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Oh Arthur…

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Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

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Awakening

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Hello 💫✋

My name is Mohammed from Gaza,🍉 I am 34 years old, married to Walaa, 31 years old.. Father of four children.. Zeina 12 years old, Salma 11 years old, Omar 6 years old, Batoul 1 year old..😭

We are living very difficult days because of the ongoing conflict in the country.. We can barely manage our daily expenses because of the ongoing conflict in the country here..🙏

Zeina,Salma and Omar were deprived of their most basic rights, which is education, because of the destruction of all aspects of life, including schools, and they are now panting after water queues and food queues instead of their right to luxury as their most basic rights as children..💫❤️

As for Batoul, she was born in this war, so she saw or heard nothing but bombing and terror, and she was raised on malnutrition because food and baby milk were prevented from entering the northern Gaza Strip..💔🍉

All of this, while the four children suffer from serious skin diseases that have no treatment here.. Because most hospitals and clinics have stopped and treatment is not available for them..

Also, because of the war, our house was destroyed, even if partially, and is currently uninhabitable, and we cannot It was impossible to reach him because he is in a combat zone.

My private car was severely damaged due to the continuous and ongoing shelling. 🍉

My source of income was almost completely damaged, and I used to work in a grocery store. 🍉💔

We cannot even afford to travel outside the country because of the high price of travel, which costs an adult $5,000 and a minor $2,500. This is a huge amount that I cannot afford on my own. So I ask you to help me get out of this difficult ordeal and overcome this devastating war. 💔💔

@90-ghost @sayruq @heritageposts @lesbianmaxevans @sar-soor @schoolhater @buttercuparry @appsa @adropofhumanity @slydiddledeedee @bureauen @nesmamomen @good-old-gossip @christiansinglebabes

Thank you very much.👋🙏

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Trying to help for urgent medical treatment

Please give a minute of your time reading my story and give me support

https://gofund.me/4c9ebb8b

I'm Eman. I’m 17 years old, and until the start of this war I lived a happy life in Gaza with my mother.

We’re currently residing in Khan Younis and living in a tent as a result of the brutalities committed by Israel since October 7th.

My father was martyred in the 2014 aggression.

My mother has been suffering from increase blood pressure and heart problems for more than four years and needs lifelong treatment now that her condition has worsened since the beginning of the aggression

We struggle daily to survive in an environment full of threats and risks.

The occupation destroyed my dreams and my future.

My school has also been destroyed, and I'm now a year behind other students my age.

I’m trying to collect the necessary funds to evacuate me and my mother, 49 years old, and start a new life after reaching Egypt.

I hope everyone can help me and help my mother donate and reblog please 🙏

Thanks a lot 🍉🤍

Eman Khader

@90-ghost @sarakipin @soon-palestine @flower-tea-fairies @sayruq @vakarians-babe @plomegranate @taylorswift @palestine @tim-the-rat @pump-e-bucanieri @pumpkinsy0@aibhse @nyqn @mephisto86 @imput @mmcoconut @wqemzz-blog

https://gofund.me/4c9ebb8b

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📍Helping Lama & Mohammed to evacuate from Gaza 🍉🇵🇸🇵🇸

I'm Lama Al-Hourani, 24 years old, administrative assistant from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip and my husband Mohammed, 30 years, an accountant for Elites Centers Group in the Gaza Strip.

We married in August 2022, our lives are filled with love, happiness and comfort in a beautiful, quiet, spacious and warm house that has never lacked anything of all the requirements and luxury and this house was like everything we had. Life turned upside down in Khan Yunis ground war.

My husband's family of 12 people and I had to be forcibly displaced to the city of Rafah without anything in a tent that does not accommodate five people in a cold and harsh winter with the difficult possibilities of life without income and all the necessities of life are 20 times the price of more than its normal price.

On the 120th day of the war, our beautiful house was bombed, which I did not live in for more than two years. The family house of six floors has settled on the floor and we only have some beautiful memories and some pictures left.

My husband lost his job because of the occupation blowing up the centers in the Gaza branch and Khanyonis, and we lost the beautiful family car as well, and I stopped working as well because of this grinding war.

We became homeless and jobless. Help us get out of Gaza. Every dollar makes a difference and saves our lives.

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Here's a website where Palestine GoFundMes are vetted and shared that you can send out to people. The url is gazafunds.com

Easy to use and simple. Just share the site whenever someone asks for GFMs for Palestine.

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I open the door!

Posting some old mag 160 stuff. I don’t have time to draw fanart lately….

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Palestinian Gofundmes

Keeping a running list of all GoFundMes I've been sent or contacted about moving forward. Please consider donating to the families on this list or sharing it.

Updated September 7th 2024

Vetted campaigns (90-ghost el-shab-hussein beesandwatermelond or nabulsi) :

@ahmadrash | GFM | ($11,824/31,000)

@motaz352 | GFM | kr39,432 SEK/kr250,000

@emanalmadhoun1 | GFM | €16,151/€20,000

@anas--basil | GFM |€2,627/€15,000

@fidaa-family2 | GFM | $22,825/$30,000

@nadoosha-sd | GFM | $305/$25,000

@aya-alanqar | GFM | €11,139/€15,000

@hadiah1111 | GFM | €3,385/€50,000

@falestine-yousef | GFM | $18,977/$40,000

@shadowyavenuetaco | GFM | £4,505/£50,000

@shah599 | GFM | €4,643/€20,000

@palestinianhadeel | GFM | €6,461/€20,000

@mohammed--shehab | GFM | €8,805/€25,000

@reemygaza | GFM | €452/€50,000

@abed-rashad13 | GFM | $6,706/$50,000

@wafaaresh6 | GFM | $10,535/$50,000

@monagaza | GFM | $18,710/$92,000

@dodoomar12345 | GFM | kr188,814 SEK/kr300,000

@ashraf-baker5 | GFM | €21,236/€25,000

@monashamali90 | GFM | £14,044/£30,000

@hanaa-yousef | GFM | £14,959/£50,000

@omaryahya10 | GFM | €100/€50,000

@kareem-family2 | GFM | €8,605/€20,000

@mohamedabuzoor | GFM | €1,254/€60,000

@fatma-anqer | GFM | €7,640/€20,000

@hyamshehab222 | GFM | €8,810/€25,000

@bara-belal | GFM | $6,706/$50,000

@khadiga22 | GFM | €10,557/€20,000

@safaayasserang | GFM | €1,321/€50,000

@anasfamilys | GFM | 2,163/50,000€

@kareemalnakhala | GFM | €8,597/€80,000

@rodainaayad-11 @rodainaayad83 | GFM | €10,340/€30,000

@mahmodsy | GFM | $1,878/$25,000

@eslamfamily3 | GFM | $5,783/$50,000

@mohamadsmeer35 | GFM | $1,563 AUD/$45,000

@ranin3344 | GFM | €8,488/€80,000

@hebamatar | GFM | $50 CAD/$30,000

@fahedshehab051 | GFM | €48,959/€85,000

@adham-89 | GFM | $11,791/$50,000

@karemandohan1999 | GFM | $7,552/$50,000

@mohammedaldeeb | GFM | €40,215/€55,000

@nevinalser | GFM | €1,453/€50,000

Verified by association:

@sameer-gaza1 | GFM | ($4,199/50,000)

@ahmedomer9 | GFM | €2,187/€50,000

@lina-gaza | GFM | €37,982/€45,000

@alaa-gaza | GFM | $4,240/$5,000

@abdala1 | GFM | $3,545 AUD/$75,000

@save-amal-family | GFM | €22,565/€25,000

@motaz-gaza and @huda-gaza | GFM | $375/$10,000

@mariam-gaza | GFM | $75/$20,000

@ahmad-syam-blog | GFM | $3,488 CAD/$40,000

@somaiahassansworld | GFM | €673/€50,000

@hind3en | GFM | $505/$40,000

@abood-200 | GFM | €727/€50,000

@ayoosh-gaza | GFM | $4,713/$20,000

@maysaayahya85 | GFM | €335/€35,000

@emanabosedo | GFM | $571/$50,000

@hazemsuhail | GFM | €6,683/€50,000

@aahmedfamly | GFM | €782/€50,000

Unvetted:

@saveomarfamily | GFM | ($283/35,000)

@mohamadwajih | GFM | (€105/€50,000)

@mahmoud201191 | GFM | €15/€50,000

azeza-dhlan | GFM | €80/€35,000

@mohammednasers-blog | GFM | €4,100/€38,000

@nourasissue | GFM | 0/€50,000

@ahmedhellis22 | GFM | $325/$30,000

@familygazaamal | GFM | $332/$30,000

@amalousama | GFM | $1,357/$35,000

@ahmadallouh32 | GFM | €1,334/€50,000

@savepalestineinfamily19 | GFM | €6,867/€50,000

@rana994 | GFM | kr16,778 SEK/kr200,000

@anasalshrafa | GFM | €1,282/€50,000

@a6h16 | GFM | €105/€49,200

@hanan-gaza23 | GFM | €2,217/€50,000

@ahmed-al-anqar | GFM | 0/£60,000

@ahmedmatatsblog | GFM | €585/€64,000

@baraaalshrafa | GFM | 77€/50,000€

@ahmeddahlancampaign | GFM | €128/€35,000

@ahmadshamia | GFM | kr58,835 SEK/kr250,000

@wajihmadi | GFM | €105/€50,000

@abuadam86 | GFM | kr3,260 SEK/kr500,000

@abdallaalhaj | GFM | £130/£50,000

@shady0598767755123 | GFM | €570/€50,000

@ameerakhaled | GFM | $485AUD/$60,000

@syamamasamt | GFM | $160/$65,000

@helpmohammed2024 | GFM | $2,752/$50,000

@springbutterfly37 | GFM | $1,270/$45,000

@mohammednfamily | GFM | €15/€30,000

@rafatalswissi | GFM | €189/€45,000

@abdallaalhaj | GFM | £130/£50,000

@supercloudstrawberry | GFM | €2,090/€25,000

@mohmad77 | GFM | €1,240/€80,000

@hamadamontaha9988 | GFM | €300/€60,000

@rewaa33 | GFM | $580/$50,000

@mohays-blog | GFM | €4,472/€100,000

@hamad-1981 | GFM | €255/€45,000

@hamdiali112233 | GFM | €547/€25,000

@amnyaburas | GFM | $1,105 CAD/$68,000

@alaakhaled0 | GFM | €159/€20,000

Please donate if you are able or share, thank you.

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I made alternative designs where Jon is ginger instead of Martin for fun.

(Also you can try to pry chubby season 1 Jon from my cold dead hands. I want that man changed beyond recognition by the end.)

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Chester??

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Currently listening to malevolent, pondering Arthurs design like the orb

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Thank you for the ID !

The Archive

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The Archive

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You and the one you love

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Enki and the girl from my first playthrough because i love them and i like to think they’ve grown to care for each other too.

(Had my account deleted so im posting these again just to have them on my blog, apologies for the confusion)