Reintroduced bison in Romania are "stimulating plant growth and securing carbon stored in the soil" as they roam and graze -- which, of course, they did when they were originally a part of the ecosystem.
"Prof Oswald Schmitz of the Yale School of the Environment in Connecticut in the US, who was the lead author of the report, said: 'Bison influence grassland and forest ecosystems by grazing grasslands evenly, recycling nutrients to fertilise the soil and all of its life, dispersing seeds to enrich the ecosystem, and compacting the soil to prevent stored carbon from being released.'
'These creatures evolved for millions of years with grassland and forest ecosystems, and their removal, especially where grasslands have been ploughed up, has led to the release of vast amounts of carbon. Restoring these ecosystems can bring back balance, and ‘rewilded’ bison are some of the climate heroes that can help achieve this.'”
Buckle Up For More Dust Storms Thanks To Land Degradation, Climate Change
The extraordinary dust and thunderstorms have come just when concerns have been mounting about the rapid rate of desertification in several Indian states
Disease and climate change slash Brazil's orange output
Brazilian orange farmers are braced for their smallest crop in 36 years in 2024/25, as they grapple with the impact of climate change and citrus greening
According to The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), approximately 16% of vertebrate pollinators, such as birds and bats, and 40% of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are at risk of extinction
"Florida will eliminate climate change as a priority in making energy policy decisions, despite the threats it faces from hurricanes, extreme heat and toxic algae blooms.
On Wednesday, the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, signed the legislation, which is set to go into effect on July 1. The measure also removes references to climate change in state law, bans offshore wind turbines in state waters and weakens regulations on gas pipelines."
The 2021 "bipartisan infrastructure law" has turned into a bonanza for #climate - heating highway projects. MA Sen. Elizabeth Warren's new Build Green Act would allocate at least $150 billion for fixed-route public transportation projects like subways, light rail and bus rapid transit systems:
A blistering heat wave has been toasting Asia for several weeks, resulting in hundreds of deaths and canceling schools across the region. A scientist for the World Weather Attribution, a meteorological research group, says only human-caused climate change could be responsible for the increased probability of extreme heat in places like the Philippines. “The heat wave exacerbated already precarious conditions faced by internally displaced people, migrants and those in refugee camps and conflict zones across West Asia,” the organization said in a new study. Read more from CBS News.
"Disasters do not inflict damage equally. And adding insult to literal injury, the most ill-equipped communities when it comes to #climate disasters are almost always ones without #newspapers. “Folks were already struggling and now they don’t know where to turn, who to talk to,” she said. “That leaves a huge, huge hole for industries or politicians or other players to feed them misinformation or accidentally give inaccurate information.”"
"Herd of 170 bison could help store CO2 equivalent of almost 2m cars, researchers say. Free-roaming animals reintroduced in Romania’s Țarcu mountains are stimulating plant growth & securing carbon stored in the soil while grazing-."
A fun climate adaptation update from the world of roofing construction:
-blue roofs, which are designed to retain water. New to me. One must design roof deck to hold greater loads, of course, but this is going to be a requirement across the board regardless of whether one builds a blue roof or not, just because of increased storm severity. Anyway, the water retained on a blue roof can be directed inside to water plants or, I suppose, flush toilets. Or it can be released into the storm drain system, but slowly, thus reducing local flooding. Stored water can insulate and it can actively cool a building during hot weather as it evaporates.
-green roofs, you've probably heard about them, it's a roof with plants on top! Also requires increased load-bearing capacity. Can be challenging to maintain, especially during dry weather. But the advantages: insulation and cooling, reduction in flooding and in air pollution impacts. When paired with solar panels, they can increase the efficiency of electricity generation, since photovoltaic panels don't love operating in high heat.
-the simplest roofing climate intervention: changing the color of the roofing membrane or shingles from dark to light. A simple increase in albedo can decrease temperatures in the vicinity 1 - 2 C.
"The legislation would create a 25-year dedicated fund of $3 billion annually, financed by big #FossilFuel corporations, with one-third of the funds reserved specifically for disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by the #climate crisis.
The vote comes one week after the Senate passed the Climate Change Superfund Act by a vote of 43-17. The bill now heads to the Ways & Means Committee."
MSM is focused on #TFG. He's not in court today, they could cover how Rs are passing laws that jeopardize the health & lives of IMGs/POC/Women/LGBTQ ppl...
#DeathSantis hid behind closed doors when signing the bill.
"Modern politics: Death of Shame, politicians -no longer shamed of behavior that'd humiliate most decent souls. FL makes it illegal to guarantee shade & water to outdoor WKRS. Recently a FL farm worker died from heat exhaustion."
If you like bullies, let us introduce you to @exxonmobil.
"Exxon Mobil’s punitive lawsuit only hints at the lengths that the fossil fuel industry will go to preserve a business model facing an inexorable decline." #climatechange#climate#fossilfuels
Once again, the UK has the potential to be at the forefront of an innovative industry - the technologies that will foster/accelerate the move to net zero & underpin the green transition.
However, if you're familiar with the history of British technology enterprises over the last 100 years, you will (perhaps rightly) know to expect this advantage will be squandered by a lack of investment, short-termism & the preference of financial services to invest abroad.