Benjamin Felser

Ecuador says yes to the Amazon - When I left Ecuador in late July, the air was buzzing with the culmination of decades of anti-oil activism. Three weeks later, I woke up to Sí a Yasuni plastered across my Instagram feed with the announcement that 60% of Ecuadorians voted to end oil extraction in a sensitive region of the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is the first popular referendum in an oil-producing country on oil extraction rights. Sí a Yasuní is a collaborative movement of grassroots eco-political organizations and indigenous leaders to stop the development of the Ecuadorian government’s oil extraction in the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) section of Yasuní National Park. The area is one of the most biodiverse in the world and home to Waorani, Amazonian Kichwa, and two of the last voluntarily isolated tribes in the world. The movement builds on a decade of political pressure, organizing, and legal battles, finally triggering the popular referendum. The government has one year to pull out of ITT and begin regenerating the damaged jungle. Nemonte Nenquimo, featured in the book Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, is quoted saying, “This referendum is a tremendous moment for the Ecuadorian people and the world to realize that oil is not the future; it is not worth more than the land it comes from, or the cultures it destroys.” 

 Claire Krummenacher

How First Nation wildfire prevention techniques protect Canadian communities - The creation of fire prevention zones in the off-season recently saved the city of Kelowna, British Columbia, from the worst effects of blazing wildfires for the second time (the first being the 2021 Mount Law fire). A growing number of Canadian communities have begun investing in establishing similar zones throughout the country. By drawing on First Nation forestry practices such as thinning the trees, cleaning debris from the forest floor, and instigating controlled burns of ground cover to prevent it from becoming wildfire tinder, the logging company Ntityix (along with several First Nation-led logging companies) has helped reduce the flammability of forests hit by airborne embers (the primary method of wildfire spread). This is part of the Glenrosa project, which also works to conserve mature trees with fire-resistant bark while prioritizing the harvest of younger, more combustible trees. Critics argue that the zones are time-consuming, costly to implement, and require several years to take effect. Advocates maintain that their lifesaving impact makes them well worth the investment. Such early proactive measures are becoming increasingly vital as uncontrolled wildfire spread becomes more frequent and reactive responses become less effective. 

 Courtney White

Tiny Forests - Tiny forests are having their moment in the sun, as this recent NY Times article describes. Tiny forests are intentional plantings of trees in small spaces, including empty city lots, highway shoulders, landfills, schoolyards, and former industrial sites. Also called mini-forests and pocket forests, they create multiple benefits, including habitat for wildlife, improved soil health, protection against flooding, cooling effects for cities, and oases for nature lovers. The key is intentionality. The forests need to be created with ecological principles in mind. One of the most effective is the Miyawaki Method, named for a pioneering Japanese landscape ecologist. It replicates natural forest generation by using dense stands of native tree species to create a multilayered forest. While the Miyawaki Method can be effective in any degraded landscape, it has become popular in urban areas such as Delhi, Hong Kong, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. There are many ways you can get involved with the Tiny Forest movement. Here are opportunities in the US and UK. Here is a TED talk on how to start your own Tiny Forest.

 Juliana Birnbaum

Transition in Progress - Global energy systems are shifting dramatically toward renewables, with deployment on track to meet International Energy Agency net-zero goals, with eight countries ahead of that curve. According to an analysis published this summer, the transition away from fossil fuels appears to be occurring faster than expected, with key sectors surging, including solar, wind, battery storage, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. The cost of renewable energy has plummeted over the past decade, bringing on a tipping point in widespread implementation and helping to bridge the political divide. And while the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed into U.S. law a year ago was hailed as the nation’s biggest climate legislation ever, its investment in clean energy could be even more significant than originally anticipated if tax credits are fully utilized. “There is no limit on the true size of this bill,” reported a Distilled article last week. “Instead, the total size will depend on how many solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, and other clean energy technologies Americans collectively decide to manufacture and install over the next decade.” Here’s a guide to how to take advantage of IRA tax credits and rebates for buying emission-reducing goods and services.

 Scott Hannan

Repurposing fracking technology in service of geothermal energy - The Department of Energy estimates that the use of geothermal energy to heat and power homes and businesses in the United States could increase eightfold by 2050, sparked by new technological innovations and increased government support. Two geothermal initiatives, Fervo Energy and the FORGE Project, recently announced breakthroughs in their efforts to advance geothermal energy production by increasing access and reducing financial and environmental risk. By repurposing technology developed for the gas fracking industry, they have proven the possibility of generating sufficient geothermal heat for electricity production in areas where it was previously thought impossible. Coupled with the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy initiative to expand geothermal production by 2035, including repurposing abandoned oil and gas drilling sites, geothermal energy is making positive steps forward to a clean energy future. For more, check out our Geothermal Nexus. 

A view of pipework and the geothermal power plant located in Reykjanesvirkjun, on the southwestern tip of Iceland. Credit: Guy Edwardes Take Action on Nexus Learn how to channel the power of the ocean by developing and deploying wave and tidal energy converters as a ceaseless source of renewable energy in our Wave and Tidal Energy Nexus. Support our work We rely on the generous support of our fellow regenerators! Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation to keep Project Regeneration and The Waggle going.