction center to analyze and predict the relationship between the injection of production waste and increased seismic activity.
If these companies are not willing to modify their operations and protect the safety of the community in this area, the citizens of Oklahoma will sue in federal court. The companies have 90 days from service of the Notice to remedy their violations. If they do not, suit will be filed in federal district court after those 90 days.
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19 Individuals and Organizations Building Stronger Black Communities and Food Systems
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Insights + Opinion
These 19 organizations and individuals represent a small portion of the efforts underway to fight racism and inequality and to build stronger Black communities and food systems. rez-art / Getty Images
By Danielle Nierenberg
Following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, people around the United States are protesting racism, police brutality, inequality, and violence in their own communities. No matter your political affiliation, the violence by multiple police departments in this country is unacceptable.
<p>We must remember and honor the memory of people including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and David McAtee, the owner of a barbecue restaurant in Louisville who was killed by police during protests. These murders are a travesty and something that should not happen in the United States of America—or any nation.</p><p>It's time for people of all backgrounds to not only denounce violence, but to actively use their voices, dollars, and power to demand change. I'm in awe of the many people who have been working for years to restore democracy, empathy, and equality to this country. </p><p>These 19 organizations and individuals represent a small portion of the efforts underway to fight racism and inequality and to build stronger Black communities and food systems, and I hope you'll join me in supporting them.</p>
<p><strong>1. </strong><a href="http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Anti Police-Terror Project</strong></a></p><p>The Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-generational coalition of people working to end police terror in communities. Based in Oakland and Sacramento, California, APTP is building a sustainable model for justice that can be replicated around the country. They also document police abuses and help impacted families access legal and healing resources.</p><p><strong>2. </strong><a href="https://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Church Food Security Network</strong></a></p><p>Based in Baltimore but operating nationally, the Black Church Food Security Network aims to support gardening and farming within Black churches. They establish agricultural projects on church land, connect farmers to congregational markets, and create asset maps of Black churches and surrounding neighborhoods to help better use resources. They also operate <a href="https://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/black-farmer-network" target="_blank">a small directory and interactive map</a> of faith-based Black farmers across the East Coast, Midwest, and southeastern U.S.</p><p><strong>3. </strong><a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Lives Matter</strong></a></p><p>Black Lives Matter, a movement created in response to murders of innocent Black people by police and vigilantes, works to build power to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe. Black Lives Matter is a broad coalition and affirms the lives of Black people across the gender spectrum, of all abilities, and of any documentation status.</p>
<p><strong>4. </strong><a href="https://www.blackurbangrowers.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Urban Growers Association</strong></a></p><p>Black Urban Growers maintains a network and community support in order to foster Black leadership in food and farm advocacy. Their programs include the Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference, a national conference started in 2010 that brings together Black farmers, advocates, chefs, and communities to share their best practices and leadership efforts.</p><p><strong>5. </strong><a href="http://www.detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Detroit Black Community Food Security Network</strong></a></p><p>The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network is working on the ground in Detroit, Michigan, to ensure that the local urban agriculture movement is racially and socially inclusive. It was founded in 2006 to mobilize the Black community to address food insecurity challenges, and the network believes that the most effective movements grow organically within the communities they are designed to benefit. They operate organic urban farm sites, various local food policy initiatives, and a cooperative food-buying program for community residents.</p><p><strong>6. </strong><a href="http://dreamingoutloud.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Dreaming Out Loud</strong></a></p><p>Washington D.C. nonprofit Dreaming Out Loud works to create healthier, more equitable food systems in low-income communities. Dreaming Out Loud supports economic opportunity-building with their two-acre farm, several community gardens and farmers markets, and a food business accelerator. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they partnered with Little Sesame restaurant to provide free meals for people of all ages every weekday afternoon.</p>
<p><strong>7. </strong><a href="https://fairfight.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Fair Fight</strong></a></p><p>One of the most impactful ways to participate in democracy is by voting, but many people, particularly in minority communities, face structural barriers against having their voices be heard. Fair Fight was founded by Stacey Abrams, who lost a close race for Georgia governor in 2018 amid allegations that her opponent, then-state Secretary of State Brian Kemp, had engaged in voter suppression. The organization aims to end voter suppression, make sure everyone can access their constitutional right to vote, and fight for fairer elections. You can <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fairfight-2020-dtd" target="_blank">donate online here</a>.</p><p><strong>8. Jamila Norman of </strong><a href="https://www.patchworkcityfarms.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Patchwork City Farms</strong></a></p><p>Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jamila Norman is a world-renowned urban farmer and food activist. In 2010, Norman founded Patchwork City Farms, a certified naturally grown organic urban farm where Norman farms—and provides the local community with safe and nutritious foods. Norman is also co-founder of EAT Where You Are, an initiative that aims to spread awareness of the importance of including fresh foods in diets, and is the manager and one of the founding members of the South West Atlanta Growers Cooperative, which helps Black farmers create equitable, sustainable, responsible food systems.</p><p><strong>9. Karen Washington, founder of </strong><a href="http://www.riseandrootfarm.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Rise and Root Farm</strong></a></p><p>Karen Washington, a farmer and community activist, wants to build a different agricultural narrative, inclusive of all races, genders, and sexualities. She created Rise and Root Farm to be a place of healing for diverse and marginalized communities—particularly important today, as black farmers work to call attention to not only their own contributions to the modern food system but also the impact of the slave trade on the development of global food chains. "Agriculture must be inclusive in its diversity," Washington tells Food Tank.</p>
<p><strong>10. </strong><a href="https://viacampesina.org/en/" target="_blank"><strong>La Via Campesina</strong></a></p><p>La Via Campesina is an international coalition of organizations that defend food sovereignty as a way to promote social justice and worker dignity. They built a movement that amplifies the voices of smallholder peasant farmers and aims to decentralize the power of corporate-driven agriculture, which they argue is destructive to the environment and social relations.</p><p><strong>11. Leah Penniman, founder of </strong><a href="http://www.soulfirefarm.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Soul Fire Farm</strong></a></p><p>Soul Fire Farm grows food as an act of solidarity with those oppressed by food apartheid while maintaining respect for their ancestors, history, and the environment. Soul Fire Farm conducts training programs to raise the next generation of activist-farmers and support food sovereignty for future communities. The organization's Co-Director Leah Penniman recently completed a book, "Farming While Black," a guide for African-heritage growers to reclaim their dignity.</p><p><strong>12. </strong><a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" target="_blank"><strong>National Bail Fund Network</strong></a></p><p>The <a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" target="_blank">National Bail Fund Network</a> is a directory of bail funds in over 30 states, which free unfairly detained people from jail and fight to end the cash bail system. Donations to local and national bail funds support jailed protesters who are not only at risk for being prosecuted unfairly, but who are also at risk for contracting COVID-19 while detained.</p>
<p><strong>13. </strong><a href="http://www.blackfoodjustice.org/" target="_blank"><strong>National Black Food and Justice Alliance</strong></a></p><p>A coalition of Black-led organizations, the National Black Food and Justice Alliance builds Black self-determination around food and land sovereignty. They accomplish this through community organizing and increasing visibility of Black narratives, visions, and achievements. In 2018, co-founder Dara Cooper was honored with a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award "for dedicating her life to racial equity and justice in the food system and increasing capacity and visibility of Black-led narratives and work."</p><p><strong>14. </strong><a href="https://plantingjustice.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Planting Justice</strong></a></p><p>In Oakland, California, Planting Justice builds economic justice and food sovereignty among communities impacted by mass incarceration. Planting Justice teaches gardening skills to people while in prison and offers them paid positions after release. Planting Justice has planted over 500 gardens in the Bay Area, <a href="https://oaklandnorth.net/2019/09/20/planting-justice-celebrates-10-years-of-cultivating-gardening-skills-for-incarcerated-people/" target="_blank">offered</a> reentry employment opportunities to over 40 people, and helped people <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2019/04/30/indigenous-women-reclaim-stolen-land-california-bay-area/" target="_blank">reconnect</a> with the land.</p><p><strong>15. </strong><a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about" target="_blank"><strong>Reclaim the Block</strong></a></p><p>A Minneapolis-based organization, <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about" target="_blank">Reclaim the Block</a> works to reallocate city money away from police and instead toward community-led health and safety initiatives. They have assembled an extensive digital toolkit to help communities in all cities and states advocate for divestiture from police. You can support them via <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2" target="_blank">donations</a> or by <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#petition" target="_blank">signing their petition</a> encouraging the Minneapolis City Council to redirect police department funding toward resources for Black and Indigenous communities.</p>
<p><strong>16. </strong><a href="https://soilgeneration.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Soil Generation</strong></a></p><p>Based in Philadelphia, Soil Generation is a Black- and Brown-led coalition with a vision for "a people's agroecology"—a combination of environmental and food justice with a focus on community self-representation, anti-racism training, education, and advocacy. Soil Generation has successfully worked with the city council to <a href="https://www.pubintlaw.org/current-cases-projects-public-health/soil-generation/" target="_blank">amend</a> a bill that would have put urban gardens at risk and continues to actively <a href="https://www.phillytrib.com/lifestyle/philly-s-farm-chief-kicks-off-plan-to-save-endangered/article_fb129084-810a-538d-a9bf-8ce3b0642a7c.html" target="_blank">campaign</a> for rights to vacant lots.</p><p><strong>17. <a href="https://civileats.com/author/tfields/" target="_blank">Tanya Fields </a>of the Black Feminist Project</strong></p><p>As founder and executive director of The Black Feminist Project, <a href="https://civileats.com/author/tfields/" target="_blank">Tanya Fields</a> is a food justice activist and educator. Fields started the <a href="https://theblkprojek.wordpress.com/programs/urban-farming-the-libertad-urban-farm-project/" target="_blank">Libertad Urban Farm</a>, an organic urban garden in the Bronx, as an effort to address the lack of nutritious food and food education accessible to low-income people, specifically underserved women of color. Additionally, Fields works closely with The Hunts Point Farm Share, connecting city residents to high-quality local produce through community-supported agriculture.</p><p><strong>18. </strong><a href="https://tonitiptonmartin.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Toni Tipton-Martin</strong></a></p><p>Toni Tipton-Martin, based in Baltimore, Maryland, works on a series of endeavors to promote food justice. She has written two James Beard Award-winning books that trace Black cuisine, <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/talking-toni-tipton-martin/" target="_blank">Jubilee</a> and <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/talking-toni-tipton-martin/" target="_blank">The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbook</a>. Martin served as the president of Southern Foodways Alliance board of directors and was the first Black food editor at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Additionally, Martin founded the SANDE Youth Project, a nonprofit organization that works with children to combat obesity while supporting Black food culture.</p><p><strong>19. </strong><a href="https://urbangrowerscollective.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Urban Growers Collective</strong></a></p><p>The Urban Growers Collective operates eight urban farms on 11 acres of land in Chicago's South Side and works with more than 33 partner organizations to create economic opportunity and boost healthy food access. Each farm uses organic methods and integrates education, leadership training, and food production. The organization was co-founded by Laurell Sims and <a href="https://urbangrowerscollective.org/team/erikaallen/" target="_blank">Erika Allen</a>, a visual artist and food advocate who works to use creativity for social change.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/06/19-individuals-and-organizations-building-stronger-black-communities-and-food-systems/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>.</em></p>Related Articles Around the Web
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Residents plant mangroves on the coast of West Aceh District in Indonesia on Feb. 21, 2020. Mangroves play a crucial role in stabilizing the coastline, providing protection from storms, waves and tidal erosion. Dekyon Eon / Opn Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Mangroves play a vital role in capturing carbon from the atmosphere. Mangrove forests are tremendous assets in the fight to stem the climate crisis. They store more carbon than a rainforest of the same size.
<p>However, they are under threat from <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise" target="_self">sea level rise</a>. A <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aba2656" target="_blank">new study</a> found that if emissions continue unabated, mangroves will not be able to keep up and could disappear in 30 years, as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280580/sea-level-rise-mangroves-climate-change-2050" target="_blank">The Verge</a> reported.</p><p>The new study published in the journal <em><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aba2656" target="_blank">Science</a></em> found that mangroves will start to die out if sea levels rise just six millimeters per year. However, mangroves are more likely to survive when sea level rise is less than 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) per year, which is projected for low-emissions scenarios this century, according to a Rutgers University <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200604152109.htm" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
<p>"Under high-emissions scenarios, rates of sea-level rise on many tropical coastlines will exceed 7 millimeters per year, the rate at which we concluded there's a 6.2 percent probability mangroves can sustain growth," said co-author Erica Ashe, a post-doctoral scientist in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers University, in the <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200604152109.htm" target="_blank">statement</a>. "The loss of these mangrove ecosystems could result in increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and fewer vital buffers against storm surges in the long run."</p><p>Around the world, there are 80 different species of mangrove trees. All of them grow in warm, shallow, coastal waters around the tropics. They spread their roots in sediment that is under the water, while their upper trunks, branches and leaves are above the water. The forests usually flood twice a day during high tide, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>.</p><p>They play a crucial role in stabilizing the coastline, providing protection from storms, waves, and tidal erosion. Their root systems provide a habitat for fish and other animals, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>. Mangrove forests work their magic by pulling freshwater from salty seawater to serve as a nursery for fish, crustaceans and shellfish. But if their roots are completely submerged for too long, the mangroves will drown.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280580/sea-level-rise-mangroves-climate-change-2050" target="_blank">The Verge</a> noted, mangrove forests are a boon to people and the planet, which is why scientists in Florida have sought to use mangroves as a defense for coastal communities from the ravages of the climate crisis. However, for mangroves to help us, we will first need to help them.</p><p>"We have an opportunity here to take action and to keep the rates of sea level rise below these critical thresholds, which is part of the reason that this is an important study," says Ashe, as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/4/21280580/sea-level-rise-mangroves-climate-change-2050" target="_blank">The Verge</a> reported.</p><p>To figure out just how much sea level rise was too much for the mangroves, Ashe and her colleagues, led by Neil Saintilan from Macquarie University in Australia, examined sediment core samples from 78 locations around the world. Those samples shed light on how mangroves responded to past changes in the rate of sea level rise, which went from more than 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) per year nearly 10,000 years ago to almost stable around 4,000 years later, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported. They discovered that mangrove ecosystems only developed when rates of sea level rise dropped below about 7 millimeters a year.</p>
<p>"There was good news and bad news. The good news was that mangroves were clearly capable of surviving much higher rates of sea-level rise than we have around the world at present," Saintilan told <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mangrove-forests-expected-sea-level-rise-2050-greenhouse-gas-emissions-1508466" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>. "There were many examples where mangroves were able to keep pace with sea-level rise of 5 millimeters per year; the current rate is just over 3 millimeters per year."</p><p>"However, there was little evidence that mangroves could keep pace with sea-level rise of over 7 millimeters per year, and this threshold was lower for mangroves on coral reef settings, which failed to keep pace with sea-level rise above 5 millimeters per year. If the rate of sea-level rise doubles, mangroves are in serious trouble," he added.</p>
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UN World Oceans Day is usually an invite-only affair at the UN headquarters in New York, but this year anyone can join in by following the live stream on the UNWOD website from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. https://unworldoceansday.org/
Monday is World Oceans Day, but how can you celebrate our blue planet while social distancing?
<p>Luckily, the UN has you covered with a fascinating lineup of talks focusing on the theme of "innovation for a sustainable ocean." UN World Oceans Day (UNWOD) is usually an invite-only affair at the UN headquarters in New York, but this year anyone can join in by following the live stream on the <a href="https://unworldoceansday.org/page/home" target="_blank">UNWOD website</a> from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.</p>
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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA5UJGIANyD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">When the world feels like it’s at a standstill, it’s important to remember what keeps it spinning. Our ocean is our life source, supporting us & every other organism on earth. Celebrate @UNWorldOceansDay on June 8th with @UnitedNations and @Oceanic.Global to learn what thought leaders around the world are doing to protect the ocean and how you can be part of the solution. Featured ocean voices include @caradelevingne, @fatoumata_diawara__, @ashadevos, @c.syresmith, @fcousteau, @jackharries, @dr.sylviaearle, @thegreatbubblebarrier, @codysimpson, @oceanx, @alessandraambrosio, @lillys_plastic_pickup and more. This all-digital event is free and open to all online. See the full line-up and RSVP: UNWorldOceansDay.org/2020</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unworldoceansday/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> World Oceans Day</a> (@unworldoceansday) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-06-01T14:22:02+00:00">Jun 1, 2020 at 7:22am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>The event is a partnership with solutions-focused non-profit <a href="https://oceanic.global/" target="_blank">Oceanic Global</a>.</p><p>"It's an honor to partner with the United Nations on World Oceans Day 2020," the group's founder and executive director Lea d'Auriol said in a statement. "As an organization, Oceanic Global focuses on industry and individual solutions that engage new audiences in ocean conservation. This year's World Oceans Day theme, 'Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean' ties perfectly into our mission as we are always seeking new paths forward to further support ocean health as well as amplify the voices within the ocean community."</p>
<p>Here is a selection of some of the voices you will get a chance to hear by tuning in:</p><p>1. Cara Delevingne: Delevingne is an actress and musician who also launched <a href="https://ecoresolution.earth/" target="_blank">EcoResolution</a> to encourage people to take action on the climate crisis. She will deliver the opening remarks, focusing on how we are connected to the ocean and the importance of protecting it.</p><p>When: 10 a.m.</p><p>2. Francis Zoet: Zoet developed the <a href="http://thegreatbubblebarrier.com/en/" target="_blank">Great Bubble Barrier</a> to stop some of the eight billion kilos of plastic that enter the oceans every year. Zoet's barrier stops <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-pollution" target="_self">plastic</a> from entering the ocean from rivers or canals while allowing fish and ships to pass through. She will explain the barrier and how it could be scaled up on a panel with other innovators called "Spotlight Solutions" for the Ocean.</p><p>When: 11 a.m.</p><p>3. Jean-Michel, Céline and Fabien Cousteau: <span>The family of explorers and conservationists will speak on how their family has used technology to increase our understanding of the ocean over time and therefore of what needs protecting and how.</span></p><p>When: 12 p.m.</p><p>4. Lilly Platt: Platt has cleaned up more than 100 thousand pieces of plastic since launching <a href="https://m.facebook.com/lillysplasticpickup/" target="_blank">Lilly's Plastic Pickup</a> in 2015, when she was just seven years old. She will speak on her experience of youth environmental activism along with other young ocean advocates on a panel called Youth Driving Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.</p><p>When: 3 p.m.</p><p>5. A Concert for the Ocean: The day will wrap up with live performances from musicians around the world, including Fatoumata Diawara, Vieux Farka Touré and Alice Phoebe Lou.</p><p>When: 4 p.m.</p>
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Cryptococcus yeasts (pictured), including ones that are hybrids, can cause life-threatening infections in primarily immunocompromised people. KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images
By Jacob L. Steenwyk and Antonis Rokas
From the mythical minotaur to the mule, creatures created from merging two or more distinct organisms – hybrids – have played defining roles in human history and culture. However, not all hybrids are as fantastic as the minotaur or as dependable as the mule; in fact, some of them cause human diseases.
<p>We are evolutionary biologists who are trying to understand <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008315" target="_blank">why certain fungi infect</a> hundreds of thousands of patients each year while others are harmless. We are particularly interested in infections caused by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.01.021" target="_blank"><em>Aspergillus</em> fungi</a>, a group of molds – multicellular fungi that typically grow by forming networks of hairlike filaments – that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00140-18" target="_blank">cause very serious infections in patients with weak immune systems</a>. While examining <em>Aspergillus</em> strains isolated from patients with lung-related diseases, we unexpectedly discovered <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.071" target="_blank">an <em>Aspergillus</em> hybrid</a> that infects humans. This finding is significant not only because this is the first known example of a hybrid mold infecting humans but also because accurate identification of the species causing disease is key for managing fungal infections.</p>
When Looking Through a Microscope Isn’t Close Enough.
<p>For the last few years, <a href="http://www.rokaslab.org/" target="_blank">our team at Vanderbilt University</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Gustavo-Goldman-Lab" target="_blank">Gustavo Goldman's team at São Paulo University in Brazil</a> and many other collaborators around the world have been collecting samples of fungi from patients infected with different species of <em>Aspergillus</em> molds. One of the species we are particularly interested in is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1006/rwgn.2001.0082" target="_blank"><em>Aspergillus nidulans</em>, a relatively common and generally harmless fungus</a>. Clinical laboratories typically identify the species of <em>Aspergillus</em> causing the infection by examining cultures of the fungi under the microscope. The problem with this approach is that very closely related species of <em>Aspergillus</em> tend to look very similar in their broad morphology or physical appearance when viewing them through a microscope.</p><p>Interested in examining the varying abilities of different <em>A. nidulans</em> strains to cause disease, we decided to analyze their total genetic content, or genomes. What we saw came as a total surprise. We had not collected <em>A. nidulans</em> but <em>Aspergillus latus</em>, a close relative of <em>A. nidulans</em> and, as we were to soon find out, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.071" target="_blank">a hybrid species that evolved through the fusion of the genomes</a> of two other <em>Aspergillus</em> species: <em>Aspergillus spinulosporus</em> and an unknown close relative of <em>Aspergillus quadrilineatus</em>. Thus, we realized not only that these patients harbored infections from an entirely different species than we thought they were, but also that this species was the first ever <em>Aspergillus</em> hybrid known to cause human infections.</p>Several Different Fungal Hybrids Cause Human Disease.
<p>Hybrid fungi that can cause infections in humans are well known to occur in several different lineages of single-celled fungi known as yeasts. Notable examples include multiple different species of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/yea.3242" target="_blank">yeast hybrids</a> that cause the human diseases <a href="https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6218/cryptococcosis" target="_blank">cryptococcosis</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/index.html" target="_blank">candidiasis</a>. Although pathogenic yeast hybrids are well known, our discovery that the <em>A. latus</em> pathogen is a hybrid is a first for molds that cause disease in humans.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM3NDk4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTIwOTgyOX0.gCsk3b5GHdZq78oT3M2ajq3QYT9i-PrLNjoxB6AF1Dg/img.jpg?width=980" id="365cb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e1f11ec0f5a0b5a5bc3a94b1fa86bd97" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Left) Candida yeasts live on parts of the human body. Imbalance of microbes on the body can allow these yeasts, some of which are hybrids, to grow and cause infection. (Right) Cryptococcus yeasts, including ones that are hybrids, can cause life-threatening infections in primarily immunocompromised people. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008315" target="_blank">Why certain <em>Aspergillus</em> species are so deadly</a> while others are harmless remains unknown. This may in part be because <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbr.2007.02.007" target="_blank">combinations of traits, rather than individual traits</a>, underlie organisms' ability to cause disease. So why then are hybrids frequently associated with human disease? Hybrids inherit genetic material from both parents, which may result in new combinations of traits. This may make them more similar to one parent in some of their characteristics, reflect both parents in others or may differ from both in the rest. It is precisely this mix and match of traits that hybrids have inherited from their parental species that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/science/14creatures.html" target="_blank">facilitates their evolutionary success</a>, including their ability to cause disease.</p>The Evolutionary Origin of an Aspergillus Hybrid.
<p>Multiple evolutionary paths can lead to the emergence of hybrids. One path is through mating, just as the horse and donkey mate to create a mule. Another path is through the merging or fusion of genetic material from cells of different species.</p><p>It is this second path that appears to have been taken by our fungus. <em>A. latus</em> appears to have two of almost everything compared to its parental species: twice the genome size, twice the total number of genes and so on. But unlike other hybrids, which are often sterile like the mule, we found that <em>A. latus</em> is capable of reproducing both asexually and sexually.</p><p>But how distinct were the parents of <em>A. latus</em>? By comparing the parts contributed by each parent in the <em>A. latus</em> genome, we estimate that its parents are approximately 93% genetically similar, which is about as related as we humans are with lemurs. In other words, <em>A. latus</em>, an agent of infectious disease, is the fungal equivalent of a human-lemur hybrid.</p>How A. Latus Differs From its Parents.
<p>Elucidating the identity of closely related fungal pathogens and how they differ from each other in infection-relevant characteristics is a key step toward reducing the burden of fungal disease. For example, we found that <em>A. latus</em> was three times more resistant than <em>A. nidulans</em>, the species it was originally identified as using microscopy-based methods, to one of the most common antifungal drugs, <a href="https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00520" target="_blank">caspofungin</a>. This result provides a clear example of the potential importance of accurate identification of the <em>Aspergillus</em> pathogen causing an infection.</p><p>We also examined how <em>A. latus</em> and <em>A. nidulans</em> interact with cells from our immune system. We found that immune cells were less efficient at combating <em>A. latus</em> compared to <em>A. nidulans</em>, suggesting the hybrid fungus may be trickier for our immune systems to identify and destroy.</p><p>In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our quest to understand <em>Aspergillus</em> pathogens is becoming more urgent. Growing evidence suggests that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/myc.13096" target="_blank">a fraction of COVID-19 patients are also infected with <em>Aspergillus</em>.</a> More worrying is that these <a href="https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.201603" target="_blank">secondary <em>Aspergillus</em> infections</a> can worsen the clinical outcomes for those infected with the novel coronavirus. That being said, we stress that little is known about <em>Aspergillus</em> infections in COVID-19 patients due to a lack of systematic testing, and none of the infections identified so far appear to have been caused by hybrids.</p><p>So, when it comes to hybrids, some are fantastic (the minotaur), some are helpful (the mule) and some are dangerous (<em>Aspergillus latus</em>). Understanding more about the biology of <em>Aspergillus latus</em> may help in our understanding of how microbial pathogens arise and how to best prevent and combat their infections.</p>
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National Trails Day 2020 is now titled In Solidarity, AHS Suspends Promotion of National Trails Day 2020. The American Hiking Society is seeking to amplify Black voices in the outdoor community and advocate for equal access to the outdoors. Klaus Vedfelt / DigitalVision / Getty Images
This Saturday, June 6, marks National Trails Day, an annual celebration of the remarkable recreational, scenic and hiking trails that crisscross parks nationwide. The event, which started in 1993, honors the National Trail System and calls for volunteers to help with trail maintenance in parks across the country.
<p>The American Hiking Society (AHS) promotes the event. Last year, the AHS launched a campaign to set a world record to have the most people helping improve trails in one day. This year is a very different story, due to recent developments like social distancing from COVID-19 and the nationwide protests of systemic racism.</p><p>While National Trails Day will continue on a local level, AHS has canceled all of its promotions and activities lest it detract from the Black Lives Matter movement.</p>
<p>The official page for National Trails Day is now titled <a href="https://americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/suspended/" target="_blank">In Solidarity, AHS Suspends Promotion of National Trails Day 2020</a>. It goes on to advocate for equal access to the outdoors:</p><blockquote>"In its quest to be an ever-stronger ally, so as not to take space from the very important discussions and protests around racism in America and, in particular, around police brutality of Black bodies, American Hiking Society will suspend its promotion of National Trails Day this year. Instead, we will be taking allyship actions, including: amplifying Black voices in the outdoor community; sharing <a href="https://americanhiking.org/hiking-resources/racism-in-the-outdoors/" target="_blank">resources on racism in the outdoors</a> that will link back to publications and content authored by people of color; and urging our supporters to <a href="https://americanhiking.org/advocacy/cta-national-trails-day-2020/" target="_blank">call on Congress to pass legislation that provides equitable access to quality natural spaces for ALL </a>. We thank our partners who have supported this decision to re-focus our efforts where we feel they are needed most at this time."</blockquote>
<p>While calls to improve trails have mostly been suspended so people can keep a safe distance from each other, hiking trails across the country have seen an uptick in visitors as other activities have been closed to them.</p><p>"During the COVID-19 quarantines, more and more people have been discovering the mental and physical benefits of getting outside in their neighborhoods, to the point of a 200 percent increase in trail usage in cities across the country," according to an AHS <a href="https://www.eptrail.com/2020/06/02/national-trails-day-takes-place-on-saturday/" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
<p><br>On Martha's Vineyard, in Massachusetts, the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation and the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank Commission canceled its annual cross-island hike, even though attendance on trails has been up, according to the <a href="https://www.mvtimes.com/2020/06/03/not-usual-national-trails-day/" target="_blank">Martha's Vineyard Times</a>.</p><p>"We've noticed a surge in use of all of our trails and sanctuaries, and also of the TrailsMV app," said Adam Moore, executive director of Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, to the <a href="https://www.mvtimes.com/2020/06/03/not-usual-national-trails-day/" target="_blank">Martha's Vineyard Times</a>. "Even though there may not be an organized group hike, I think there may be more people out hiking than ever. It's been an extraordinary time for trails, for people's enjoyment of them, and for our need to keep them up and maintain them."</p>
<p>On the other side of the country, in Spokane, Washington, the <a href="https://www.evergreeneast.org/" target="_blank">Evergreen East</a> organization is asking for volunteers to help complete a mountain bike trail in a conservation area. According to T<a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/jun/02/volunteers-needed-for-national-trails-day-project-/" target="_blank">he Spokesman-Review</a>, trail project leaders will be on hand for instruction and to ensure that current social distancing guidelines and safety precautions are followed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.</p><p>In Lyme, Connecticut, students from a local high school practiced safe social distancing all spring to groom three trails that are ready to open the public on National Trails Day, according to <a href="https://lymeline.com/2020/06/celebrate-national-trails-day-saturday-take-a-hike-on-old-lymes-newest-town-open-space-the-mcculloch-family-property/" target="_blank">Lyme Line</a>.</p><p>In Portland, Maine, the South Portland Land Trust is releasing a new map of five trails just in time for National Trails Day.</p><p>"Now more than ever, trails and open space are critical to the mental and physical well-being of the city," the land trust said in a release, as the <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2020/06/04/south-portland-land-trust-celebrates-national-trails-day/" target="_blank">Portland Press Herald</a> reported. "While some beaches and other parks are closed, land trust trails all over the state, including South Portland, are providing a relief valve."</p>
<p>Even though a lot of volunteering opportunities are canceled, there are ways to enjoy National Trails Day and lower your carbon footprint. Suzan Bellincampi, sanctuary director for Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Martha's Vineyard, shared recommendations with the <a href="https://www.mvtimes.com/2020/06/03/not-usual-national-trails-day/" target="_blank">Martha's Vineyard Times</a>.</p><p>"I'd recommend people think about exploring a new place they haven't seen, or maybe something right in their backyard. In times of climate change, the lower your carbon footprint, the better," said Bellincampi. "That would also protect, from a global perspective, all these places that we hold so dear."</p>
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Indigenous people from the Parque das Tribos community mourn the death of Chief Messias of the Kokama tribe from Covid-19, in Manaus, Brazil, on May 14, 2020. MICHAEL DANTAS / AFP / Getty Images
By John Letzing
This past Wednesday, when some previously hard-hit countries were able to register daily COVID-19 infections in the single digits, the Navajo Nation – a 71,000 square-kilometer (27,000-square-mile) expanse of the western US – reported 54 new cases of what's referred to locally as "Dikos Ntsaaígíí-19."
<p>That brought the total number of reported cases in the <a href="https://www.ihs.gov/navajo/navajonation/" target="_blank">designated home</a> of the Navajo people to 5,533, as the number of known deaths reached 252. For an area with an <a href="https://www.census.gov/tribal/?st=04&aianihh=2430" target="_blank">estimated population</a> of 172,875, that translates into an infection rate more than five times that of the US <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html" target="_blank">as a whole</a>. The Navajo Nation is not an isolated example. <a href="https://time.com/5808257/indigenous-communities-coronavirus-impact/" target="_blank">Around the world</a>, COVID-19 still poses a disproportionate threat to indigenous communities even as it recedes elsewhere.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/covid-19.html" target="_blank">United Nations</a>, indigenous peoples' traditional lifestyles can create greater risks of spreading infection when they involve large gatherings to mark events like harvests, or living in multi-generational housing with elderly family members. The indigenous also <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/un-desa-policy-brief-70-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-indigenous-peoples/" target="_blank">suffer</a> from a relatively high degree of socio-economic marginalization that makes them more vulnerable. This dynamic is not new.</p><p>The Navajo Nation <a href="https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/index.htm" target="_blank">government</a> issued a stay-at-home order as COVID-19 spread, implemented a curfew, and mandated the use of masks in public. But it has <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/navajo-nation-hit-hard-coronavirus-200526171504037.html" target="_blank">struggled</a> with issues including the fact that nearly a third of the homes in the area (detailed in the map below) lack running water for hand washing.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM3NDY4Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMDAzNDk2NX0.vVWmJG9OhDMQ0-QJQYWbzO97J96n3HTkYnrNoYN31Xo/img.png?width=980" id="ab1a9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4583f8be3269a8dd27b5a836a20ceaac" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The Navajo Nation covers the corners of three different states. Google Maps
<p>In Brazil, an advocacy group reported last month that the COVID-19 mortality rate among indigenous people was <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/23/world/coronavirus-indigenous-death-apib-intl/index.html" target="_blank">nearly twice</a> that of the country as a whole. Prior to that, a mapping service had published an <a href="https://infoamazonia.org/en/2020/05/distantes-de-utis-e-respiradores-indigenas-da-amazonia-tentam-se-blindar-do-virus/#!/story=post-51141" target="_blank">analysis</a> showing that villages in the Amazon are on average 315 kilometers (195 miles) away from the nearest intensive care bed in the Brazilian public health system – and more than half of the villages analyzed were more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) away from any intensive care unit.</p><p>Brazil is <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31236-8/fulltext" target="_blank">just one</a> of the countries in the World Health Organization's Americas region with significant and remote indigenous populations deemed vulnerable to the pandemic. The WHO <a href="https://cnnphilippines.com/world/2020/6/2/americas-rapid-increase-coronavirus-cases-WHO-says.html" target="_blank">said</a> the region recently accounted for half of the 10 countries in the world reporting the highest new number of cases over a 24-hour span.</p>
Growing Contribution
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM3NDY5Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjM4MTgyM30.IuQTKQs1stvYYKD6vaVTrqAyoBsUG0BhDvlhxsyKwPA/img.png?width=980" id="02a05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2841f82b1785df5d5ed7bf64d3bb882b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />World Economic Forum
<p>There are exceptions, however. Some of the world's indigenous populations appear not to be overly impacted by COVID-19. In New Zealand, for example, the Māori <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-current-situation/covid-19-current-cases#ethnicity" target="_blank">accounted for</a> 9% of reported cases as of 4 June, but <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/new-zealands-population-reflects-growing-diversity#:~:text=The%20next%20largest%20ethnic%20group,from%2011.8%20percent%20in%202013." target="_blank">represent</a> more than 16% of the country's population. And in Canada, <a href="https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1581964230816/1581964277298" target="_blank">government figures</a> have not indicated an unusual infection rate for indigenous people – though there are <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-leaders-covid19-data-testing-1.5562555" target="_blank">concerns</a> that indigenous cases in the country are being undercounted.</p><p>For more context, here are links to further reading from <a href="https://intelligence.weforum.org/" target="_blank">the World Economic Forum's Strategic Intelligence platform</a>:</p><ul><li>COVID-19 is not the only thing indigenous people in Brazil have to worry about. According to this report, indigenous lands in the country are being devastated as the outside world has been distracted by the pandemic. <em>(</em><a href="https://theconversation.com/brazils-jair-bolsonaro-is-devastating-indigenous-lands-with-the-world-distracted-138478" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>)</em></li></ul><ul><li>Perhaps no community in North America has been more shaped by infectious disease than Native tribes, according to this report. <em>(</em><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2020/0430/For-Native-Americans-coronavirus-looks-heartbreakingly-familiar" target="_blank"><em>Christian Science Monitor</em></a><em>)</em></li></ul><ul><li>In Colombia, the killing of indigenous leaders increased after a coronavirus-related lockdown in March made them easier to locate in isolation, according to this report. <em>(</em><a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/wps/2020/05/20/the-impact-of-colombias-covid-19-response-on-indigenous-inclusion-in-peace-processes/" target="_blank"><em>LSE</em></a><em>)</em></li></ul><ul><li>In some countries consultations with indigenous people are now being abruptly suspended in order to force through megaprojects relating to agribusiness, mining, dams and infrastructure, according to a UN independent expert. <em>(</em><a href="https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/covid-19-impact-on-worlds-indigenous-goes-well-beyond-health-threat/" target="_blank"><em>Ecosystem Marketplace</em></a><em>)</em></li></ul><ul><li>Mining sites, deemed an essential business during the pandemic, are placing indigenous communities in Canada and several other countries at high risk of infection, according to this report. <em>(<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/digest/as-mining-continues-during-coronavirus-local-indigenous-communities-at-high-risk" target="_blank">YaleE360</a>)</em></li></ul><ul><li>The Secoya community fled by canoe to isolate themselves from the outbreak in the central wetlands of Lagarto Cocha in Ecuador, only to suffer 15 confirmed cases and two deaths among its population of 744, according to this report. <em>(</em><a href="https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2020/05/11/coronavirus-Latin-America-Amazon-indigenous-communities" target="_blank"><em>The New Humanitarian</em></a><em>)</em></li></ul><ul><li>Well ahead of government action, indigenous federations across the Amazon launched extensive campaigns to mitigate the pandemic and its socie-economic consequences, according to this report. <em>(</em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-indigenous-people-in-the-amazon-are-coping-with-the-coronavirus-pandemic-137041" target="_blank"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>)</em></li></ul><p>On the <a href="https://intelligence.weforum.org/" target="_blank">Strategic Intelligence</a> platform, you can find visualizations and feeds of expert analysis related to <a href="https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1G0X000006O6EHUA0?tab=publications" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>, <a href="https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1Gb00000038pGiEAI?tab=publications" target="_blank">Global Health</a> and hundreds of additional topics. You'll need to register to view.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/covid-19-presents-an-inordinate-threat-to-indigenous-people/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Disproportionate Coronavirus ... ›
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World Environment Day: A Time to Consider the Planet We’ll Return To, and Decide How to Care for It Going Forward
05 June
Insights + Opinion
World Environment Day was put into motion almost fifty years ago by the United Nations as a response to a multitude of environmental threats. RicardoImagen / Getty Images
It's a different kind of World Environment Day this year. In prior years, it might have been enough to plant a tree, spend some extra time in the garden, or teach kids the importance of recycling. This year we have heavier tasks at hand. It's been months since we've been able to spend sufficient time outside, and as we lustfully watch the beauty of a new spring through our kitchen's glass windows, we have to decide how we'll interact with the natural world on our release, and how we can prevent, or be equipped to handle, future threats against our wellbeing.
<p>When we emerge from our homes, it will be into a healthier planet than we left. Fewer cars, trucks, and planes have caused a significant reduction in pollution and an unprecedented improvement in air quality—so while we've been sick, the planet's been healing. The question is how we can continue to allow the Earth to heal itself, and how we should treat it going forward.</p><p>When we rebuild our lives and economy, we need to embrace the opportunities of rebirth and build the foundation of a stronger ecosystem. The call to action is multifaceted. At its core it requires a commitment to conservation stewardship. Today our thoughts and our talking heads mull over the virus all day every day, but after this it will be easy to return to the divisive, polarized, and xenophobic conversations we've stepped away from. We need to eschew what may feel like a natural impulse and instead become what I call "Outdoor Citizens"—champions of the natural world who realize we are not just citizens of our cities, states, and countries, but of planet Earth, which nurtures and protects us even when our unique governments cannot.</p><p>A sustainable plan of action to preserve our planet and human health in the process requires a robust public-private collaboration by citizens and officials on local, state, and federal levels. For this to happen, we need to vote into office politicians whose environmental agendas, especially in relation to their views on the fossil fuel industry, align with our own. We also need an outdoor-centric economy underscored by investors who fund sustainability initiatives, and we need manufacturers who agree to abide by environmentally friendly production practices.</p>
<p>Our time working from home has shown our extraordinary ability to innovate and craft new technology. This wonderful quality can be used to put the levers of science, conservation stewardship, and data collection in each of our hands. Hardware, software, apps, wireless 5G communication, and the Internet of Things can empower all Outdoor Citizens to contribute to the cause of protecting our planet, whether it be through aggregating data, fostering local and global connections to strategize and implement environmental protections, or giving us the tools we need to monitor and lower our energy consumption and carbon footprint.</p><p>World Environment Day was put into motion almost fifty years ago by the United Nations as a response to a multitude of environmental threats. The same year it was established, in 1972, a variety of countries around the world passed legislation protecting the environment. New Zealand passed its Clean Air Act. The Wildlife Protection Act was enacted by India. Here in the US, Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the first law of its kind in our country. Today with the growing threat of climate change, we again need active change.</p><p>As we continue to adapt to our new normal, post-pandemic, and as our scientists race to find ways to treat the virus, I am encouraged and excited by the knowledge that people will exit their homes with a newfound appreciation for the joy of being outdoors, and that we as a society are looking to see what we can do better. We stand on the shoulders of those who were the champions of the outdoors, and now it's our turn to take bold action. The future of our planet and humanity will be defined by what we do today, and future generations will judge us on this. Let's strive to become the greatest generation of conservationists. Let's strive to be Outdoor Citizens.</p>
<p class=""><em>John Judge is the president and CEO of the </em><a href="https://www.outdoors.org/" target="_blank"><em>Appalachian Mountain Club</em></a><em>, America's oldest conservation and outdoors organization, and the author of </em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Citizen-Give-Back-Active-ebook/dp/B086391XVH/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1589982775&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><em>The Outdoor Citizen</em><em>: Get Out, Give Back, Get Active</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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