[GWSG] Half earth; Miyawaki forests; smothered gvt. science; heat vs. health; BP signals; permafrost emissions

[Tilley, Al]

1. About half the ice-free dry surface of the earth remains free of significant human influence. The project of protecting that half in order to support biodiversity and vital ecosystem services should be quite possible to accomplish. (The Half Earth goal includes the oceans as well.) https://phys.org/news/2020-06-earth-intact-global-human.html



2.  Small, dense forests of well-selected trees can be especially efficient at sequestering carbon and can be uncommonly biodiverse. Developed by Akira Miyawaki, the forests are often local projects, sited by schools or along roads. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/13/fast-growing-mini-forests-spring-up-in-europe-to-aid-climate



3. The Trump administration’s efforts to suppress climate science have permeated government agencies. When research is published it often must overcome opposition and can lead to a professional penalty.  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/climate/climate-science-trump.html?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter



4. In the last ten years, heat killed more Americans than hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods. In the last sixty years annual heatwaves in 50 US cities have tripled. Heat is a growing health threat. CDC programs to deal with climate, which Trump have been trying to eliminate, have weakened.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/16/climate-deaths-heat-cdc



5. BP has written off billions of dollars in its estimated worth because falling demand and rising renewables indicate that it can no longer count on the value of at least some of the oil it has in the ground. While we cannot expect BP to lead the energy transition, we may take the move as an indication that the transition is in progress. https://climatecrocks.com/2020/06/15/bp-writedown-is-writing-on-the-wall/



6. New research tools indicate that we have underestimated the release of carbon from melting permafrost by 14%. The research measures the release of carbon through oxidation by sunlight. https://phys.org/news/2020-06-carbon-emission-permafrost-soils-underestimated.html

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