I have a live webcast this Thursday, 12/21 at 1 pm Eastern on the fungal threat to frogs and salamanders from the tropics to Appalachia. Viewing links are here. Many more episodes are brewing for the coming year. But here’s where I really crave your feedback. Please use this open thread to post ideas for future webcasts and articles, ask questions about my #SustainWhat work here so far, and anything else that’s on your mind in these turbulent times.
I'm wondering if you'll consider doing a future webcast on rewilding. As a board member of The Rewilding Institute, board chair of Save The World's Rivers, a trustee of the WILD Foundation, and an active member of the Global Rewilding Alliance, I have some suggestions for discussion topics and webcast guests.
One big idea for your consideration: please consider attending and contributing to the 12th World Wilderness Congress ("WILD12"), taking place August 25-31, 2024 in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Dec 19, 2023·edited Dec 19, 2023Liked by Andy @Revkin
Would love more discussion on soil health around the world... this is the very foundation of all the foodwebs (land based at least). Specifically, what does the science say on things like the uptake of heavy metals from soil into plants—namely, lead and cadmium into cacao? What about glyphosate which is used in West Africa to clear land before planting cacao trees. And similar issues for other crops.
I agree. Soil is the essential bedrock to survival by anything. Part or maybe the major part of the soil question is how are soil fungi doing? In the public arena we barely know anything. Gardeners everywhere should learn asap how to grow edibles and they'll need fungi.
I'd like a breakdown on what I think is the only question that really matters: will humans *as a species* survive as we tip harder into a full (75+% of species dead) mass extinction? Obviously there are arguments that we will (I'm thinking of Annalee Newitz's excellent book on the subject) but the popular view, seemingly echoed by most ecologists and environmental scientists, is that we're toast in such an extinction, and we're already locked into it. Would help me personally, and no doubt many other people, to get a firm answer on this to determine whether there's much reason to plan for a future at this point.
Dec 19, 2023·edited Dec 19, 2023Liked by Andy @Revkin
Here in Phoenix AZ, only 1 home in 100 has PV panels on the roof. There's a reason: in November 2014, the AZ Corporation Commission was stacked with anti-solar members. One month after that, punitive tarriffs were imposed on new PV installations by Arizona's largest utility, SRP.
Reading sure does not sound like SRP is trying to prevent individual homeowners from installing solar. Quite the opposite. But could be shown how how SRP is evil 😳
Dec 19, 2023·edited Dec 19, 2023Liked by Andy @Revkin
After 2014 they got rid of net metering , added a monthly grid connection fee for solar customers, and eliminated time-of-use billing options for solar, replacing it with a more complicated demand-based pricing which measures peak power. All of these measures greatly increased time-to-payback for an installation. The results speak for themselves: the sunniest place in the US has very few roofs with solar.
SRP is *not* encouraging solar rooftops. My PV was installed in late 2005, and I don't have all the punishment SRP has added. That is, until 2025 when the grandfathering ends.
Dec 19, 2023·edited Dec 19, 2023Liked by Andy @Revkin
Hi Andy,
I was glad to see the inclusion of the story about uptick in malaria cases, thanks to mosquitos that weren’t eaten by newts that weren’t there to eat them. Ecological disturbances ripple like water in all directions. What creatures missed fine meals of tasty newt? Or frog? Or tadpole? What bugs and bacteria no longer get a gourmet side dish of guano? - Janet
The limits to the system that Earth occupies extend beyond our normal vision. It is hard to believe that we as a global population are so riveted to what is right in front of us. We generally do not look below us or above us to comprehend the vastness of what seems to contribute to the slow solutions of stopping this boat we are on from rocking.
The storms, the volcano eruptions, the floods, the sinkholes, the quickly changing water supply, the extinction of animal and insect life, the fires, the deaths of people through killing each other ad-hoc or in war, and starvation are all a part of the earth system we are trying to balance again and put in working order. Death is a mandate before there is rebirth of new forms, whether in concept or physical being.
Have we looked at the correlation of tangible visible systems and how they work (e.g. minerals, water, mycelium, trees, leaves and the communication among them or the human body in that we are never separated from the environment through the pores of our skins, nasal passages, mouth, and ears and all the filtering, mini-systems that allow the internal body to work and are designed into the body whose boss is the brain)? And what happens to them when they are sick and how they heal. Much of what these systems have already within them is fundamental for healing. How much of an outside influence is necessary for healing them?
I contend that all the extreme conditions set forth above are information telling us how to heal. An abscess usually portends something serious. We are subject to one abscess/excess after another. We have to think of ourselves as doctors removing the infections. Not all of us are dulled to this. The most notable are indigenous peoples and even black folks who rely on their deeply rooted traditions.
The Army Corps of Engineers cannot solve our problems.
Some brilliant ever-growing group of scientists and reporters, such as Andy Revkin, and those who are younger whose work is not yet broadly known will keep the healing process going. Top down, bottom up, and all along the watchtower.
If released unburned, the gas has a more potent warming influence than the CO2 produced when it is combusted. And of course methane is an air pollutant. And thanks to your query I poked around a bit and found an interesting U of Michigan study showing that not all flaring is equal (if done more effectively, significant emissions reductions are possible): https://news.umich.edu/flaring-allows-more-methane-into-the-atmosphere-than-we-thought/
Just reading about six feet of rain in Cairns Australia, I'm interested to know how people are going to rebuild and what with. Concrete blocks seems the best, but at what CO2 cost?
I do love this. I'll reach out to Tom Kimmerer. I did get at a couple of insights gleaned from sequoia bark in this post (see the section on Thomas Speck's research on the “Insulation capability of the bark of trees with different fire adaptation." https://revkin.substack.com/p/amid-foil-wrapped-sequoias-encouraging-21-09-21
This is from Rob Harding (via email):
I'm wondering if you'll consider doing a future webcast on rewilding. As a board member of The Rewilding Institute, board chair of Save The World's Rivers, a trustee of the WILD Foundation, and an active member of the Global Rewilding Alliance, I have some suggestions for discussion topics and webcast guests.
One big idea for your consideration: please consider attending and contributing to the 12th World Wilderness Congress ("WILD12"), taking place August 25-31, 2024 in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Rob Harding
Trustee, WILD Foundation
Board member, The Rewilding Institute
Board chair, Save The World's Rivers
Sustainability Outreach Liaison, NumbersUSA
And my reply is - Done deal. Rewilding will be on the list in 2024.
Would love more discussion on soil health around the world... this is the very foundation of all the foodwebs (land based at least). Specifically, what does the science say on things like the uptake of heavy metals from soil into plants—namely, lead and cadmium into cacao? What about glyphosate which is used in West Africa to clear land before planting cacao trees. And similar issues for other crops.
I agree. Soil is the essential bedrock to survival by anything. Part or maybe the major part of the soil question is how are soil fungi doing? In the public arena we barely know anything. Gardeners everywhere should learn asap how to grow edibles and they'll need fungi.
What U.S. cities will become uninhabitable this century due to sea level rise and storm surge? How will we manage the retreat from these cities?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8333152/
https://adaptation.ei.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/agenda%20v6.19.23.pdf
I'd like a breakdown on what I think is the only question that really matters: will humans *as a species* survive as we tip harder into a full (75+% of species dead) mass extinction? Obviously there are arguments that we will (I'm thinking of Annalee Newitz's excellent book on the subject) but the popular view, seemingly echoed by most ecologists and environmental scientists, is that we're toast in such an extinction, and we're already locked into it. Would help me personally, and no doubt many other people, to get a firm answer on this to determine whether there's much reason to plan for a future at this point.
Here in Phoenix AZ, only 1 home in 100 has PV panels on the roof. There's a reason: in November 2014, the AZ Corporation Commission was stacked with anti-solar members. One month after that, punitive tarriffs were imposed on new PV installations by Arizona's largest utility, SRP.
Similar measures have been imposed in other states - the coordination has been largely via ALEC. Here's an example of one ALEC template bill endorsed by AZ utilities APS and SRP in 2021: https://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Energy_Discrimination_Elimination_Act
In Arizona, half of our homes should have PV on the roof. The fact that we don't, is a sustainability issue.
Such a good question (and the same goes for solar hot water!). I first poked at this from a distance in this piece: Solar City to Rise in Persian Gulf; Why Not Arizona? https://archive.nytimes.com/dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/solar-city-to-rise-in-persian-gulf-why-not-arizona/ But I'd be happy to round up some folks from the Southwest to talk about paths to harnessing all that sunshine.
A quick search found this.
https://www.srpnet.com/price-plans/electric-pricing-public-process/solar-options
Reading sure does not sound like SRP is trying to prevent individual homeowners from installing solar. Quite the opposite. But could be shown how how SRP is evil 😳
After 2014 they got rid of net metering , added a monthly grid connection fee for solar customers, and eliminated time-of-use billing options for solar, replacing it with a more complicated demand-based pricing which measures peak power. All of these measures greatly increased time-to-payback for an installation. The results speak for themselves: the sunniest place in the US has very few roofs with solar.
Robert - I looked at your link, and the devil is in the details. Here's a comparison of the plans: https://www.srpnet.com/price-plans/residential-electric/solar/compare-solar-plans
And here's detail showing that the ones which preserve net metering, also tack on an extra $32-$45 monthly solar connection "punishment charge" added to the normal $20 service charge that all customers pay: https://www.srpnet.com/price-plans/residential-electric/solar/customer-generation
SRP is *not* encouraging solar rooftops. My PV was installed in late 2005, and I don't have all the punishment SRP has added. That is, until 2025 when the grandfathering ends.
Hi Andy,
I was glad to see the inclusion of the story about uptick in malaria cases, thanks to mosquitos that weren’t eaten by newts that weren’t there to eat them. Ecological disturbances ripple like water in all directions. What creatures missed fine meals of tasty newt? Or frog? Or tadpole? What bugs and bacteria no longer get a gourmet side dish of guano? - Janet
Those ripples are everywhere indeed. This post on pathogens threatening American salamanders and the mighty American beech tree is relevant: https://revkin.substack.com/p/confronting-our-persistent-inability
The limits to the system that Earth occupies extend beyond our normal vision. It is hard to believe that we as a global population are so riveted to what is right in front of us. We generally do not look below us or above us to comprehend the vastness of what seems to contribute to the slow solutions of stopping this boat we are on from rocking.
The storms, the volcano eruptions, the floods, the sinkholes, the quickly changing water supply, the extinction of animal and insect life, the fires, the deaths of people through killing each other ad-hoc or in war, and starvation are all a part of the earth system we are trying to balance again and put in working order. Death is a mandate before there is rebirth of new forms, whether in concept or physical being.
Have we looked at the correlation of tangible visible systems and how they work (e.g. minerals, water, mycelium, trees, leaves and the communication among them or the human body in that we are never separated from the environment through the pores of our skins, nasal passages, mouth, and ears and all the filtering, mini-systems that allow the internal body to work and are designed into the body whose boss is the brain)? And what happens to them when they are sick and how they heal. Much of what these systems have already within them is fundamental for healing. How much of an outside influence is necessary for healing them?
I contend that all the extreme conditions set forth above are information telling us how to heal. An abscess usually portends something serious. We are subject to one abscess/excess after another. We have to think of ourselves as doctors removing the infections. Not all of us are dulled to this. The most notable are indigenous peoples and even black folks who rely on their deeply rooted traditions.
The Army Corps of Engineers cannot solve our problems.
Some brilliant ever-growing group of scientists and reporters, such as Andy Revkin, and those who are younger whose work is not yet broadly known will keep the healing process going. Top down, bottom up, and all along the watchtower.
From my heart.
How is methane 'flaring' better?
If released unburned, the gas has a more potent warming influence than the CO2 produced when it is combusted. And of course methane is an air pollutant. And thanks to your query I poked around a bit and found an interesting U of Michigan study showing that not all flaring is equal (if done more effectively, significant emissions reductions are possible): https://news.umich.edu/flaring-allows-more-methane-into-the-atmosphere-than-we-thought/
At risk of appearing heartless and into horror, what will be the least climate damaging way to bury/burn us all when we step off our 'mortal coils'.
Just reading about six feet of rain in Cairns Australia, I'm interested to know how people are going to rebuild and what with. Concrete blocks seems the best, but at what CO2 cost?
Everything you need to know about surviving on the planet you can learn in an old growth redwood forest.
I do love this. I'll reach out to Tom Kimmerer. I did get at a couple of insights gleaned from sequoia bark in this post (see the section on Thomas Speck's research on the “Insulation capability of the bark of trees with different fire adaptation." https://revkin.substack.com/p/amid-foil-wrapped-sequoias-encouraging-21-09-21
The coast redwoods, Sequoia sempervirens, are truly the everliving tree as the Latin name alludes.
Also, whatever might unique in terms of microbiomes to these animals also likely go extinct.
Post questions and ideas in the comments here.