#environmental policy

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

How much of our scientific thinking has an unconscious religious bias?

This is in response to this post, from @headspace-hotel, about campaigns to eradicate Hybrid Cattails as an "Invasive Species," even though both individual species hybridizing themselves are native plants (But I didn't want to muddy a discussion about science with a rant about religion. So: a separate post it is)

I sometimes wonder if our dominant views of "natural vs. unnatural/invasive" were shaped, are shaped, by the particular theologies of Protestant Christianity...

You Know, the theology that teaches / believes:

Our world was created by a single, all-knowing god

Humanity Fell by disobeying that god, and thus tainted the world with Sin (so Humans are now apart from Nature [aka the Garden of Eden])

The Protestant Christians fetishized the North American Continent as an example of what Eden was like "Before the Fall," and the people who were already living here were Noble Savages.*

So now, anything that evolves in response to human influence (such as brackish cattails hybridizing with freshwater cattails), is considered "unnatural," as if it's been tainted by our sin.

I sometimes wonder what our environmental understanding would be like in an alternate universe where the sciences had evolved in a polytheistic culture.** Would we be more generally accepting of the idea of coexisting forces constantly intertwining, and changing, rather than there being a single, fixed, "pure" world, that must be protected from contamination?

[BTW. I've become an atheist in this last third of my life, so I don't think any one religion is "more true" than any other: they're all metaphors that help us frame and understand the actual world we live in; they are very powerful metaphors, and for some, can be helpful and emotionally healthy ... for others, not so much.]

*(even though the abundant environment the colonizers found here was actually deliberately managed and curated by humans -- it's just that it wasn't managed in the form of fenced off square plots, and straight rows of crops).

**If you don't believe scientific thinking can evolve within a polytheistic paradigm, check out (what survives of) the writings of Democritus and Epicurus. Their philosophies weren't following what we now consider the Scientific Method, but they were already drifting in that direction.

[conscorridor]

For almost 25 years, Bhutan has been working to enhance the wildlife corridors which connect the country's protected areas. These provisions protect tigers, snow leopards, elephants, and drinking water. See how Bhutan is setting an example in our latest digest.

[gothicvalentine]

So someone mentioned this in a reddit post and I found the pdf and read the first few pages and it's terrifying what they intend to turn the U.S. into.

Lest anyone be tempted to take this with a grain of salt, this is literally a whole ass novel they wrote which is on sale on The Heritage Foundation's website. Also, the right wing started working on overturning Roe basically right after it became law. It may have taken them 50 years to do it, but they succeeded; and now they plan to institute a national ban on abortion despite the majority of Americans wanting abortion to remain legal.

Anyway, I wanted to get this info out there and if anyone knows of other people they can tell about this (I mean, it's basically literally the evil villain playbook), please spread the word. I hope all the people in politics on the Democratic side at least read this so they can hopefully mount defenses against some of it. But it remains to the voters to show up and keep the Democrats in power so America can't become a Christofascist state (ok, so it can't become more of a Christofascist state).

Oh, also for those of you who are younger (which is most of you probably), back in the early 2000s during the Bush presidency (Bush II) it was thought by some that he and many of his followers were actively trying to destroy the environment and end the world. Apparently, they believed in the rapture. So I guess it was thought if they actively bring about the end of the world, God will call them all up to heaven? So yeah. That could be a thing.

I did try to verify this (because back in the day I read some very left leaning stuff that had some of the same issues Fox news has with credibility) and I could not find anything about Bush or his presidency as it related to the rapture or anything. But I did find this article about the rapture and religion and how some Christians do want the world to end and are excited about it? It's a pretty long read. I just skimmed it.

[t-jfh]

Australia gains reprieve on threat to Great Barrier Reef World Heritage status.

By Mike Foley

The Age - August 1, 2023

Great Barrier Reef escapes 'in danger' recommendation ahead of UNESCO World Heritage decision

By the Specialist Reporting Team's Leonie Thorne, Penny Timms, Emilia Terzon and Evan Young

ABC News - 1 August 2023

Great Barrier Reef's first mass bleaching during La Niña season halts coral recovery.

AAP Australian Associated Press

ABC News - 9 August 2023

YouTube video >> Recovery has paused on the Great Barrier Reef - Marine Scientist Dr. Mike Emslie: AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science) annual summary update for 2023 [9 August 2023 / 3mins.+44secs.]:

Dr Mike Emslie says the Great Barrier Reef's recovery has paused.

Climate Change is the greatest threat to the Reef

In-water monitoring hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef remains at similar levels to that recorded in 2022, with small decreases in the Northern, Central and Southern regions.

AIMS' Annual Summary Report on Coral Reef Condition for 2022/23 (published 9th August 2023) found that while some reefs continued to recover, their increased hard coral cover was offset by coral loss on other reefs.

Most reefs underwent little change in coral cover.

The pauses in recovery in the Northern and Central regions were due in part to the 2022 mass coral bleaching event. Low numbers of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish and a cyclone in January 2022 also contributed to coral loss in the Northern region.

Continued crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and coral disease kept coral cover similar to last year's levels in the Southern region, with bleaching playing less of a role.

Read the report: https://www.aims.gov.au/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/gbr-condition-summary-2022-23

More about the AIMS Long-Term Monitoring Program: https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/monitoring-and-discovery/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/long-term-monitoring-program

YouTube video >> Monitoring the Great Barrier Reef - AIMS Coral Reef Ecologist Kate Osborne [25 July 2022 / 3mins.+52secs.]:

Monitoring the Great Barrier Reef

Not only is the Great Barrier Reef big, it is also diverse and dynamic.

For more than 35 years, the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) has been dedicated to measuring its coral reef habitats to understand how surveyed reefs are responding to disturbances, such as severe cyclones, outbreaks of coral eating starfish and coral bleaching.

The LTMP provides an invaluable record of change on coral communities across the Great Barrier Reef.

To learn more, visit: https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/monitoring-and-discovery/monitoring-great-barrier-reef

[unidentifiedwhistlingobject]

https://www.reuters.com/default/trump-names-ex-congressman-lee-zeldin-run-environmental-protection-agency-2024-11-11/

"WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday he will appoint former congressman Lee Zeldin to run the Environmental Protection Agency.

'He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet,' Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social."

fucking relatable master yupa

[frnwhcom]

Teresa Ribera: Pioneering Ecological Transition in Spain

Teresa Ribera has emerged as a pivotal figure in Spain’s ecological and political arenas, championing progressive environmental reforms as Spain’s Minister for the Ecological Transition. This article delves into her career, highlighting her significant contributions and the challenges she faces in steering Spain towards a sustainable future. Early Life and Education Born in Madrid in 1969,…

[trendynewsnow]

President Biden's Commitment to Protecting the Amazon Rainforest

President Biden’s Commitment to the Amazon Rainforest During his significant visit to Brazil on Sunday, President Biden made a heartfelt pledge for new financial assistance aimed at safeguarding the Amazon, which is recognized as the world’s largest tropical rainforest. This visit serves as a crucial initiative in the fight against climate change, especially as President-elect Donald J. Trump…

[news-buzz]

We Barely Caught a Break From Document-Setting Warmth Final Month. In the meantime, a U.N. Report Pleads, "No Extra Sizzling Air, Please!"

After an unprecedented streak of 15 straight months of world heating information, the planet lastly caught a tiny break: September didn’t go down as one more record-shatterer. Even so, it was nonetheless the second-warmest September in information relationship again to 1880. And as we speak, the United Nations launched a report saying an enormous hole stays between what nations have pledged to do…

[signode-blog]

The Economic Impact of a Kamala Harris Presidency: U.S. and Global Perspectives

The prediction that Kamala Harris could win the U.S. elections has sparked discussions across various fields, including politics, economics, and international relations. While predictions, particularly those based on astrology, are not grounded in empirical evidence, it is an interesting exercise to explore the potential impacts that a Kamala Harris presidency could have on both the U.S. economy…

[tmcphotoblog]

US Presidents (2021) Tier List

[jtoddring]

Uniting The People

I wish “the West” had a powerful anti-aurhoritarian left, but currently we do not. Am I the only one left of the real left? Surely not. But things are shifting culturally, fast – the global awakening continues, and the authoritarian faux left is going to be discredited and lose its power and its popular support. When that happens, the pro-nationalist and anti-authoritarian left and right can…

[townpostin]

Dhalbhumgarh Airport Clearance on Advisory Panel's Agenda in Aug 27 Meeting

Key Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Forest Conservation Division) meeting to discuss forest land diversion for crucial infrastructure project Environmental committee to weigh Dhalbhumgarh Airport’s forest clearance, potentially advancing regional development aspirations. JAMSHEDPUR – A pivotal Forest Advisory Committee meeting, scheduled for August 27, is set to deliberate on…

[pebblegalaxy]

15 Must-Read Environmental Books: A Comprehensive Guide to Sustainability and Conservation Literature #SenseandSustainabilityBlogHop @MindRustic @sukaina1422

15 Essential Books on Environmental Sustainability and Protection: A Comprehensive Guide Introduction: In an era where environmental concerns are at the forefront of global discussions, literature plays a crucial role in educating, inspiring, and mobilizing people towards sustainable practices and environmental protection. This article explores 15 seminal works that have shaped our…

[nathan-nuclear-corner]

Blog Post

Checkout my blog about advocating on the hill! https://nsryan.github.io/blogs/2024-07-03_advocacy_on_hill.html

[delicatelysublimeforester]

🌎 The Room to Roam Act: A Blueprint for Global Wildlife Protection 🌿