The Quapaw Nation’s Casino Farms Its Own Food
A stone’s throw from the blackjack tables, bison are grazing, beehives are buzzing, crops are growing—and nature is winning.
https://civileats.com/2020/12/10/the-quapaw-nations-casino-farms-its-own-food/
Human rights-based conservation is key to protecting biodiversity: Study
Soil carbon market could grow quickly globally
Carbon markets are already providing income to Australian and some Canadian and US farmers for trapping carbon dioxide in their soil and reducing carbon emissions on the farm. How are these markets expected to grow and when will European farmers begin cashing in?
Our Best Climate Stories of 2020
Another year of climate-fueled extreme weather revealed the imminent dangers we face, the urgent need to act, and the role agriculture plays in both. Here is our best climate reporting.
https://civileats.com/2020/12/29/our-best-climate-stories-of-2020/
Public Distrust in Science Made COVID Worse. It Will Also Harm Climate Policy.
Biden vows to pay farmers to plant cover crops and put land in conservation
A roadmap for the Biden-Harris administration: Re-designing farm systems for the climate crisis
Open Letter to Biden-Appointed USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack: Moving Forward, Meeting Challenges, Correcting the Past
Trump Tries to Ruin the Environment as Much as Possible Before Leaving
“This is a disaster,” a San Carlos Apache tribal leader said of one drilling project the administration is pushing forward
To save life on Earth, consult this new map
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/to-save-life-on-earth-consult-this-new-map/
Bioregional Regeneration for Planetary Health
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-12-08/bioregional-regeneration-for-planetary-health/
Stephen Leslie: Why Vermont needs a healthy soils act
This commentary is by Stephen Leslie, co-owner of Cedar Mountain Farm and Cobb Hill Cheese, both located at Cobb Hill Co-housing in Hartland. He is an author at Chelsea Green Publishing.
https://vtdigger.org/2020/12/20/stephen-leslie-why-vermont-needs-a-healthy-soils-act/
Family Forest Owners Could Champion Carbon Drawdown
New forest carbon programs could fuel the transition to carbon-smart forestry.
https://www.sightline.org/2020/12/03/family-forest-owners-could-champion-carbon-drawdown/
No Country Immune from the Health Harms of Climate Change
https://cires.colorado.edu/news/no-country-immune-health-harms-climate-change
New York state is divesting its pension fund from fossil fuels
The New York Common Retirement Fund has invested as much as $12 billion in oil and gas companies in the past. It will end those investments by 2040.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90584184/new-york-state-is-divesting-its-pension-fund-from-fossil-fuels\
Highest levels of microplastics found in molluscs, new study says
https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/research/microplastics-molluscs-highest-levels/
Amazon must stop flooding our oceans with plastic waste.
Amazon’s apparent embrace of plastic packaging is hindering
its commitment to help the fight against climate change.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/12/16/amazon-must-stop-flooding-our-oceans-with-plastic-waste
Theoretical limit in recycling rates for plastic packages scientifically established
https://www.miragenews.com/theoretical-limit-in-recycling-rates-for-plastic-packages-scientifically-established/
Plastic waste: how to square the circle
The EU’s circular economy plan aims to halve municipal waste in the next decade by increasing recycling rates.
Can companies boost the use of recycled plastics in time to meet the target?
https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/plastic-waste-how-to-square-the-circle/
Creating industrial ecosystem for plastic recycling (India)
https://www.thejakartapost.com/adv/2020/12/07/creating-industrial-ecosystem-for-plastic-recycling.html.
Between masks, gloves and disinfectant wipes, COVID-19 has us drowning in plastic
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-between-masks-gloves-and-disinfectant-wipes-covid-19-has-us-drowning/
Even razor clams on sparsely populated Olympic Coast can’t escape plastics
https://www.pdx.edu/news/even-razor-clams-sparsely-populated-olympic-coast-cant-escape-plastics-psu-study-finds
Plastic is Blowing in the Wind
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/environment/plastic-blowing-wind
The environment is polluted by microplastics worldwide. The tiny particles enter food chains, and thereby the digestive systems of animals and humans; moreover, they can be inhaled. Instead of being excreted, small microplastics can be incorporated into the body tissue. A research team at the University of Bayreuth has now discovered that microplastic particles find their way into living cells more easily if they were exposed to natural aquatic environments, i.e. fresh water and seawater. Biomolecules occurring in the water are deposited on the microplastic surfaces, which promote the internalization of the particles into cells.
https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/university/press/press-releases/2020/173-microplastics/index.html
Navigating Plastic Alternatives In a Circular Economy.
This work unpacks the opportunities and challenges within
the industry’s move toward these alternative materials, considering
sustainable sourcing of feedstocks and end-of-life recovery pathways.
With 11 million metric tons of plastic waste entering our
oceans every year, the proliferation of single-use plastics across the globe has reached a tipping point. Market pressures and regulations are spurring a rapid and, at times, haphazard shift away from petroleum-based, single-use plastics bound for landfill.
Many companies are exploring bio-based plastics,
biopolymers and compostable alternatives to align their products and packaging with waste reduction and climate impact goals, after pursuing strategies to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics. Yet with new materials already outpacing the capacity of our existing recovery infrastructure,
there is a critical need to address the misalignment between production and end-of-life to ensure that compostable packaging does not end up in landfill.
https://www.closedlooppartners.com/research/navigating-plastic-alternatives-in-a-circular-economy/
How Does A Zero Waste Store Survive A Pro-Plastic Pandemic?
https://laist.com/2020/12/30/how_does_a_zero_waste_store_survive_a_pro-plastic_pandemic.php
Soy moratorium averted New Jersey-size loss of Amazon rainforest: Study
Cultivating a food forest: Bohol permaculture farm produces award-winning tablea
Hope and peace: Bison return to the Rosebud reservation
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/hope-and-peace-bison-return-to-the-rosebud-reservation/
Sustainable ag and a new food label
Sustainable ag and a new food label
Marin County (CA) ramps up effort to reduce air pollution
https://www.marinij.com/2020/12/12/marin-moves-to-broaden-coalition-in-war-on-greenhouse-emissions/
Close to Home:
A trillion trees to save the earth
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/opinion/close-to-home-a-trillion-trees-to-save-the-earth/
Vatican committed to net zero emissions by 2050, Pope Francis says
Demand for batteries is increasing rapidly and is set to increase 14 fold by 2030.
Sustainable batteries for a circular and climate neutral
Sustainable batteries for a circular and climate neutral economy
COVID lockdown causes record drop in CO2 emissions for 2020
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/homepage/title_830589_en.html
Tim Cook urges world to move to a ‘carbon-neutral economy’
https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/12/12/tim-cook-urges-un-to-move-to-a-carbon-neutral-economy
Last decade to transform the executive branch
Nestlé To Invest US$3.5B In 5-Year Climate Plan Powered By Regenerative Agriculture & Plant-Based Innovation
Four Steps To Adopting A Circular Economy In Commercial Real Estate
Seize a bipartisan bioeconomy agenda
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/14991-opinion-seize-a-bipartisan-bioeconomy-agenda
How plants compete for underground real estate affects climate change and food production
Patagonia encourages shoppers to buy used gear this holiday season
The company’s new “Buy Less, Demand More” campaign prompts customers to consider secondhand alternatives to new gear.
https://www.snewsnet.com/gear/patagonia-buy-less-demand-more-campaign
STATE of KNOWLEDGE of SOIL BIODIVERSITY
Status, challenges and potentialities
Summary for policy makers
http://www.fao.org/3/cb1929en/CB1929EN.pdf
How To Fix A Food System That’s Not Designed To Feed …
Agriculture doesn’t have to be the villain: regenerative farming can save our soils
This World Soil Day, Petra Hans of IKEA Foundation argues that working with not against nature is the only sustainable way for agriculture to feed a growing human population.
UK Agriculture Bill: how farming and forestry could co-exist happily
Researchers estimate nearly one-third of oaks are threatened with extinction
https://www.mortonarb.org/news/researchers-estimate-nearly-one-third-oaks-are-threatened-extinction
The North Carolina hog industry’s answer to pollution: a $500million pipeline project
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/11/north-carolina-hog-industry-lagoons-pipeline
Hope and peace: Bison return to the Rosebud reservation
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/hope-and-peace-bison-return-to-the-rosebud-reservation/
Anthropocene: human-made materials now weigh as much as all living biomass, say scientists
Trump EPA finalizes rollback making it harder to enact new public health rules
New cost-benefit requirements could minimize the way the agency calculates the benefits of curbing harmful air pollution
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/12/09/trump-air-pollution/
Climate change should be our priority in the post-pandemic era
As we prepare to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, governments trying to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 are digging us deeper into the climate crisis.
Embracing Ecological Realism
Human exploitation of Planet Earth has reached a point where what we do and how we live reverberates across the circle of life—and could destroy it, for every species, for all life.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/12/10/embracing-ecological-realism
Researchers estimate nearly one-third of oaks are threatened with extinction
https://www.mortonarb.org/news/researchers-estimate-nearly-one-third-oaks-are-threatened-extinction
The environment is polluted by microplastics worldwide. The tiny particles enter food chains, and thereby the digestive systems of animals and humans; moreover, they can be inhaled. Instead of being excreted, small microplastics can be incorporated into the body tissue. A research team at the University of Bayreuth has now discovered that microplastic particles find their way into living cells more easily if they were exposed to natural aquatic environments, i.e. fresh water and seawater. Biomolecules occurring in the water are deposited on the microplastic surfaces, which promote the internalization of the particles into cells. The researchers have presented their results in the journal “Science Advances”.
https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/university/press/press-releases/2020/173-microplastics/index.html
Even razor clams on sparsely populated Olympic Coast can’t escape plastics
Climate Change Exacerbates Biodiversity Loss
https://www.kit.edu/kit/english/pi_2020_109_climate-change-exacerbates-biodiversity-loss.php
Transitioning to regenerative agriculture is necessary—here’s how to get started now
UN secretary general urges all countries to declare climate emergencies
António Guterres tells Climate Ambition Summit more must be done to hit net zero emissions
Only 40% of world’s forests have high ecological integrity, a new index reveals
The New York Farmers Responding to Food Insecurity
Small-scale farmers in Ithaca respond to hunger through nimbleness, innovation, and mutualism. If the recently introduced FEED Act passes Congress, the model could spread nationwide.
https://civileats.com/2020/12/08/the-new-york-farmers-responding-to-food-insecurity/
Brazil beef giants linked to illegal Amazon deforestation
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/12/brazil-beef-giants-linked-to-illegal-amazon-deforestation/
A $7 trillion climate change warning to the stock market from its biggest shareholder
Renewables still the cheapest new-build power in Australia
World in denial on climate action five years after Paris accord, says Thunberg (video)
https://www.reuters.com/article/climate-change-greta-idUSKBN28L1L2
Biological diversity evokes happiness
https://www.idiv.de/en/news/news_single_view/1878.html
Theoretical limit in recycling rates for plastic packages scientifically established
Restoring wetlands near farms would dramatically reduce water pollution
https://uwaterloo.ca/stories/news/restoring-wetlands-near-farms-would-dramatically-reduce
Minnesota Organic Conference Goes Virtual
Four sessions throughout January 2021 offer learning opportunities
The Revelator’s Top 12 Environmental Commentaries of 2020
Our contributors offered expert ideas and perspective about pandemics, climate change, the Trump administration and more.
https://therevelator.org/top-environmental-commentaries-2020/
THERE ARE WORSE VIRUSES THAN COVID-19 OUT THERE.
HOW DO WE AVOID THE NEXT BIG ONE?
Widespread immunity eventually will end the Covid-19 crisis.
But it won’t end wildlife-related pandemics.
What can we do now to reduce future risk?
https://ensia.com/features/covid-19-pandemic-prevention-wildlife/
Where Do We Go From Here?
We survived the pandemic, the election and worsening climate change — but not without a few scars. Now’s the time to stay safe and build resilience.
https://therevelator.org/2020-forward-resilience/
THE SURPRISING CONNECTION BETWEEN WEST COAST FIRES
AND THE VOLATILE CHEMICALS TAINTING AMERICA’S DRINKING WATER
Manufactured substances known as volatile organic compounds contaminate drinking water around the U.S. — and recent wildfires are making the situation worse.
https://ensia.com/features/volatile-chemicals-vocs-drinking-water/
PFAS CHEMICALS ARE TURNING UP IN TAP WATER ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
HOW DO WE GET THEM OUT?
Removing “forever” chemicals from drinking water is not an easy task.
https://ensia.com/features/pfas-remediation-drinking-water/
Is it Too Late to Save ‘America’s Amazon’?
Alabama’s Mobile River basin has the most aquatic biodiversity in the country.
But we’re in danger of losing it before we even know what’s there.
https://therevelator.org/alabama-amazon-raines/
COVID-19
Inside the First Chaotic Days of the Effort to Vaccinate America
https://khn.org/news/article/inside-the-first-chaotic-days-of-the-effort-to-vaccinate-america/
Winter inversions threaten to increase air pollution, COVID-19 risks
“We’re now talking about two pandemics. We have a pollution pandemic, and we have the COVID pandemic.”
https://www.ehn.org/winter-inversion-air-pollution–2649414867.html
Tribes mount organized responses to COVID-19, in contrast to state and federal governments
https://theconversation.com/tribes-mount-organized-responses-to-covid-19-in-contrast-to-state-and-federal-governments-150627
IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS, A SEARCH FOR WAYS
TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER FROM FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY POLLUTION
North Dakota’s water supplies are at risk from contaminants
from fracking wastewater, but residents are fighting back.
https://ensia.com/features/drinking-water-fracking-fossil-fuel-north-dakota-pollution-vocs/
Organic cotton, a centerpiece of sustainable fashion, is in short supply
Organic cotton accounts for less than 1 per cent of all cotton production. Fashion can help change that.
The Latest Frontier For Eco-Conscious Brands?
Childrenswear, Of Course
The trend for pre-loved clothes has reached the childrenswear market, discovers Rosanna Falconer.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/mini-vogue/article/pre-loved-chldrenswear
2020: Deadliest Year Ever in US
https://khn.org/morning-breakout/2020-deadliest-year-ever-in-us/
Vatican City State is pesticide-free, imports green energy
https://www.catholicnews.com/vatican-city-state-is-pesticide-free-imports-green-energy/