Kavya Gopal

Regenerating Australia’s Wildlife: A recently published study has found 26 Australian species have recovered to the point where they are no longer considered to be threatened under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). The list includes 1 fish, 4 frogs, eight birds, and fifteen mammals, including the famous humpback whale, which was delisted by the government’s scientific panel last year. While most of the species are still far from historical population sizes, scientists have noted that they are no longer rapidly declining, and in some cases, their populations are now increasing. Researchers have attributed these recoveries to targeted strategies (i.e. translocation, predator-free havens, and predator control) implemented by the government, conservation groups, and indigenous land managers, which are critical to continue to prevent numbers from slipping backward. 

 Scott Hannan

An hour for the Earth:  Earth Hour, an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund, is a global action that encourages people to take one hour to turn all of their lights off and reflect on something they can do to heal and nurture the planet.  The action takes place every year on the last Saturday of March from 8:30 - 9:30 pm (your local time) and has been observed by over 35 countries and 400 cities around the world.  This year's hour takes place on March 28. The focus of the hour is not on reducing greenhouse gasses or saving electricity, but to serve as a moment of peace and beauty in which to contemplate our efforts to live harmoniously on the earth, and kindle positive intentions for the future.

 Tim Treuer

More Than Meets The Eye: Since the recent Krugman piece I shared generated some engagement, I thought I'd follow up with another topical column from everyone's favorite New York Times neoliberal economics opinion columnist, hopefully, a little less controversial than last time. The piece essentially makes two key points that I didn't fully appreciate before. First, the much-touted $400 billion in climate provisions IRA may actually be more like $800 billion that leverages a slightly larger amount of private investment, meaning it's effectively $1.7 trillion in action on climate change. The rub is that there's still a missing piece to making the most of the huge potential investment in solar and wind via the IRA: we need to massively improve the US electrical grid, which will be a bureaucratic nightmare. Do penny-pinching utility operators need to be added to a list of bad actors?

 Amy Boyer

Hooray for Hedgerows: Regenerative farmers have long known that hedgerows have multiple benefits: erosion control, pollinator habitat, and carbon storage, among others. It turns out they can also provide cooler, moister microclimates that provide refugia for insects and wildlife: places that critters can go to weather brief periods of drought or heat. They also support wild bees that can substitute for scarce honeybees, and planting them with productive trees can add a valuable crop. The refugia don't have to be hedgerows, either: taking low-productivity areas out of production can increase productivity in surrounding fields. Linking these refugia can make them even more powerful. And, says one farmer, they're "comforting, even for people habitat." I've been to that farm and it's true!

 Courtney White

Mexican Wolf Milestone: For the first time since their reintroduction into the wild in 1995, the population of endangered Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico has surpassed 200, a significant threshold, with at least 241 wolves counted in 2022. According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is the seventh consecutive year of growth and a doubling of the population since 2017. There are 59 packs, 40 in New Mexico and 19 in Arizona. At least 121 pups were born in 2022, with more than 80 surviving until the end of the year. This is tremendous news. Unlike the Gray wolf reintroduction in the northern Rockies, which has been hugely successful, the Mexican wolf effort has struggled for years, beset by low reproduction rates, shootings, and political opposition. The ‘lobo’ was trapped and hunted nearly to extinction by the 1970s. Its rewilding success is an important story of regeneration.

 Benjamin Felser

Democratic Climate Action on the Flathead Reservation: Frustrated with waiting for change, the confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes have created their own climate mitigation plan. Situated on the 1.2 million acre Flathead Reservation in Montana, the tribal confederation brought 100 people together in consultation with tribal elders to address emergent climate and environmental issues imperiling water sources and native flora and fauna. This community-sourced, consensus-based strategic plan has already led to the planting of 30,000 native whitebark pines and plans to remove invasive fish, restore bison, and enlist youth throughout the ongoing projects. By prioritizing community voices, they hope this system provides a model for how other communities–no matter how big or small–can be empowered to plan for not just their futures, but those of generations to come.

 Claire Krummenacher

The Climate Benefits of the Four-Day Workweek: Last week, results released from the world's largest four-day workweek trial involving over 60 companies and nearly 3,000 workers showed overwhelmingly positive results in terms of employee productivity and well-being. 92% of the participating firms reported that they would continue with the new schedule. Research also suggests that the permanent implementation of a four-day workweek could have significant climate benefits, with previous studies finding that it leads to a 10-27% reduction in hours spent commuting, increased time spent outdoors or engaging in low-carbon activities, and even an increase in pro-environmental behaviors. Interestingly, the reduced work week also led to an unexpectedly significant drop in greenhouse gas emissions from the sending and storage of big data-storing centers (which can consume the same amount of electricity as 50,000 homes). Although not yet commonplace, certain governments are already beginning to provide financial incentives to companies that make the switch, and proponents are optimistic that more companies will voluntarily begin trials to stay competitive with those who offer reduced hours.

 Juliana Birnbaum

A Water-Wise Future: March will be a significant month for water-related solutions, with the UN Water Conference in New York City for the first time since 1977 and the launch of the Water Institute, a pilot program in South Sudan focused on water security and sanitation in the context of climate change.  And a new resource has been added to the W12+ Blueprint, an online platform that connects local leaders with the information, funding, and tools they need to bridge issues and solutions related to water sovereignty.  Users can find resources grouped into six categories: Guiding Documents, Funding, Databases, Trainings, Organizations, and Further Reading.  According to W12+ Research Associate Kate MacMurchy, the Blueprint resources are designed to be a "one-stop shop for water professionals at the starting point, once they have determined the issue they aim to address and are working through the solution."

 Kate Furby

Hope for the High Seas: In a landmark agreement, almost 200 countries have agreed on a plan for protecting biodiversity in areas of international waters. The high seas are defined as areas in the ocean outside of any nation's jurisdiction. These areas, miles from land, make up 2/3 of the world's oceans. They are home to uncounted organisms, everything from plankton, the foundation of the ocean ecosystems, to large migrating species of whales and dolphins. Currently, the high seas remain largely unprotected. They are also home to illegal fishing, slave labor practices, and unregulated deep-sea mining. While the treaty has been agreed upon, it will take years to implement, and each country will have to opt-in. The agreement is 20 years in the making. A hopeful piece of international policy that could hugely benefit an enormous chunk of the planet.

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