“It’s that time of year when American Forests unveils the latest National Register of Champion Trees—a listing of the largest and most impressive trees in the United States. This year’s National Register is spectacular. It includes nearly 700 champions. We are grateful to the public participants who search for America’s giant trees throughout the year,… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
The Book of Trees
Brainpickings – 800 Years of Symbolic Diagrams Visualizing Human Knowledge – “Why is it that when we behold the oldest living trees in the world, primeval awe runs down our spine? We are entwined with trees in an elemental embrace, both biological and symbolic, depending on them for the very air we breathe as well as… Continue Reading
UN Global Outlook Report 2019
“The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been working together since 2014 to support countries in developing their national climate plans –Nationally Determined Contributions for the Paris Agreement or NDCs.” – The Heat is On – Taking Stock of Global Climate Ambition – “So far, temperatures are already up about 1.0°C… Continue Reading
Mission Science
NISAR Science Users’ Handbook – “The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), or NISAR mission is a multi-disciplinary radar mission to make integrated measurements to understand the causes and consequences of land surface changes. NISAR will make global measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes for integration into Earth system models. NISAR provides… Continue Reading
‘Bear’ the dog helps find koalas injured in Australian bushfires
Reuters: “An obsessive compulsive dog who was abandoned as a puppy has a new mission: helping find and save koalas injured in Australia’s recent devastating bushfires. Bear, a Cattle Dog cross-breed, is trained to find both koalas and quolls, another small Australian marsupial, in the wild. “This is the first year that we have been… Continue Reading
Green streets: which city has the most trees?
The Guardian UK – “Urban trees offer huge benefits for climate regulation and personal wellbeing – and cities from Tampa to Frankfurt are intent on boosting their numbers. The Florida city of Tampa claims a number of firsts: the world’s largest pirate festival; America’s longest continuous sidewalk (at 4.5 miles); and Babe Ruth’s longest ever… Continue Reading
Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2019
“One day soon an emerging technology highlighted in this report will allow you to virtually teleport to a distant site and actually feel the handshakes and hugs of fellow cyber travelers. Also close to becoming commonplace: humanoid (and animaloid) robots designed to socialize with people; a system for pinpointing the source of a food-poisoning outbreak… Continue Reading
50+ deer-resistant plants to add to your landscape
everybody gardens: “…Deer have become one of the biggest problems for gardeners, mostly due to the way they forage on our treasured plants. The first line of defense is always some kind of physical barrier. In my garden the vegetable garden is a fenced haven, which has seen additions of lilies, hydrangeas and many other… Continue Reading
These Animals Are Made Possible by Fallen Leaves
The Humane Gardener – You can have all the native plants you want, but you won’t have nearly as many wild visitors unless you also leave the leaves – “I opened the October issue of Consumer Reports with a feeling of mild dread. Every autumn, the magazine publishes an article extolling the virtues of leaf blowers, mowers,… Continue Reading
Strengthening Transparency or Silencing Science? The Future of Science in EPA Rulemaking
National Academies: Committee Member Testifies Before Congress on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science – “David Allison, member of the committee that wrote a 2019 National Academies report on reproducibility and replicability in science, appeared on Nov. 13, 2019 before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Nov. 13 to discuss the report’s recommendations… Continue Reading
E.P.A. to Limit Science Used to Write Public Health Rules
The New York Times: “The Trump administration is preparing to significantly limit the scientific and medical research that the government can use to determine public health regulations, overriding protests from scientists and physicians who say the new rule would undermine the scientific underpinnings of government policymaking. A new draft of the Environmental Protection Agency proposal,… Continue Reading
How Much Would You Pay for a Houseplant?
The New York Times: Four-figure price tags. Destination auctions. Yearslong wait-lists. Rare plant collectors aren’t messing around. “…Countless articles have attempted to unspool millennial motivations for loving plants: They’re a replacement for kids, a respite from urban cityscapes, a totem of climate anxiety, a life preserver to which one can cling in uncertain times, a… Continue Reading
