As I was putting together the list of events this month, I was thinking that I’d love to share some of the more interesting things I’ve read, heard or viewed this month.
Hydro-pocalypse. One of the authors of the 1980 groundwater management act is telling us that we are very far from where we need to be to live in water balance in Arizona.If we don’t change course, AZ is heading for disaster. But there is a solution, if we act now. I summarize the issue in my short Facebook video and the AZ Central is worth a read.
Established Climate Science. People often argue that climate science is unproven because it’s new. This amazing article from the Daily Sun in Flagstaff details how long we’ve known about the science that underlies our understanding of what human activity is doing to our planet, and what we need to do to repair it.
Tree Equity. One of the things we can do, among many others, is plant more trees. But we need to understand the importance of equity in this and many actions we take on climate. Wouldn’t you know it? It turns out that even tree planting in most American cities has been unequal historically. The nice thing is that it can be easily remedied. I know that Phoenix is working toward that.
Forest Restoration Good News. It’s not all doom and gloom. A recent report from the Northern Arizona University demonstrates that the benefits of investing in forest heath (aka, science-based thinning and clearing) have a much longer and more profound return on investment than we originally thought. Lesson? The state of Arizona should invest heavily in forest health. It will preserve our natural wonders, cut down on forest fires, create jobs and preserve water.
Exxon: The Road Not Taken. Many of us have claimed for a long time that large oil companies took steps to hinder wise policy to fight climate change, even though they knew it was a problem.
This new article from Inside Climate News uses primary sources (including internal company files never before seen, interviews with former company employees, and other evidence) to tell a story of a company that went from identify the problem to covering it up. Riveting reading.
