Benjamin Felser

Coastal forest conservation in Japan’s fisheries - Japan has been actively reforesting its coasts since 1897, with recent movements by the government, researchers and local fisheries modeling coastal conservation. Japan hosts over 30,000 km of coastline (~19,000 mi) including 100 major rivers, long guarded by government decrees as “fish forests.” From the 350-year-old Edo Period forest in Ohayashi to the oysterman Shigeatsu Hatakeyama’s 30-year-old movement—governments and communities have defended or recognized essential ecosystem services of coastal forests for centuries. Recent studies further inspire community work, demonstrating more IUCN red-listed species in estuaries with higher forest cover, and the role of historical forests as fish gathering areas. From historic political pressures, to contemporary fishery-based initiatives and recent research to bat, Japan demonstrates how academia, politics and grassroots work can collaborate to save our coasts. As Hatakeyama says, Mori wa Umi no Koibito, “The forest is the sea’s sweetheart.”

 Juliana Birnbaum

Biden Administration creates Office of Environmental Justice: In a historic step just before Earth Day, Biden signed an executive order directing agencies to protect the environmental health of communities, creating a new federal Office for this purpose. I appreciated this perspective from The Root, a Black news media outlet, offering three things to know about the order. National Public Radio’s Michel Martin pointed out in this interview with National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi that the order comes in the context of the President’s recent approval of the 30-year Willow drilling project (despite his earlier pledge not to approve new oil projects on federal land). Native American Cabinet secretary Deb Haaland opposed Willow when she served in Congress but defended the approval, saying her department was facing reality and doing the best they could.

 Robert Denney

Climate curriculum being added to medical education: A recent article in Stat News explains how medical education in the U.S. is starting to include coursework on climate topics. Much of this new education focuses on how climate change can cause adverse health outcomes, such as extreme heat waves, wildfires, and sun causing death, skin cancer, and low birth weights. However, some efforts are tackling how the practice of medicine can be more regenerative. For instance, dental students on Harvard’s sustainability committee have adopted recommendations from a 2019 waste audit by reusing gowns when possible and giving patients toothbrushes and toothpaste in paper rather than plastic bags. Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health is also offering a life cycle assessment boot camp to help quantify emissions in health care workplaces. 

 Claire Krummenacher

California becomes first state to slam the brakes on train emissions: Last week California passed ambitious legislation designed to drastically lessen greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from trains. If approved by the Biden administration, the first-of-its-kind measure will ban locomotive engines more than 23 years old by 2030, increase the use of zero-emissions technology in freight transport, and prohibit locomotives from idling for more than 30 minutes. Additionally, the legislation would specifically mandate significant cuts to diesel exhaust emissions that contribute to smog, increase cancer risk and worsen asthma. This inclusion is particularly significant given that air pollution disproportionately impacts low-income and non-white communities within the state. The projected reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is equivalent to removing all heavy-duty trucks from California by 2030.

 Courtney White

Farming While Black: Farmer, author, and activist Leah Penniman, an essayist featured in Regeneration, has a new book out from HarperCollins titled Black Earth Wisdom featuring conversations with a wide range of Black environmentalists. With a focus on reparative projects, including traditional African farming practices, nature therapy programs, and environmental justice work, Penniman continues her critical work as one of the foremost voices in America for regeneration and equitable climate action. Here is a recent interview with Penniman hosted by Judith Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Planet, one of my favorite books on regeneration. Some informative videos about Black farming can be found here and here, and more on the historical theft of Black-farmed land can be viewed here. 

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