Bottom Trawlers Release More Emissions Than Canada & Australia Combined!
A new paper published in Nature has explained that the practice of bottom trawling (a method of fishing that involves dragging heavy weighted nets across the sea floor, in an effort to catch fish) releases an estimated 1 BILLION tonnes of carbon every year. This happens because the sea bed is ripped up and disturbed, which additionally damages overall biodiversity and ocean health.
This means that bottom trawling releases more emissions than the entire aviation industry…
It should be noted that this doesn’t directly enter the atmosphere but it is believed that a substantial amount does. However, the ocean is responsible for the absorption of ~25% of our emissions every year but due to this increased co2 concentration is leading to ocean acidification as well as an ability to absorb carbon as its nearing saturation.
If you eat fish, please avoid any fish caught using this process; hook and line PLEASE!!
Source; Nature
Nato Chief Warns of Conflict in The Arctic due to Climate Change
An often-underreported aspect of the climate crisis is the increased chance of warfare due to resource conflict, increasing instability and now that the Arctic is melting the NATO chief has warned of a new risk.
The Arctic was too thick or difficult to access but the thinning and depletion of the ice sheets now means that nations are able to move into the area, and are moving in with a military presence. China and Russia have both increased their exposure within the Arctic.
It would be incredible if we could put our differences aside and unite to combat the real threat, climate change. In fact, militaries themselves have stated how much of a threat climate change is with both the Pentagon and the UK highlight the stresses it will and is placing on international relations as well as internal disaster relief.
Perhaps we should go to war with the fossil fuel industry, their role in the climate crisis is a crime like none other.
Source; Carbon Brief
Climate Change to Re-Release Soil Carbon
Our soils store incredible amounts of carbon (when left to do its thing) but climate change is said to have an even greater impact than previously thought. New research has indicated that soils are more sensitive and susceptible to destabilisation than prior knowledge suggested. This destabilisation may result in the re-release of carbon back into the atmosphere.
"This means that changing climate, and particularly increasing temperature and an invigorated hydrological cycle, may have a positive feedback in terms of returning carbon to the atmosphere from previously stabilized pools of carbon in soils."
"The soil carbon reservoir is a key component in keeping the atmosphere in check in terms of how much carbon dioxide is in the air. The amount of carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation and soils is three times more than how much the atmosphere holds, and it consumes more than a third of the anthropogenic carbon that is emitted to the atmosphere."
Ecosystem restoration, emissions reductions, and immediate policy and law action can help stop this, or reduce the severity. Get out there and help educate those around you!
Information source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (2021)
Reddit Investors Use Gains to Fund Gorilla Conservation
Remember wallstreetbets and how they made buckets of money taking on the billion-dollar hedge funds? Well the story hasn’t finished there – hundreds of thousands of those dollars have been spent on protecting gorillas, elephants, pangolins and sea turtles!
In a somewhat happy ending to the meme central to the shot and killed captive gorilla Harambe, gorillas received the most money as the reddit users were big fans of the meme.
“In a typical weekend, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund gets 20 new gorilla adoptions. But since Saturday it has received more than 3,500 adoptions worth $350,000 (£252,000). Many were made out to fictional names including “F**k Melvin capital” and “Jim Cramer’s Tears” that took potshots at hedge fund managers.” (Guardian extract)
In a year that has hit conservation funding very hard, this weird story that keeps on giving kind of sums up where we are at in the world. Little guys working overtime to take on the big guys who cause most of the damage. Plutocracy sucks.
If you come in to lots of money, maybe you’ve banked making cryto gains, spread the love and honour Harambe, give to a conservation organisation!
Source; The Guardian
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