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Michael Mann

Books worth reading: “The New Climate War”

In case you missed it...

In The New Climate War, Dr. Michael Mann, one of the world’s leading climate scientists and communicators, argues that all is not lost. He draws the battle lines between the people and the polluters — fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and petrostates. And he outlines a plan for forcing our governments and corporations to wake up and make real change, including…

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Overstory
Unsplash

The environmental performance of protecting seedlings with plastic tree shelters

Since the 1970s, saplings have generally been planted in translucent plastic tubes to protect them from being eaten by browsing animals. However, this research – which analyzed the lifecycle of the plastic and trees – found it was better to lose a certain percentage of saplings than use plastic guards to protect them...

Highlights
• Plastic waste pollution should be considered when increasing woodland cover.
• We compared the environmental impact of planting trees with and without shelters.
• Planting seedlings without tree shelters is the environmentally preferable option.

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Saplings in plastic
MediaWorldImages/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy

Trees should be planted without plastic guards, says UK study

Are you thinking through how you can model less reliance on plastic and fossil fuels?

Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: “As one of the nation’s largest tree planters, by committing to go plastic-free in terms of the use of tree shelters, we are set to be the trailblazers in this field – catalysing a permanent change to the tree-planting world.”

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Forest
Judy Anderson

Assisted migration aims to help forests — and people — adapt to a swiftly changing climate

There is a changing perspective on the need to help species migrate. It's not something everyone is comfortable with, yet, but the science is mounting in this direction. Land trusts are going to need to keep evaluating "what is native," how to slow down climate change, and the best practices to strategically conserve lands and waters.

“Models predict that natural migration rates of tree species will likely not be able to keep up with the rapid pace of climate change,” said Heidi Asbjornsen, associate professor of natural resources and the environment at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture.”

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Coast
Pixabay

The future value of ecosystem services: Global scenarios and national implications

Preserving and restoring coastal wetlands is a very cost-effective strategy for society, and can significantly increase well-being for humans and the rest of nature.

“Ecosystem services are a major contributor to sustainable human wellbeing…”

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Covid
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Americans see spread of disease as top international threat, along with terrorism, nuclear weapons, cyberattacks

A majority of the country, or 6 in 10 people as of a 2020 Pew Research survey, say global climate change is a “major threat” to the country, up from 44% in 2009. We need more coverage of the climate crisis, scientists said, not less...

“Americans continue to see many international issues – including terrorism, the spread of nuclear weapons and cyberattacks – as major threats to the well-being of the nation. But as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, the greatest threat named by Americans in a March 3-29 Pew Research Center survey is the spread of infectious diseases.”

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World On Fire
SOREN HALD/GETTY IMAGES

Why psychology should be a part of the fight against climate change

There have long been concerns in the climate science community about possible public “fatigue” at being bombarded with dire news of the worsening climate, and having this lead to widespread dread or overwhelm, which can create an emotional barrier to actually taking action.

“Climate change isn’t just a political, social and economic issue. It’s also a deeply psychological one — and now, behavioral scientists are using psychology to better understand the complex relationship between people and nature.”

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Stop Global Warming Lies
WOODS WHEATCROFT VIA GETTY IMAGES

Climate change is a major threat to us all, but here’s why you might not care

This article might interest you — see what you think.

“When it comes to communicating the dangers of climate change — a pretty pressing task when fewer than 1 in 4 Americans say they’re extremely worried about it — it’s not so simple as reminding people how bad the outlook for the planet is.

In fact, scientists in the burgeoning field of conservation psychology warn, there may be a limit to how much bad news about the climate people can handle before they become numb to it.”

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Scorched Earth
Creative Commons

Amid worrisome signs of warming, ‘Climate Fatigue’ sets in

Climate fatigue is something someone you know might be experiencing. Check out this article. I'd be curious to hear what you think.

“Climate news seems to have been all bad since the Nobel Prize–winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came out with its fourth assessment in February 2007.”

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Megan
Judy Anderson

The antidote to climate dread

As folks who care about wildlife, agriculture, and our communities, the reality of climate change is increasingly distressing. We need to help each other find hope, and ways to take meaningful action. See if this is something you could share with others.

There have long been concerns in the climate science community about possible public “fatigue” at being bombarded with dire news of the worsening climate, and having this lead to widespread dread or overwhelm, which can create an emotional barrier to actually taking action.

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