As the world grapples with increasingly common and devastating heat waves, new science shows that nature-based solutions—like tree planting and water conservation—are important and cost-effective ways to help protect vulnerable, frontline communities in arid locations from the worst effects of rising heat. But time is of the essence. The Gist For the report, “Roots of … Read more
Published in Biological Conversation, a new paper argues that, to have any chance of being equitable, market-based climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation solutions must also consider gender at their core. The Gist The paper, “When solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises ignore gender, they harm society and the planet,” examines evidence that market-based solutions, … Read more
Increasingly severe wildfires have created an environmental and social crisis across the western United States. But often, the ecological and public health implications of wildfires are treated as separate issues. A new paper argues that a transdisciplinary approach is necessary to address this growing threat. The Gist Climate change and a century of fire suppression … Read more
Farmers in the tropics can harness the cooling benefits of tree cover by incorporating trees within their pasturelands. Known as silvopasture, this practice can reduce local temperatures up to 2.4°C for every 10 metric tons of woody carbon added per hectare, according to recently published research. The Gist Depending on the density of planting, researchers … Read more
Chinmay Sonawane sits by garbage in Africa. And add flip flops and hyenas to the dark night in the dump. Always hyenas, but flip flops only once. “I started to notice needles when I arrived that first day in flip flops,” says Chinmay Sonawane, a Stanford University Ph.D. student. “My attire quickly changed.” He changed … Read more
New research finds that local temperature increases associated with just 15 years of deforestation reduced safe work hours for more than 4.9 million people across the tropics. Exposing outdoor workers to unsafe conditions will have significant impacts on human well-being and industry. The Gist Researchers examined satellite data on temperature and deforestation between 2003 and … Read more
Tropical forests are one of the most lauded ecosystems on Earth. They harbor at least two-thirds of global biodiversity and can absorb billions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. But there’s one important ecosystem service that we don’t recognize: forests cool the surrounding landscape, and by doing so they protect the health of people … Read more
Many people turned to nature to alleviate stress and participate in outdoor recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, nature is less available in low-income and communities of color – the same communities hit hardest by COVID-19. A new study quantifies nature inequity across all urbanized areas in the United States and found that neighborhoods with … Read more
Last week, I posted a blog on the growing popularity of trail cameras and included a number of photos and videos of cool wildlife. I have received a number of comments and questions about one video in particular. In it, a black bear walks down a path, with something large and rope-like trailing behind it. … Read more
New publication presents some of the first empirical evidence showing a strong association between wildlife trade and zoonotic disease risk. In fact, scientists found that slightly more than 25 percent of mammal species found in wildlife trade host 75 percent of viruses known to be transmissible between animals and humans. Gist “Most new infectious diseases … Read more