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Countries Need ’Quantum Leap in Ambition’ to Meet Climate Goals, warns UN Environment Programme  The UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 15th  Emissions Gap Report 2024  is sounding alarms about the world’s faltering efforts to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C (2.7°F) in the next decade, as declared by the Paris Agreement. Instead, current policies have led to record high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023, UNEP said in its new report, which is called, “No more hot air…please!” and urges redoubled efforts to meet GHG goals.  Total global GHG emissions in 2023 were 57.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (GtCO2e). This was a 1.3% increase  from 2022.  From this total, the power sector (such as electricity production) was the highest contributor at 15.1 GtCO2e (26%). This was followed by transport (8.4 GtCO2e or 15%), agriculture (6.5 GtCO2e or 11%), and industry (6.5 GtCO2e or 11%).  In terms of countries, China was the highest contributor of GHG emissions at 16,000 MtCO2e (megatons of carbon dioxide-equivalent or 30% of the total). The US was second, with 5,970 MtCO2e or 11%, and India at 4,140 MtCO2e or 8%.  In terms of regions, the G20 (excluding African Union) contributed 40,900 MtCO2e or 77% of the total. In contrast, the African Union (55 countries) added just 3,190 MtCO2e or 6% while the EU had slightly more emissions at 3,230 MtCO2e, also 6% of the total.  Nations should “collectively commit” to cutting 42% of annual GHG emissions by 2030 and 57% by 2035, and “back this up with rapid action,” said the UNEP report, which called for “a quantum leap in ambition” and “accelerated mitigation action in this decade.”  Source: United Nations Environment Programme (2024). “Emissions Gap Report 2024: No more hot air … please! With a massive gap between rhetoric and reality, countries draft new climate commitments.” Nairobi. https://doi.org/10.59117/20.500.11822/46404

Prof. Steven Cohen Sees Two-Track Solution in Individual and Organizational Buy-In *By Robert Selle  Classrooms have become a front line in the movement for environmental stewardship.  Photo: Pexels /Max Fischer Solving environmental woes is going to take a mass movement, says Columbia University Professor Steven Cohen, PhD, who has long stressed the importance of the one-two punch of individual consciousness and government/corporate action on environmental issues.   “If we're going to have sustainability, it's organizations, businesses, nonprofits, universities, schools, eventually households that have to act,” according to Cohen, who is former executive director, and now senior advisor, of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Although he was speaking these words in 2015 to an audience at the Ross School in East Hampton, New York, his views today haven’t changed.    “To some considerable degree, we have to translate these [sustainability] concepts into behaviors at the organizational level and at the individual level,” he added, noting that media messages and elementary school curricula can be enlisted in the effort.   In a recent interview with The Earth and I , Cohen was sanguine about the dawn of an unprecedented global environmental movement. It is a movement to ameliorate and eventually reverse environmental decline, and it is already here, albeit still in its growth stage, he says.   “A concern for environmental sustainability has entered our culture,” says Cohen, who has taught public management and environmental policy at Columbia since 1981.   “The environmental issue has gone from the fringes of our consciousness to the center.”   Evidence for this is everywhere, he says. “Young people are allowing it to impact their consumer choices and the organizations they are willing to work for. ... The environmental issue has gone from the fringes of our consciousness to the center.” Capturing energy from the sun through solar panels has become part of the world’s culture.  Pexels /Kindel Media Sustainability Woes Despite being a buzzword, sustainability is an often-hazy idea.   The UN’s Brundtland Commission, in its 1987 report “Our Common Future,” defin ed sustainability as “ development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”   Today’s economic development, however, while effectively meeting the needs of the present in many well-off countries, is increasingly recognized as being unsustainable. In the words of the Commission, development today is “compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”   [W]ithout individual and family-level buy-in, regulations imposed from the halls of government power can spark collective resistance and protests. Prof. Steven A. Cohen.  Photo: ParulVyas, CC BY-SA 4.0 Cohen believes emphasis on households and individuals is important because without individual and family-level buy-in, regulations imposed from the halls of government can spark collective resistance and protests. In terms of environmental vision, goals, and improvement, not only are individual and household levels important, but government leadership is essential.   Some environmental leaders push for systemic change. For instance, Berlin, Germany, Professor Anders Levermann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, has called for “a new industrial revolution” to combat environmental problems.   “Personal sacrifice alone cannot be the solution to tackling the climate crisis,” Levermann told  The Guardian   in 2019. “[R}eaching zero emissions requires very fundamental changes. Individual sacrifice alone will not bring us to zero. It can be achieved only by real structural change, by a new industrial revolution. Looking for solutions to the climate crisis in individual responsibilities and actions risks obstructing this.”   In his comments to The Earth & I , Cohen noted that human beings are biological creatures who depend on having a healthy natural world from which to draw water, food, and air. “We don’t get that without functioning ecosystems,” he says. Batteries need to be recycled to keep them from poisoning landfills.  Photo: Unsplash /John Cameron With 8.3 billion people on Earth—which is growing to probably 9 or 10 billion—"we cannot go back to nature,” Cohen says. “There's too many of us, and there's not enough nature. But we have to figure out a way to live on this planet without destroying nature.”   [T]he vital question is, “how do we manage this high-throughput economy without destroying the planet?”   So, the vital question is, “how do we manage this high-throughput economy without destroying the planet?”   The Need for More Education To aid the environment, Cohen told his audience at the Ross School, “We have to learn a lot more about the planet.”   “[At Columbia’s] Earth Institute,” he continued, “we have environmental scientists from all over the world, all over America, trying to understand the basics of what the impact of human behavior on ecology is—what is happening to our ecosystems.   “You would think we know a lot about it,” Cohen says. “We know a lot more than we did 20, 30, 40 years ago, but our ignorance is still fairly profound. We need to learn a lot more than we know.” Participating in a local cleanup day is a great way to make new friends.  Photo: Pexels /Ron Lach But even without perfect environmental knowledge, there are clearly things individual citizens can be educated and incentivized to do to promote the health of the planet’s water, air, and earth. Among them:   Avoiding excessive use of fossil fuels by, for example, biking to work (see: Electric Bikes: Revolutionizing Personal Transportation ). Using energy-efficient appliances and light fixtures at home and in the office (see: Deep Energy Retrofit—Total Residential Makeover Raises Energy Efficiency ). Adding solar panels to home, apartment building, and/or office building (see: ‘Balcony Solar’: Harnessing Power from Sunlit Spaces ). Saving table scraps and adding them to a backyard or community compost heap (see: Stopping the Food Waste—An Introduction to Composting ). Recycling batteries and electronic devices and accessories at one’s local waste facility (see: Recycling Gives Lithium-Ion Batteries a ‘Second Chance’ ). Participating in a cleanup of a street, neighborhood, or local park—increasing one’s number of friends as a bonus in the process (see: Japan’s Kamikatsu: A Model of Zero-Waste Living ). Saving water, an increasingly scarce commodity in many areas (see: When the Water Dries Up ).  One can conserve water by turning off the tap to brush teeth or shave.  Photo: Pikwizard   These and other kinds of individual, community, and industrial actions around the world inspire hope for the future.   A few years ago, Cohen wrote in a Columbia University newsletter, called “State of the Planet,” that, for individuals to be incentivized to become creators of eco-beneficial change, their thought processes and values need to be respectfully addressed so they can decide on their own to take responsibility to shift their behavior.   “Individual change and collective system-level change are interconnected,” he wrote.   Moreover, he told The Earth & I,  “People who have grown up on a warming, crowded, polluted planet know they must change the way we produce and consume.” *Robert R. Selle is a freelance writer and editor based in Bowie, Maryland.

Total Global Hidden Cost of Agrifood was $11.6 Trillion in 2023   In November, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization  published its 2024 State of Food and Agriculture  report on global “agrifood” or the entire food supply chain. The report highlights the hidden costs—environmental, social, and health—of these systems in 2023, based on the US dollar’s purchasing power parity in 2020. An estimated 1.23 billion people are employed in agrifood systems.  The global hidden cost of agrifood was estimated to be almost $11.63 trillion, of which about $2.95 trillion (25% of total) were environmental.   Of the of hidden environmental costs, about $1.45 trillion (49.2%) were from nitrogen (emissions and runoff), $1.26 trillion (42.7%) were from emissions of greenhouse gases, and almost $237 billion (8%) were from land-use change. The latter refers to any kind of human modification of land.  Countries with the highest hidden costs from nitrogen were China ($306 billion), Brazil ($173 billion), and US ($26.4 billion).  The three countries with the highest hidden costs from greenhouse gas emissions were China ($1.82 trillion), US ($1.44 trillion), and India ($1.33 trillion).  Meanwhile, countries with the highest hidden costs from land-use change were Australia ($114 billion), US ($26.4 billion), and Indonesia ($24.8 billion).   Some countries had hidden benefits  from land-use change, e.g., return of forest or other land—with the top three being Kazakhstan ($6.07 billion), Argentina ($6.02 billion), and China ($3.63 billion).    Sources:   FAO. 2024. The State of Food and Agriculture 2024 – Value-driven transformation of agrifood systems .  Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd2616en    https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/75774813-6846-48fc-810d-9e35fa3c8b68/content

Tons of Bread Wasted Each Year: Danish Company ‘Eat Wasted’ Recycles Loaves into Pasta *By Gordon Cairns Preparing pasta from bread waste.  ©Eat Wasted Around the world, bread is a beloved staple of billions of people’s diets, with an estimated 100 million tons produced each year. Many millions of people prayerfully give thanks for their “daily bread” while others use it as a way of describing the money in their pockets. Yet, an astonishing amount of bread is thrown away every year—around 1.2 million tons a year in the UK, according to a 2013 study.  “Bread has been one of the highest food waste categories,” said a 2022 study  in Molecules  journal. Efforts to reuse or recycle bread products are underway, but much of the moldy, inedible excess still ends up in landfills or is otherwise discarded. Enter a Danish company called Eat Wasted , which is turning stale bread into pasta. Since 2022, the company founded by Leif Friedmann and Jorge Aguilar has reused 50,000 slices of stale bread (1400 kg or about 1.5 tons) to produce 100 kg (220 lbs.) of pasta every week. Demand by local restaurants and cafes in the Copenhagen area is so great that the company could sell more, but their small pasta factory is already at capacity. Bread Demand and Waste The idea of recycling bread into another food comes at a time when countries are struggling with food waste. A report published in 2023 found for every five loaves of bread  bought in the United Kingdom, one was thrown away unopened. A more recent report found British consumers put £620 m illion ($785 million) worth of uneaten bread into the garbage every year simply because it hadn’t been used in time. And UK shoppers are not alone in being so wasteful: In Sweden , a 2021 study calculated that bread waste made up the largest part of all of that country’s total food waste, with each person annually discarding 8 kg (17.6 lbs.) of their daily bread. Discarded bread is part of a bigger picture. The United Nations Environment Program me reports that more than 1 billion tons of food was wasted in 2022, with more than half being generated by households (632 million tons). Incredibly, every year, each person throws away the average body weight of an adult human in food. The UN agency believes food waste to be a failure of the market, with more than $1 trillion lost every year. It is also an environmental failure, generating an estimated 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions while filling up the equivalent of nearly 30% of the world’s agricultural land. And yet, as bread is thrown away, people go hungry. [L]andfills remain the most common destination for bread waste—in the US, around 800 million bread loaves are thrown in the trash, according to a 2024 study. Obviously, stale, moldy bread cannot be sent to anyone in need, but better management of bread products could lead to lower grain prices. Africa is reliant on wheat imports, as it spends up to $75 billion annually importing 100 million tons of cereals. Wheat, instead of being processed into bread products that are often wasted, could instead be transported to a part of the world where it would not be wasted. Converting Bread Waste into Pasta Others are looking at what to do with all of that uneaten bread. Some excess bread is converted into substances such as fuels, chemicals, and enzymes through fermentation . Some is converted to animal feed, as has been done for centuries , the Molecules  study noted. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of bread also go to food banks and pantries, where it has a short shelf life. But landfills remain the most common destination for bread waste—in the US, around 800 million bread loaves are thrown in the trash, according to a 2024 study  “Breaking bread: Assessment of household bread waste incidence and behavioural drivers” in the Journal of Cleaner Production . Eat Wasted's pasta.  ©Eat Wasted Eat Wasted  project manager Evalotta Spangenberg said that their business of recycling bread is not a new concept. “This is an old technique used by Italian grandmas. Making something out of waste is not something our generation came up with,” said Spangenberg. “This is an old technique used by Italian grandmas. Making something out of waste is not something our generation came up with.” But what is new is that the company has upscaled from grandmother’s kitchen. Rather than using household crumbs, they gather old bread from an industrial bakery and freeze it. It is then converted into breadcrumbs and then flour before being used in the pasta recipe making up 25% of the whole ingredients. It took a lot of experimenting to produce the perfect product, Spangenberg said, adding that some earlier versions were “horrible.” “We have now created a recipe where the taste and texture is very close to normal pasta. I think it has a great texture and a nice bite. People say it is super-close to normal pasta.” Eat Wasted plans to expand its product beyond the wholesaler directly to Danish consumers and then deliver it around the world. “We would like to be a staple on the supermarket shelves to allow people to buy a more sustainable, mission-driven product. That’s the overall mission, but it will take a lot of small steps to achieve,” she said. The Danish start-up further wants to use its products to bridge the gap between food waste and food-insecure people. Spangenberg explained how over the first two years of the company’s existence they have been feeding people pasta dinners. “We started hosting weekly community dinners, which started with 10 people showing up, and it grew until we had a 100 every week. The community became like a little restaurant where people could exchange different ideas about ways of living in a more sustainable way,” she said. The company has expanded by introducing their pasta to tables all over the world at special events and now wants to expand by creating a bread pasta factory in Italy to make casarecce pasta, a Sicilian pasta with short, edged noodles. She added: “Our core vision is donating food to the local community and to the people who are food insecure a proportion of everything we sell.” Eat Wasted’s casarecce pasta.  ©Eat Wasted Bread Recipes at Home However, people don’t need to buy Eat Wasted’s pasta to cut down on bread waste—they can actually make it in their own kitchen without too much difficulty. A recipe from the Nolla restaurant in Helsinki,  mixes 100 grams of stale sourdough bread with the same amount of pasta flour and two eggs, making enough pasta for two.  [T]here are plenty of other alternative dishes made from out-of-date bread that have been part of classic cuisine from countries across the world [including] … gazpacho, … croutons to have with onion soup, … [and] bread pudding dessert. And there are plenty of other alternative dishes made from out-of-date bread that have been part of classic cuisine from countries across the world. Spanish cold soup gazpacho uses stale white bread to thicken a mixture of tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, and peppers. The French turn their old baguettes into croutons to have with onion soup, while in England, bread pudding dessert is made from slices of day-old bread. Gazpacho with bread.  ©oomni/ Flickr  ( CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 ) Buying Less Equals Less Bread Waste The simplest method for not wasting bread is not to let it become stale in the first place, which apart from reducing food waste will also save money. Surely, many people come home from the bakery with fresh bread only to find there is still half a loaf sitting in the kitchen; yet checking what food is in the cupboard before grocery shopping shouldn’t take long. When leaving a loaf  of bread at home, store it in paper rather than plastic, as this will delay the development of mold. Unsurprisingly, storing bread in a bread bin will also keep it fresh for longer, but perhaps less obvious is the importance of where it is kept. While putting the bin within easy reach on top of the fridge can be handy, this will cause the bread to dry out due to the heat from the appliance. Instead, keep it in a cool dark corner. When bread does go stale though, there are many recipes to choose from to transform that bread into something delicious. Choose a recipe and try it at home! *Gordon Cairns   is a freelance journalist and teacher of English and Forest Schools based in Scotland.

Cleaning Up Debris Left by Earthquakes and Wildfires *By Robin Whitlock A Haitian woman is pulled from earthquake debris by members of LA County SAR (Search and Rescue).  Wikimedia /US Navy (Public Domain) According to the Haitian government , the 7.3-magnitude 2010 Haiti earthquake on the Richter scale caused an estimated 220,000 deaths, displaced 1.3 million people, and damaged or destroyed over 300,000 homes in total. The earthquake epicenter was approximately 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The city’s metropolitan zone, including Carrefour, Pétion-Ville, Delmas, Tabarre, Cite Soleil, and Kenscoff, suffered severe damage.   Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world  while being poorest in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the dire socioeconomic conditions in the country exacerbated the destructive impacts of the earthquake. There was no earthquake preparedness , no seismic network, an outdated seismic hazard map, and a rarely enforced building code. The earthquake destroyed an estimated 60% to 80% of the administrative and economic infrastructure, generating 19 million cubic meters (670 million cubic feet) of rubble and debris  in Port-au-Prince—and 40 million cubic meters  (1.4 billion cubic feet) in total. This added to existing pollution, nuisances, risks, and other difficulties, placing Haitians in conditions of extreme vulnerability. The 2010 Haiti earthquake damaged more than 300,000 homes.  ©Flickr/Direct Relief (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) The debris was mixed with hazardous and polluting materials , such as fuel, ammonia, pesticides, lead, heavy metals, medical waste, asbestos and decomposing human remains beneath the rubble. Damage to and disruption of drainage systems caused disease outbreak, soil contamination, and pollution of nearby water resources—both surface and sub-surface—just as the rainy season was approaching. Haitians removing debris as part of a cash-for-work program sponsored by USAID following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.  © Flickr /USAID ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Efforts to clear the debris by the Haiti joint UN Debris Management Projects utilized 90% of the Haitian labor force . It created 36,000 temporary jobs within small businesses and new strategic partnerships with government, NGOs, and the private sector. About 1 million cubic meters (35 million cubic feet) of debris was removed. The USAID helped remove more than 2.7 million cubic meters  (95 million cubic feet) of rubble from the earthquake as well. The rubble from the earthquake was initially brought to a sorting center , where reusable material, such as concrete blocks, was separated from other debris. The concrete blocks were crushed by heavy machinery, turning it into material that could be used for road construction and the foundations of new homes. The 2023 Maui Wildfire According to the Pacific Disaster Center , the 2023 Maui wildfire burned 2,100 acres and destroyed or damaged 2,142 buildings, leaving a substantial quantity of debris behind it. It also incinerated  around 4,000 cars and burned up between 450 hectares (1,112 acres) and 878 hectares (2,170 acres) of grassland around the town of Lahaina. This left behind pollutants from a variety of sources, including debris from burnt boats and cars, commercial buildings, and homes. A view of Lahaina, Hawaii, after the 2023 Maui wildfire.  © shutterstock /Zane Vergara Fire-ravaged soils continue to present pollutant threats to water courses, and topsoil has potential profound negative effects on the food chain. An example is the carcinogenic pollutant benzo[a]pyrene , a product of the incomplete combustion of organic material. Another is Pentachlorophenol (PCP) , a toxic fungicide and wood preservative. During the Maui wildfire, both contaminants were distributed across a zone extending some 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Lahaina , presenting a significant threat to marine life, including within nearby nature reserves and with severe effects on Hawaiian subsistence fisheries.   As of December 9, 2024, debris removal [from the Maui wildfire] is completed for all 1,390 residential properties. For commercial and public properties, 129 lots, or 87%, are cleared.   Currently, the removal of debris is being coordinated by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with federal, state, and local partners. As of December 9 , 2024, debris removal is completed for all 1,390 residential properties. For commercial and public properties, 129 lots, or 87%, are cleared. A site adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill was chosen as the Permanent Disposal Site . The Maui County Council has agreed to purchase the land  from a Honolulu-based construction company for $4 million. However, a temporary disposal site at Olowalu  is already causing controversy, and a potential legal case, as it could take between six months to a year  before the new permanent site is ready to receive the material. The wildfire debris is estimated to be enough to cover five football fields five stories high, and much of it is contaminated with lead and arsenic .   Preparation at Home for Disasters The impact of a land-based natural disaster does not end with its initial occurrence. The debris resulting from an earthquake, wildfire, hurricane, or tornado can continue to impose negative impacts on the local environment and communities for some time afterwards if not properly dealt with.   In addition to disrupting relief and recovery efforts, debris can also be a source of environmental pollutants and substances injurious to human health. It can stretch everyday waste management systems to the maximum, even overloading them. So, what can one do in the wake of land-based natural disasters?   The American Red Cross’s recommendations include preparing a Go-Kit, Stay-at-Home Kit, and Bed-Kit beforehand for survival.   Preparing for an earthquake is almost unthinkable but having emergency supplies on hand can go a long way in dealing with the aftermath. The American Red Cross ’s recommendations include preparing a Go-Kit (3 days of supplies), Stay-at-Home Kit (2 weeks of supplies), and Bed-Kit (items for an earthquake that occurs during one’s sleep) for survival. Essentials such as water, light source, and first aid kit are a part of emergency kits.  ©shutterstock/speedshutter Photography Once an earthquake subsides, one should check any damages to the gas, water, electrical, and sewage systems of one’s home before entering. If there is damage, the utility should be turned off. Using matches or lighters near stoves and barbeques should be avoided  in case of gas leaks.   In the case of wildfires, the federal government’s recommendations  include avoiding fire-damaged structures until confirmed safe by an engineer or architect, wearing personal protective equipment to reduce risk of exposure to hazardous materials and smoke, and avoiding the operation of heavy machinery unless one has the proper training to do so.   Public Strategies to Handle Debris The sheer volume of debris and destruction following a major natural disaster can confound even seasoned state and local officials and managers. Recovery efforts are increasingly using technology to help with such massive logistics.   Modeling can be used to determine the overall cheapest method of dealing with debris, including parameters such as landfills, sorting facilities, and environmental constraints. For example, some research organizations are using Stochastic Mixed Integer Linear Programming (SMILP)  models. This technique anticipates uncertainty while optimizing debris management for “end-of-life” buildings or those that are too damaged to salvage.   Other technological methods , such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, can aid the rapid assessment and mapping of debris. This allows experts to prioritize areas that are hit the worst by large amounts of debris and enable recovery teams to develop operational strategies and effective resource allocation.   The gathering of accurate data also helps to estimate the volume and types of debris and formulate proper methods of disposal and recycling. *Robin Whitlock is an England-based freelance journalist specializing in environmental issues, climate change, and renewable energy, with a variety of other professional interests, including green transportation.

Douglas Tallamy’s Ground Plan to Transform Earth’s Private Landscapes   *By Mark Smith Private land can become a productive ecosystem. ©j76n/iStock From Acadia to Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon to Yosemite, national parks are jewels in America’s ecological crown. The US has more than 60 national parks that support natural habitats and preserve plant and animal species. But one organization is on a mission to create a national park to dwarf them all—and it relies on everyday citizen gardeners to help make that dream a reality. Homegrown National Park  (HNP) is not located on any one site—it cannot be driven to or hiked through. But it is, quite literally, everywhere. The brainchild of entomologist Douglas Tallamy and entrepreneur Michelle Alfandari, HNP is a nonprofit that encourages people to turn their own land into a park by planting native species in their gardens and around their homes. On a deeper level, HNP also aims to transform culture by helping people think beyond “nice-looking” lawns and gardens. HNP wants them to see themselves as sustainers of the natural world through functions such as water purification, oxidative production, decomposition, and carbon sequestration. Tallamy told The Earth & I : “In the US we’ve 44 million acres of lawn—that's the size of New England—which is dedicated to an ecological ‘dead scape’.” Tallamy told The Earth & I: “In the US we’ve 44 million acres of lawn—that's the size of New England—which is dedicated to an ecological ‘dead scape’.” “More and more people are talking about that. They’re asking, ‘How do I change that?’ And that's what we try to guide them through,” said Tallamy, who is TA Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware. The Need for Action Tallamy said drastic action is needed to help combat what some scientists have labeled as Earth’s “sixth mass extinction event .” This refers to research indicating a “biological annihilation” of many species of wildlife over the last few decades and the ripple effect it has on other species. In the US, the introduction of non-native plants may look pleasant, but these plants are “unproductive” in that they do not support wider ecosystems of insects and birds, Tallamy said. Professor Tallamy. ©Douglas Tallamy And while official green spaces, such as national parks, can help stem the tide of the damage, more action is needed, said Tallamy. “We've got parks and ... preserves, [but] we're still in the sixth great extinction event that has ever occurred, which means [the parks and preserves] are not working, they're not good enough. So, we now have to practice conservation ... on private property, which means the private property owner is the future of conservation, and they don't know that.” What Does It Involve? At its most basic level, HNP is an interactive map that tracks the total area in the US—and now Canada—occupied by native plants that have been planted by contributors to the HNP. HNP contributors include individuals, community groups, charities, churches, and anyone wishing to take part in planting one or more native plants. These plantings are represented on the map by a “firefly.” The map already has 40,001 fireflies. A section of HNP’s interactive map dotted with “fireflies.” ©Backyard Bounty The land could be something small, like a window box on an apartment balcony, or a church field, or a large plot of unused private land. The native plants that are sowed help support insects, birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. Tallamy said: “We're trying to encourage people to put their property on the [ biodiversity] map. What they do is register where their location is and then the amount of area they plant with natives on their property. Then we record that. Poster promoting HNP. ©Backyard Bounty “And then your little piece of your country will light up with a firefly. The object is to get the whole country to light up with a firefly. There's a little bit of competition involved as each state is color-coded, depending on how many people have joined.” The aim is to eventually repurpose 20 million acres of private land in the US. The aim is to eventually repurpose 20 million acres of private land in the US, but Tallamy concedes it will not necessarily mean everyone becomes an expert straight away. “We are not going to convert everybody into master gardeners. That's not going to happen.” Tallamy added. “But we do want them to realize what their property should be accomplishing, such as sequestering carbon or managing the watershed. It should be supporting the food web, and it should be supporting pollinators. “And you can say, ‘Well, what can I do to my property to improve each one of those?’ That depends on where you live and how big a property is, but there's several things everybody can do.”   Banksia prionotes, a keystone Australian species. ©Wikimedia Anyone wishing to get involved can also find information  on what they should be growing, such as “keystone species” or plants that are the most ecologically productive in that specific part of the country. Future Development Tallamy had the original idea long before the site was launched in 2020 and said even in that time, he had noticed increased interest in conservation and preserving local ecosystems among everyday people. At the moment, the HNP project only exists in the USA and Canada, but its goal is to cover the Earth.   “W e would love to expand this; it's really a global need. We need biodiversity everywhere, but the plants that will achieve those solutions are going to be different. But the concepts are the same everywhere.” The Tallamy home before HNP. ©Douglas Tallamy The Tallamy home 17 years later. ©Douglas Tallamy Tallamy and his colleagues are in the process of ranking plants at the genus level all over the world in terms of their ability to support food webs. Tallamy and his colleagues are in the process of ranking plants at the genus level all over the world in terms of their ability to support food webs. So far, they have ranked Europe, North America, Australia, and India. They are working on Africa and have also ranked most of South America and Asia. This would enable the team to provide people in those countries with the best plants to introduce into their own local ecosystems. But for HNP to officially spread to other countries, it needs investment. “Part of the problem of not charging anybody is that we have no money!” Tallamy said. “It's the perennial problem of a nonprofit.” “I got an email the other day from some guy who has just moved to Panama, and he wants to do this there,” he explained. “So, the will is there, but we need a bigger administration to be able to coordinate it. It took us a long time to get Canada to participate. But now they're up and running.” A central part of the project is that even slight changes can contribute to a bigger, positive picture, and that is something Tallamy is eager to reiterate. “It's a process. Nobody's going to do this overnight. If you plant one tree this year, you're headed in the right direction. And if you plant another one next year, that's two and it adds up, so it will happen over time. But you're not going to plant that one tree until you're convinced it's necessary to do that,” Tallamy said. “If you plant one tree this year, you’re headed in the right direction.” ©Maksym Belchenko/iStock “It's not nature for nature’s sake—its nature for our sake.” Tallamy concluded. “We are a part of nature. We depend on it,” he said. “Everybody on the planet requires ecosystem services, and we are decreasing the ability of ecosystems to provide those services every single day. We've got to turn that around. So, the object is to create ecosystem function right where we live, where we work, where we play—it's got to be everywhere.” “It’s got to be everywhere.” ©Nopah Saob/iStock *Mark Smith   is a journalist and author from the UK. He has written on subjects ranging from business and technology to world affairs, history, and popular culture for the Guardian, BBC, Telegraph, and magazines in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia .

Both Natural and Man-Made Barriers Can Help Slow Hurricane Surges *By Laurie Burras Figure 1: Tropical Storm Helene September 26-27, 2024. (https://www.weather.gov/ilm/Helene2024 ) Hurricanes are fearsome storms with their high winds, tornadoes—and deadly waters. Storm surge is historically “the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency says . However, despite the real risks of catastrophic hurricanes coming ashore, tens of millions of people live, work, fish, and play close to US coastlines. What—if anything—can governments and communities do to strengthen the safety of their coasts against these monster storms? The answer is that there is a great deal that can be done to blunt at least some of the power of hurricanes, but it requires learning from past storms, investments in coastal safety, and public-private cooperation to decide which strategy to use. Mighty Gulf Storms Hurricanes Helene and  Milton recently made landfall in the USA after sustaining top wind speeds of 180 mph (290 km/h) and 140 mph (225 km/h), respectively, while still offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Such winds generated the surface waves and storm surge that devastated coastal communities. [See The Earth & I  article “First Comes the Disaster, Then Comes the Debris.”] Not only did Category 4 Hurricane Helene impact Florida’s coasts—moving north from Tampa, past low-lying Cedar Key, and into Florida’s Big Bend region on September 26, 2024—it also affected communities further inland in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee with wind and precipitation and resultant tornadoes (see Figure 1). “In general, the stronger a storm [is], and the longer it stays over an area, the more rainfall we will get; and so, flooding/storm surge and wind gusts will all contribute to the destructive power,” explains Chanh Kieu, associate professor in earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana University Bloomington. The storm surge for Hurricane Helene was estimated at an extraordinary 15 feet (~4.5 m). Hurricane Milton, which hit central west Florida as a Category 3 storm on October 10, 2024, had approximately 10 feet (~3 m) in storm surge. Government leaders, coastal communities, and state inhabitants took all the precautions they could to survive the storms. These preparations could be helped with advance analysis of two things: Knowing ahead of time how high the storm surge will be could greatly improve communities' ability to prepare and inform the public to take precautions, prepare, and evacuate if necessary (see Figure 2). Second, accurate predictions about how storms are likely to act on particular coastlines can lead to strategies to minimize and mitigate such threats in the future with appropriate protective infrastructures. Coastal community inundated from hurricane storm surge. ©NOAA Hurricane Isaac storm surge and surface waves in the Gulf of Mexico. ©NOAA Figure 2: FEMA flood zone map definitions: The dashed red line is the 1% inundation level, and the dashed blue line is the base flood elevation (BFE). The VE Zone is defined as a coastal high hazard area; the AE Zone is a special flood hazard area; the X Zone is a minimal risk area. LiMWA stands for Limit of Moderate Wave Action. SFHA means Special Flood Hazard Area (during a 100-year event). (https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/4/292) Three Mitigation Strategies There are three strategies to build and maintain protective infrastructure that can reduce hurricane wave energy, coastal erosion, and flood hazards. Natural infrastructure  is defined as preexisting infrastructure , such as beaches, dunes, oyster and coral reefs, seagrass beds, barrier islands, mangroves, and salt marshes. One of the many ecosystem services that each of these provides is in slowing down the wave energy from storm surges and surface waves. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA), public and private properties erected behind salt marshes see 20% less damage than properties where salt marshes have been removed. Citing The Nature Conservancy, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management said salt marshes and other coastal wetlands helped prevent $625 million in property damage from Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall in New Jersey on October 29, 2012. Due to its size, ferocity, and 12-foot storm surge, Sandy still caused almost $70 billion in damages. Unfortunately, natural infrastructure is on the decline. NOAA’s coastal office notes that New York’s Long Island Sound has lost 50% of its wetlands in the last 130 years. Therefore, investing in “green” infrastructure—such as enhancing, protecting, and maintaining natural infrastructures—is crucial for minimizing flooding of coastal communities, coastal erosion, and damage to public and private property, researchers  have advised (“Sustainability” Vol. 10, No. 2: 523). Nature-based infrastructure  can be defined as infrastructure that mimics characteristics of natural infrastructure but “is created by human design, engineering, and construction to provide specific services such as coastal risk reduction,” according to the researchers . Beach nourishment is one approach to utilizing nature-based infrastructure. For beach nourishment, forecasting is important in understanding what height is necessary for the beach and dunes to be effective in minimizing a storm's wave energy. The US Army Corps of Engineers  (USACE) visually describes effective beach nourishment before and after the erosional effects of a storm surge in Figure 3. This is an example during Hurricane Sandy how the Coastal Engineers at the USACE helped protect dunes and property from further erosion, decrease flooding, and limit how far ashore the storm surge could reach. Figure 3: USACE beach nourishment application in managing an example storm surge. @US Army Corps of Engineers Grey infrastructure  is a third strategy to mitigate impacts of hurricanes. It can be defined as hard infrastructure put in place to minimize and prevent damage from natural disasters. Examples of grey infrastructure are seawalls, groins, breakwaters, surge barriers, and levees. “Living shorelines” can be designed as a nature-based infrastructure, but they can also be engineered into existing grey infrastructure. A living shoreline  uses natural, often locally sourced materials to create an infrastructure in the surf zones of various water bodies, from bays to inland waterways, according to The Apalachicola Times , which serves Franklin County, Florida.   These augmented shorelines can reduce erosion from storms while creating a habitat for coastal and marine species and plants, such as birds, fish, oysters, and seagrasses. Weighing Choices Carefully Some researchers (The Journal of Applied Ecology , 25 May 2020) warn against removal of natural infrastructures, saying living shorelines are important but not at the cost of already existing natural infrastructure. An advantage of a living shoreline is that it can be implemented in a way to accommodate area usage. Living shorelines minimize everyday erosion, which is also necessary in slowing down the hurricane’s wave energy. In contrast, natural infrastructure often takes up more space but proves very effective in extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes with their storm surges. Coastal Population Growing In the United States and around the world, there is plenty of infrastructure that needs to be improved so that coastal communities can be resilient in times of natural disasters. The need is apparent—coastal populations continue to swell. Already, in 1994, approximately 30% of the human population (2.07 billion) resided within 31 miles (50 km) from coasts, and nearly 44% (2.45 billion) within 93 miles (150 km) from coasts , said a new study in Nature . When these coastal residential estimates were updated for 2018, “the coastal regions had grown to 2.86 billion (38.1% of global population) at 100 km [~62 miles] and 3.34 billion (44.6%) at 150 km,” wrote Mississippi State University sociologist Arthur G. Cosby and other members of the research team. “Climate change has always been changing, and the human impacts on climate change are just one fraction of the net change,” predicts Prof. Kieu. “So, our best efforts to curb climate change do not mean climate change will stop. With the current warming rate, we cannot stop global warming fully, and so the warming trend will continue and introduce a shift in the frequency of extreme events. So, it appears that we will see more frequent extreme events, even with humans’ best efforts.” As hurricanes create new opportunities to assess the ways to protect natural coasts and their infrastructures, the need to learn how to become ever more resilient during natural disasters is of paramount urgency. * Laurie Burras is a former news editor for an international academic magazine. She currently resides in Philadelphia. Christopher Olson, a PhD candidate in civil engineering,   contributed to this article.

The World Needs More Sand, But Reclamation Poses Challenges *By Robin Whitlock Sand mining on the slopes of Mount Padakasih, Indonesia. ©Shutterofadam/Shutterstock Sand seems to be one of the Earth’s most ubiquitous and abundance resources, whether it graces endless beaches or lies hidden in towering buildings and miles of pavement.   The truth is more complex. The world’s demand for sand is constantly escalating; however, sand “is being used faster than it can be naturally replenished, so its responsible management is crucial,” says a 2022 UN report .   Enter the challenging world of sand reclamation. The benefits are readily seen: Sand is essential for economic development, homes, roads, hospitals and industry, and also to fortify beaches and coastal areas to preserve biodiversity and fragile ecosystems.   But improper sand reclamation tactics can also have catastrophic impacts on the environment, such as when river banks are damaged in the recovery process.   The Exploding Need for Sand In 2019, a team of scientists from Denmark and the US released a study revealing that the global demand for sand was 9.55 billion tons, or about $99.5 billion, in 2017. A subsequent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) , published in April 2022, estimated that a global total of 40 billion to 50 billion metric tons of sand was being used every year. Fifty billion tons is “enough to build a wall 27 meters wide [about 30 yards] and 27 meters high around planet Earth … making [sand] the second most used resource worldwide after water,” the report noted.   [N]atural sources [of sand] are now heading toward depletion—with an estimate that the world will run out of construction-grade sand by 2050—thus making sand reclamation and alternative sources of utmost importance.   The huge demand for sand is being fueled by the growth of cities and construction industry. This means, in turn, that natural sources are now heading toward depletion—with an estimate that the world will run out of construction-grade sand  by 2050—thus making sand reclamation and alternative sources of utmost importance.   Properties of Sand and its Applications Sand consists of finely divided mineral particles of various compositions. It is defined primarily by its grain size, distinguishing it from gravel, which has larger grains, and silt, which is finer and smoother. For example, the Unified Soil Classification System  used in engineering and in geology defines sand according to US standard sieves, i.e., with a diameter of between 0.074 and 4.75 millimeters. Another definition , applied by geologists, concerns particles ranging in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1⁄16 mm) to 2 mm.   On inland surfaces and on non-tropical coasts, the most common element of sand is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO2). This is because it is usually mostly made of quartz, and its chemical inertness and hardness renders it resistant to weathering.   Silica sand is what is used in a mobile device’s glass screen —as well as computer chips, fiber-optic cables, and other hardware —which makes iPhones and computer displays possible.   Silica is also used to make frac sand , which is used for hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in oil and gas extraction.   Silica sand is what is used in a mobile device’s glass screen—as well as computer chips, fiber-optic cables, and other hardware—which makes iPhones and computer displays possible. A frac sand mine in Oakdale, Wisconsin, with a large, looped track with 3 rail lines. Photo: Wikimedia/Wikideas1 (Public domain) In tropical areas, the bright white sand  found on coastlines is formed from eroded limestone and may also contain fragments of shell and coral alongside other organic material. White sand is often blended with concrete  to create a bright and attractive appearance for use in places such as golf courses, volleyball courts, and inland beaches. White sand from a beach in Cyprus. Photo: dimitrisvetsikas1969/GoodFreePhotos (Public domain) Can Desert Sand Be Reclaimed? What about the sand in the Sahara and other vast deserts? Sadly, there are two major reasons why, despite its abundance, desert sand is not suitable for construction purposes.   The first is that the sand grains are rounded  rather than being course and angular. This tends to make cement less cohesive. Furthermore, desert sand can have high salt  content, which tends to weaken concrete and exacerbate corrosion of steel.   While research  is being done to implement desert sand into cement-based materials, river sand  remains the primary source of sand for the construction industry.   Drawbacks of Sand Mining The UNEP report found that extracting sand from rivers and in coastal or marine ecosystems can lead to significant adverse impacts. These include “erosion, the salination of aquifers, weakened protection against storm surges, and adverse impacts on biodiversity.”   The UNEP report found that extracting sand from rivers and in coastal or marine ecosystems can lead to significant adverse impacts . These include “erosion, the salination of aquifers, weakened protection against storm surges, and adverse impacts on biodiversity.” These, in turn, might negatively affect water supply, food production, fisheries, and the tourism industry. Sand mining along the Red River in Yunnan, China. ©Wikimedia/Vmenkov (CC BY-SA 3.0) Furthermore, dredging [see The Earth & I, June 2024 ] kills marine life in the river or lake and causes environmental impacts that can last for years. This not only adversely affects the fishing industries and coastal communities, but extraction of sand can also erode shorelines, damage infrastructure such as bridges, and threaten forests.   Sand Reclamation and Reuse In their 2022 study, researchers E.S. Rentier and L.H. Cammaraat  point out that there are a number of things that can be done to minimize the impact of river sand mining on the environment and protect ecosystems:   Recover sand from sustainable sources, such as from retreating ice sheets in Greenland, which do not damage rivers. This would require sand auditing to construct an inventory of the available sediment. Establish global guidelines on where extraction of sand resources is not sustainable, as well as an international framework to regulate and control sand mining. Establish a mandatory global program to monitor sediment mining. Sand is used to create molds for metal casting—in this case to produce a steel valve. ©iStock/Funtay The US Environmental Protection Agency has adopted a solid waste management hierarchy that promotes waste reduction, recycling and reuse. It cites as an example the use of spent foundry sands  from iron, steel, and aluminum plants.   These facilities tend to reuse sand many times over, but eventually heat and mechanical abrasion render the sand unusable for casting molds. At present, about 15% of the 6 million to 10 million tons of spent foundry sands generated annually is recycled.   At present, about 15% of the 6 million to 10 million tons of spent foundry sands generated annually is recycled.   Resand’s Process A foundry sand recycling company in Finland has been improving sand reclamation processes for more than 15 years.   “In the reclamation process, all the sharp edges and corners are smoothened or removed from the sand grains and that creates many benefits: better surface quality of the castings, better gas permeability in casting process, [and] better flowability of the sand when filling the sand molds,” explained Jukka Nieminen, executive vice president of Resand Ltd.   It all started in 2008 with a collaboration with Finnish foundries providing metal recycling services for foundries.   “Soon we found out that foundries had difficulties with used sand disposal,” Nieminen said. “Foundries asked our help, and in 2016 we started a project with our customer foundries and Aalto University, and we started to make sand reclamation trials,” she said. “At that same year, we acquired an old glass making factory from Nuutajärvi, Finland, where we are operating today, and there was sand treatment equipment that we modified so that we were able to start making trials with our customers.”   Now aided by a €3 million (about $3.2 million) loan from Nefco , a financer of environmental projects, Resand recently said it will accelerate the expansion of its services through its Sand As A Service (SAAS) solution, which it says will enable foundries to reduce virgin sand consumption by 75%.   Resand’s modular sand reclaimer processing unit consists of two rotating drums: a heating drum and cooling and separation drum [ see video ].   “In the heating drum, the temperature of the sand is between 600–800 degrees [Celsius], and in these temperatures all organic binder burns, and in the second step we cool the sand close to ambient temperature so it can be used again immediately,” Nieminen said. “We also remove all the fine dust particles so the sand is totally dust free and clean for the reuse.”   Resand also claims that their electrically powered recycling process reduces overall carbon dioxide emissions for new sand by up to 70%, with a production capacity of 1,000 kg (or 1.1 tons) per hour.   This is why the Resand technology is contributing to a green transition in the foundry industry, said Här Kalle Härkki, CEO of Resand Ltd. *Robin Whitlock is an England-based freelance journalist specializing in environmental issues, climate change, and renewable energy, with a variety of other professional interests, including green transportation.

How to Dig Out from A Destructive Storm *By Yasmin Prabhudas Florida National Guard in Keaton Beach, Florida, after Hurricane Helene. ©The National Guard/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) From hurricanes and typhoons to landslides and tsunamis, many types of natural disasters leave unfathomable amounts of debris in their wake. How should debris clean-up be handled—especially when it often contains toxic and hazardous materials—and what can be learned from previous natural disasters? Massive Debris Fields Hurricanes and related natural disasters leave behind solid and liquid waste, such as concrete, wood, and tar from damaged buildings. Debris can include household furnishings, power and telephone grid parts, as well as water and sewage distribution infrastructure, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Emergency Preparedness Section’s Disaster waste management guidelines .  Household debris placed next to a road in Staten Island, New York, after Hurricane Sandy (2012). ©John de Guzmán/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0) Natural waste, like clay, mud, trees, and bushes, can be among the debris, and there are chemicals and other raw materials from industries and workshops. There is also waste from relief operations and camps, including food waste and excreta. Pesticides, too, pose a risk, as do damaged boats, cars, buses, bicycles, solvents, and healthcare waste. Tons of post-disaster waste not only puts public health at risk because of hazardous material like asbestos, but waterways, oceans, and landfills can also become contaminated.   Tons of post-disaster waste not only puts public health at risk because of hazardous material like asbestos, but waterways, oceans, and landfills can also become contaminated. Ocean Garbage Patches Disaster debris has been known to accumulate in the world’s five ocean garbage patches  or gyres (whirlpools circulating in the ocean). The five ocean garbage patches are the Indian Ocean Garbage Patch, the North Pacific Garbage Patch, South Pacific Garbage Patch, and two patches in the Atlantic Ocean. The North Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest and is estimated to contain 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic weighing 79,000 tons and span an area of 1.6 million square kilometers (about 617,000 square miles) based on a 2018 model . This includes part of the estimated 30%  (or about 1.5 million tons) from the tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011 and dispersed into the Pacific Ocean. A house turned upside down by the force of the Japan tsunami 2011. ©UK Department for International Development/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Government Response to Disasters The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) was involved with the removal of the debris that traveled across the Pacific to the US from the 2011 tsunami. According to NOAA, the agency received $5 million  from the Japanese government, which went toward removing about 635 metric tons of debris in total from Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and California. In August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc across New Orleans  and the Gulf Coast, chemical and petrol refining plants and contaminated areas like Superfund sites  (containing hazardous material) were covered with floodwater, as were other areas, such as oil and gas wells. FEMA debris specialist Phillip Jones takes a photograph to record the debris Hurricane Katrina left on this lot in the 9th Ward in New Orleans. ©FEMA/Marvin Nauman The NOAA project team “surveyed more than 1,500 square nautical miles of nearshore waters across Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and located and mapped more than 7,100 individual items,” said Jason Rolfe, marine debris response team lead at NOAA. Hurricane Katrina was soon followed by another massive storm—Hurricane Rita—that caused unprecedented damage. “Agencies learned that submerged debris removal was far more costly […] than debris stranded on the shores,” he said. “NOAA developed improved methods to assess and map submerged debris and built a comprehensive reference  used for future responses.” Diverting Debris from Landfills “By reducing the burden on landfills, responsible rubble removal helps conserve natural landscapes and mitigates the release of harmful pollutants.” Landfills solve some debris problems, but they can also be overfilled or misused.  “When post-disaster rubble is disposed of irresponsibly, it often ends up in overflowing landfills, which pose environmental and public health risks,” said Carlo Ruiz, recovery solutions and human mobility policy adviser at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Crisis Bureau. “Responsible removal prioritizes recycling and reusing items, diverting them away from landfills, and minimizing environmental impact,” he said. “By reducing the burden on landfills, responsible rubble removal helps conserve natural landscapes and mitigates the release of harmful pollutants.” Communities can help with debris removal. “Community-based waste management programs have emerged as a sustainable solution that not only tackles waste effectively but also brings about numerous benefits,” said Ruiz. Residents can separate their waste into different categories, making it easier to recycle and divert waste from landfills, he explained. “Experiences […] have also shown that most of the material that has been collected is recyclable or reusable. Recyclers can crush rubble and convert it into material for roads and other non-structural purposes.”   These kinds of programs can also offer “short-term employment to the crisis-affected population, in particular to the poorest households,” Ruiz added. Examples from the Far East During Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines in 2012, over 6.2 million people were affected  and 230,000 homes destroyed, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Approximately 6 million coconut trees  (or 84,476 hectares of coconut farms) were damaged. However, much of this debris was repurposed as lumber, construction materials, handicrafts, and furniture as part of rehabilitation efforts, undertaken in collaboration with UNDP. Uprooted coconut trees after Typhoon Bopha in Boston, Davao Oriental, the Philippines. ©Sonny Day/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Years earlier, the UNDP was involved  three months after the 2004 tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. As part of the Tsunami Recovery Waste Management Project, the city received assistance to clear about 1 million cubic meters of debris, recover recyclable materials used to reconstruct 62 miles of roads, and manufacture 12,000 units of wooden furniture. A staggering 67,000 tons of recycled material, including glass, plastic, and cardboard, was sold in local markets. Aftermath of the tsunami on December 26, 2004, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Wikimedia/US Navy (Public Domain) Safety First It is advisable not to disturb any materials that could contain asbestos—it is commonly found in boiler and pipe insulation, floor tiles, and roofing. During a clean-up in the aftermath of a disaster, there are a number of safety measures  for people to follow. These include keeping children and pets away from flood water or damaged material, and avoiding contact with water that enters the home as it could be contaminated. It’s also important to get rid of chemicals separately, and refrain from turning on drinking water until the system has been inspected. It is advisable not to disturb any materials that could contain asbestos—it is commonly found in boiler and pipe insulation, floor tiles, and roofing. NOAA has published comprehensive response guidance  for states and territories along the Atlantic Ocean and the US as a whole. This includes a flowchart  that involves contacting the National Response Center for dealing with hazardous waste or the Federal Emergency Management Agency for debris that “threatens public health and safety and removal is in the public interest.” Southeastern US is currently grappling with massive amounts of debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene  in late September and Hurricane Milton in October. When government assistance is delayed or unavailable, working together as a community is key to overcoming a disaster and its aftermath. *Yasmin Prabhudas  is a freelance journalist working mainly for non-profit organizations, labor unions, the education sector, and government agencies.

Higher Global Temperatures Join Known Threats   *By Mal Cole Beekeeper inspecting a beehive frame filled with honey. ©Juice Flair/shutterstock The pleasant drone of honeybees gathering pollen on a summer day, and the rotund form of a bumblebee bobbing towards a welcoming flower are some of the delights of a flourishing garden in full bloom. Pollination is not light labor, and some busy bees can carry 30% of their body weight in golden bounty from flower to flower. In this way, they incidentally do human beings a great service. Some 85% of flowering wild plants  require the services of pollinators, and their reduction would threaten plant diversity. Also, more than a third of cultivated crops require pollination, and threats to bee and pollinator populations could impact the global food supply. There’s even evidence that the world’s insect population in general is declining— a 2016 study  showed an alarming 75% decline in flying insects over a 27-year span. A variety of efforts are underway to protect, preserve and grow bee populations, and there is evidence that bees are replenishing their numbers. But the stressors on pollinators are still in full force and more mitigation is needed, says the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council),  an environmental lobby group. “ No, the Bees Are Not Okay, ” the environmental advocacy group wrote on World Bee Day in May 2024. Current threats  to bees include parasites, destruction of habitat and food sources, and pesticides. Moreover, a study published in 2024 suggests that heatwaves and a warming planet could have devastating impacts as well. Bountiful Honeybees Honeybees are pollinators well-known for the delectable honey and useful wax they produce. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans have been keeping bees since prehistoric times . The honeybee first originated in Asia about 300,000 years ago and spread to Europe and Africa, but honeybees are not native to North America —they arrived with some of the first European colonists in around 1622. Honeybees were needed not only to produce honey, but also to pollinate the European agricultural crops they brought with them. Honeybees collect pollen. ©Mal Cole In 2023, there were more than 2.5 million honeybee hives used for commercial pollination in the US, according to Statista.com . Due to their relative ease in transportation, honeybee hives are brought to commercial orchards and farms during flowering to pollinate crops. For instance, in the early springtime, 60% to 75% of the nation’s commercial hives are sent to California to pollinate its almond trees . From there, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) explains, some hives will go north  to pollinate orchards and berry farms, while other hives head south and east for specialized crops in those areas. This can come at a high cost to the honeybees. The Guardian  reported in 2020 that “ more bees die every year in the US than all other fish and mammals combined .” Pollinating crops honeybees can be exposed to “a soup” of chemical pesticides and herbicides, including glyphosate (Roundup), which is toxic to bees , and neonicotinoids , a category of pesticide that is harmful to both the adult bees and their offspring, the British newspaper said. [A] fatal stressor to the honeybee population is the varroa mite (Varroa destructor), a parasite that reached the United States in the late 1980s. Another fatal stressor to the honeybee population is the varroa mite  ( Varroa destructor) , a parasite that reached the United States in the late 1980s. These mites enter the cells of developing brood and feed on bee larvae . The emerging mites also attach themselves to worker bees. The mites weaken the bees, making them more susceptible to disease and infections. An unchecked varroa infestation can destroy an entire hive. An image shows the Varroa destructor mite harming a honeybee. Source: Krisztina Christmon, University of Maryland. In 2020–2021, some US beekeepers lost over 30% of their bees  per six-month season and about 45% overall after a year, due to pesticide exposure, parasites, and also diseases like colony collapse disorder. Some apiculturists combat these losses by increasing their stock of bees every year. They can shore up hive survival by splitting colonies more frequently and replacing aging queen bees  with younger queens who have been bred to maximize productivity. Thus, although high percentages of honeybees may die each year, the population of honeybees can still increase. In 2024, Axios and The Washington Post  reported that a 2022 census of honeybee colonies found that more than 1 million “have popped up around the US since 2007, making them the fastest-growing type of livestock in the country.” Rebounds in honeybee populations may be good news, but it means increased competition for resources for another population of pollinators that are experiencing declines: native bees. Native Bees There are more than 20,000 species of bees worldwide and 4,000 of those species are found in the United States and Canada. The only continent without native bees is Antarctica, according to The Bees in Your Back Yard: A Guide to North America’s Bees by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril. For comparison, there are only around 1,100 different bird species in North America and only 462 known mammals . "Among native bee species with sufficient data to assess, (1,437), more than half (749) are declining.” Native populations of bees are not studied as well as “livestock” honeybees, who benefit from the measurable monetary gains they offer humans through honey production and pollination services. But in 2017, an unprecedented report by the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity said that native bees were in marked decline : “Among native bee species with sufficient data to assess, (1,437), more than half (749) are declining,” said the report. “Nearly 1 in 4 (347 native bee species) is imperiled and at increasing risk of extinction,” the report added. To address this crisis in the US, a USDA-funded effort to monitor native bee populations was put in place in 2020. The mission of the National Native Bee Monitoring Network , which is based at University of California, Riverside, is to “unite bee researchers” and create a “robust national strategy for bee monitoring” and support. Bees Need Biodiversity Native bees thrive on biodiversity and are harmed by monocultures . Some native bees only collect pollen from specific plants even when other sources are available, which makes native plant conservation essential for these pollinators (Wilson & Carril, p. 22). Native bees vary in size and color. The smallest indigenous bee is from South America ( Trigona minima ) and is tinier than the head of a pin, Wilson and Carril note in their book. The largest bee ( Megachile pluto )  was presumed extinct for more than a century before being rediscovered in 1984, but it remains rare and is about 1.5 inches long, about the size of a kumquat. Native bee coloring goes way beyond black and yellow; some bees even boast iridescent blue-green shades like those in the genus Osmia. Bumblebees are one of nature’s most efficient pollinators. Perhaps the most familiar native bee is the bumblebee. Bumblebee species are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and there are over 250 bumblebee species (Wilson & Carril, p. 242). Bumblebees are one of nature’s most efficient pollinators. They collect pollen from many sources and can visit twice as many plants as a honeybee per minute. Bumblebees are able to “buzz pollinate,” in which the bumblebee vibrates its muscles to loosen pollen from the anthers of a flower. The result is more efficient pollination than what can be achieved by honeybees, Wilson and Carril wrote. Bumblebees have been in decline due to lack of habitat, a warming climate, viruses, and pesticides. The UK-based Bumblebee Conservation Trust says at least two species of these jolly, useful creatures have gone extinct locally. An endangered rusty patched bumble bee visiting a butterfly milkweed flower at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Photo: Public Domain A Pollination Crisis The past 50 years saw a reduction in native bee populations as well as honeybee populations in North America and Europe , according to a 2015 study. Today, the number of commercial honeybee colonies is stabilizing and even growing due to aggressive apiary management . Still, habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and disease remain recognized drivers of bee population decline. This year, a Royal Society study of bumblebees suggests that heatwaves pose a threat to pollinators as well . The 2024 study exposed a test group of bumblebees to high temperatures in artificial heatwaves and tracked their responses. Bees use their sense of sight to find flowers, but they also “smell” the volatile compounds of nectar and pollen released by plants. The study found that high temperatures are disruptive to this chemical communication between bees and plants—the increased heat reduced antenna sensitivity by as much as 80%. The implications are alarming: If pollinators’ effectiveness are impaired by heat, the effects of increasing global temperatures could have devastating impacts on the global food supply and biodiversity. A 2015 study estimated that 87.5% of flowering plants (angiosperms) require pollinators . The study noted that reduced pollination could also have “knock-on” effects for other species that depend on the fruit of flowering plants for food. Helping the Pollinators Luckily, gardeners and nature lovers can help by planting a pollinator garden , especially those with native plant species [See The Earth & I :  Homegrown National Park: Building Productive Ecosystems Where We ‘Live, Work, Play, and Pray’]. Adequate nutrition will support bees’ immune systems, so they are better equipped to survive the trials of disease and a changing climate. Organizations such as the Xerces Society  can help homeowners find plants appropriate for the pollinators in their area. But supporting pollinators doesn’t start and stop with planting flowers . Hollow plant stems and decaying wood may look untidy, but they are excellent shelters for solitary native bees  raising their brood. Habitat loss is one of the most serious issues bees face , so even a small garden can create a refuge and act as a crucial way station for hungry pollinators. Plus, discovering and protecting native pollinators—their surprising diversity, beauty, and abundance—creates a whole new way to take pleasure in the natural world. *Mal Cole is a freelance science and nature writer based in Massachusetts. Quoted Sources: Wilson, Joseph S., and Olivia M. Carril. 2016. The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

*By Alina Bradford “Let food be thy medicine.” ©udra/istock Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician who is often called the father of Western medicine, is credited with saying, “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” His words are taking on new meaning with the fast-growing “food is medicine” movement. Today, countless low-income individuals and families receive “prescriptions” for fresh produce, which can be picked up at farms or urban programs. “Food deserts,” or communities  where residents do not have access to fresh, nutritious, affordable food items, have been around for decades. Instead of local grocery stores, these low-income communities have convenience stores, fast-food establishments, and take-out restaurants. This leads to an abundance of ultra processed foods, canned goods, packaged goods, and high-calorie snacks and treats. An urban convenience store. ©pexels Even people who do not live in food deserts may have trouble getting fresh fruits and vegetables due to a lack of funds and limited access to transportation. This is a widespread problem. According to the US Department of Agriculture , “an estimated 18.8 million people, or 6.1 percent of the U.S. population, live in low-income and low access tracts.” Low access means urban dwellers live more than a half-mile from the nearest supermarket or, in rural areas, they live more than 10 miles away. Lack of access to nutritious fruits and vegetables can lead to  higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in these areas. And the benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables are well documented. A diet high in these foods is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, obesity, and other metabolic conditions. USDA. Public Domain. Wikimedia An Idea That’s Transforming Healthcare One of the more innovative approaches gaining momentum is to address these chronic health issues through diet rather than solely relying on conventional pharmaceuticals. “ Veggie Rx ” is an idea that is transforming healthcare by prescribing fresh fruits and vegetables to those who need them. By targeting underserved populations, including low-income and food-insecure families, these programs using the Veggie Rx model tackle both health disparities and food access issues head-on. “Veggie Rx” is an idea that is transforming healthcare by prescribing fresh fruits and vegetables to those who need them. There are Veggie Rx programs across the United States that work to boost the health of those who need a little extra help. Some of these programs include Fresh Approach  in California, Wholesome Wave  Veggie Rx, Rush University’s Food is Medicine  Program, VeggieRx  in Chicago, and Southside Community Land Trust's  Veggie Rx. Here is how these programs work, and the impact they are making on their communities. How Veggie Rx Programs Work The concept behind Veggie Rx is straightforward: rather than just prescribing medications, Veggie Rx programs aim to improve participants' overall health by increasing their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Through dietary changes, individuals can better manage chronic illnesses, improve their nutritional status, and potentially reduce healthcare costs in the long run. Typically, participants don’t have to pay for the produce they receive through these vouchers. A typical community-supported agriculture weekly share. © Wikimedia Healthcare providers, such as doctors or dietitians, can offer vouchers instead of traditional medical prescriptions. These vouchers allow participants, who are sometimes called “patients,” to purchase produce at participating farmers' markets, grocery stores, or community-supported agriculture programs.   However, these programs go beyond food products. Many Veggie Rx initiatives offer educational resources like cooking classes, nutrition counseling, and support groups, helping participants incorporate healthy food into their daily lives. What's Included in a Package Through the VeggieRx program in Chicago, participants redeem prescriptions for fresh produce at the Farm on Ogden , a 20,000-square-foot urban agriculture facility on Chicago's West Side (see video ). Operated by Windy City Harvest  (see video ), the farm includes a greenhouse, aquaponics system [see video ], indoor farmer's market, kitchens, and job training programs. Participants receive a weekly box of seasonal produce, along with recipes, nutrition education, cooking lessons, and dietary counseling. Classes are offered in both English and Spanish, available in-person or online, and led by staff from the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion.     A participant survey at the Farm on Ogden  found that more than 90% of participants ate more than half the fresh produce they received. An example of their VeggieRx box or bag would have: 1 bundle of kale 1 bundle of collards 1 bundle of beets 2 cucumbers 2 tomatoes 2 bell peppers 2 squash 2 onions   Meanwhile, in Minnesota, education is stressed in the Veggie Rx program. “Patients don’t just pick up produce and head on their way,” said Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Farm  Education Manager and Veggie Rx collaborator Tim Wilson in a news report  from the University of Minnesota Extension. “They have the opportunity to interact with the health care team and food growers, plus Extension educators who are experts in financial planning, parenting, nutrition, exercise, and more.” “Patients don’t just pick up produce. …They have the opportunity to interact with the health care team and food growers, plus [University of Minnesota] Extension educators who are experts in financial planning, parenting, nutrition, exercise, and more.” Another example is the Food Is Medicine  (FIM) program run by Rush University Medical Center’s Office of Community Health Equity and Engagement . The Chicago-area program offers prescriptions to people identified as having food insecurity, with Forty Acres Fresh Market  serving as produce partner for Rush’s FIM program. The participant exchanges the prescription for food packets at the medical center’s Veggie Rx pantry. Families can also get healthy foods delivered to their homes through the program.  Collaborative Efforts Behind these Programs Veggie Rx programs thrive on strong partnerships between healthcare providers, local governments, non-profits, and food producers. These collaborations are crucial, ensuring that fresh produce is readily available and that participants have the support they need to maintain these healthier habits. For instance, Wholesome Wave’s Veggie Rx program partners with healthcare providers across the US to distribute produce vouchers to low-income participants, while Farm Fresh Rhode Island  offers a similar service through local farmers' markets. Chicago’s VeggieRx is a collaboration between the Lawndale Christian Health Center , the Farm on Ogden, the Chicago Botanic Garden , and the University of Illinois’s Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion.   Chicago Botanic Garden is one of Chicago Veggie Rx’s partners. ©Shutterstock Impact on Communities Research  has shown that Veggie Rx programs lead to better dietary habits and improved chronic disease management. These programs not only improve public health  but also bolster local economies  by creating sustainable connections between health and agriculture. Thanks to the VeggieRx program in Chicago, 18,895 produce boxes were distributed in 2023, and 31% of participants reported a decrease in food insecurity. As of June 30, 2024, Waterfall’s Veggie Rx program  in Oregon (see video ) has distributed more than 22,500 "individual distributions of produce" to more than 5,500 members of the community. Thanks to the VeggieRx program in Chicago, 18,895 produce boxes were distributed in 2023, and 31% of participants reported a decrease in food insecurity. A meta-analysis study published in 2021, examining the impact of food prescription programs on dietary behaviors in review of 13 studies, found a 21.9% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. It also found a decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood sugar levels among program participants. A 2020 study  of the Navajo Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program from 2015 to 2018 found that fruit and vegetable consumption significantly increased during the programs, and the number of participant households reporting food insecurity decreased from 82% to 65%. Furthermore, 38% of the overweight children (up to 6 years old) achieved a healthy BMI by the end of the program. How to Get Involved in Veggie Rx Veggie Rx programs are funded by various sources, including federal grants, local governments, and non-profit organizations. Those interested in supporting these initiatives can also get involved by volunteering with local organizations or donating to non-profits that fund these valuable programs. To take advantage of Veggie Rx services, individuals should inquire at their local healthcare provider or community health center about available programs; helpful information regarding local Veggie Rx programs may also be found on the internet. There are programs across the entire US. The success of Veggie RX programs depends on continued support from policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations. Sustainable funding is necessary to expand these programs and ensure they reach the populations that need them the most. Moreover, public policy can further promote the adoption of these programs by integrating food prescriptions into broader healthcare and social service frameworks. In the US, for instance, Veggie RX programs have been included in some Medicaid and Medicare programs, as well as community health initiatives. These policy efforts reflect the growing recognition of the role that nutrition plays in public health. As awareness of the connection between food and health grows, Veggie Rx programs continue to offer a practical, community-driven solution to improve public health and support local agriculture. By providing fresh produce as a prescription, Veggie Rx programs empower people to take control of their health through better nutrition, while also addressing food insecurity and health disparities. ©pexels *Alina Bradford   is a safety and security expert who has contributed to CBS, MTV, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, and more. She is currently the editorial lead at SafeWise.com .

NASA Images Show Massive Habitat Loss, Including in Vital Pantanal Region   South American wildfire smoke as seen from space on September 3, 2024. ©NASA Satellite surveillance shows that parts of South America have suffered a record number of wildfires this year.   Brazil’s space research agency Inpe has recorded 346,112 South American wildfires for 2024. This breaks the former record (using the same cutoff date) of 345,332, set in 2007, Reuters News Agency said in a September 12 report . Data has been collected from all 13 South American nations since 1998.   The devastation has impacted the Pantanal, recognized by scientists as the world's largest continuous wetland , and other areas considered to be “ biodiversity hot spots .”   Brazil and Bolivia have sent thousands of firefighters to the area. However, Reuters reported  that “hundreds” protested in La Paz, Bolivia, to demand more action against the fires, most of which were started by humans. "Please realize what is really happening in the country; we have lost millions of hectares," said animal-rights activist Fernanda Negron, who added that there are fears that "millions of animals have been burned to death."   Earlier in 2024, NASA reported  that “unusually early and intense blazes” had spread over Brazil’s Pantanal region in late May and early June 2024 “well before” the area’s typical fire season begins (July through September). The unusually dry conditions were due to a shortage of typical wet-season rainfall.     Ana Paul Cunha, a drought researcher with Cemaden, told Reuters that the 2023-2024 drought was “the most intense, long-lasting in some regions and extensive in recent history, at least in the data since 1950."                                                                                            NASA scientists blamed the dry weather on this year’s El Niño, as well as a “warmer-than-usual sea surface in the northern Atlantic Ocean,” which together have drawn rainfall away from the Amazon and surrounding biomes.   “From October through April, that region [Mato Grosso do Sul and neighboring Mato Grosso] received a meter less rain than expected,” said NASA Earth system scientist Douglas Morton of the Biospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Bolivia’s Pantanal region from space on September 3, 2024 (light blue=smoke; orange=fire; dark area=burned area. False-color image acquired by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8. ©NASA Brazil’s Pantanal region from space on June 11, 2024, (orange=fire; dark area=burned area.)  ©NASA The natural-color image below was captured by MODIS aboard NASA’s  Aqua  satellite on June 9, 2024. Smoke can be seen blowing south toward Corumbá, in Mato Grosso do Sul.  Cloudless, smoke-filled skies above the dry Pantanal region on June 9, 2024. ©NASA NASA compares the Pantanal in size to the US state of West Virginia. The area is considered vital to important hydrological ecosystem services such as water cycle regulation, flood control, and water-quality maintenance.   The Pantanal is known for its naturally rich ecosystems that are home to thousands of species, including jaguars, tapirs, capybaras, giant otters, maned wolves, hyacinth macaws, Toco toucans, and giant armadillos. Pantanal jaguar. ©Wikimedia Sources: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153295/smoke-fills-south-american-skies?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Sustainable-Switch&utm_term=091324&user_email=2f646de55ae8dce1fadd5e678aac80545fa6c3a7214ec8869dd6d4a6b7027ceb&lctg=640b9b9a9bd201caba0078c6 https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/a-continent-ablaze-south-america-surpasses-record-for-fires/ar-AA1qvpUV https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152925/early-fires-in-brazils-pantanal https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003442571530119X?via%3Dihub