Climate Change

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Sea temperatures of 30C or above are not unprecedented in the Med in late summer.

But they are highly unusual for June, according to data from the European Copernicus climate service, Mercator Ocean International, and measurements at Spanish ports.

"What is different this year is that 30C sea temperatures have arrived much earlier, and that means that we can expect the summer to be more intense and longer," said Marta Marcos, associate professor at the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain.

"I grew up here, so we are used to heatwaves, but this has become more and more common and intense."

In fact, the number of days of extreme sea surface heat globally has tripled over the past 80 years, according to research published earlier this year.

"Global warming is the main driver of marine heat waves… it's essentially transferring heat from the atmosphere to the ocean. It's very simple," said Dr Marcos.

The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable because it's a bit like a bathtub, largely surrounded by continents rather than open ocean.

That means water cannot escape easily, so its surface heats up quickly in the presence of warm air, sunny skies and light winds - as happened in June.

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Anastassia Makarieva has also written more on this topic.

For information on syntropic practices for building up a forest ecosystem, see the helpful resources here.

Veganic permaculture food forests using syntropic methods can provide individual and community food security and sovereignty while simultaneously restoring landscapes and sparing the remaining forest from animal agriculture.

In the Amazon especially, some people are already reforesting with fruit trees and other beneficial vegetation, and they invite others to join in the effort.

• Of the more than 4,000 known tree species found only in Mesoamerica, nearly half are threatened with extinction, according a new assessment.
• Agriculture emerges as the primary threat across the region from both small- and large-scale farming, while logging represents the second major threat in five countries.
• While 72% of threatened tree species occur within protected areas, only 16% of endemic threatened species have recorded conservation actions, and just 18% are protected in botanical collections, highlighting significant gaps in active conservation efforts.
• With 515 threatened tree species shared between countries, researchers emphasize the need for international collaboration and incorporating native threatened species into large-scale tree-planting efforts rather than focusing solely on fast-growing nonnative species.

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Animal agriculture is the leading cause of both deforestation and species extinction.

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A proposal by the Marshall Islands and Colombia calling on countries to transition away from fossil fuels had to be dropped from the final UNHRC resolution

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By 2040, the energy demands of the tech industry could be up to 25 times higher than today, with unchecked growth of data centers driven by AI expected to create surges in electricity consumption that will strain power grids and accelerate carbon emissions.

This is according to a new report from the University of Cambridge's Minderoo Center for Technology and Democracy, which suggests that even the most conservative estimate for big tech's energy needs will see a five-fold increase over the next 15 years.

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• Communities in the Amazon reported severe cuts of up to 80% of Brazil nut crops, with some territories collecting “not even a single nut.”
• The nut tree, which can live up to 800 years, is crucial for forest economies and ecosystems, but is increasingly vulnerable to extreme climate events, such as the historic droughts of 2023 and 2024.
• Sold worldwide, the Brazil nut’s price soared fourfold, prompting experts to warn of market instability if buyers abandon it, urging recognition of their ecological value and continued inclusion in product lines.

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I can tell you to keep a go bag, and as I type this I can think about how p-cord could save your life with the right knots, since so many people have survived floods by clinging to trees and chimneys. I can tell you that life preservers are cheap as hell and worth having in your house.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/24482756

As governments and corporations scramble to meet climate pledges, the search for reliable and scalable carbon removal strategies has turned increasingly toward forests. But while tree planting captures the public imagination, a new study suggests a simpler, less costly strategy may deliver better results: Protecting young secondary forests already on the landscape.

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• Mongabay article
• research cited

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine):

• phys.org article
• research cited

Archived copies of the article:

• archive.today
• ghostarchive.org - missing photos
• web.archive.org

The paper is here

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the 75% of greenhouse gas emissions linked to the energy system

the 25% of greenhouse gas emissions linked to food, farming, and deforestation

These numbers are approximately correct, but context is key...

we call on policymakers to adopt trade policies that catalyse sustainable commodity production and to shift public money from the livestock sector to plant-based proteins. This will also help limit the risk of tipping points in the biosphere – including dieback of the Amazon rainforest – and can liberate land for regenerating nature.

There it is! Reforestation is absolutely necessary, and without it, all of these emissions reductions will be too little too late.

archived (Wayback Machine):

• The Conversation
• study cited