A dugong, also called a sea cow, swims with golden pilot jacks near Marsa Alam, Egypt, Red Sea. Alexis Rosenfeld / Getty Images
In 2010, world leaders agreed to 20 targets to protect Earth's biodiversity over the next decade. By 2020, none of them had been met. Now, the question is whether the world can do any better once new targets are set during the meeting of the UN Convention on Biodiversity in Kunming, China later this year.
<p>To help turn the tide, a group of 22 research institutions have come together to develop four steps to protect life on Earth, the <a href="https://environmentjournal.online/articles/researchers-outline-four-key-steps-to-mitigate-climate-crisis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environment Journal reported</a>.</p>
<p>"The upcoming Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting, and adoption of the new Global Biodiversity Framework, represent an opportunity to transform humanity's relationship with nature," the researchers wrote in <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30657-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2590332220306576%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank">One Earth Friday</a>. "Restoring nature while meeting human needs requires a bold vision, including mainstreaming biodiversity <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> in society."</p><p>By mainstreaming biodiversity, the researchers mean that biodiversity should be considered by everyone who makes decisions about the use of natural resources, not just specialized conservation organizations.</p>
<p>To help with this goal, the researchers, led by the University of Oxford's <a href="https://www.iccs.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science</a>, developed a framework they are calling the "4Rs," according to a University of Oxford <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-01-22-four-steps-earth-holistic-approach-saving-planet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. The point of the 4Rs is that they can be used by any group or individual, from the national to the local level, that needs to make a decision that will impact species and ecosystems.</p><p>The 4Rs are:</p><ol><li>Refrain: Avoiding negative impacts on nature.</li><li>Reduce: Minimizing the harm caused by any unavoidable impacts.</li><li>Restore: Acting to quickly counteract any harm caused to nature.</li><li>Renew: Working to improve damaged ecosystems.</li></ol>
<p>"This paper represents a real team effort, with authors from academia, business and government," lead author and Oxford professor E.J. Milner-Gulland said of the goals in the press release. "We're excited to launch this idea and hope that it will be useful to many different groups as they work to realise the vision of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It's a huge challenge, with many different facets, and we hope that Four Steps for the Earth will provide an intuitive and flexible framework for tying all the threads together."</p>
<p>In the paper, the researchers provided examples of how the framework has been used by groups ranging from the city of London to Indigenous communities. In one example, a fishery in Peru used it to reduce the accidental catching of sea turtles. Goals were set for limiting the number of different species of sea turtle accidentally caught at the local level, and this was connected to regional conservation efforts for the animals.</p><p>The researchers also explained how different institutions could use their framework to guide their actions in the future.</p><p>"This framework will, hopefully, present a turning point in the way institutions such as Oxford think about their biodiversity impact," Oxford project coordinator Henry Grub said in the press release. "Our impacts cannot be overlooked because of the positive research we do – rather we hope the '4Rs' will transform efforts to tackle the environmental impacts of the food we eat in canteens, the paper we put in printers, the land we build on, and much more."</p>
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Reindeers at their winter location in northern Sweden on Feb. 4, 2020, near Ornskoldsvik. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP via Getty Images
Sweden's reindeer have a problem. In winter, they feed on lichens buried beneath the snow. But the climate crisis is making this difficult. Warmer temperatures mean moisture sometimes falls as rain instead of snow. When the air refreezes, a layer of ice forms between the reindeer and their meal, forcing them to wander further in search of ideal conditions. And sometimes, this means crossing busy roads.
<p>Luckily, Sweden's transport authorities have a solution. They are planning to build a dozen bridges in northern Sweden so that the reindeer can cross in peace, Swedish public science radio <a href="https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/7649066" target="_blank">Vetenskapsradion reported Monday</a>, according to <a href="https://www.thelocal.se/20210119/sweden-to-build-reindeer-bridges-so-they-can-cross-roads-to-find-food" target="_blank">The Local Sweden</a>.</p><p>"In a changing climate with difficult snow conditions, it will be extra important to be able to find and access alternative pastures," Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences landscape ecologist Per Sandström told the radio, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/20/sweden-to-build-bridges-for-reindeer-to-safely-cross-roads-and-railways?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2nkVyCQKM6c-SKoghZwJbXw0zrgKjcJhjkh9KqZkd1utAWq1LFzaBTveU#Echobox=1611148969" target="_blank">The Guardian translated</a>.</p><p>The new bridges will be called "renoducts," a combination of the Swedish word for reindeer (ren) and viaduct.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">Wildlife</a> bridges are an effective solution to the problem of helping animals to travel through a world criss-crossed by highways. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/san-antonio-wildlife-bridge-2649485994.html" target="_self">first</a> was constructed in France in the 1950s, and they can significantly reduce collisions between animals and vehicles.</p><p>Work will begin this year on the first of the Swedish renoducts over the E4 motorway north of the city of Umeå, Vetenskapsradion reported. This motorway now has to be shut down entirely every time a herd attempts to cross.</p><p>The renoducts aren't only a boon for Sweden's 250,000 reindeer. They are also a help to the 4,500 Indigenous Sami who have special authorization to herd them, The Guardian explained.</p>
<p>The changing climate has driven up costs and extended the time it takes to herd the reindeer, according to an AFP story published in <a href="https://www.thelocal.se/20200529/how-swedens-sami-reindeer-herders-are-being-forced-to-adapt-to-climate-change" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Local Sweden in May 2020</a>. Sami couple Margret Fjellstrom and Daniel Viklund told AFP that it took them twice as long to move their reindeer from their summer to winter pastures last year than it would have under regular weather conditions.</p><p>"It can rain in January, it can snow in May, there's no logic to it any more," Fjellstrom told AFP.</p><p>Sami herders hope the new renoducts will help.</p><p>"I'm looking forward to us being able to cross undisturbed," reindeer herder Tobias Jonsson told Vetenskapsradion, as The Guardian translated.</p><p>He said that herders had helped with the design of the renoducts so that the reindeer would be more likely to use them. They recommended two meter (approximately seven foot) barriers so that the reindeer would not fall off but insisted that the bridges be open on top so that the reindeer would not be too frightened to cross.</p><p>Sweden's reindeer aren't the only ones in trouble because of climate change. A <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/reindeer-population-climate-change-2623281571.html" target="_self">2018 report</a> found that reindeer and caribou numbers across the Arctic had fallen by 56 percent in the preceding two decades.</p>
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For many people, the holidays are rich with time-honored traditions like decorating the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, caroling, cookie baking, and sipping from the unity cup. But there's another unofficial, official holiday tradition that spans all ages and beliefs and gives people across the world hope for a better tomorrow: the New Year's resolution.
<p>It's believed that ancient Babylonians were the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions-and-celebrations/#:~:text=4%2C000%20years%20ago%20in%20Babylon%20(around%202000%20B.C.)&text=Most%20historians%20believe%20Babylonians%20were,accordance%20with%20an%20agricultural%20year." target="_blank">first people to make New Year's resolutions</a> some 4,000 years ago. Over time, the popular practice shifted in scope from making promises to the gods about repaying debt to making promises to ourselves about self-improvement. Anyone who has ever made a New Year's resolution probably included something like get more sleep or be less stressed. And though it might not immediately come to mind when you brainstorm strategies for reaching your New Year's goals, it turns out that chamomile tea could be the answer for many of them. </p><p>If you've ever asked yourself why everyone is drinking chamomile tea, we've got the answer here. Read on to learn some of the reasons why this herbal beverage is all the rage.</p>
<p><em><strong>Josh Hall</strong> has been a professional writer and storyteller for more than 15 years. His work on natural health and cannabis has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review. </em><em><em>The product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the link included, we may earn commission.</em></em></p>
Benefits of Chamomile Tea
<p><strong>Sleep More Soundly</strong></p><p>Pick your grandmother's brain about the best way to fall asleep, and she might tell you to down a nice glass of warm milk. But if you consult with science, research shows that chamomile might be a better option. That's because it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia and other sleep problems</a>.</p><p>Two research studies even confirmed the power of chamomile throughout the day and before bed. In one of those studies, postpartum women who drank chamomile for two weeks <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26483209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced better sleep quality than the control group who didn't</a>. Another research effort measured how fast people could fall asleep. Those results illustrated that participants who consumed 270 milligrams of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198755/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell asleep 15 minutes faster than the control</a>. The chamomile group also had considerably fewer sleep disruptions. </p><p><strong>May Be Able to Keep Your Gut Healthy</strong></p><p>Though the following studies used rats as the subjects, research shows that chamomile can potentially play a beneficial role in digestive health. According to that research, the anti-inflammatory properties in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chamomile extract may be able to protect against diarrhea</a>. Additionally, chamomile may be an effective way to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4177631/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stop the growth of bacteria in our stomachs that contribute to ulcers</a>.</p><p><strong>Reduces Stress and Anxiety</strong></p><p>Few things are more relaxing than curling up with a good cup of tea, so it's logical that chamomile tea can serve a stress reducer. While it lacks the potency of a pharmaceutical drug, long-term use of chamomile has been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27912875" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"significantly" reduce general anxiety disorders</a>. In general, chamomile can act almost like a sedative, and many people enjoy the tea because it puts them in a calm and relaxed state almost immediately. </p><p><strong>Boosts Immune Health</strong></p><p>Vitamin C and zinc are common over-the-counter supplements that people often turn to when they're hoping to avoid becoming sick. While scientists admit that more research must take place to prove chamomile's impact on preventing ailments like the common cold, the existing studies do show promise in this area. </p><p>One study had 14 participants drink five cups of the tea every day for two consecutive weeks. Throughout the study, researchers collected daily urine samples and tested the contents before and after the consumption of the tea. Drinking chamomile resulted in a significant increase in the levels of hippurate and glycine, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">both of which are known to increase antibacterial activity</a>. Inhaling steam from a pot of freshly brewed chamomile tea may also ease the symptoms of nasal congestion.</p><p><strong>Minimizes Menstrual Cramps</strong></p><p>This one may come as a surprise, particularly to readers who have tried every possible over-the-counter treatment to reduce period pain. Several research studies have proven that chamomile tea may be able to minimize the pain and cramps that occur during menstruation. Women in that same study also dealt with lower levels of anxiety that they typically felt because of menstrual cramps.</p><p><strong>Help Diabetes and Lower Blood Sugar</strong></p><p>For people with diabetes, regulating blood sugar levels can be a matter of life or death. And while chamomile will never replace prescription-strength drugs, it's believed that it can prevent an increase in blood sugar. A 2008 study on rats showed that chamomile could have a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf8014365" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">moderate impact on the long-term risk of diabetes</a>.</p><p><strong>Might Improve Your Skin</strong></p><p>Ever wondered why there's been an influx of chamomile-infused cosmetic products? The reason why so many manufacturers now include chamomile in their lotions, soaps, and creams is because it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074766/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acts as an anti-inflammatory on our skin</a>. That means it may be able to soothe the puffiness that plagues us as we age. Those same anti-inflammatory properties can be vital in restoring skin health after we've received a sunburn. </p><p>Before discarding your used chamomile tea bags, try chilling them and placing them over your eyes. Not only will this help with the puffiness, but it can drastically light the skin color around the eye.</p><p><strong>Help With Heart Health</strong></p><p>Some of the most beneficial antioxidants we put into our bodies are what are known as flavones, and chamomile tea is chock full of them. Flavones have the potential to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which, when elevated, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814348/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can lead to heart disease</a>.</p>Why Everyone Is Drinking Chamomile Tea
<p>Now that you know so much about the wonders of chamomile, it shouldn't come as a surprise why the tea is so popular with people of all ages. In addition to tasting great, chamomile offers up benefits that boost the health of body parts both inside and out. As you ponder your own New Year's resolutions, think about how healthy and natural vitamins, supplements, plants, and oils can help guide you on your own personal path to improvement. Happy New Year!</p>An Organic, Eco-Conscious Brand to Try
<div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="0da9d8545ec44ebf1a31d6044181ed9e" contenteditable="false"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2F8718?tag=ecowatch-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank"> <img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41B2ANHhsdL.jpg" class="amazon-assets-widget__image widget__image"> </a> </div> <p>FGO tea bags are made of hemp fiber paper, free of dyes, adhesive, glue, and chlorine bleach. The tea is also certified USDA Organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).</p>From Your Site Articles
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United Airlines Boeing 737 takes off from Los Angeles international Airport on November 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images
United Airlines is seeking to reduce its net greenhouse gas pollution by investing in carbon capture and sequestration instead of merely buying carbon offsets.
<p>"Traditional carbon offsets do almost nothing to tackle the emissions from flying. And, more importantly, they simply don't meet the scale of this global challenge," United CEO Scott Kirby <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VVwX-F15lXC6W5S51M24xf-vDW2F3lfm4lQvmpN44_D9w5nxGrV3Zsc37CgXMBN73z2pGSXvxjN8kfft4QjbMPW1ZvRvv7Fkdv9VRkkt36hRtQ9W3lrZQp3mF4GmVsxHX234ZRP-W5ffGJ25PQXd6W2NB3-c6wZplZW3cZxkB6KDP6mV51H3M45vG6lW7l6SfH8SPVMTW7vR4G32Nf9rhW2s1Bqv7X6G2_W2zTx-j97QzPxW20zcC066r0qTW5n50tb371xQNN93zdsRQhjlMW5SSg-P33j9gmN6RVlg2SwWr3N1GRjqdCh4_8W7clJBC7qxXxxW8nHnhZ84qdMmW5QfcCq4-kc0qW1dsPRv7CN951N7mj0G0TKv2XN37VKH_VryySW74_Vqc49vqRqW8jvGQf79SlRyVx1flY48S5JWW2-LC9J6kcxFNW3HTlQ24K0jHsVSCXYZ85rpzSW4_0zQ718J38xN79fp3q9gJ1x34my1" target="_blank">wrote</a>. </p><p>United will partner with 1PointFive, a carbon capture firm founded last year by a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum and Rusheen Capital Management. </p><p>The carbon capture plants, each about 100 acres, will use direct air carbon capture to pull 1 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere, equivalent to the amount of carbon captured by more than 40 million trees. </p><p>Aviation is among the hardest sectors to decarbonize: Battery- and solar-powered aviation technology is nowhere near ready to make a dent in the market, and lower-impact biofuels are limited both by production constraints and plane's fuel mixture requirements.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p>United: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2021/01/12/climate-solutions-united-airlines/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106540840&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_C3fEH0oBFPE7XajUw1QeHAsXQdB1mrZPUhbtRQ0DlWagy1OWm5gFpplf7AhgxkezKmlFevSDbbwE-pV5lI0ZPji8plp-s9HKDp0wMYXdJLHk1Dus&utm_content=106540840&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>; Direct air carbon capture: <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/direct-air-capture-climate-change-technology_n_5fffa043c5b691806c4f1c02?ncid=NEWSSTAND0005&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=106540840&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9zS-0aJocfEZrQY3hjGhttvxj23ee-e5VckGV-An-F8REOWXaLqzmNHamxb2pVY3mnpwQj82TYA0zO9xAy0TzNn_63EHT8YjL2ju2aVOV-7PDY2Y0&utm_content=106540840&utm_source=hs_email&guccounter=1" target="_blank">Huff Post</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Environmental activist Sage Lenier is seen teaching her class at UC Berkeley. Irene Yi
By Sage Lenier
Sage Lenier, an environmental activist and graduate from UC Berkeley, created a wildly popular course at her university dedicated to sustainable solutions and circular systems thinking against the broader backdrop of environmental justice. In Spring 2020, the course enrolled more than 300 students eager to learn how they can drive the shift toward a more ethical and sustainable society. The World Economic Forum sat down with Sage for a quick Q&A.
<p><em><br/></em></p>
<h3>What Drove You to Start Teaching Zero Waste?</h3><p>When I started at UC Berkeley, I was excited to be going to a school that had – I'm told – one of the best environmental curriculums in the nation. But I quickly realized that much of the education I was receiving had little real-life application; the material lacked the call-to-action that is really necessary for addressing the ecological crisis.</p><p>That's why I decided to create a course that was solutions-focused and action-based. I started out with the concept of zero waste, but I scaled it up from individual-level action to build a vision for an economy, design system and culture that operate on the premise that natural resources are valuable and limited. I also cover modern food systems, climate change and decarbonization, and green cities, always looking at a global picture of access, equity, and cultural and ecological diversity.</p><p>The approach I take helps students learn how all of these things come together for a vision of a sustainable future. I want them to be excited about the year 2100, rather than terrified.</p><h3>What Are the Biggest Misconceptions About Your Course?</h3><p>Sometimes my course gets misconstrued as a place where I teach students about what they can do to lessen their individual environmental impact. It's not really that at all. I do try to walk my students through the changes that they can make in their own lives, but the course is really about a societal revolution. It's focused on structural change, political advocacy, and community power.</p><p>Two-thirds of my students are not environmental majors, and I try to give everyone something that they can do with their lives and their careers. A business major, after taking the class, might tell me: "I want to spend my career in businesses that fit with the circular economy." Or a biochemistry major might say: "I could operate a green lab." I'm focused on big-picture solutions, all of us coming together to accomplish something through so many different avenues with our different skill sets, as well as how we can make our community a little bit better.</p>
<h3>When We Talk About Climate Change, Sustainability and Equity, Are We Really Talking About the Same Thing?</h3><p>Absolutely, and I think most people are shocked when they start taking my course to learn that I'm not really here to advocate on behalf of trees. Climate change is a social justice issue; it is already exacerbating existing inequalities and will continue to do so.</p><p>I'm first and foremost a human rights activist. I've been passionate about feminism and racial justice from a very young age and have always done my best to educate and engage those around me. I came to environmentalism a few years ago with the realization that there are no human rights on a dead planet - this one movement really has the potential to encapsulate every social issue we have.</p><h3>What Do You Think Needs to Happen to Enable Us to Move to a Circular Economy More Quickly?</h3><p>If we really want to move towards a circular economy, we have to do a lot of direct targeting of the big corporations who already have the infrastructure, financial power and influence in our society. In our activism work, we need to be demanding that these massive companies that actually run our society and have control over our economy and government are accountable to the people.</p>
<h3>College Students Were Heavily Impacted by COVID-19 This Year. What Was That Experience Like for You, as a Student, Instructor and Activist?</h3><p>I'll be honest, I lost a lot this year. I had to give up my dreams of expanding this course to other schools and communities for now, and all of my activism campaigns completely dissolved. After I graduated, I slept on the couch at my grandmother's house for two months. I was very lucky to receive a job offer in July for an environmental nonprofit and be financially stable for the second half of this year, but I've had to fight very hard to get my mental and physical health back from where they went when I thought I was losing everything I'd ever worked for. This year has been transformative in some good ways too, though; I needed to take a step back before I burned out, and I deactivated my social media for six months after a few super viral posts because I wanted to ask myself why I feel qualified to educate people and check my intentions. I'm young, and it's easy to develop an ego and forget what you're really working towards when you start getting media attention.</p><h3>What's Next for You?</h3><p>Right now I'm just feeling very grateful to be employed and still doing important work. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/Zero-Waste-Solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zero Waste USA</a> recently reached out to me about sponsoring my course on their online platform, so I'm very excited to be back to teaching in the new year, and the class is going to be open to everyone! I want to keep going with this curriculum and eventually turn it into a book because I think what I've created is really unique, and it's a lot of the information that the average person really needs. For now, I'm getting back into the swing of things with teaching online and making educational content for Instagram. My teaching assistants, Annie Mitchell and Victoria Bartoszewicz, are still teaching it at Berkeley and after the pandemic I still do want to take it to other colleges, high schools, communities – anywhere that wants it.</p><p>When that eventually comes around, I'll be applying for grants and trying to get the book published. The idea of trying to get funding and hoping I get it and hoping it keeps coming is really scary, but I'm also excited because this is the most important thing that I can do – to continue to educate people and create a better equipped and larger environmental movement. It's a huge risk, but this is all I've ever wanted.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/i-created-a-class-to-teach-zero-waste/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em></p>
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Indian startup Carbon Craft Design upcycles black carbon into stylish tiles. Carbon Craft Design
Indian startup Carbon Craft Design (CCD) launched with the goal of making construction more sustainable and tackling India's major air pollution problem. It does so by extracting black carbon from polluted air and upcycling it into strong and stylish carbon tiles.
<p>Black carbon is a substance in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution that absorbs one million times more energy from the sun than carbon dioxide, making it a potent contributor to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/carbon-tiles-air-pollution-india-hnk-spc-intl/index.html#:~:text=Determined%20to%20make%20construction%20more,make%20stylish%2C%20handcrafted%20building%20tiles." target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>Black carbon also has dangerous health effects, having been linked to lung and heart disease in addition to impairing cognitive and immune functions, the article stated. Earlier this year, two separate studies found that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/air-pollution-life-expectancy-2645407193.html" target="_self">air pollution shortens human life expectancy by three years</a> and that there is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/air-pollution-cardiac-arrests-2644941669.html" target="_self">"no safe level" of air pollution exposure</a>, because even low levels of PM2.5 correlated with an increased risk of cardiac arrest. In 2020, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/air-pollution-deaths-study-2648424420.html" target="_self">air pollution was responsible for over 6.6 million deaths worldwide</a> and was ruled, for the first time, as a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/london-girl-death-air-pollution-2649531226.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">partial cause of the asthma death of a nine-year-old London girl</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/india" target="_self">India</a> is notorious for its polluted air. According to <a href="https://www.iqair.com/india" target="_blank">IQ Air</a>, its cities often suffer from high levels of PM2.5, and 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities in 2019 were in the South Asian nation.</p><p>Building and construction are partly to blame. Traditional <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/eco-friendly-bricks-2646435593.html" target="_blank">clay bricks</a> are made by firing and heating them to roughly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes a lot of energy and produces air pollution byproduct waste. India is the world's second-largest brick producer, and brick kilns account for 20 percent of black carbon emissions globally, CNN reported. Conventional vitrified tiles (a low-porosity ceramic), also require a lot of energy to manufacture since they have to be burned, <a href="https://www.thebetterindia.com/225013/mumbai-startup-air-pollution-tiles-carbon-craft-design-sustainable-innovation-india-ang136/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Better India</a> reported.</p>
<p>Architect Tejas Sidnal was shocked to discover how construction exacerbates his nation's environmental issues. In response, Sidnal founded CCD in 2019, and his new carbon tiles are reinventing how to build.</p><p>"That was a crazy eye opener," he told CNN. "As architects, we are responsible for so much air pollution. We can do better."</p><p>CCD Project Head Giriprashad K explained in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnB7Hh40nYk" target="_blank">company video</a> about carbon tiles, "The present-day production of construction materials is one of the largest single-source contributors of climate change. We wanted to see how to use this captured carbon [to produce] building materials. We came up with this idea that this carbon can be converted into this tile, and it is scalable."</p><p>CCD collaborated with Boston-based <a href="https://www.graviky.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Graviky Labs</a> to use pollution as a resource and create their signature product. Graviky captures and converts carbon soot from cars and factories into sustainable products, and uses a similar process to upcycle purified carbon into a powder pigment. CCD mixes this carbon pigment with cement and marble waste from quarries to produce handcrafted, monochromatic tiles, CNN reported.</p>
<p>The "craft" in the company name derives from the fact that the cement tiles are handmade by craftsmen using traditional, lower-carbon processes that have been used in India for more than 200 years, the video explained. Carbon tiles are made using a hydraulic press instead of being burned, requiring one-fifth of the energy to produce compared to vitrified tiles, The Better India reported. Carbon tiles come in six shades with 15 different designs, and can even be customized.</p><p>"By making carbon tile, we help [the craftsmen] thrive and empower the local community," Sidal said in the video.</p><p>Each new <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/green-building" target="_self">sustainable building</a> tile contains at least 70 percent waste material and is the equivalent of cleaning 30,000 liters of air, the company <a href="https://www.carboncraftdesign.com/carbontile" target="_blank">website</a> said. By CCD's math, "1 Carbon Tile = 1 Day of Clean Air" for a person. And while many companies are developing commercially viable ways to capture carbon dioxide emissions, few are focused on black carbon, Sidnal told CNN.</p><p>"We found a way to add value to this recovered carbon by using it as a pigment in carbon tiles," he said.</p>
<p>The tiles are also stronger than conventional cement tiles due to the higher carbon content, and Sidal and CCD's customers hope that recapturing pollutants like black carbon will slow the climate crisis and improve air quality, CNN reported.</p><p>"Anything that we build should be able to be reused or upcycled in some form or the other. That is why we feel that any resource is not a waste. And now we feel that air pollution is just a resource that is not harvested," Sidnal said in the CCD video.</p><p>Sidnal's ultimate vision is to construct a "carbon-conscious building" with each component derived from processing air pollutants, he told The Better India.</p>
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Ikea is among the companies implementing circular economy initiatives. Visual China Group / Getty Images
By Sean Fleming
What goes around comes around, according to the old saying. And in the case of the circular economy, that's certainly true.
<p>The circular economy takes a different approach to the take-make-dispose model of consumption to which many have become accustomed. By reusing and recycling as much as possible, plus repurposing and selling on items that have outlived their initial use, the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">circular economy is creating jobs and generating economic activity, while easing some pressures on the environment</a>.</p><p>It's an approach based on "<a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy" target="_blank">designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems</a>," in the words of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The idea is gaining momentum and truly hitting the mainstream as a growing number of household-name brands adopt circular methods and develop products with circularity built in.</p><p>Organizations around the world are creating new platforms to support circular innovation. For instance, the World Economic Forum's <a href="https://www.weforum.org/scale360-circular-innovation/" target="_blank">Scale360° Playbook</a> initiative brings together technologists, researchers, entrepreneurs and governments to develop new products and solutions, maximize resources and rethink value chains. Additionally, emerging circular innovators from around the world can connect and work together in sharing ideas and solutions through <a href="https://uplink.weforum.org/uplink/s/topic/0TO2o000000ACgSGAW/circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UpLink</a>, the Forum's open innovation platform.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTExNTM3OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTYwNTE0OX0.ondkej2WeUQbnUL2KSQgEzmvFWUgMPReVLn5LwhZNQM/img.png?width=980" id="fce10" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3096182f74f18552926e797c2021acd8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1686" data-height="1102" />
Regenerate, reuse, recycle. Ellen MacArthur Foundation
<p>Here are four examples of the circular innovation that could be coming to a store near you.</p><h2>Recycling Incentives: Thousand Fell</h2><p>Thousand Fell is already making a name for itself as an environmentally conscious manufacturer with shoes made from sustainable materials such as <a href="https://www.thousandfell.com/" target="_blank">coconut husk and sugar cane, and even recycled plastic bottles</a>,</p><p>Now, in partnership with TerraCycle and UPS, the maker has launched a special recycling incentive. Customers can return old pairs of Thousand Fell shoes back to the manufacturer. Thousand Fell will then recycle the returned footwear and send customers <a href="https://www.thousandfell.com/pages/our-sustainability" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$20 that can be used toward a new pair of shoes.</a></p>
<h2>A Big Brand Selling Goods Second-Hand: IKEA</h2><p>Visitors to the Swedish town of Eskilstuna, about 100km outside of the capital Stockholm, could visit a <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/eskilstuna/attractions/sigurdsristningen/a/poi-sig/1113677/1314630" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1,000-year-old stone covered with Viking runes and pictures</a>. They could also visit IKEA's first-ever second-hand store.<br><br>The shop will feature gently used IKEA furniture as part of its efforts to reach its 2030 climate targets.</p><p>Head of sustainability at the Scandinavian furniture giant Jonas Carlehed told Reuters earlier this year that: "<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/ikea-opens-pilot-second-hand-store-sweden-circular-economy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">We are making a huge readjustment</a>, maybe the biggest IKEA has ever made, and one of the keys to reaching [the company's 2030 climate targets] is to manage to help our customers prolong the life of their products."</p><p>The company has also recently started a buy-back scheme for customers – it gives vouchers in exchange for the return of unwanted furniture and other items. That scheme has, however, been <a href="https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/customer-service/services/removal-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suspended in some locations because of ongoing pandemic-related restrictions</a>.</p>
<h2>Re-usable Fast Food Packaging: Burger King</h2><p>Takeaway food is big business -- but the packaging for those meals poses a sustainability challenge.</p><p>Global takeaway brand <a href="https://de.reuters.com/article/us-rstrnt-brnd-burger-king-packaging-idINKBN2771CE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Burger King has unveiled a solution in the form of reusable packaging intended to reduce the amount of waste it generates</a>. Customers in New York, Tokyo, and Portland, Oregon will soon be able to buy burgers and drinks in reusable packaging.</p><p>The plan, one in place for next year, features a small deposit charged initially and then refunded when the customer returns with the boxes and cups, which are <a href="https://www.weforum.org/our-impact/the-loop-alliance-plans-to-eliminate-plastic-waste-and-save-the-planet-you-can-too" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">taken away for cleaning and processing via the zero-waste e-commerce system Loop</a>.</p>
<h2>Shoes You Don't Own: Adidas</h2><p>Sportswear multinational Adidas has a range of footwear designed with recycling in mind. Its UltraBoost DNA Loop shoes are made from just one material – thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). No glue is used in its manufacture, instead, it is assembled using high temperatures.</p><p>On its website, Adidas describes the UltraBoost Loop as the <a href="https://www.adidas.de/en/ultraboost_dna_loop" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shoes customers will never own</a>, but will instead return once they are finished with them.</p><p>"If the end can become the beginning, we can help keep products in play and waste out of landfill," the company says.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/ikea-burger-king-adidas-embrace-circular-economy/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2649689207#/" target="_self"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
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Bowhead whale populations are nearing pre-commercial whaling numbers in U.S. waters. CoreyFord / Getty Images
In good news that has scientists excited, bowhead whale populations are nearing pre-commercial whaling numbers in U.S. waters.
<p>According to a recent <a href="https://arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card/Report-Card-2020/ArtMID/7975/ArticleID/905/Bowhead-Whales-Recent-Insights-into-Their-Biology-Status-and-Resilience" target="_blank">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report card</a> on the species, bowhead whales are the true <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/arctic">Arctic</a> baleen whale species and the only one that lives in the cold waters year-round. In the 1700s, they were targeted for their oil, blubber and baleen, or whalebone. Because they're slow-moving and large, they made easy targets and were nearly hunted to extinction by the start of the 20th century.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/bowhead-whale#:~:text=Bowhead%20whales%20are%20also%20listed,of%20bowheads%20in%20the%20world." target="_blank">NOAA</a>, the cessation of whaling, improved management and the general inaccessibility of their habitats helped several populations rebound, including the U.S. one off the coast of Alaska.</p><p>Still, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/arctic-changing-climate-nooa-report-2649429663.html" target="_self">Arctic is drastically changing due to the climate crisis</a>, with immense loss of sea ice, soaring temperatures and raging <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/arctic-wildfires-changing-global-climate-2647856074.html" target="_self">wildfires</a>. This grim reality has caused many to conclude that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/arctic-ocean-research-expedition-2648175284.html" target="_self">"The Arctic is Dying."</a></p><p>News from the Arctic has been almost uniformly bad, but the bowhead's conservation success, especially for the U.S. population off of Alaska, stands out as a beacon of hope, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/12/bowhead-whale-arctic-recovery-scientists#:~:text=Scientists%20cheered%20by%20bowhead%20whale%20recovery%20despite%20Arctic%20warming,-Biologists%20hail%20'one&text=In%20some%20rare%20good%20news,whaling%20numbers%20in%20US%20waters." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. The NOAA report card found that the whales' recovery actually had accelerated despite Arctic warming.</p>
<p>"This is really one of the great conservation successes of the last century," said J Craig George, a retired biologist with the North Slope borough department of wildlife management, reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/12/bowhead-whale-arctic-recovery-scientists#:~:text=Scientists%20cheered%20by%20bowhead%20whale%20recovery%20despite%20Arctic%20warming,-Biologists%20hail%20'one&text=In%20some%20rare%20good%20news,whaling%20numbers%20in%20US%20waters." target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>George also credited the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) for their sustainable management and stewardship of the species, the Guardian said. AEWC fought against <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/arctic-offshore-drilling" target="_self">offshore oil drilling</a> and other activities that could harm whales.</p><p>"No one has fought harder than the AEWC to protect bowhead habitat from industrial development in the U.S. Arctic," George told The Guardian.</p>
<p>According to the report, scientists were surprised by the whales' population expansion in recent decades. Biologists expected the cold-adapted species to suffer from melting sea ice, but instead, they observed how warmer Arctic seas are becoming more productive by bringing additional nutrients and food for the bowheads, resulting in more successful pregnancies. Now, scientists are looking to the cetaceans to provide broader insights into Arctic marine ecosystem health.</p><p>Despite the gains, the bowheads' future is still uncertain. According to <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/bowhead-whale#:~:text=Bowhead%20whales%20are%20also%20listed,of%20bowheads%20in%20the%20world." target="_blank">NOAA</a>, all bowhead whales remain endangered throughout their range. Oil drilling by Shell in the Beaufort Sea remains a real threat. Scientists also predict that there could be an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/arctic-sea-ice-melt-2035-2646947902.html" target="_self">end to Arctic sea ice by 2035</a>. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-ice" target="_self">Melting ice</a> would provide less cover against fishing gear, ship collisions and orca predators as the climate continues to change. Even the increase in food sources could attract competitor baleen whales. And of course, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/november-2020-record-heat-2649335852.html" target="_self">climate crisis continues</a>.</p><p>"They really are headed into an uncertain future," George told The Guardian.</p>
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The Andean mountains of the Zongo Valley in Bolivia where the RAP expedition took place are steep and rugged, with numerous waterfalls and cascades. Trond Larsen / Conservation International
In the Bolivian Andes, scientists found 20 new species and rediscovered plants and animals not seen for decades.
<p>The findings were made on a 14-day scientific expedition in March 2017 led by non-profit environmental group <a href="https://www.conservation.org/" target="_blank">Conservation International (CI)</a> high into the cloud forests of the Andean mountains. As part of CI's Rapid Assessment Program, which assembles "ecological SWAT teams" to quickly and efficiently assess the health of ecosystems around the world, the team identified a total of 1,204 species in the Zongo Valley, 20 of which were completely new to science, <a href="https://www.conservation.org/blog/trove-of-new-species-discovered-in-hidden-bolivian-valley" target="_blank">Conservation News</a> reported.</p><p>Near the capital city of La Paz, Zongo Valley is known as the heart of a rich, biodiverse region, a <a href="https://www.conservation.org/press-releases/2020/12/14/new-rare-and-rediscovered-species-found-in-the-pristine-andes-of-bolivia#:~:text=La%20Paz%2C%20Bolivia%20%2D%20(December,orchid%20and%20four%20butterfly%20species." target="_blank">CI press release</a> stated. The cloud forests are well-preserved atop high, steep, rugged mountains more than 10,000 feet above sea level, perhaps explaining how so many species have remained undetected and unfound until now. Biologists and expedition team members hiked for more than two weeks through the valley to access the ecosystem, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expedition-20-new-species-animals-in-bolivian-andes-2020-12" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Business Insider</a> reported.</p><p>Among the newly discovered species are the extremely venomous <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#68870035" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mountain fer-de-lance</a> viper, the red, yellow and green <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#12683785" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bolivian flag snake</a> and the tiny <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#93095728" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lilliputian frog</a>, according to the CI release. In addition, the valley flourishes with stunning plant and butterfly species, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/americas/new-species-bolivian-andes-spc-intl-scn/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. One such new orchid species, the Adder's mouth orchid, has parts that cleverly mimic insects, tricking them into transferring pollen for the flowers, CNN noted.</p><p>Although new to science, one species of <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#79934669" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bamboo</a> is well-known to local Indigenous communities, who use it to make musical instruments called sikus or zampoñas, the CI release said.</p>
<p>"[In Zongo] the noises you hear are from nature — all sorts of insects, frogs and birds calling, wonderful rushing sounds and cascades of waterfalls. Everything is covered in thick layers of moss, orchids and ferns," CI's expedition leader Trond Larsen told CNN.</p><p>In addition to identifying new species, researchers rediscovered four species thought to be extinct. The CI release mentioned how the <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#22445087" target="_blank">satyr butterfly</a> was last seen 98 years ago, but researchers caught a specimen in a trap containing its food source: rotten fruit. This species is believed to only live in the Zongo Valley. Another, the <a href="https://ci.tandemvault.com/lightboxes/qOTPZXBM7?t=lKATSovZq#52842114" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">devil-eyed frog</a>, was last seen 20 years ago before a hydroelectric dam was built in its habitat, CNN reported.</p><p>"The remarkable discovery of new species and rediscovery of species once thought extinct illustrates just how important it is to continue to sustainably develop La Paz in a way that protects and conserves the nature that surrounds it," Larsen told Conservation News. "This area has become a safe haven for amphibians, butterflies and plants that haven't been found anywhere else on earth. We owe it to future generations to keep it that way."</p><p>Despite the pristine habitat that many of the animals were found in, some are having to adapt to the climate crisis by moving to higher ground in search of cooler conditions, CNN reported. To get higher, animals often have to traverse forests to reach more habitable areas.</p>
<p>"Unless you keep those corridors of forest intact then those animals and plants have no way to move and no way to adjust to those changing conditions," Larsen explained to CNN. "That's why protecting places like the Zongo is so essential in the face of climate change."</p><p>The findings will inform sustainable development plans for rural areas of La Paz, 78 percent of which falls within the Zongo, the CI release said. The city will use the information to ensure that natural ecosystems are conserved while <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bolivia-drought-melt-glaciers-2112257923.html" target="_self">water resources are tapped to provide drinking water</a> and electrical power to the residents of La Paz and El Alto, the release continued.</p><p>"Anytime humans depend on an ecosystem for valuable resources and livelihoods — in this case, water and agriculture — there is a risk that it will be overexploited," Eduardo Forno, executive director of CI-Bolivia told Conservation News. "Currently, some of the biggest threats facing the Zongo Valley are the fires that are set to clear land for small-scale farming, which provides food and income for the rural communities in the area. This has the potential to destroy wildlife habitats and disrupt water sources."</p><p>In the CI release, Forno emphasized how the new discoveries helped make a case for a conservation area near La Paz to conserve the valuable nature and water of Zongo Valley.</p><p>"We are working with the municipality of La Paz and rural communities to use the results from our rapid assessment to strike a balance between protection and production in the Zongo Valley," he told Conservation News. "The plan is to help show the government and local communities the importance of the biodiversity in their own backyard — not only for their livelihoods, but for the entire planet."</p>
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A coral reef off the coast of Tanzania, where deep, cool water protects it from warming temperatures. Michael Markovina / WCS
Thousands of years ago, glacial runoff from Mount Kilimanjaro formed a deep basin off the coast of East Africa. Today, this oasis of deep, cool water provides coral reefs and marine life with a sanctuary from the rising temperatures of the climate crisis, allowing biodiversity to thrive.
<p>This unique refuge was discovered recently by scientists with the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> (WCS) and described in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065288120300353" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Advances in Marine Biology</a>.</p><p>"This area off the coast of Tanzania and Kenya is a small but vibrant basin of marine biodiversity," study author and lead WCS coral scientist Dr. Tim McClanahan said in a <a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/15608/Rare-climate-refuge-for-coral-reefs-discovered-off-the-coast-of-Kenya-and-Tanzania.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. "Our study shows that while warming waters may devastate surrounding reefs, this area could become an incredibly important sanctuary where marine species big and small will flock to find refuge from climate change. If well protected, this key transboundary marine ecosystem will remain a jewel of biodiversity for the entire East African coast."</p>
<p>The newly discovered refuge is teaming with marine life. Spinner <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/dolphins" target="_self">dolphins</a> swim there, and the coast has the highest density of dolphins in East Africa, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/15/happy-corals-climate-crisis-sanctuary-teeming-with-life-found-off-east-africa" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. Rare dugongs have been spotted there, and the deeper reaches are home to coelacanths, a prehistoric <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fish" target="_self">fish</a> once believed to be extinct.</p><p>McClanahan did not immediately understand why so much life was drawn to this spot, which stretches from Shimoni, Kenya, which is 50 miles south of Mombasa, to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.</p><p>"I thought 'why are all the animals here?' And I realised it was because of Kilimanjaro," he told The Guardian.</p>
<p>The sea surface temperatures of the tropical Indian Ocean have risen about one degree Celsius on average between 1950 and 2015, according to an <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-4327-2_10#:~:text=Key%20Messages,decade)%20(high%20confidence)." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region</a>. In addition, the ocean has been subjected to greater and more frequent marine heatwaves, WCS explained. In this context, the cooler waters off of Kenya and Tanzania could provide an increasingly vital habitat for threatened species like sharks and rays.</p><p>To test whether this was indeed the case, McClanahan installed temperature gauges along the coast that he could then monitor by satellite, according to The Guardian. Once a warming event occurred and the temperatures began to rise, he entered the water to observe how the corals were impacted, and found that they were indeed preserved.</p><p>"Outside that area, the corals are bleached and dying. But inside the area, of around 400 sq km [150 sq miles] they retain their colour and their health. They are reds and brown. My research partner likes to call them: 'happy corals'," McClanahan told The Guardian.</p>
<p>He explained to <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12122020/warming-trends-school-lunches-cool-roads-new-york-coral-reef/" target="_blank">InsideClimate News</a> exactly how this works.</p><p>"It would be like running hot water into a cold bathtub; if the bath is cold, it would take a long time to warm up," he said. "By the time these hot water events pass, they haven't really raised the temperature of the water all that much. So you maintain these coral sanctuaries where the water is cool."</p><p>However, the area's role as a coral sanctuary will depend on its being protected from other threats. Coastal development, including a new port planned in northern Tanzania to serve a new <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil" target="_self">oil</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" target="_self">pipeline</a>, is one, WCS said. Another is unsustainable <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fishing" target="_self">fishing</a> practices like dynamite fishing, McClanahan told InsideClimate News. This is when fisherpeople drop a stick of dynamite into the water to kill massive amounts of fish in one go. Unsurprisingly, this also destroys coral.</p><p>"Some of the reefs that I've been studying suggest they can't recover for many, many years after the dynamite fishing," McClanahan told InsideClimate News.</p>
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Environmentalists Applaud Biden Selections of Granholm, McCarthy for Key Climate Posts
16 December 2020
Politics
Jennifer Granholm speaks on Sept. 10, 2009 in Wixom, Michigan. As governor of Michigan, Granholm worked to redevelop the abandoned Ford Wixom Assembly Plant into a renewable energy park. Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
By Jake Johnson
Grassroots environmental groups that have been demanding a Cabinet dedicated to pursuing an ambitious climate agenda applauded President-elect Joe Biden's reported decision to nominate former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to lead the Energy Department and Natural Resources Defense Council head Gina McCarthy to serve as national climate adviser.
<p>"These selections are a major victory for the broad and diverse movement pushing Joe Biden to keep top contenders with dangerous <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> ties out of his Cabinet and administration," Collin Rees, senior campaigner at Oil Change U.S., said in a statement shortly after news of the picks broke Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>"Gina McCarthy is a proven climate advocate with the experience to hit the ground running and coordinate an all-of-government response to the climate crisis," said Rees. "Jennifer Granholm is an experienced leader with a strong record of support for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> and opposition to the disastrous Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines."</p><p>Biden's selections came on the heels of reports that the president-elect was <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/planet-stake-climate-coalition-pressures-biden-reject-corporate-shill-ernest-moniz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">considering returning</a> industry-friendly former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to his old post, a move environmentalists warned would spell disaster for the hopes of a transformative climate agenda. As Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/25/planet-stake-climate-coalition-pressures-biden-reject-corporate-shill-ernest-moniz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> late last month, dozens of environmental groups mobilized in an effort to dissuade Biden from picking Moniz — or anyone else with ties to the fossil fuel industry.</p><p>"Shout out to all the grassroots groups who opposed his nomination and opened up the space for more ambitious policy," <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1338977397283033090" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> Jamie Henn, director of Fossil Free Media.</p>
<p>Celebrating Biden's picks as highly encouraging, Henn pointed to a 2016 event at which Granholm was asked whether she sided "with the Standing Rock Sioux in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline."</p><p>"Yes, I do," Granholm said. "We ought to be doing everything we possibly can to keep fossil fuel energy in the ground and developing the renewable side."</p><p>If confirmed as energy secretary, <a href="https://twitter.com/jamieclimate/status/1338977771721084928" target="_blank">said</a> Henn, Granholm's "first order of business should be shutting down DAPL, KXL, Line 3, Line 5, and other dangerous fossil fuel projects."</p>
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<p>Climate activists also praised Biden's reported plan to nominate McCarthy, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>) administrator, as White House climate coordinator, a position that does not require Senate confirmation. Biden has not yet decided on his nominee for EPA chief.</p><p>"Congrats to Gina McCarthy, who has been a great partner and ally to the Sunrise Movement," <a href="https://twitter.com/evanlweber/status/1339031146550734850" target="_blank">said</a> Evan Weber, Sunrise's political director. "She has listened and worked alongside us to push for Joe Biden to be bolder and braver. We'll have to continue to push — that's what movements do — but good to know we'll have an ear."</p>
<p>Natalie Mebane, associate director of policy at 350.org, said in a statement late Tuesday that the president-elect's picks are "positive steps," describing Granholm and McCarthy as "two powerhouse leaders who will stick to a bold and ambitious climate agenda."</p><p>"We look forward to working with both McCarthy and Granholm to reverse course on four years of climate destruction and meet the scale of the climate crisis," said Mebane.</p><p>Rees of Oil Change U.S. added that "Joe Biden's entire government must be dedicated to mobilizing for an end to the fossil fuel era, and these announcements are a step in the right direction."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/16/two-powerhouse-leaders-environmentalists-applaud-biden-selections-granholm-mccarthy" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge now connects Phil Hardberger Park across a six-lane highway in San Antonio, Texas. Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy
As the coronavirus pandemic has kept many people apart, two sides of a Texas park have finally come together.
<p>The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, which connects San Antonio's Phil Hardberger Park across a six-lane highway, opened Friday afternoon for people and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> alike. A project ten years in the making, the bridge is now the largest completed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> crossing of its kind in the U.S.</p><p>"For many years, the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge was only a dream. Thanks to overwhelming community support of the 2017 Bond, the generosity of donors from across the city and the hard work and dedication of so many, the vision is now a reality," former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger said in a City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation <a href="https://www.sanantonio.gov/ParksAndRec/News-Events/News-Press-Releases/Detail-Page/ArtMID/16253/ArticleID/19874/FORMER-SAN-ANTONIO-MAYOR-PHIL-HARDBERGER-INVITES-COMMUNITY-TO-ROBERT-LB-TOBIN-LAND-BRIDGE%E2%80%99S-OPENING-WEEKEND?Park=&Facility=" target="_blank">press release</a>. "I am honored to invite San Antonians to come experience the Land Bridge and hope it will offer them an escape from the stresses of this year — a place where they may spend time with family and friends and connect with the natural world."</p>
<div id="b951c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="088c766b0e0286453ac231f3637b314e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1337473525737787394" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge is united! The trail over the Land Bridge is now open! You are invited to come e… https://t.co/Stl7q6zgF0</div> — Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy (@Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy)<a href="https://twitter.com/hardbergerpark/statuses/1337473525737787394">1607713512.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br>The idea for the bridge first emerged in 2010, before the park had even opened, <a href="https://www.ksat.com/features/2020/12/10/hardberger-park-land-bridge-set-to-open-to-public-on-friday-afternoon/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KSAT reported</a>. Park planners knew that the park would be bisected by Wurzbach Parkway, interrupting park goers' experience and putting animals at risk.<br></p><p>Hardberger, who was the leading official behind the idea for the bridge, said that animals would often try to cross the highway.</p><p>"Even though you do put up barriers, they'll get across or start to get across. Right now, it's six lanes, TxDOT says it will eventually be eight lanes," Hardberger told KSAT. "We've had some accidents between cars and deer especially, and some of the smaller animals as well."</p><p>The problem of animal and vehicle collisions is bigger than one park in Texas.</p>
<p>"Over the most recently reported 15-year period, wildlife-vehicle collisions have increased by 50 percent, with an estimated one to two million large animals killed by motorists every year," Rob Ament, Western Transportation Institute road ecology program manager, told <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/04/wildlife-overpasses-underpasses-make-animals-people-safer/" target="_blank">National Geographic in 2019</a>.</p><p>In the U.S., 21 threatened and endangered species face extinction partly because of traffic accidents, among them Florida's Key deer and Alabama's red-bellied turtles.</p><p>Wildlife crossings — either above or below roadways — have emerged as an effective solution to this problem ever since France constructed the first one in the 1950s.</p><p>"You can get reductions of 85 to 95 percent with crossings and fencing that guide animals under or over highways," Ament told National Geographic.</p>
<p>The San Antonio bridge is notable for its size and the fact that it accommodates people as well.</p><p>"The land bridge is 150 feet wide and approximately the same distance across," a parks department spokesperson told <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/wildlife-crossing-land-bridge-san-antonio-texas_n_5fcba979c5b6787f2a98517f" target="_blank">HuffPost</a>. "It's designed at that size to accommodate both people and animals, and we believe it is both the only and the largest built for this dual purpose."</p><p>Animals in the 330-acre park who could benefit from the bridge include ringtails, squirrels, coyotes, lizards, raccoons and deer. Construction crews already observed some of them making use of the bridge before its official opening, KSAT reported.</p><p>As of 1 p.m. Friday, people were able to enjoy it as well. It is now open sunrise to sunset, in keeping with park hours. In addition to safeguarding animals and providing new recreation opportunities, the bridge will serve as a habitat for native plants.</p>
<p>"The Land Bridge connects people with nature in the heart of San Antonio. I look forward to watching the landscape grow and mature with native trees and plants and observing wildlife through viewing blinds designed by local artists. The bridge is an amazing achievement," current San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in the parks department press release.</p><p>Private donations and a 2017-2022 bond program approved by San Antonio voters helped fund the bridge, which cost $23 million, KSAT reported.</p><p>"The words that come to mind are unity, understanding, caring and a little bit of mystery to wonder what's on the other side of that bridge,' I think I'll walk across there, find out what's going on,'" Hardberger told KSAT. "I like all of those words that describe a bridge because it helps unite San Antonio, this is a common gathering place."</p>
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The mountains above Paradise Valley at the gateway to Yellowstone National Park are now protected from gold mining. Walt Snover / Getty Images
The gateway to Yellowstone National Park is now safe from mining.
<p>A <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54919e5ae4b057e73fb9016d/t/5fd11f7fa907cd28a345a888/1607540608412/MTSupremeCourt_Decision_12082020.pdf" target="_blank">ruling</a> issued by the Montana Supreme Court Wednesday has effectively squashed a plan by Canadian company Lucky Minerals to search for gold in the mountains above Paradise Valley, the northern entryway to the iconic national park.</p><p>"Never underestimate the power of a community united to preserve its values to move mountains — and to protect them," Michelle Uberuaga, executive director of the <a href="https://www.pcecmt.org/" target="_blank">Park County Environmental Council</a>, one of two <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> groups behind the winning lawsuit, told <a href="https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/environment/montana-supreme-court-upholds-decision-to-block-mining-north-of-yellowstone/article_8fe4b13a-eff9-5d09-99a1-55b55c4e7058.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Bozeman Daily Chronicle</a>.</p><p>For the Park County Environmental Council, co-plaintiff <a href="http://greateryellowstone.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Greater Yellowstone Coalition</a> (GYC) and their legal representatives <a href="https://earthjustice.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earthjustice</a>, Wednesday's victory was a long time coming. Here is a brief timeline of key events.</p>
<ul><li>2011: The Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) was amended to stop district judges from halting projects approved by state agencies while new environmental reviews were being conducted, even if the approval was ruled to be illegal.</li><li>2017: Environmental groups sued after Montana's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approved a drilling permit for Lucky Minerals to look for gold near Emigrant Peak, north of Yellowstone.</li><li>2018: A Park County District Court judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and said the permit was illegal because the DEQ did not fully consider the environmental impacts of the project. However, the judge could not block the exploratory drilling from taking place because of the 2011 amendment. The conservation groups then asked the judge to rule the amendment unconstitutional.</li><li>2019: The district judge <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/montana-court-blocks-gold-mining-yellowstone-2634854258.html" target="_self">ruled</a> in favor of the conservation groups and tossed out the amendment.</li><li>2020: The Montana Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision that the amendment was unconstitutional after the DEQ and the company brought an appeal.</li></ul>
<p>"Years in the making, this is a momentous win for GYC, our partners and the people of Montana who know the Greater Yellowstone is more valuable than gold," GYC Senior Montana Conservation Associate Joe Josephson wrote in a <a href="http://greateryellowstone.org/blog/2020/mtsupremecourtwin?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mtcourtwin_120920" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. </p><p>"By closing this loophole, the Court has substantially strengthened protections against irresponsible mining practices, and has affirmed that Montana laws enacted to protect places like Emigrant Gulch are a critical part of protecting our constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment."</p><p>Mining opponents argued that Lucky Minerals' exploration and mining plans would pollute the Yellowstone River with acid runoff and toxic metals; interrupt essential habitat for species like grizzly bears, lynx, elk and wolverines; and harm the local community by disrupting recreation areas and ruining views of Emigrant Peak from Yellowstone National Park itself, <a href="https://earthjustice.org/blog/2018-may/montana-court-agrees-yellowstone-gateway-more-valuable-than-gold?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=page&fbclid=IwAR2vlP0K61z45STTk2TUUy4UpzlD6wBsGAQbRtV6DWzaCNxcggM-d8sBLbY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earthjustice explained</a>.</p><p>In Wednesday's decision, the Supreme Court also upheld the District Court's decision that the project required an updated environmental review from the DEQ, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. It agreed that the initial review did not consider the project's impacts on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> or develop an adequate plan for capturing polluted water during the drilling process. It disagreed that the original approval did not do enough to consider the project's impact on water quality or nearby public lands.</p>
<p>Lucky Minerals' lawyer KD Feeback declined to comment on their behalf, but did say that the ruling on the MEPA amendment would be disappointing to the mining and timber industries.</p><p>"As the Legislature indicated at the time of the subject amendment, meritless and continual litigation over every project proposal is inefficient and uneconomic," he told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. "The Court's decision otherwise will continue that inefficiency to the detriment of Montana's economic well-being and work force."</p><p>If Lucky Minerals wants to continue with its mining plans, it will have to submit a new proposal, according to GYC. But Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbine thinks the gig is up.</p><p>"This latest ruling ensures that Lucky Minerals can't harm clean water and native wildlife at the gateway into Yellowstone National Park under cover of a license that was never legally issued in the first place," Harbine said in a press release. "Lucky Minerals should have read the writing on the wall a long time ago."</p>
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