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The climate anxiety discussion has a Whiteness problem

Marginalized groups often think about the impact of the climate crisis in different terms — meaning they end up crowded out of the conversation. This has long been true in conservation work, as well. What can we learn by observing how conservationists are shifting their efforts to be more inclusive and responsive?

In the late 2010s, as concern around the climate crisis finally began to swell toward today’s crescendo, Ray, a professor of environmental studies at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, turned her focus toward a relatively new phenomenon that had entered the discourse: climate anxiety — the “chronic fear of environmental doom.” As Ray began to write and talk about climate anxiety, she very quickly noticed that the people interested in her work shifted. “What happened? It got a lot whiter,” she says…

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Salamander
Judy Anderson

Ensuring that NbS support thriving human and ecological communities

Over three days at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the Nature-based Solutions Conference considered techniques such as forest creation or mangrove restoration, which are increasingly appearing in climate strategies.

Their mission is to enhance understanding of the value of nature-based solutions to societal challenges and to help ensure they support thriving human societies and ecosystems without compromising efforts to keep fossil fuels in the ground…

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barn
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Americans beginning to correlate extreme weather with a climate crisis, but purse strings are still tight

A recent poll found that 70% of Americans see climate change as a crisis or major problem. And while 78% of Americans reported being personally affected by extreme weather, only 39% are willing to take on costs to prevent it. Understanding what people care about and how they can see value in those changes will be important. Many are feeling the stress of inflation and uncertainty.

Broader socioeconomic factors are also affecting those who are experiencing weather events, and more importantly, how these parties can financially respond to these events — and thus how willing they are to pay even more.

For instance, only 29% of households that experienced extreme events had 100% of their damages covered by insurance. Renters though had it worse — with those who have experienced extreme events being uninsured 70% of the time…

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Birds
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Increasing climatic decoupling of bird abundances and distributions

A recent scientific paper shows one of the many ways climate change is causing birds stress. This is a research paper abstract. You'll have to subscribe to read more than the abstract provided by the link.

Species differences in climate matching trends were related to their ecological traits, particularly habitat specialization, but not to average rates of climate and land use change within the species’ ranges. Climatic decoupling through time was particularly prominent for birds that were declining in abundance and occupancy, including threatened species….

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Fire
Creative Commons

Wildfires growing, temperature soaring around the world

I recommend you watch this short interview he had with CNN this week about the extreme weather and the connections between climate change, its drivers, and what can be done. It might be something you can share with friends, family, and colleagues.

Dr. Mann is a climate scientist who, in addition to his ground-breaking research, is also a widely-respected climate communicator. See what you think about his interview with CNN.

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Mushrooms
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Four things to know about fungi “Climate Warriors”

This could be something to share with folks, as you talk about the importance of forest conservation and climate change.

Fungi represent an entire kingdom of life on Earth. When you think of fungi you might visualize mushrooms in something you eat, or mushrooms that pop up along the forest floor. But some fungi, called mycorrhizal fungi, can exist entirely underground, growing symbiotically with the roots of trees.

These fungi may not be visible to us, but our research group has found that these mycorrhizal fungi are doing us a huge climate favor behind the scenes. These fungi are climate change warriors, helping forests absorb CO2 pollution, delaying the effects of global warming, and protecting our planet.

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Elephanthead
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As climate shifts, species will need to relocate, and people may have to help them

Land conservationists talk a lot about native species, and require native species as part of their conservation efforts. But what is native in a shifting climate? How might this perspective and language need to change?

Climate change is already affecting plants and animals worldwide and is a growing threat to biodiversity, adding a new layer to the existing challenges of habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, and overexploitation. A new study surveyed the recommendations of scientists for managing biodiversity in the face of climate change, providing a summary of practical guidance and identifying areas in need of further research…

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Climate change affects bird nesting phenology

This new analysis published in the Journal of Animal Ecology shows that the average egg-laying dates have moved up by nearly a month for 72 species of birds in the Upper Midwest region...

Global climate change impacts species and ecosystems in potentially harmful ways. For migratory bird species, earlier spring warm-up could lead to a mismatch between nesting activities and food availability. CO2 provides a useful proxy for temperature and an environmental indicator of climate change when temperature data are not available for an entire time series…

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Flood
Judy Anderson

Carbon dioxide levels are the highest in human history

Climate change won't slow down until we, as land conservationists, help communities move towards compatible renewables, greater energy conservation, and increase the push for natural climate solutions. It's going to take all three, so it's time we start talking about solutions that address them.

Humans pumped 36 billion tons of planet-warming gas into the atmosphere in 2021, more than in any previous year. It comes from burning oil, gas, and coal. There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than at any time in at least 4 million years, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials said…

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Corn
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Cover crops not enough to improve soil after decades of continuous corn

While this study focuses on the Midwest, the data is transferable to other regions of the country. This is important research when we advocate for climate-smart farming (also called regenerative agriculture). It also helps rethink how we, as a country, have thousands of acres under corn for ethanol production (which is not good for climate in a lot of ways).

Although about 20% of Illinois cropping systems are planted with continuous corn, it’s nearly impossible to find fields planted this way for decades at a time. Yet long-term experiments like one at the University of Illinois, including over 40 years of continuous corn under different nitrogen fertilizer rates, provide incredible learning opportunities and soil management lessons for researchers and farmers alike…

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