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Nature: An important climate ally

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Nature is often seen as a victim of climate change, but it’s also one of the most powerful tools we have to fight it. Natural ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, oceans, and soils, absorb and store massive amounts of carbon dioxide. These ecosystems not only help reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but they also regulate temperatures and provide buffers against extreme weather.

One of the most effective strategies for mitigating climate change is simply protecting and restoring these natural areas. For example, mangrove forests – those coastal wetlands filled with tangled, salt-tolerant trees – sequester carbon at high rates and help protect coastal communities from storm surges and rising seas.  Peatlands – another type of wetland – store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined – despite only covering 3% of Earth’s land surface.  Global restoration efforts are underway, from replanting mangroves in Southeast Asia to rewetting degraded peatlands in Europe.

Creating urban green spaces like parks and community gardens, restoring forests through native tree plantings, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices like cover cropping and agroforestry are all proven to be low-cost, high-impact climate solutions. 

While nature-based solutions are gaining recognition, they remain critically underfunded, according to a recent United Nations report.  Closing this gap is essential to unlocking nature’s  full climate potential.

Investing in nature isn’t just about preserving Earth’s natural beauty.  It’s a practical strategy for building a more resilient and sustainable future.

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Mangrove forests and rising seas

Financing Nature-based Solutions for a better future

Finding peatlands

The Importance Of Urban Green Spaces

Photo, posted October 23, 2011, courtesy of the Everglades National Park / NPS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Parks for bugs

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Urban areas can have a variety of green spaces:  gardens, parks, and roadside and median plantings.  It turns out that these spaces can serve as pollinator refuges.

A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that reducing lawn mowing and creating pollinator meadows – essentially parks for bugs – significantly boosts pollinator diversity and creates healthier and more resilient ecosystems.

The 3-year study surveyed pollinators in 18 urban parks across the city of Vancouver.  It compared parks where meadows were planted and mowing was restricted with parks that were kept as standard turfgrass lawns.

Parks with meadows saw an immediate increase in pollinator species – from 21 to 47 more wild bee and hoverfly species – compared to parks without meadows.  These increases continued over the entire three-year study period.

The researchers identified more than 100 species of wild bees and hoverflies and 35 of them were only found in parks with meadows.

People think of urban landscapes as poor environments for biodiversity, but this study demonstrated that even relatively small changes can have significant impacts.  Even a patchwork of small habitats can allow species to move freely and settle into multiple areas quickly.

The researchers had advice for urban residents as well.  They suggest that people reduce mowing, plant native flowering shrubs and trees, create diverse habitats that incorporate a variety of plants that bloom at different times, avoid pesticide use, and leave natural nesting sites for pollinators.

Preserving pollinators is an important task and having a few parks for bugs can really help.

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How ‘parks for bugs’ boost pollinators in Vancouver

Photo, posted September 19, 2011, courtesy of Eric Bridiers / U.S. Mission Geneva via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The end of coal in New England

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The last two coal-fired power plants in New England are scheduled to close by 2025 and 2028.  The New Hampshire-based plants are operated by Granite Shore Power.  The Schiller Station plant began operations in 1949 and the Merrimack Station was built in the 1960s.

Granite Shore Power has come to an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency as part of a settlement of lawsuits by the Conservation Law Foundation and the Sierra Club.  The two power plants were the subject of a five-year legal battle waged by clean energy advocates

Granite Shore Power intends to turn both of the sites into renewable energy parks.  The plants will be converted into solar farms and battery units that can be used to store electricity generated by offshore wind turbines along the Atlantic Coast.  Granite Shore Power bought the two power plants in 2018 with the intention of transitioning the coal generation systems into less polluting operations.

The battery storage system at the Schiller Station site in Portsmouth will be named the Jacona II in honor of a self-propelled floating power barge that brought power to parts of Maine and New Hampshire between 1919 and 1930.

Coal use has dropped dramatically in the United States in recent years as natural gas and renewable sources like wind and solar have become less expensive.  As of last year, coal only produced about 17% of American electricity and its use continues to decline. 

Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel.  In 2021, when it generated less than a quarter of the electricity produced in the US, it accounted for 59% of carbon emissions from electricity generation.

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The Last Coal-Fired Power Plants in New England Are to Close

Photo, posted October 14, 2015, courtesy of Eversource NH via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Sequoias in Britain

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Giant sequoias are the most massive trees on earth.  They can grow as tall as nearly 300 feet and have trunk diameters from 20 to 26 feet.  They are also among the oldest living organisms on Earth; some of them are well over 3,000 years old.  The trees are native to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.

Lengthy droughts and wildfires have been pushing giant sequoias in California into decline.  Up to 20% of all large giant sequoias in California died in wildfires in 2020 and 2021.  There are estimated to be only about 80,000 remaining in the native groves in the Sierra Nevada.  These old-growth forests are very much in jeopardy and represent rare ecosystems of considerable ecological and historical value.

Giant sequoias have been planted in many places around the world.  They were introduced to country estates in Britain during the 19th century.  They were seen as symbols of wealth and power.  Over time, they have been widely planted in parks and woodlands.   As a result, there are now half a million giant sequoias growing in Britain and they are thriving there.

The British sequoias are rather young by sequoia standards, so they are relatively squat in stature.  The tallest of them measures about 180 feet.  But recent research, published in the journal Royal Society Science, found that in Britain’s cool and mild climate, the trees are growing nearly as fast as they do in California. 

The British sequoias are probably more important for their aesthetic and historical interest than their impact on the environment, but it is good to know they are there.

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Under Threat in Their Native California, Giant Sequoias Are Thriving in Britain

Photo, posted November 4, 2010, courtesy of John Buie via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

How to make cities cooler

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In cities, the air, surface, and soil temperatures are almost always warmer than in rural areas. This is known as the urban heat island effect.  Urban heat islands occur when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat.

Urban planners around the world have been researching ways to reduce the effects of heat in cities.  For example, trees, green roofs, and vegetation can help reduce urban heat island effects by shading building surfaces, deflecting radiation from the sun, and releasing moisture into the atmosphere.

A new study led by researchers from the University of Surrey in the U.K. has analyzed how well various green spaces and waterways are able to cool down cities.  The study, which was recently published in the journal The Innovation, found that wetlands, parks, and even botanical gardens are among the best ways to keep cities cool.   

In fact, the researchers found that botanical gardens can cool city air by a whopping 9°F during heatwaves on average.  Wetlands can cool city air by 8.5°F on average, followed by rain gardens at 8.1°F, green walls at 7.4°F, street trees at 6.8°F, city farms at 6.3°F, city parks at 5.8°F, and reservoirs and playgrounds at 5.2°F. 

The researchers also found that cities can unlock even greater benefits by connecting green spaces into green corridors.  Greening projects can also help remove carbon emissions and prevent flooding.

The research team hopes its findings will help urban planners design more resilient cities. 

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Wetlands, parks and even botanical gardens among the best ways to cool cities during heatwaves

Photo, posted April 25, 2022, courtesy of Catherine Poh Huay Tan via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Golf courses gone wild

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Golf courses are a significant burden on the environment.  The US has 16,000 golf courses which use 1.5 billion gallons of water a day and are treated with 100,000 tons of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium each year.  In recent years, the golf industry has taken steps to lighten its environmental toll by using less water, introducing pollinator-friendly plants, and decreasing pesticide and fertilizer use.  The US has more golf courses than any other country, accounting for 42% of all courses worldwide.

There is really an oversupply of golf courses and, as a result, more golf courses have closed than have opened since 2006.  Most closed golf courses end up in the hands of commercial or residential developers, but some of them are allowed to return to nature.

For this to happen, there has to be a willing seller and, more importantly, a conservation-minded buyer who can afford both to purchase the land and to restore it to a natural state.  There have been 28 former golf courses transformed into public green spaces between 2010 and the end of 2022.  But that number seems to be growing.

In 2023, the former Cedar View Golf Course on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in upstate New York was bought by the Finger Lakes Land Trust.  In California, places like Santa Barbara, Marin County, and even Palm Springs have all undertaken the transformation of former golf courses into public parklands.

Rewilding a golf course is undoubtedly a disappointment to local golfers, but it can bring big benefits to animals, plants, and people. 

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After Shutting Down, These Golf Courses Went Wild

Photo, posted October 19, 2016, courtesy of Cabo Girao via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Elephants and protected areas

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Standing up to 13 feet tall and weighing up to 7 tons, African savanna elephants are the largest species of elephant and the biggest terrestrial animal on Earth.  According to the World Wildlife Fund, African savanna elephants can be found in 23 countries and live in a variety of habitats, including savannas, forests, and deserts.  The largest populations are in Southern and Eastern African countries.

According to assessments from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the population of African savanna elephants has decreased by at least 60% over the last 50 years.  Poaching and habitat loss are the two main drivers of the population decline.  In 2021, the status of the African savanna elephant was changed from vulnerable to endangered on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. 

However, according to a new study recently published in the journal Science Advances, conservation measures have successfully stopped African savanna elephant population declines across southern Africa.  The international team of researchers found that the pattern varies regionally, with some elephant populations soaring while others are still facing large declines.

Overall, the study found that there are the same number of elephants now as there were 25 years ago. According to researchers, the key to long-term elephant population growth and sustainability isn’t where a protected area is, but rather how connected it is to other protected or neutral areas around it. 

This isn’t a new concept; in fact, many parks have been connected to one another.  But this study helps prove that the method is effective for elephant conservation.  

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Protected Areas for Elephants Work Best if They Are Connected

African elephant species now Endangered and Critically Endangered – IUCN Red List

African savanna elephant

Photo, posted October 20, 2018, courtesy of Ray via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

New York is raising its shoreline

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Superstorm Sandy in 2012 flooded 17% of New York City and caused $19 billion in damage.  In its aftermath, plans emerged to create floodwalls, raised elevations, high-capacity drainage, and other infrastructure to protect the city from future Sandy-like events.

Like all large infrastructure projects in densely populated places, the remaking of New York’s shoreline has only moved along in fits and starts.  But there has been significant progress.

The East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project is the largest urban resiliency project currently underway in the United States.  The first piece of it – the Asser Levy renovation – was completed in 2022.  Over the next three years, the $1.8 billion ESCR will reshape two-and-a-half miles of Lower Manhattan’s shoreline.  The ESCR is just one part of a much larger $2.7 billion initiative called the BIG U, which is a series of contiguous flood resilience projects that will create 5.5 miles of new park space specifically designed to protect over 60,000 residents and billions of dollars in real estate against sea level rise and storm surges. 

In a time of rising seas and increasingly powerful storms, flood-prone coastal U.S. cities – including Boston, Norfolk, Charleston, Miami, and San Francisco – are moving toward embracing the long-held Dutch concept of “living with water”, which emphasizes infrastructure that can both repel and absorb water while also providing recreational and open space.

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After a Decade of Planning, New York City Is Raising Its Shoreline

Photo, posted November 1, 2012, courtesy of Rachel via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

El Paso’s Water Future | Earth Wise

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El Paso, Texas is part of the Paso del Norte region, which includes Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The population on both sides of the border is booming, approaching 3 million people.  The region’s primary water source is the Rio Grande River.  But that river is declining.

Rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall have led to diminishing flow in the river.  Eighty percent of the river’s flow has historically been diverted to agriculture, but the reduced flow of the Rio Grande has forced many farmers to reduce planting or change to less water-hungry crops.  The river is expected to continue to decrease its flow as time goes by.

The city of El Paso gets 40% of its water supply directly from the Rio Grande.  Urban water authorities in the region are scrambling to find ways to provide cities with alternative supplies of water.

El Paso now gets some of its water from a desalination plant, which is the world’s largest inland municipal desalination plant.  The water comes from brackish groundwater rather than from the sea.  The briny waste from the plant is piped to an injection well many miles way and is permanently stored 4,000 feet underground.

El Paso continues to seek new water sources and reduce its water use.  It gets much of its water from wells drilled in nearby aquifers.  It is working to make this use of groundwater more sustainable.  The city recycles used residential water through its so-called purple pipe system, which cleans up waste water and delivers it for non-potable use on golf courses and park lawns. 

Like many places in the increasingly dry west, El Paso’s water future is uncertain. 

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As Rio Grande Shrinks, El Paso Plans for Uncertain Water Future

Photo, posted April 29, 2018, courtesy of R. Baire via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Perennials To Attract Pollinators | Earth Wise

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There has been a decline in the abundance of insect and other animal pollinators in many ecosystems worldwide that began being observed at the end of the 20th century.  Pollinators and their health have become growing concerns for the public and many states have enacted legislation related to pollinator decline.

In many places, the pollinator decline has largely been driven by a loss of flowering plants in the landscape, the primary source of food for the pollinators.  A new study by Penn State researchers looked at the attractiveness to pollinators of various species of perennial flowering plants that people can plant in their gardens and other landscapes.

It turns out that there is considerable variation in how attractive different flowering plants are to pollinators.  Greenspaces such as parks and gardens have the potential to support very rich pollinator communities, even including rare or vulnerable species.

People generally select ornamental plants because of their appearance and growth habit, not because of their pollinator attraction.

The Penn State study looked at a variety of perennials and identified the most attractive plant cultivars, which can attract 4 times the number of pollinator species than the least attractive plants studied.

The most appealing plant is the ‘Blue Fortune’ giant hyssop.  Other highly attractive plants are the anise hyssop, the ‘Black Adder’ Agastache, the Cat’s Meow and Walker’s Low Nepetas, and the Triloba and Herbstonne Rudbeckias.

Many of these plants produce large floral displays and the researchers suggest that they should be prioritized when planting a pollinator garden amongst other species with comparably small floral displays and lower attractiveness to pollinators.

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Popular perennial flowering plants can attract diverse mix of pollinators

Photo, posted September 7, 2019, courtesy of KM via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Importance Of Urban Green Spaces | Earth Wise

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Projections are that 68% of the global population will be living in cities by 2050.  It is therefore not surprising that urban green spaces are critically important for promoting mental and physical well-being.

An international study, published in Science Advances, took soil samples from different types of urban green spaces and comparable neighboring natural ecosystems in 56 cities from 17 countries across six continents.

The study concluded that even roadside plantings contribute a range of important microbial communities that are critical for sustaining productive ecosystems services, such as filtering pollutants and sequestering carbon dioxide.

Parks and gardens constitute most of the open spaces available for recreational activities in cities and play important roles in curbing pollution, reducing noise, and lowering air temperatures.

In addition, human exposure to soil microbes has been shown to be beneficial to human health by promoting effective immunoregulation functions and reducing allergies. The study found that city parks and even roadside plantings support a great variety of different microbes that are different from natural ecosystems. 

We think of roadsides as being barren but the vegetation along footpaths and roadsides are important microbial habitats.  Some European cities, such as Bern in Switzerland, have instituted policies to protect the natural vegetation along footpaths and roadsides.

The new study is a part of a series of research efforts looking at the important of green spaces for ecosystem health.  As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, every bit of greenery in cities and highways is important and is needed for sustaining a healthy environment.

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Every spot of urban green space counts

Photo, posted June 3, 2013, courtesy of Manuel MV via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Immersion In Nature Is Good for You | Earth Wise

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There is a growing body of research that shows that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people’s health and well-being. There are so many studies supporting this idea that policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering this need for nature in how they plan and operate.

A new study of 20,000 people by researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK actually looked at how much exposure to nature was enough to make people say they feel healthy and have a sense of well-being.   The answer turned out to be 2 hours a week.  And the correlation was strong.  People who didn’t meet that threshold did not report the benefits.

Studies have shown that time in nature – as long as people feel safe where they are – is an antidote for stress.  It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood.  Most of these studies are correlational rather than causal, but the results tend to be robust.

Given all this, cities are adding or enhancing parks, and schools and other institutions are being designed with large windows and access to trees and green space.  The Scandinavian tradition of “forest schools” – where learning takes place in natural settings outdoors -.is finding a home in the US.   Japanese researchers study the effects of “forest bathing”, a poetic term for walking in the woods.

With two-thirds of humanity projected to be living in cities by 2050, we are awakening to the idea that we need to be able to spend time in nature for our own wellbeing, even if it’s just a walk in a park.

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Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health

Photo, posted November 6, 2011, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Trees And The Future Of Cities

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The shade of a single tree is a welcome source of relief on a hot summer day.  But even a relatively small patch of woods can have a profound cooling effect.  A new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison looks at the role trees play in keeping towns and cities cool.

According to the study, the right amount of tree cover can lower daytime temperatures in the summer by as much as 10 degrees.  The effects are noticeable from neighborhood to neighborhood and even on a block-by-block basis.

Cities are well-known to be hot spots due to the urban heat islanding effect.  Using trees to keep temperatures more comfortable in cities can make a big difference for the people who live and work there.

The man-made structures of cities – roads, sidewalks, and buildings – absorb heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it at night.  Trees, on the other hand, not only shade those structures from the sun, but they also transpire -or release water in the air through their leaves – which helps to cool things down.

According to the study, to get maximum cooling benefits, tree canopies must exceed forty percent, meaning that city blocks need to be nearly halfway covered by tree branches and leaves.  To get the biggest bang for the buck, cities should start planting more trees in areas that are already near the forty percent threshold.  But

trees can’t just be in parks.  They need to be in places where people are active.

If we want the places where we live to be more comfortable and resilient in a warming world, we need to plant more trees.

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Study suggests trees are crucial to the future of our cities

Photo, posted May 26, 2012, courtesy of Mislav Marohnic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Fumes From Gas Stations

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A study by environmental health scientists at Columbia University examined the release of vapors from gas station vent pipes and found that emissions were 10 times higher than the estimates used to establish setback regulations that determine how close schools, playgrounds, and parks can be to the facilities.

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Changing National Parks

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America’s National Parks are special places of incomparable beauty and fascination.  When the National Park Service was first created 100 years ago, it was instructed to leave these places “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”   We now live in a time when the changing climate is altering many aspects of the landscape including in many national parks.  The parks are protected, but they are changing.

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