It’s a busy week and there is a lot of news. Some important reads highlighted below.
Hurricane Florence + Hog Farms = Environmental Impacts
The behemoth is on target to slam the Carolinas in the next day or so. There’s been a great deal of discussion about the potential for significant environmental damage from the region’s hog farms, which keep pig waste in open air “lagoons”. To get an idea of the scale of hog farming in North Carolina, look back to this March 2018 article, which appeared in Rolling Stone. The article received pushback from some groups, including North Carolina pork producers. This week hog farmers have drained waste in advance of the storm. Learn more about the unfolding situation from NPR’s Dan Charles. Insights about some of the rural, low-income communities in the path of Florence are provided by Emery Dalesio, who reports for Associated Press from Raleigh; the article also appeared in Christian Science Monitor.
For Florence information on Twitter follow: Sarah Watson (a climate and resilience planner in South Carolina), Eric Holthaus and Dr. Daniel Swain.
Fishing and Sustainability
Ed Yong is a science journalist for The Atlantic. He’s wonderful at breaking complex ideas down into understandable chunks and debunking myths. His Twitter feed is a delight. Yong’s most recent piece explores a vital question: How much of the world’s oceans are affected by fishing? Using the same data, two groups of researchers arrived at wildly different conclusions. Why? Academic differences? Sure. But Yong says this: “…it’s also a more subtle debate that hinges on how we think about the act of fishing, and how to measure humanity’s influence on the planet.” Big takeaway? The way in which we talk about things matters, “especially in shaping how policy-makers and the general public think about the environment.” This is an informative, thoughtful and fairly dense read. You’ll learn a lot. Worth it.
Pair this with two pieces from the New Food Economy:
- By Doug Bierend: In Washington, a farm-to-table restaurant tried to serve the best local fish. Instead, it stumbled into a debate over tribal fishing rights.
- By Tove Danovich: After decades, Native American tribes are regaining their fishing rights. But are there any fish left?
The Future of Food?
“The new rocket science? Open-source farming could challenge Big Ag and take crop production to new heights.” Incredibly interesting read about the Open Agriculture Initiative (and more) by Nathanael Johnson; it appears on both Anthropocene and Grist. Also worth reading: California growers warn #HLB could kill the future of citrus if federal research dollars dry up. Kate Irby for the Sacramento Bee.
Resilient California
There is no shortage of #Climate #Change stories in the news. Weather events like Hurricane Florence remind us that we’re in a new era. The threats are real and it all feels, well, overwhelming. But Californians are resilient and creative. We are coming together to develop solutions. New stories are being written and new resources being developed. Some of these stories are showing up in the Climate Adaptation Clearinghouse, a searchable database of case studies and resources about the ways people, businesses, government and communities are responding across the state.
The Climate Adaptation Clearinghouse is a key element of California’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP), signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in 2015. The Climate Adaptation Clearinghouse is designed to provide a centralized place to learn and share…to support a “community of practice across the state through knowledge exchange…”
Read stories…or share your own. Check it out.
Employment Opportunity: Climate Stewards Initiative Academic Coordinator
Imagine that you could be a positive force for meaningful change around climate issues. Do we have a job for you! The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is seeking an Academic Coordinator for the new Climate Stewards Initiative. This position will independently lead the development, implementation and maintenance of the California Climate Stewards Initiative within the California Naturalist Statewide Program. The purpose of the position is to increase science literacy and promote ecosystem stewardship. The position will support the ANR Public Value Statement related to building climate-resilient communities and ecosystems and the specific condition change related to increased preparedness and resilience to extreme weather and climate change. #SciComm. Seriously great position working with amazing people.
Have a great rest of the week! If you’re being impacted by Hurricane Florence, be safe.