The Waggle
Issue 70
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The tidal wetlands and mud flats of South San Francisco Bay may require as much as 545 million tonnes of dirt to keep them above water level by 2100.
Aerial Archives / Alamy Stock Photo
Regenerating SF's Salt Marshes • Scott Hannan
The water in San Francisco Bay could potentially rise more than two meters by the year 2100. In order to stay healthy and keep up with the rise, tidal marshes in the area need a continual supply of mud and decaying vegetation. Due to dams, offshore sediment dumping, and the constant dredging of the bay, this lifeblood of the tidal marshes is in short supply. Restorationists have noted that artificially adding mud and sediment can often do more harm than good, which is why the effort to restore and protect the marshlands of San Francisco Bay, led by the Army Corps of Engineers, is using a “shallow replacement” method which aims to gradually add sediment and let the tides do the work of natural moving it to where it needs to go. According to the environmental planning section chief for the project, Julie Beagle, the hope is that this gentler approach will show that working with nature can be more beneficial than trying to control it. Learn more about the importance of these robust carbon storage ecosystems at our Tidal Salt Marshes Nexus.
Limiting Forever Chemicals • Anna Steltenkamp
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Part of a filtration system designed to remove PFAS Forever Chemicals from the drinking water supply at the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority facility in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set legally enforceable drinking water limits for six of the most dangerous PFAS “forever chemicals.” Public health advocates are hailing these new rules as “historic” because of the widespread threat PFAS pose to human health. Federal tests suggest 200 million Americans are exposed, and PFAS are found in the blood of nearly all Americans. An estimated 41,828 industrial and municipal sites in the U.S. are known or suspected of using these chemicals, and there are 1,938 sites of known contamination. A quarter of all rural water systems likely contain these “forever chemicals,” many close to Native American reservations, yet tribal water systems have gone largely untested by the EPA. The feasibility and cost of implementing the new rules are uncertain– the EPA estimated compliance would cost utilities about $1.5 billion annually, while utilities argue the costs could be twice that amount. Compliance may come at a cost to consumers and worsen the water affordability crisis– millions of Americans already struggle to pay their water bills which have increased in some cities by 80 percent between 2010 and 2018. Meanwhile, federal funding for water systems has fallen by 77 percent since 1977. You can learn more about the challenges facing water systems and how to be part of the solution at our Freshwater Nexus.
Hidden Cost of Food Inflation • Courtney White
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Woman collecting cocoa beans at a cocoa plantation Roca Aguaize, East coast of Sao Tome. Chocolate is one of the many commodities impacted by higher temperatures.
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Despite a strong economy, inflation remains a big source of uncertainty, political danger, and Wall Street jitters, as demonstrated by last week’s U.S. consumer price report. While prices for many essentials have fluctuated, one has remained stubbornly high: the cost of food, particularly beef, chicken, fruits, vegetables, and snacks. Underreported, however, is a significant cause of food inflation – climate change. Food is highly vulnerable to climate-related stress, such as prolonged droughts and flooding. In 2022, the cost of eggs rose 60% as heatwaves and drought raised the price of chicken feed. Heat has impacted oranges, cotton, olives, tomatoes – and now chocolate. The price of the world’s favorite confection rose 136% between July 2022 and February 2024, driven by extreme weather events in West Africa, home to most cocoa plantations. A major study published in March linked food inflation to climate disruption and projected that prices will grow 30-50% by 2035, mainly due to lower productivity. In Nigeria, 25 million people face food insecurity in 2024 already. In response, the government declared a state of emergency and is working to implement a multi-pronged effort that includes infrastructure development and a shift toward climate-resilient agriculture. It’s not just crops. The toll of increasingly volatile weather on farmers is already stirring political unrest in Europe. There are no simple solutions to the food price crisis, so more effort is needed to educate the public on the links between their grocery store and the impacts of burning fossil fuels.
Swiss Women Win Landmark Climate Case • Juliana Birnbaum
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Older Swiss women win historic climate court ruling - The Guardian (1 min. 38 sec.).
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In the first such international judgment last week, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland’s failure to take timely action to prevent climate change violated the rights of its citizens. The case was brought by more than 2000 women over the age of 64, who argued that their age and gender make them particularly vulnerable to heat waves and other impacts of global warming. Court President Siofra O'Leary said in her decision that the Swiss government was unsuccessful in complying with its own greenhouse gas emissions targets and had failed to set a national carbon budget. The ruling is expected to bolster efforts around the world to use human rights law to hold governments and the oil industry responsible for meeting climate goals, even though the court deemed two other related cases inadmissible. “We are not made to sit in a rocking chair and knit,” Elisabeth Stern, a 76-year-old member of the KlimaSeniorinnen group that won the case, told BBC News. “Whatever we do now, we are not doing for ourselves, but for the sake of our children and our children’s children.”
Agroecology with a Twist • Jonathan Hawken
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Florida's citrus production has experienced a significant decline, dropping from 200 million to 20 million boxes. The Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive species believed to have arrived in the Sunshine State during the late nineties, had its first confirmed case documented in the early noughties. It has ravaged citrus production by spreading citrus greening disease, which renders the fruit bitter and leads to the gradual demise of citrus trees. Despite various mitigation efforts, such as deploying mesh covers, cultivating disease-resistant hybrids, and administering antibiotic injections into tree trunks, the spread of the disease has persisted.
In response to this crisis, a team of researchers from Argentina, led by Maria Victoria Coll-Araoz, has initiated a trial of an agroecological approach in Florida's citrus groves known as the push-pull method. This strategy relies on manipulating the behavior of psyllids by directing them towards trap crops. The first step is applying an organic plant hormone to citrus trees, which suppresses the production of methyl salicylate, a compound that attracts psyllids. This is pivotal since citrus greening disease creates a positive feedback loop wherein infected trees produce more methyl salicylate, further attracting psyllids. Step two is treating the trap crops with a chemical that enhances the production of methyl salicylate, thereby luring psyllids away from the citrus trees. For more, check out the full article by Marlowe Starling on Mongabay and further your knowledge in our Agroecology Nexus.
Take Action on Nexus
Find out how to boost the small water cycle with regenerative land and water practices that restore soil health, expand plant diversity, replenish local watersheds and cool local climates in our Rainmakers Nexus.
Photo Credits
1. Aerial Archives / Alamy Stock Photo
2. NurPhoto SRL / Alamy Stock Photo
3. robertharding / Alamy Stock Photo
4. perspective_lensreflex / Alamy Stock Photo
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