News Feeds

Today, Groundwork Collaborative and Reset Tech released a new report, “The Hidden Costs of AI for American Households,” which exposes how artificial intelligence (AI) is already increasing costs for every American in nearly every line of the budget – and how that toll will only grow.

AI is already increasing prices for American families, with electronics and electricity bills on the rise due to the AI data center buildout, to groceries and other retail purchases plagued by AI-powered pricing abuses. AI is also making online scams easier to carry out and harder to detect, adding to the estimated $119 billion per year that Americans lose to internet-based scams and cybercrime. The report reveals how corporations are prioritizing profits over affordability. Delta’s CEO bragged that AI will increase his airline’s profitability by as much as 50%. Tech companies are allowing AI to worsen mental health, which already costs our economy an estimated $282 billion a year. And health insurers are using AI to review claims, leading 60% of doctors to be concerned about increasing denials.

As Americans grapple with a raging affordability crisis, the report outlines concrete actions policymakers can take to reduce the cost of AI that stands to pile on, including banning surveillance pricing, prohibiting insurers from using AI to deny health care, implementing Groundwork’s plan to freeze household electricity rates, and adopting stronger liability frameworks that hold AI companies accountable.

Janelle Jones, Senior Fellow at Groundwork Collaborative, and co-author of the report, said:

“As working people face an affordability crisis, higher prices caused by AI are the last thing they need. It’s another attack on household budgets that add up, and which working people certainly shouldn’t be on the hook for.”

Rishi Bharwani, U.S. Director of Reset Tech, and co-author of the report, said:

“AI could be lowering costs for American families but instead it’s become a hidden tax on households – paid through online scams, surveillance pricing, higher electric bills, denied health claims and rising premiums. Families feel it every day, even if they can’t see it. Lawmakers need to act now to stop greedy corporations from using AI to squeeze consumers.”

BACKGROUND

• AI is fueling a new wave of online scams, and it’s costing consumers billions. AI is making online fraud easier to scale and harder to detect, allowing scammers to clone voices, create deepfakes, and impersonate trusted people. Internet-based scams and cybercrime cost Americans $148 billion in 2025. However, the true financial burden is likely substantially higher because for every reported crime, six go unreported.
• AI is increasing the mental health risks of social media use and adding to families’ health care costs. One study found that adults who use AI daily are 30% more likely to experience at least moderate depression than adults who do not use AI at all, and nearly half of U.S. teenagers say social media is mostly harmful to people their age. Out-of-pocket spending on pediatric behavioral health reached $2.9 billion in 2022, an increase of about 38% over the previous 11 years.
• Health insurance companies are using AI in ways that drive up costs for patients. Insurers use AI to review claims and prior authorizations, and 60% of physicians say they are concerned that AI is increasing denials. When claims are denied or delayed, patients may have to pay out of pocket, appeal the decision, or postpone care.
• AI-driven pricing systems are spreading rapidly across the economy. Companies are deploying AI systems to analyze consumer data and tailor prices to the individual. For example, an investigation of Instacart pricing by Groundwork Collaborative, Consumer Reports, and More Perfect Union found nearly three-quarters of grocery items were offered to shoppers at multiple price points, prices were up to 23% higher for some shoppers on the exact same items, and these practices could translate into a swing of about $1,200 a year for a family of four.
• AI is giving insurers new ways to charge drivers more. Insurers are using increasingly detailed data about how, when, and where people drive to assess risk and set personalized premiums. Companies such as LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk aggregate driving behavior data and sell it to insurers, and LexisNexis products were used in 86% of new U.S. auto insurance policies issued in 2023.
• AI-driven pricing is making travel more expensive by allowing airlines, hotels, and booking platforms to tailor prices based on consumer data and online behavior. Delta’s CEO has said AI could increase the airline’s profitability by as much as 50% as airlines and other travel companies use sophisticated tech and robust customer data profiles to set prices.
• The rapid expansion of AI data centers is pushing more of the cost of the AI buildout onto household electricity bills. Data centers’ share of U.S. electricity use could nearly triple from 4.4% in 2023 to about 12% by 2030, and residential electricity rates could climb 15% to 40% above 2025 levels by 2030.
• Surging demand from AI data centers is making everyday electronics more expensive for consumers. AI data centers and consumer electronics manufacturers rely on many of the same chips and memory and must compete for a limited supply. Since the start of 2026, Apple has raised prices on some of its most popular laptops by $200 to $300 and on every iPhone by at least $100, and Microsoft has increased Xbox console prices by $100 to $150.

A 1.8-GW, $20 billion data center planned by PowerHouse Hillwood was underpinned by a $1 letter of credit — “less than the price of a cup of coffee” — that drew skepticism from FERC Commissioner David LaCerte.

Dharam R Uprety is head of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The climate crisis didn’t just knock at our doorstep. It has smashed through homes, demolished critical roads, and caused untold grief for millions of Nepali people. It has now been nearly a month since a wall of ice, rock, and water tore through the Bhote Koshi river system. The death toll has risen to nearly 1,500 people with 5,800 more still missing. 

Nepal needs sustained assistance from the international community. 

We are staring at a reconstruction bill of at least $5 billion, as we laid out in our letter to the co-chairs of the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage on September 1. This constitutes a tenth of our entire economy, and we cannot afford to be saddled with greater loans. We asked the Board to treat the Bhote Koshi disaster as the special case that it is: sudden, unprecedented and exceptional. 

The Loss and Damage fund currently holds $820 million in pledges, yet not a single dollar has yet been disbursed for the nearly $3 billion in requests. Its next scheduled meeting is not until December, in Manila. Nepal cannot wait that long, and neither can the next country this happens to. 

As loss and damage fund stalls, Nepal crowdfunds flood relief

The tragedy must also serve as a wake up call for immediate climate action. A new study from the World Weather Attribution has found that global warming was a likely contributing factor for the avalanche. 

Bandaid solutions are no longer enough; the world needs to transition away from fossil fuels and accelerate investment in clean sources of energy.

Disproportionate impact

The Nepal government has set an ambitious target to replace petrol/diesel vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) by 2031. The country also already gets most of its electricity from clean sources, with plans for further expansion within the next decade. Our forest cover has grown to 46 percent. 

Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of the planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Major polluters need to step up their efforts, so that countries like mine stop bearing a disproportionate impact.

Global emissions are still rising, while countries such as the US, the UK, Australia and several others have drastically reduced the foreign aid that they provide to the rest of the world. And at the same time, they are continuing to increase their fossil fuel production. That is not only unjust, it is also unsustainable for a planet that is already showing us how little room for error remains. 

What happened in Bhote Koshi is not unique to the Hindu Kush Himalaya. In May 2025, a nearly identical disaster buried the Swiss village of Blatten, when a rock and ice avalanche tore off the Birch Glacier above it. A study published this month found the avalanche needed almost no friction to travel as far and as fast as it did, a sign of just how destabilised that mountainside had become.

In the Arctic, researchers reported this week that thawing permafrost on the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen turned an ordinary magnitude 6.5 earthquake into the island’s first major glacier rock avalanche in 40 years, the kind of tremor that would once have caused only minor disruption.

From the Alps to the Arctic to the Himalaya, the same warming is loosening the ice and rock that used to hold these mountains together. The next Bhote Koshi could strike anywhere that grip is failing.

Growing focus on mountains in UN climate process

This is not the first time we have tried to get the world’s attention on the mountain ecosystem. At COP30 in Belem last November, Nepal led the push to put mountains on the global climate agenda for the first time, through our Sagarmatha to Belém initiative.

That effort got mountain ecosystems written into the COP30 cover decision and the Global Goal on Adaptation, marking the strongest visibility mountain issues have ever received at the UN climate process. We also secured the first Annual Dialogue on Mountains and Climate Change, which was held at the UN climate talks in June this year at Bonn.

We used COP30 as a platform to warn that retreating glaciers and destabilised mountain systems were not a distant risk. Ten months later, that warning became the Bhote Koshi disaster.

The UN General Assembly and upcoming UN climate talks in Antalya will be two fora for world leaders to show solidarity and more importantly, show how they intend to walk the talk. 

Nepal flood destruction shows “limits to adaptation”, scientists say

In the near-term, the Loss and Damage board has been requested to hold an emergency meeting to consider Nepal’s difficult situation. Several nations have generously stepped up to offer physical relief and direct aid. This is greatly welcome. Our needs, unfortunately, far exceed that.

Every impacted village needs a chance to rebuild, children need to see their schools back in operation, and the roads that are the lifeline of communities require urgent reconstruction. Some things may have been lost permanently, but through investment in monitoring and early warning systems, the government of Nepal can try to ensure a future event does not unfold yet another unimaginable tragedy. 

This was not just someone else’s disaster that affected the people of Dhading, Rasuwa, and Nuwakot. It is a shared emergency, across Nepal and the world over as more and more communities become victims to a crisis they did not create. This is why, even as we cope with relief and rescue efforts, we are taking the time to present data and share our needs around this climate injustice. 

The post The response to Nepal’s disaster is a test for global climate institutions appeared first on Climate Home News.

Susana Malcorra is president and founder of GWL Voices and former foreign minister of Argentina. Mary Robinson is a GWL Voices member, former UN human rights commissioner and former Irish president.

Earth has just had the hottest August since records began. Wildfires tore through Europe, North America and Asia, killing dozens, forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes, and burning more than a million acres of land.

In Nepal, flash floods triggered by a glacial lake outburst killed more than a thousand people and left thousands missing – a disaster Nepal’s foreign minister said reflected the disproportionate share of climate consequences borne by countries like his. Just recently, the UN Environment Programme confirmed what scientists have long warned: the world is now on track to breach 1.5C of warming, likely within the next few years.

As the climate crisis intensifies, one question is central: who is at the helm?

GWL Voices’ report, published this summer, shows that women are very much on deck in climate and environmental governance, but they are not steering the ship.

• Sep 22, 2026 Energy UN chief urges countries to adopt fossil fuel transition plans with timelines In his last speech to the UN General Assembly, António Guterres for the first time called on every nation to deliver a plan to phase out coal, oil and gas while protecting workers Read more
• Sep 22, 2026 News COP31 electrification pledge leaves out clean power commitment Campaigners and experts say the goal’s effectiveness in reducing emissions may be limited unless countries agree to meet it using only clean energy Read more

Of all climate COP Presidents since the annual conferences began over thirty years ago, three-quarters have been men. This matters because COP Presidents are among the most visible and influential roles in global climate governance. The climate COPs, however, are not the worst offenders. Another of the UN’s three environmental “sister conventions,” the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), has had a woman preside over its COP only three out of 17 times since 1997.

Structural inequality cascades down

Women’s underrepresentation is not a harmless coincidence. It’s a pattern that cascades down to other critical roles, including country delegates, heads of delegations, national focal points, and COP bureau members.

It is a structural inequality that limits the diversity of perspectives, priorities and decisions brought to bear on the environmental emergencies we face, and it is unfolding against a backdrop UN Women itself describes as one of “escalating conflicts, attacks on women’s rights, and environmental degradation.”

GWL Voices’ Spotlight on Women in Global Climate and Environmental Leadership shows that progress beyond the COPs is slow and sparse. While the Green Climate Fund has approached gender parity in its top leadership role over time, the IPCC, which is the body charged with compiling and communicating climate science to the world, has never appointed a woman to its top position of Chair in nearly four decades.

Gender focal points mainly women

Parity in environmental governance at the multilateral level remains extremely rare. There is, however, one role where women are, for once, not under- but substantially over-represented: when the task at hand is gender equality itself. Ninety percent of countries’ gender focal points under the biodiversity and climate conventions are women.

Relegating women to so-called “women’s issues” within climate and environmental governance is a particularly stark example of horizontal segregation, a pattern that repeats well beyond the multilateral level.

According to the Women in Politics Map 2026, prepared by UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the largest share of women cabinet ministers worldwide sit in Women and Gender Equality ministries (90%) and family and children affairs (73%), while they remain sidelined in strategic areas including economic affairs (18%), foreign affairs (29%) and energy (12%).

‘Hectic’ in high heels? Women still face gender hurdles at UN climate talks

The danger of this segregation is that women’s rights come to be seen as women’s responsibility alone, which does nothing to advance equality, since the problem affects us all and requires everyone’s active engagement to solve.

Conversations about gender and climate too often focus on women’s vulnerability to climate impacts. That angle reflects a real problem, but it hides a second one: access to decision-making. Women are not simply “victims” of the climate and nature crisis, they are among its most experienced responders, its most consistent advocates, and, when given the chance, its most effective leaders.

Studies show women leaders’ impact

What if women had an equal seat at the decision-making table? Would environmental governance be more effective? The evidence says it would. Research by Norgaard and York (2005), Mavisakalyan and Tarverdi (2018), and Fredriksson and Wang (2011) finds that women leaders are more likely to support environmental protection, ratify environmental treaties, and adopt stricter climate policies.

Following last year’s COP30 – where the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted a landmark, nine-year plan to mainstream gender equality across climate governance and implementation – GWL Voices called for the same principles: gender parity across all climate bodies, Indigenous women’s voices embedded in policy design, gender-responsive climate finance with transparent tracking, and real accountability for women-led initiatives. Its 2026 report is the evidence for why implementation of the Belém Gender Action Plan cannot wait any longer.

Why women’s leadership is central to unlocking the global phaseout of fossil fuels

As the world convenes for Climate Week NYC, weeks before the UN chooses its next Secretary-General, and less than two months before COP31, we raise our voices for this message to reach those who hold power.

Let’s start seeing the climate crisis as a governance crisis, one with an outrageous blindspot for women’s leadership, ingenuity and readiness to decide. We invite every government, institution or boardroom, and every person to read the spotlight report in full, identify the pattern in the ranks of their own organisations, and use whatever power they hold to break it.

Because when it comes to the climate crisis, women’s hands are already on deck; it’s time we let them steer.

The post Women are on deck – it’s time they steered appeared first on Climate Home News.

Across New York City, food system inclusivity is foundational to building healthier neighborhoods and a flourishing city life. And that’s not unique to the Big Apple: Food policy is central to urban well-being in any and every city—and both public and private institutions have a role to play.

“You can’t talk about food and climate and health without talking about culture and community and connection,” Siddhartha Sanchez, Executive Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, said during a Climate Week NYC Summit, “People-Focused. Climate-Friendly. Food-Forward New York City.” The event was co-hosted by Food Tank in partnership with Support + Feed, Strong Roots, and the NYC Mayor’s Office. 

Watch the livestream recording on Food Tank’s YouTube channel. 

“Food connects us. And it’s what makes this city so amazing,” says Helen Arteaga, New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “Food not only nourishes our bodies but also nourishes our minds, (and) more importantly, makes us share our stories.”

In terms of civic institutions that can drive change, schools are among the most powerful—both as sites for food system education and as incubators for innovative solutions that can be scaled up once they’re proven successful. 

“We hope that the healthy eating habits that they’re learning early on carry into adulthood,” says Brittany Saffold, Director of Partnerships, Communication, and Retention with New York City Public Schools. “How do we take something that’s happening at one school and put it citywide?”

At the Climate Week Summit, for example, students from Francis Lewis Culinary High School prepared climate-friendly recipes for attendees to try and gave an overview of the process of creating meals for events.

“We don’t just learn about cooking; we learn about food preparation and safety—and all these experiences grow all of us as people,” one student says. 

And getting the next generation of chefs and urban food system leaders engaged requires creativity.

“Gen Z wants delicious food that’s also good for the planet and on the right mission,” says Emma Curtis, Managing Director of Strong Roots. “Brands have got to do a good job at making it exciting.”

Artists can also drive important, exciting change. During the Summit at Climate Week, attendees were able to view a special pop-up exhibition of a project by illustrator Kevin Nakagawa to spotlight food memories in residential facilities for New Yorkers with disabilities, alongside Open Doors. You can view a video on the project here.

“When you listen to community, you not only hear the direct impact policies have on community but the lived reality of someone that’s failed by the system,” Sanchez said. “Folks have endless ideas, and the job of the government is to listen.”

Or, take Maggie Baird as an example. She’s the Founder and President of Support + Feed and the mother of artists Billie Eilish and Finneas. 

“When we book a tour, we tell arenas upfront what our requirements are, and some of those are at least three plant-based mains,” she said. “I feel like my life is so much better for being a plant-based eater … I think we need to share that joy and help people understand it’s not about what you take away; it’s what you add in.”

Even though they’re often disregarded, institutions like prisons are connected to the food system, too and have significant procurement power.

“We do everything we can with the resources that we have,” says Norman Priester, Executive Director of the Nutrition Service Division at the NYC Department of Correction. “Sourcing locally is always our priority when possible. … It provides the healthiest options.”

This is city life: Complex, but an environment where real change is possible with cross-disciplinary partnerships and engaged consumers.

“Be curious about your food environment,” says Ora Kemp, Senior Policy Advisor at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy. “It’s all unique to the land that you’re on.”

Explore the entire Food Tank event schedule during Climate Week NYC 2026, and live-stream every Summit on FoodTank.com and Food Tank’s YouTube channel.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo by Ryan Rose for Food Tank.

The post NYC Is Leading The Charge Toward People-Focused Urban Food Policy appeared first on Food Tank.

Indigenous lands from Canada to Ecuador to Nepal are increasingly being hit by catastrophic storms, fires, and floods. Worse, these climate disasters often come one after the other as overlapping crises rather than isolated incidents. Still, despite the ongoing destruction, Indigenous peoples continue to prove that they have the knowledge and skills to respond, if only global powers will let them. 

Even amid growing recognition by scientists and policymakers of the power of Indigenous expertise to respond to climate change, the key role that Indigenous governance plays in those knowledge systems has not received as much respect.

That’s according to a new report from Land Is Life that highlights the global success of Indigenous climate adaptation and resilience amid escalating crises. The report also says supporting Indigenous governance through legal recognition, financing, and partnerships — none of which are occurring on a large scale — is the best way to reduce climate disaster risk worldwide. 

“We show that it’s not that they are only the most impacted, but they are already implementing effective solutions,” said Luisa Castañeda Quintana, the executive director of Land Is Life, a global nonprofit dedicated to Indigenous self-determination. “When it comes to adaptation, we don’t really need to create new structures or systems. We just need to see what is working.”

The report adds to an expansive body of research showing that Indigenous self-determination, land stewardship, and cultural knowledge and practices are proven climate solutions. The report, released today, offers dozens of examples. In Kenya, Indigenous Endorois and Tugen women cultivated drought-resistant varieties of sorghum, millet, and other key foods that provided some of the region’s only harvests in years with severe drought. In Brazil, Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon — the nation’s largest regional Indigenous network — helps organize fire management and response. It also provides training and mobilizes response teams. 

The report is based on detailed case studies and more than 200 survey responses from 46 countries spanning six ecosystems: forests, mountains, drylands, freshwater systems, grasslands, and coastal. Castañeda Quintana said a broad global study was essential to show climate change and environmental disasters are not limited by national or even ecological boundaries, and responses to them must transcend borders. It also is essential to recognize that disasters do not arrive one at a time. More than 80 percent of survey respondents said that they face two or more at once, and over 90 percent reported rising frequency. 

For example, in 2019, the Kichwa People of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon faced devastating floods along the Bobonaza River, destroying crops and homes. Daniel Santi, who is the president of the community, which numbers roughly 1,600 and inhabits more than 500 square miles, said that his people were able to respond effectively because of their strong governance structures that were already in place. In other words, self-determination and governance allowed them to decide how best to prepare for, and respond to, a crisis. “This organization makes it possible to confront any problem and any threat,” Santi said. 

The report argues that the combination of Indigenous governance and knowledge is what makes these adaptation strategies so effective. Knowledge rooted in the land can be put into action immediately. Sarayaku elders, for example, noticed rain and lightning patterns at the river’s headwaters that signaled possible flooding and were then able to warn the community. Sarayaku structure includes clear decision-making processes, mechanisms to address the most urgent needs like housing for families with destroyed homes, and dedicated representatives to communicate status updates and needs with external authorities. According to Santi, these responses are guided by minga, a Kichwa term for solidarity and collective responsibility. 

But many countries do not legally recognize Indigenous peoples or their governments, refuse to use Indigenous languages for emergency alerts, and continue to criminalize Indigenous culture. Those conditions can weaken the impact of Indigenous knowledge and governance. 

Read Next As climate change threatens their lands, Indigenous nations demand more power at the UN Dionne Phillips

Santi believes Indigenous peoples have a lot to teach the world about adapting and responding to climate change, but communities like his need support as it continues to accelerate. He is calling for greater legal protections for Indigenous land and authority, as well as resources and partnerships that embrace Indigenous knowledge and decision-making.

In Peru’s Ausangate Regional Conservation Area, Quechua communities joined a conservation organization to document environmental indicators, improve community monitoring, and pursue other efforts that combined Indigenous knowledge with Western research. According to the report, this is an example of how productive partnerships increase resilience. 

The report also found other shortcomings in many of the world’s mitigation and adaptation strategies. They include climate initiatives that focus on short-term benefits, rejecting Indigenous self-governance and imposing external authority on communities, and drawing on or celebrating Indigenous knowledge without supporting the people who provide it. 

Despite growing evidence that shows Indigenous land stewardship is effective and that providing Indigenous communities with direct financing helps with global climate adaptation, funding and legal security remain insufficient. “It’s always the lack of resources and the lack of access to funding that makes it so difficult for us to work, especially when climate change makes us the most vulnerable,” said Anisha Buda, who is from the Kaike Magar community and is a program officer at the national Indigenous Women Forum in Nepal. 

Rather than outlining a specific template for Indigenous governance, the report urges governments, philanthropists, and policymakers to foster the conditions that allow Indigenous communities to thrive. Flexible and direct funding is one of those key conditions. Land Is Life released the report during New York Climate Week specifically to call out the need for more direct financing for Indigenous communities. Despite billions of dollars pledged around the world, barely any of that money is earmarked for Indigenous peoples. And even when it is, Indigenous leaders say that they still don’t receive it. 

“It’s also so frustrating, right?” said Buda. “Because there are so many projects that are supposed to be for Indigenous peoples, but they are implemented by non-Indigenous organizations and non-Indigenous peoples.” 

With the U.S. and European countries pulling back billions of dollars from climate commitments in recent years and wars in Iran and Ukraine stretching global resources, Indigenous leaders worry they will be left even further behind. 

“We are in a moment where resources are scarce,” said Gisela Hurtado, the report’s author. “Where can we put the little money that we have? Where can we put it to make it much more effective? And for me, for the report, the idea is put it into what already is working.”

As the climate continues to change and the world experiences escalating impacts, Hurtado says the Indigenous responses outlined in the report offer a way forward. “What they are seeing in the territories, we’re going to see it also in the future,” Hurtado said. “They are the ones that are much more connected with the Earth to know what is going to happen in the future.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline As climate disasters multiply, Indigenous governance offers a way forward on Sep 23, 2026.

Planting a tree in the Amazon does a lot less for the rainforest than simply leaving one alone. That’s the uncomfortable arithmetic in new research on Brazil’s jungles.

Faced with a dollar to spend on the rainforest, scientists found, you’re almost always better off protecting what’s already standing than paying to regrow what’s gone. The gap isn’t small: preventing deforestation or stopping logging and fires delivered far more carbon storage and biodiversity than restoration did, for a fraction of the cost, according to new research in Science.

And while efforts to save rainforests often focus on halting the conversion to open land, it turns out squelching logging and fires could bring even more benefits for biodiversity.

“Protection must go beyond avoiding deforestation,” said Leonardo Miranda, the study’s lead author and a biodiversity researcher at the United Kingdom’s Lancaster University. “Avoiding forest disturbances from wildfires or logging delivered the greatest benefits for forest biodiversity.”

The insights are based on the fate of more than 3 million hectares of land across Santarém and Paragominas, areas in northern Brazil, between 2010 and 2020. Using satellite images to track the condition of the forests there down to the level roughly a square kilometer, the scientists found that during the decade, nearly 160,000 hectares were entirely deforested, 273,000 were either burned or logged, and almost 130,000 hectares regrew into forest.

What would have happened to the carbon and wildlife on that land if policies had prevented all deforestation, or all logging and wildfires, or if reforestation had sped up to hit established government targets? To compare those scenarios, the scientists built computer models showing alternate versions of the jungle in 2020. They then used detailed measurements of wildlife and carbon taken in 2010 at 381 locations scattered across the jungle to estimate how these different “2020” worlds would have affected biodiversity and carbon storage.

 

.IRPP_ruby , .IRPP_ruby .postImageUrl , .IRPP_ruby .centered-text-area {height: auto;position: relative;}.IRPP_ruby , .IRPP_ruby:hover , .IRPP_ruby:visited , .IRPP_ruby:active {border:0!important;}.IRPP_ruby .clearfix:after {content: "";display: table;clear: both;}.IRPP_ruby {display: block;transition: background-color 250ms;webkit-transition: background-color 250ms;width: 100%;opacity: 1;transition: opacity 250ms;webkit-transition: opacity 250ms;background-color: #eaeaea;}.IRPP_ruby:active , .IRPP_ruby:hover {opacity: 1;transition: opacity 250ms;webkit-transition: opacity 250ms;background-color: inherit;}.IRPP_ruby .postImageUrl {background-position: center;background-size: cover;float: left;margin: 0;padding: 0;width: 31.59%;position: absolute;top: 0;bottom: 0;}.IRPP_ruby .centered-text-area {float: right;width: 65.65%;padding:0;margin:0;}.IRPP_ruby .centered-text {display: table;height: 130px;left: 0;top: 0;padding:0;margin:0;padding-top: 20px;padding-bottom: 20px;}.IRPP_ruby .IRPP_ruby-content {display: table-cell;margin: 0;padding: 0 74px 0 0px;position: relative;vertical-align: middle;width: 100%;}.IRPP_ruby .ctaText {border-bottom: 0 solid #fff;color: #0099cc;font-size: 14px;font-weight: bold;letter-spacing: normal;margin: 0;padding: 0;font-family:'Arial';}.IRPP_ruby .postTitle {color: #000000;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;letter-spacing: normal;margin: 0;padding: 0;font-family:'Arial';}.IRPP_ruby .ctaButton {background: url(https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts-pro/assets/images/next-arrow.png)no-repeat;background-color: #afb4b6;background-position: center;display: inline-block;height: 100%;width: 54px;margin-left: 10px;position: absolute;bottom:0;right: 0;top: 0;}.IRPP_ruby:after {content: "";display: block;clear: both;}Recommended Reading:To protect rainforests, do people need to be kept out?

 

The results showed the biggest benefits came from avoiding deforestation (61% more carbon and 24% more biodiversity compared to the real 2020) or preventing logging and fires (47% for carbon and 69% more biodiversity). Both far outranked the benefits of the newly regrown forest (15% more carbon and 7% more biodiversity).

The differences between deforestation and what the scientists called more subtle “disturbance” probably come down to the different dynamics influencing carbon and wildlife, and what patches of land were affected by each kind of forest damage. Full deforestation can wipe out much more of the carbon stored in trees and the forest floor, but it tends to occur at the edges of places that have already been cleared. Those areas already have less wildlife in them, so saving that land came with fewer biodiversity benefits, the scientists concluded. By contrast, even disturbed forest held onto more carbon. But wildfires and logging tended to hit more remote, intact forests filled with more wildlife.

Still, to increase both carbon and wildlife levels in the jungle it takes more than one strategy, the scientists found.  “Net-gains in biodiversity and carbon storage were only achieved” when both deforestation and disturbance were halted, said Miranda. “Combined interventions will be even more important as climate change progresses, especially as forest restoration can be particularly vulnerable to wildfires.”

In addition to being more effective, preventing forest loss is also cheaper. The researchers calculated the cost of each strategy, both in terms of money spent and lost opportunities, such as earnings from crops grown on former forests. For every Brazilian real (the country’s currency) it cost, the biodiversity and carbon benefits of regrowing forest were a tiny fraction of the gains from protecting existing forests.

In other words, it might be politically easier to replant abandoned pastures than to tell large companies and land speculators they can’t touch the forest, or to establish new fire-fighting programs. But economically and environmentally, it’s foolhardy.

“Investing in new forests makes little sense if, at the same time, we fail to protect existing forests,” said Joice Ferreira, a co-author and scientist at Embrapa, a Brazilian research organization. “Otherwise, we are pouring money into a leaky pot.”

Miranda, et. al. “Protecting tropical forests is more cost-effective for biodiversity and climate than restoration.” Science. Sept. 17, 2026.

Image: ©Anthropocene Magazine

Large-load tariffs and other measures to weed out speculative projects are taking shape. Public backlash to data centers, shifting state-level policies and the utility profit model are complicating those efforts, stakeholders say.

Council officers have allowed the access track to remain to the former Broadford Bridge oil exploration site in West Sussex.

Broadford Bridge access track

The site, near Billingshurst, has been suspended for about eight years. The operator, UK Energy Group plc (formerly UK Oil & Gas plc), is subject to official enforcement action to return the well pad to farmland.

But the track, originally constructed in about 2015, can remain, following a decision this week.

The planning permission was granted to Sheila Francis by county council officers on 21 September 2026 under delegated powers. It did not go to a planning committee meeting of councillors. Link to planning application

The approval allows retention of the 4.5m wide, 400m long track. It also permits the installation of two new 5-bar steel agricultural gates with Adversane Lane.

It requires the applicant to submit a landscaping plan within six months. This is expected to include belts of native shrub planning alongside parts of the track.

According to a report on the application, there were no objections from local councils. Three objections from members of the public focused on:

• Failure to adhere to previous commitments/planning requirements to restore the land following completion of temporary hydrocarbon exploration activities.
• No agricultural need demonstrated
• Impacts on historic landscape character
• Loss of agricultural land
• Loss of habitat and potential impacts on biodiversity

The report by planning officer, James Neave, said:

“it is considered that the development would support the needs of agriculture and would likely result in modest operational benefits to agricultural practices”.

The report also said:

“the proposed development would suitably integrate with its countryside setting and not give rise to any unacceptable landscape character or visual impacts.

“It is further considered that agricultural use of the track would be consistent with established farming activities and would not lead to any significant increase in the overall level of activity in the countryside.”

Planning breach

The Broadford Bridge exploration site, at Woodbarn Farm, has had no planning permission since March 2024 when West Sussex County Council refused an application for a fifth extension of consent. Before that, the site had been mothballed since 2018.

An operation to plug and abandon two Broadford Bridge wells ended in February 2026.

But the well pad, fencing, gates and soil bunds remain, despite a planning condition requiring the operator to return the site to farmland. West Sussex County Council took enforcement action in January 2025 and February 2026.

The officer’s report said:

“the main well pad and associated bund and fencing are in the process of being removed/the land resorted [restored] to agriculture.”

It added:

“The site is subject to live enforcement action (Breach of Condition Notices), that require the restoration of the site by the end of 2026.”

Headline News:

• “Why Tugboats Fit Batteries Better Than Their Power Ratings Suggest” • Tugboats do not initially look like good candidates for battery propulsion. A harbor tug has to shove, pull and control ships weighing tens or hundreds of thousands of tonnes. But a tugboat’s maximum load rating is easy to confuse with its energy requirement. [CleanTechnica]

Tugboat (Andrew Danks, Unsplash)

• “States Launch US Offshore Wind Buyout Cases” • California and New York have launched legal challenges over the Trump Administration’s offshore wind lease buyouts. The Attorneys General of California and New York were joined by others in lawsuits against the administration’s agreement to buy back offshore wind energy leases. [reNews]
• “Leaders Push For Stronger AI Safeguards At UN As Trump Touts ‘Super Intelligence'” • AI has become a major topic at the UN General Assembly after incidents of the technology falling out of the control of humans and warnings by company insiders drew global alarm and calls for better government supervision of the industry. [Euronews]
• “EU Commission Rejects Calls To Delay Phase-Out Of Chinese Power Inverters” • The European Commission will not extend its November 1 deadline for phasing out Chinese-made inverters from EU-funded energy projects, despite calls from investors and the renewable energy industry for more time. The decision leaves concerns largely unanswered. [Euronews]
• “Global Energy Demand Set To Jump 60% By 2060 As The Developing Nations Power Up” • Emerging economies are going to see an explosion of energy demand over the coming decades. Countries like Brazil, India, Nigeria, and Indonesia are racing to expand their energy production and imports to keep up with rapid economic development. [OilPrice.com]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Giorgia Caruso always imagined her children one day inheriting the farm her family has tended for three generations.  

Her daughters would do more than produce organic meat and dairy. They would continue a way of life central to Piana degli Albanesi, a community founded 500 years ago by Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman conquest. Perched on a fertile plateau in the mountains south of Palermo, the town has long provided much of the wheat and dairy central to Sicily’s agricultural traditions. Caruso hoped to see her children carry those traditions on.

“I have two daughters I wished could take over our farming business one day, which is like our third child,” Caruso said with teary eyes as she tended the last of the family’s livestock. 

Now she’d like to see them build their lives somewhere safer. 

A flock of sheep graze in a vineyard near Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, Italy, in October 2017. De Agostini Picture Library / Getty Images

One day in late July three years ago, flames as high as a three-story building engulfed the family’s fields and threatened their home. Caruso and her husband Vito lost several acres of land and almost two dozen sheep, making it difficult to imagine their daughters taking over a business that may no longer exist in a few years.

“Many times we’ve thought of resettling to a safer area, even abroad,” she said. “But it’s just so hard to pack up and leave our homeland.”

Caruso’s family is not alone in facing that decision. A growing number of residents are questioning whether they can continue working the land that has sustained the Arbëreshë, as Italy’s Albanian ethnic minority is known, for five centuries. 

Piana is subject to a microclimate marked by extremes even for the Mediterranean basin, which is warming 20 percent faster than the global average. Summertime temperatures have averaged 85 degrees Fahrenheit over the past decade, with little to no rain. Sicily accounts for nearly half of Italy’s wildfires, and blazes struck in or around Piana in four of the last six years, displacing more than 100 people in 2021 and damaging several homes this past summer.

Firefighting operations took place on the ground and from the air after a wildfire broke out in the town of Piana degli Albanesi, near the city of Palermo in Sicily, Italy, in August 2025. Alberto Lo Bianco / Anadolu via Getty Images​​

As farming — the town’s main source of income — grows more precarious, people are leaving. Piana has lost nearly 17 percent of its population since 2015. That is almost three times the rate of decline across Sicily as a whole, raising fears that climate change is accelerating the erosion of one of southern Europe’s oldest ethnic minority communities.

“If our lands burn, there are no jobs for us, no more homes,” Giovanni Scalora said in Italian. He is a fourth-generation Arbëreshë farmer who owns land overlooking a lake — once Sicily’s largest reservoir — that almost dried up in 2024. “It’s a pity because if we disappear a part of Sicily’s and Albania’s and Europe’s cultural history disappears.”

Arbëreshë elderly talk in front of a cafe before the Easter Sunday Holy Mass in April 2004 in Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, Italy.
Marco Di Lauro / Getty Images

Piana degli Albanesi and much of Sicily’s interior have long been considered the island’s breadbasket. When the Arbëreshë settled there in the 15th century, they integrated through farm work. Beyond cultivating wheat and raising sheep and cattle, they specialized in making ricotta, a cheese used, among other things, as the filling in the globally-renowned Sicilian cannoli.  

“Legends say we invented it,” Scalora said of the pastry. Each May, the town hosts an international cannolo festival, and for many years those made in Piana have been deemed the best in all of Sicily. “But it’s hard to keep making it if there are no sheep left,” Scalora added.

A strong relationship with the land has shaped the community’s identity for generations, a bond that was tested long before climate change. In 1947, armed bandits killed 11 farmers and injured 30 others during a May Day celebration near the mountain pass of Portella della Ginestra. The massacre became an enduring symbol of the sacrifices Sicilians made for the right to work the land, and it shaped the spiritual connection the Arbëreshë have with it.

A photo from the 1950s shows a member of the Arbëreshë community with a donkey carrying hay. Mondadori via Getty Images

That link, however, is growing increasingly tenuous. An unprecedented drought has decimated fields and livestock across Sicily over the past five years. This summer, entire towns were left without running water or electricity for days as Europe endured one of its worst heat waves in decades. In extreme conditions, particularly when hot, dry scirocco winds blow in from Africa, temperatures can top 100 degrees Fahrenheit. On August 11, 2021, they reached a European record of 119.8 F, and the island is increasingly at risk of desertification.

“Extreme droughts as well as sudden, temporary extreme rainfall are severely damaging agricultural fields,” said Christian Mulder, an ecologist and professor at the University of Catania. “Climate [change] is aggravating the emptying of inner rural areas of the island and forcing emigration.”

The European Environment Agency reports that the impacts of a warming world are increasingly concentrated among already vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities like the Arbëreshë — a point Mulder emphasized.

“Ancient populations, as well as ancient grains, are at risk of disappearing forever,” he said.

Piana degli Albanesi sits amid mountains and farmland in Sicily’s tranquil rural interior, about 40 miles south of bustling Palermo. Flanked by two smaller Arbëreshë towns, it is the social and cultural hub of the entire community.

Cobblestone alleys lead to the Church of San Giorgio Megalomartire, named for the town’s most revered saint. It is Piana’s North Star, a point of reference for locals and tourists alike. People have gathered there for centuries, most visibly during Easter Week, when residents past and present come together once again, and the town comes alive.

An Arbëreshë priest celebrates the Easter Sunday Holy Mass in April 2004 in Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, Italy. Marco Di Lauro / Getty Images

When the celebrations end, the streets grow quiet once again. In Sheshi, Piana’s oldest neighborhood, colorful murals of Arbëreshë women in traditional attire offer a reminder of a vibrant culture that endures even as there are fewer people around to sustain it.

Piana’s population has fallen from 6,293 residents in 2015 to 5,245 in 2024, with some of the steepest losses coming in recent years. (The true number is almost certainly lower, because many Sicilian expatriates do not change their residency status.)  Although no data explicitly links the exodus to the changing conditions reshaping Sicily, residents say high unemployment and the resignation that has settled over the town are intertwined with the loss of farmland. Mulder believes what is unfolding there may represent the first case of climate migration leading to the potential loss of an entire ethnic minority in southern Europe.

Sicilian emigration from rural areas, often prompted by crushing poverty and political strife, dates to the late 19th century. Many sailed for the United States, including a small number of Arbëreshë who, attracted by the similar climate, settled in California. For some leaving Piana today, California remains a key destination.

Many of the people moving on are young, and their elders are coming to terms with the fact that they may be the last to work the land. “We adults don’t want to go away,” Caruso said. “But the new generation, the one of my daughters, I’m sure will not grow up here. I’ve told them, ‘America awaits you.’ I want a better life than this for them.”

Farms dot the landscape near Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, Italy, in September 2015. DeAgostini / Getty Images

Those who choose to stay find hope in the possibility of adaptation. Scalora has seen members of his own family, mainly uncles and cousins, leave for the United States. But he is trying to find a way to remain, and has begun breeding cattle better suited to Sicily’s changing climate after failing to find a breed of sheep that can adapt as well. The tradeoff is that the ricotta Piana has made for centuries with sheep’s milk may one day have to be made with cow’s milk.

“Our cheese will not be the same, but one can leave, or adapt to survive,” he said.

Piana’s city council is trying to adapt, too. Rosario Petta, who has been mayor since 2022, has made slowing the exodus and preventing Piana from becoming a ghost town a goal of his administration.

“One thousand people who leave is an extra 1,000 people who will no longer speak Arbëresh, which can put at risk language and identity preservation,” he said.

Mayor Rosario Petta (on the right) sits in his office at one of the weekly city council’s meetings in Piana degli Albanesi. Courtesy of Rosario Petta

To counter the population loss and wildfires, which often start on abandoned land, Petta has strengthened collaboration with the local committee of the Civil Protection unit and encouraged more residents to volunteer in wildfire prevention to protect their land. But the town is also looking beyond agriculture.

“We are also trying to diversify our economic strategy by encouraging tourism,” Petta said. He is part of an international diaspora committee that is giving Piana opportunities to build ties with the United States, Albania and Kosovo, hoping their shared cultural connections will attract more visitors. Petta said Piana has seen an increase in tourists from the Balkans over the past three years, and he is now lobbying for direct flights between Palermo and Tirana.

But tourism presents its own challenges. Across Sicily, its growth has offered an alternative to agriculture even as development takes over farmland and increasing numbers of visitors place additional pressure on already strained water and energy supplies.

The San Nicola church or sanctuary, built by the Albanians in the 15th century, is the oldest church in Palazzo Adriano in western Sicily, Italy.
elifranssens / Getty Images

Not everyone believes adaptation is enough. Anna Liscari comes from a family of Arbëreshë tailors that has lived between California and Piana for the past 50 years. She permanently relocated to Newport Beach after developing what she called “a love-hate relationship” with Piana because it “seems to be stuck in time in the way it is managing its disappearance.”

Liscari has seen how Piana’s environmental challenges can ripple through the local economy and traditions. Her great-aunt once owned one of the town’s most famous bars, known for selling some of its best cannoli. She eventually closed the business after the organic suppliers she relied on shut down because of constant livestock and land losses to droughts and wildfires.

“We have survived wars, displacement, and poverty over the course of 500 years,” she said. “It’s crazy to think that climate and the inability to manage its effects is what might wipe us out,” Liscari said from her office in Newport Beach, where she works as a tourist agent for American tourists traveling to southern Italy.

The lake of Piana this past spring, after unusually heavier rainfalls in early 2026 briefly reinvigorated it, sits between mountain plateaus in the Palermo countryside. Stefania D’Ignoti

Whether that fate can be avoided depends on decisions made beyond Piana. Salvatore Cona, who leads Sicily’s Civil Protection Unit, said the Italian government must lead the response needed to develop an adaptation strategy that can prevent further population loss. Towns like Piana, he said, simply do not have the resources available at the national level and are, in practice, being left to find their own solutions.

Officials in Rome, however, maintain that the national government is providing resilience funding and that regional governments are responsible for tailoring the response to local needs. Sicilian officials say they lack the resources to meet the crisis.

Mulder argues that the island’s climate crisis has been aggravated by poor governance at both the regional and national level, worsening its effects. In 2023, wildfires scorched 142,150 acres across Sicily, while extreme heat caused more than 200 million euros in damage to agriculture and infrastructure. The following year, after prolonged drought depleted reservoirs and groundwater supplies, Rome declared a national state of emergency and initially allocated 20 million euros to mitigate water shortages. More national funding followed while Sicily committed 100 million euros to help farmers combat and prevent drought damage.

But adaptation is not simply a matter of resources. Like the Arbëreshë, many of Europe’s linguistic minorities live in rural regions particularly vulnerable to climate change. The European Environment Agency says vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities, must be considered in adaptation planning to ensure their specific risks and needs are addressed.

Petta said that has not happened for his community, which he believes receives far less attention than other ethnolinguistic minorities in Italy.

Anthony Plescia remembers his elders speaking with great reverence about their ancestral home of Piana degli Albanesi, which they referred to fondly by its Arbëreshë name “Hora” even though most of them knew it only from stories told by their parents and grandparents.

Plescia, the president of the Arbëreshë of Sacramento association and a descendant of immigrants who left Piana more than 100 years ago to settle in that California city, grew up surrounded by such stories. 

“I also remember the large Arbëreshë picnics in McKinley Park and the strong sense of cultural pride that pervaded the events,” he said, referring to the park that has long been a gathering place for the Arbëreshë of Sacramento. “The picnics continue to this day, though many of the old family members are now gone.”

Anthony Plescia (on the right) poses next to a painting of a Sicilian chariot, one of the island’s most famous cultural symbols, at a gathering of the Arbereshe of Sacramento. community  Courtesy of Anthony Plescia

Several Arbëreshë families arrived in California as early as 1910. Many chose Southern California for its plentiful agricultural jobs and nascent wine industry; some even established wineries in Etiwanda and Rancho Cucamonga, continuing their heritage of tending the land. Others favored Northern California and the Central Valley, including Sacramento, because its climate and fertile land mirrored that of Sicily. Some of Plescia’s relatives worked in tomato canneries, while his great-grandfather eked out a living gathering corn husks and selling them to local tamale makers.

Language and culture can fade after families leave Piana, a loss that compounds across generations. Plescia was an adult before he learned of his Arbëreshë heritage; he grew up knowing only that his parents were from Sicily. Losing touch with one’s past is, he says, often the price of safety and stability. 

Still, he’s found that, nostalgia aside, he hasn’t met anyone who regrets coming to America, as it invariably improved their lives. Even though California also regularly endures devastating wildfires, Plescia believes it isn’t experiencing the same pressures he sees in Piana. He also believes the state and federal governments are taking the threat more seriously.

In October, Plescia traveled to Piana, where he met Petta. They agreed to explore creating a confederation of the Arbëresh organizations in the U.S. to establish a formal relationship with the town and strengthen cultural ties and exchanges between the communities.

As more young Arbëreshë leave Sicily, those ties could help preserve a culture that has survived so much over the past 500 years, even if fewer and fewer people remain in the town where it first took root.

Reporting for this story was supported by Journalismfund Europe, and is being published in conjunction with the online magazine Magma Magazine.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline This Sicilian community has endured for centuries. Can it survive a changing climate? on Sep 23, 2026.

Earlier this year, ocean conservation advocates celebrated what seemed like a major milestone: 10 percent of the Earth’s oceans had been officially designated as marine protected areas.

In theory, this meant that world leaders had successfully implemented varying degrees of fishing restrictions and regulations across a tenth of the oceans’ surface area in an attempt to reduce pressures on ecosystems and help them thrive. It also signaled progress toward a United Nations goal, known as 30×30, to conserve 30 percent of the planet’s land and ocean area by 2030.

But new research in the journal PNAS suggests that the 10 percent figure is misleading. It found that only a small fraction of implemented marine protected areas, or MPAs, are actually making a substantial difference for the ecosystems they’re supposed to protect — largely due to low compliance with fishing restrictions. Conservatively, the authors estimated that just 2 percent of the oceans are covered by MPAs where ecosystems are recovering.

The research raises questions about the broader 30×30 approach, which focuses on a protected area’s square mileage rather than their efficacy. The authors said there’s a need to think beyond area-based conservation metrics and consider what’s really happening to aquatic life.

“There’s this large disconnect between what we think is effectively protected globally, which is now 10 percent of the oceans, and what’s actually effectively conserving marine ecosystems underwater,” said Ella Clausius, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Tasmania and the lead author of the paper.

The conservation world’s focus on this approach emerged in the early 2000s. At a U.N. meeting in 2002, world leaders agreed to establish networks of MPAs, but without setting a target for how much ocean they should cover. Two years later, at a meeting of the Convention for Biological Diversity, the U.N.’s major treaty on protecting life on Earth, countries introduced a quantitative goal, formally agreeing to conserve “at least 10 percent of each of the world’s ecological regions,” in large part through protected areas. A subsequent meeting in 2010 updated the goal to protect 10 percent of the oceans specifically by 2020. When that goal was missed, 30×30 became its successor as part of a broader agreement called the Global Biodiversity Framework. 

Angelo Villagomez, a senior fellow focusing on Indigenous-led conservation policy for the Center for American Progress, said the reason countries have rallied behind a quantitative, area-based target is straightforward: “It is easy to measure and communicate.” Scientists understood this simplicity to be critical for securing political support for conservation, and at the time this outweighed concerns that, for example, MPAs would be created in remote areas that didn’t have much biodiversity to begin with, or that governments would create “paper parks” without implemented conservation measures.

Fast-forward to today, however, and it’s worth asking whether the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on MPAs annually actually are helping marine life. Are these designations increasing fish populations? Or just the percentage of ocean area covered by them?

To answer this question, Clausius’ team created a pair of models. The first used real-world observational data from protected and unprotected shallow reefs to estimate the effects of several hundred protected areas on marine biomass. The researchers then linked those effects to four measurable characteristics of such locations — level of protection, compliance with fishing regulations, size, and age — and used those relationships to estimate conservation effects for the majority of the world’s MPAs that lack observational data.

Their results suggested that only a fifth of the area currently covered by MPAs is actually “ecologically effective,” which they defined as contributing to a doubling in fish biomass. This is partly because so few areas offer full protection from fishing, which scientists say is necessary to deliver the best conservation benefits, and partly due to poor management in other areas. Indeed, Clausius said violations of fishing restrictions are so widespread that it’s not uncommon to see compliance officers breaking the rules. They visit protected areas and then cast fishing lines off the back of their boats, she said. “They know they can get the big fish there.”

Read Next The oceans are full of heat, and it’s coming ashore Sachi Kitajima Mulkey

Clausius and her team’s findings add weight to longstanding criticisms of the effectiveness and equity of 30×30, particularly its emphasis on the size of MPAs. Callum Roberts, a marine conservation professor at the University of Exeter in the U.K., offered two alternative metrics to focus on: Each area’s level of protection from fishing and other commercial activities, and its “stage of establishment,” ranging from proposed to actively managed. Another researcher, Bruce Mann, with the South African Association for Marine Biological Research, suggested a framework called NEOLI, which describes five characteristics of MPAs — “no-take, enforced, old, large, and isolated” — as appropriate indicators of MPA effectiveness. 

Of course, those are still just proxies for what conservationists ultimately want to measure: ecosystem health. But it’s hard to come up with a universal metric for this, according to Clausius, because ecosystems differ so dramatically and face different threats. Fish biomass might be appropriate for areas struggling with overfishing, but it wouldn’t be as useful a metric for MPAs primarily intended to protect against deep-sea mining.

Villagomez defended 30×30 as a useful political pledge. “It has elevated environmental protections to the highest levels of government around the world,” he said. “It’s unlocked millions of dollars of funding. Leaders of countries all around the world agree that we need more ocean conservation, better conservation, and that we need it faster than ever.”

But he agreed with other experts who argue that 30×30 has contributed to a problematic focus on the size of an area. One alternative he’s been developing for the U.S. would prioritize “beloved ecological areas and coastal habitats” in each of the 35 coastal or Great Lakes states and territories — areas that are close to where people live and recreate, in contrast to what he’s described as “large, distant, isolated protected areas.”

George Branch, an emeritus biology professor at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, said the 30×30 target is “overambitious,” and that at this point it may be more helpful to improve the effectiveness of existing MPAs than to add more. 

Another reason to think beyond 30×30 is the need for better ocean management everywhere. “We can’t just do whatever we want in the other 70 percent of the oceans,” Clausius told Grist. In areas where total fishing bans aren’t appropriate, whether for cultural, subsistence, or commercial reasons, there are still ways to protect ecosystems from pollution and overexploitation, such as by setting science-based catch limits or restricting coastal development.

“It needs to be a global oceans picture,” Clausius added.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Marine protected areas aren’t as protected as you think on Sep 23, 2026.

Shortly after Richard passed, I started to draw a 32-page, all-ages coloring book that turns his advice into a practical journey.

The EU Commission launched a livestock strategy and an action plan for the “protein system” in July. Predictably, reactions have varied.

What if collapse isn't the end of the story but part of a larger cycle?

hambachforest.org – Welcome to the exciting world of Togel123, where chance meets strategy in a thrilling online lottery experience. If you’ve ever wondered what makes this platform stand out among countless other gaming sites, you’re in for a treat. Togel123 is not just about luck; it’s a vibrant community that offers unique features aimed at enhancing your gaming journey. Whether you’re looking to try your hand at winning big or simply want an entertaining way to pass the time, togel123 login alternatif has something special for everyone. Let’s dive into the various offerings of this captivating site and discover why it’s becoming a favorite destination for players around the globe.

The Popularity of Togel123 Login Alternatif and Why People Love Playing it

Togel123 has quickly become a favorite among online gaming enthusiasts. Its blend of simplicity and excitement draws players from various backgrounds.

One reason for its popularity is the thrill of winning. The chance to test your luck in a fun, interactive environment keeps players coming back for more.

Additionally, togel123 login alternatif offers an accessible platform that welcomes both seasoned gamblers and newcomers alike. Intuitive design makes it easy to navigate, ensuring everyone can enjoy the experience.

Community engagement also plays a vital role. Players can connect with others through forums or live chats, sharing tips and strategies while fostering camaraderie.

Moreover, Togel123 continually updates its features based on player feedback. This commitment to improvement shows that they value their users’ experiences greatly, enhancing loyalty among fans of the game.

Understanding the Odds and How to Increase Chances Win Togel123 Login Alternatif

Understanding the odds in togel123 login alternatif is crucial for any player looking to improve their game. Each bet you place carries a unique probability, influenced by factors like the type of lottery and number combinations available.

To increase your chances of winning, consider focusing on less popular numbers. Most players tend to favor sequences or patterns that can lead to shared prizes. By selecting more obscure options, you might not only win but also keep the entire jackpot for yourself.

Another tactic involves tracking past results. While every draw is independent, recognizing trends can guide your choices. Some players develop personal systems based on historical data.

Additionally, managing your bankroll wisely allows you to play longer and more strategically. Set limits and stick to them; this keeps your gameplay enjoyable without unnecessary stress over finances. Embracing a disciplined approach often pays off in both enjoyment and potential success in Togel123.

Tips for Winning at Togel123

Winning at Togel123 involves a mix of strategy and intuition. First, familiarize yourself with the game rules. Understanding how to play increases your chances significantly.

Next, consider studying past results. Patterns can sometimes emerge that may guide your number selection. While there’s no guaranteed way to predict outcomes, historical data can provide insights.

Setting a budget is crucial. Decide how much you’re willing to spend each session and stick to it. This approach not only helps manage losses but also enhances enjoyment.

Join online forums or communities dedicated to Togel123 players. Sharing experiences and tips with others can open up new strategies you might not have considered before.

Always stay calm while playing. Emotional decisions often lead to rash choices that could derail your gaming experience entirely. Make each choice count by staying focused on your strategy.

The post Other Features Offered by Togel123 Login Alternatif appeared first on HAMBACHFOREST.

Everything in the food system is interrelated, from agriculture to nutrition to medicine to climate. And among these institutions, farms are the connective tissue that binds them together, panelists said at Climate Week NYC. The way food is grown, raised, and produced shapes its nutritional value and, ultimately, its impact on eaters’ well-being.

Ranchers, chefs, scientists, business leaders, and health experts joined an engaged crowd for the Food Tank Summit “Nourishing the Future: How Farming Practices Shape the Food We Eat, the Health We Build, and the Longevity We Seek,” in partnership with Diestel Family Ranch.

Watch the livestream recording on Food Tank’s YouTube channel. 

“Everything starts in the soil; everything is grounded in the soil,” says Heidi Diestel, a 4th Generation Family Farmer at Diestel Family Ranch. “The family farmers are the ones who have figured out not just how to farm, innovate, and market the products, but help people understand the value (of healthy food).”

The connection between better farming practices and healthier food is not theoretical—it’s science. Everything from animal health to soil biology to regenerative production practices on the farm helps shape the nutritional value of crops that leave the farm, which in turn shapes public health outcomes and societal well-being.

“For regenerative agriculture…there is pretty good evidence that crops are more nutritious, and even livestock that are pasture-raised are more nutritious,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, Cardiologist, Public Health Expert, and Director of the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute. “We have to link agriculture to human health to human productivity.” 

As Paul Lightfoot, General Manager of Patagonia Provisions, said later in the Summit, we need to be engaging more in conversations about these nuances.

“Should we eat beef? That’s not the right question; not all beef is the same,” he says.

But understanding this reality relies on conducting—and communicating—strong research. For too long, Mozaffarian says, many of the most important nutrient markers were not the ones being measured. That’s changing now, thanks to large-scale efforts like the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI). 

“We now have the molecular tools to be able to profile foods beyond what’s conventionally on the back of the nutrition label…which allows us to elevate foods with nutrients that might not show up on a label,” says Nile Nair, Senior Program Manager for Health Science, Research, and Translation at PTFI. 

This also means strengthening local food systems that bring farmers as close as possible to the end consumer.

“Getting closer to the source oftentimes is the very beginning of the choice to having a whole food, not as much processing involved,” says Kate Fullam, Team Lead for Food Systems Resiliency at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. “Whose voice is not at the table yet that needs to be?”

Ann Marie Hourigan, Head of Quality Standards for Whole Foods Market, echoed this sentiment: “We need to invite farmers to the conversation and understand what their needs are,” she says. 

Engaging farmers could transform entire nations, as Chef Andrew Zimmern, a Television Host, Author, and Food Advocate, said in a special fireside chat.

In Zambia, for example, changing “what they’re farming can change the landscape of a country economically,” he says. 

At the same time, panelists said, creating stronger food systems also means engaging consumers—but effective ways to reach eaters are quickly changing, says Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder of WANDA (Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture). 

“We are at a state of food system illiteracy, not truly understanding the impact of what’s happening to our food system,” she says. “The media and algorithms (such as TikTok) are becoming the determinant of our health.”

Interestingly, consumer interest in high-quality food is increasing—but for personal wellness reasons, not necessarily for its impact on environmental well-being. That opens up a huge opportunity for advocates to help consumers understand these links between the health of our bodies and the health of the planet. 

“Consumers are sick and tired of being sick. They’re turning to food as health more and more,” says Kristine Root, Chief Strategist and Founder of Socha. “We’re seeing mass segments of consumers who care about food quality…but they need our help in communicating better.”

When we draw straight lines from farms to tables—and when we grow crops with sustainability in mind and feed our communities with care and love—the food we’re eating literally tastes better, panelists said. 

“We believe that food is medicine, and therefore we work hard to grow food, provide quality food to families, and for the past five years, we’ve charged no one anything,” says Elder Raymond Bryant, Presiding Elder of AME Church and Co-Founder of San Antonio Million Gardens Project. “If the food is not good, people are not going to eat it. It doesn’t matter how healthy it is.”

From a family farm perspective, this could not be more true.

“Stewardship goes beyond just what we do. It’s really about the legacy of food and being intentional about the food that we’re producing,” says Jason Diestel, Farmer at Diestel Family Ranch. “I wish more people understood that what we eat matters, what we feed the soil matters. It’s just one long chain.”

Explore the entire Food Tank event schedule during Climate Week NYC 2026, and live-stream every Summit on FoodTank.com and Food Tank’s YouTube channel.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo by Ryan Rose for Food Tank.

The post “It’s Just One Long Chain”: How Regenerative Farming Equals Tastier Food, Healthier Eaters, And Nourished Communities appeared first on Food Tank.

Look at the worst, most barrier-choked places for wheelchair users in your community, and you’ll likely find that they have something in common: they were all planned by 100-percent able-bodied teams, who don’t understand the real needs of people with mobility challenges. 

It’s not just about the disability realm. Planning history is littered with top-down, failed projects, where the majority imposed what it thought was best for the minority. And even if that majority was well-meaning, they got it wrong. 

That’s why experts like Charles T. Brown argue that planning teams must be led by firms that understand the unique and nuanced requirements of placemaking for all — or at least include key sub-consultants on their teams. And in an era when the very concepts of “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” are under fire in Washington and beyond, they say diverse hiring is even more important.

“Diverse firms often bring lived experiences, deep community relationship, and unique ways of seeing a problem,” added Brown, who is the Founder & CEO of the urban planning, public policy and research firm, Horizon 54, formerly called Equitable Cities. “Often, that leads us to ask questions or identify impacts that others may overlook.” 

Recommended ‘Whether They See It Or Not’: How the ‘Arrested Mobility’ of Black Americans Harms Everyone Kea Wilson May 28, 2025

Still, Brown and the other experts we interviewed for this story acknowledged that minority-owned firms face uniquely steep barriers today. Affirmative action programs were a required part of federal contracting for a half century, but President Trump signed an executive order revoking it as one of his first acts in office. The Trump administration also has banned federal contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients from operating diversity, equity and inclusion programs of their own. 

The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act introduced this April would enshrine that order into law, among other provisions to “stop federal agencies from violating the Constitution by awarding contracts based on recipients’ race or sex,” co-sponsor Sen. Glen Grothman (R – Wisc.) wrote. And several states are already undoing longstanding race- and gender-based set asides and requirements, even though the bill has yet to pass.

Minority industry leaders, though, emphasize that their community does bring unique value and results — no matter what Washington says. 

“It is not that large firms cannot do good work, because they often do,” Brown continued. “It is that perspective matters. Diverse firms do not just bring different faces to the table. We often bring different questions, experiences, and ways of understanding the people affected by the work.” 

“Why? Because we believe those closest to the problem are closest to the solution,” Brown continued.  

Planning 101 = Planning for Everyone

Experts Charnelle Hicks note that minority communities help foot the bill for public projects — even though hiring minority-led firms is the exception to rule. And that imbalance leads to unfair outcomes for travelers on the ground.

“In the public sector, taxes are paid by everyone – so you would think the plan would be for everyone, but we all know it doesn’t always turn out that way,” said Hicks, who serves as principal at Philadelphia-based CHPlanning.

Charnelle Hicks

If different people with different backgrounds are not considered from the beginning of the planning process, Hicks argues that projects will fail. 

“Whether the community is Amish or Muslim, unique perspectives exist,” she added. “You must think about [questions like,] ‘What are the things they care about?,’ and ask, ‘What are their priorities?’ At some point, we all will have disabilities. So we must design for accessibility.”

Hicks cited a plan for the Central Ohio Transit Authority that looked at sustainability not just in terms of the environment, but also in terms of how the transit system of greater Columbus, Ohio could be more inclusive.

The resulting plan didn’t simply look at sourcing environmentally friendly materials as part of the transit authority’s resilience effort. It also charted ways of sustaining economic justice by ensuring small, diverse businesses could become contractors for the transit agency, balancing social impact with economic growth. 

“Our only shareholders are the community,” she added. “[If the plan lacks an element of diversity, we need] to ask the question: ‘So you’re good with not including this consideration for the community?’” 

Nurturing home-grown growth

Cecilia V. Estolano has been working on redevelopment and economic development issues for over three decades. Her experience leading the Los Angeles-based Estolano Advisors has made her skeptical of strategies that call for luring large firms into a community with big subsidies and tax breaks without asking much in return.

Estolano said most consistent growth comes from home-grown small businesses. 

Cecilia V. Estolano

“This is how we build wealth in this country, particularly when so many folks are locked out of home ownership in high cost cities,” she added. “We need to invest in infrastructure because it is the foundation for our quality of life and for business growth. And we have to work directly with businesses to design workforce training programs tailored to their needs, but only if they can deliver jobs and careers that pay enough to support a family.”

To generate incremental, sustainable development, Estolano said cities often have to overcome cynicism and mistrust in working class communities of color — because those communities have been misled, disappointed and underestimated in past failed planning processes.

“We work closely with communities on changing the things that result from poor planning and poor policy,” she added. 

Estolano’s firm is currently leading the planning process for the future of a state-owned site in LA’s Crenshaw district that’s been shuttered for more than a decade. Served by light rail, it could be redeveloped with housing, job training and other community services.

“Our approach is, ‘how do you help people take back their power?’” she said. “How do you help communities to become places where they can actualize all their abilities? Diversity as a perspective makes our profession better.” 

When it comes to sustainability, Estolano emphasized that firms owned by people of color can frame issues of climate justice, pollution, the clean energy transition, and water quality in terms that reflect the direct experience of the communities that have been most impacted.

“We had our neighborhoods bulldozed to build freeways that caused more air pollution that seared our lungs,” she added. “We understand what it means to live within the evacuation zone of an oil refinery and can appreciate what clean cars and renewable energy can mean for our kids and their kids.”

Delivering healing to collective trauma — not just lip service

As Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles-based Thrivance Group, Dr. Destiny Thomas says equitable planning is about actions — not just words. Even when reports are couched in diverse language, she questions whether conventional planning is truly addressing the desires and needs of diverse people and communities.

“When I think about what sets so-called minority [firms] apart from others, I think about the process,” she added. “I think about opening the process, so diverse opinions are not just gathered but are a part of the plan and policy.” 

Thomas has developed what she calls “The Geography of Memory” framework, which examines how collective trauma becomes embedded in physical places and continues to shape mobility, public trust, redevelopment outcomes, and community interaction with the built environment. 

Dr. Destiny Thomas

The framework encourages agencies to map the location of police violence, highways that displaced neighborhoods, forced housing relocation, and neglected public infrastructure, among other public sites of trauma. She said when those areas are plotted and acknowledged, cities avoid “making investments that unintentionally reinforce harm.” 

Moreover, recognizing sites with negative history in a marginalized neighborhoods can help communities to move forward while shaping local trust in mobility, redevelopment and infrastructure projects.

“When you visit the street where Mike Brown was killed [in Ferguson, Missouri, or] when you visit the intersection where George Floyd was killed [in Minneapolis] – the places where their blood spilled out — it is very clear there is no process, tool, or policy that deals with the need to heal the land,” she said. 

Diversity in decision-making

Despite the current political climate, Brown emphasizes that his minority-owned firm is growing — and others can too. Because even if the rules change, his clients recognize the benefits of both his expertise and his lived experience. 

“There is a big difference between being on the team and having influence over the work,” said Brown, an award-winning transportation professional. “Too often, the minority firm is one of eight or nine subs, has a small scope, and has little say over the budget, methodology, or final recommendations. 

“Diversity at the bottom of the organizational chart is not the same as diversity in decision-making,” Brown continued. “Giving qualified, diverse firms opportunities to lead means they help shape the project from the beginning rather than simply being brought in to check a box.”

Transgender transit riders experience harassment far more often than their cisgender peers, according to a recent report. And that means public transit may be a major focal point of a larger anti-trans crisis — and that without intervention, ridership could take a hit.

Of the more than 350 trans and nonbinary riders surveyed by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, nearly 60 percent reported at least one instance of being targeted on a bus or train.

Even compared to other vulnerable groups, the rate is alarmingly high. A staggering one in four cisgender women who ride transit have experienced harassment onboard, but that’s still less than half the rate of their transgender peers.

Even so, the crisis is hardly noticed at all.

“We still know very little about the mobility experiences, challenges, and associated harassment faced by transgender people,” lead researcher Tam J. Guy wrote in the report.

Previous studies on gender-based harassment have exposed the treatment of women onboard transit, but fail to explore the unique experiences of trans and non-binary passengers.

Unsurprisingly, many of the survey’s respondents reported taking public transportation less than they wanted to — and fear of harassment played a major role in that decision. Nearly one in four respondents named it a primary reason, and slightly more said that fearing violence onboard altered their travel behaviors, even if doing so limited their mobility.

The researchers were careful to note that safety concerns weren’t the biggest reason why respondents shifted their travel behaviors. The lack of frequent, fast trains and buses often played a bigger role in motivating trans riders to take car trips instead.

Sometimes, though, slow service made experiences of harassment worse.

“Nothing makes you feel more like a sitting duck for harassment like being at the stop for 15 minutes waiting,” said Cedar, one of the trans respondents in the study.

Not all transgender riders are treated equal: the report notes that Black and women transgender individuals may be particularly vulnerable, due to the heightened levels of harassment against other groups that they identify with.

Guy emphasized that more research is necessary to draw definitive conclusions about the extent of the trans rider harassment crisis, the types of harassment experienced and what factors may heighten one’s risk of being targeted. That begins with changing how the issue is studied.

“Researchers need to change our approach to using gender assumptions,” they say in the report.

The alarming findings come as federal policymakers wage a war on minority Americans and transit.

Since the start of President Trump’s second term last January, the White House has pillaged federal funding for any research it says supports diversity, equity, and inclusion. One non-profit, the National Science Foundation, had more than 10,000 of its grants flagged for review, according to Nature. Any grant that includes a wide-range of common keywords — not limited to “gender”, “LGBT”, and “women” — appears to be flagged for cancellation.

Recommended San Francisco Advocates Document Harassment on Public Transit Indigo Rosenberg August 17, 2026

Even without federal support, public transit agencies and their riders can do more to promote safety for trans riders onboard.

Participants in the study named improved lighting at transit stops, real-time service information, and non-police station attendants amongst potentially helpful interventions. More than half of respondents stated that increasing police presence would not increase their feeling of safety.

“I can tell you that the answer is not more police,” said Nandina, one of the respondents.

Of course, transit is only one extension of the broader societal issue of anti-trans discrimination — even if transit reform can be the part of the solution, the report authors argue. Agencies can implement systemwide anti-harassment and education campaigns and train employees to intervene. Members of the public can challenge discriminatory treatment where they see it, too.

For public transit to become a safe, desirable alternative nationwide, the US needs a “general shift in the perception of trans people,” added Mahogany, a survey respondent. “The transit is fine. It’s the social aspect that’s scary.”