Nature Beat #37

Updates, stories, resources and opportunities

Jul 22, 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of Global Nature Beat. If you are new here, read my About page to find out what this newsletter is, who I am and why I am doing this. Or just dive in. You’ll find news, reporting resources, job postings, links to some great stories and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the world of biodiversity and nature policy.

Taking The Pulse

Climate action: On 22-23 July, the European Union, China and Canada are convening a meeting of government ministers and diplomats from about 40 countries to make progress on global action on climate change. The 8th Ministerial on Climate Action is taking place in Wuhan, China. Greenpeace says the meeting is an opportunity "to elevate sticky issues in climate negotiations to a higher political level." During the meeting, the presidencies of the three UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity and desertification will host an event aimed at boosting support for the conservation, protection and restoration of forests and strengthening links between the biodiversity and climate agendas.

Plastic pollution: In the United States, the Biden-Harris Administration released a strategy for reducing the impact of plastic pollution through actions at all stages from production and processing to use and disposal. The Administration also announced a goal of phasing out federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035. See the factsheet for details.

Whale defender arrested: On 21 July, Danish police arrested anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson — founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society — when his ship docked in Greenland on its way to intercept a Japanese whaling ship in the North Pacific. A statement from the foundation that Watson now leads says he was arrested under an international order from Japan, and could face extradition.

World Heritage Sites: UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is meeting in New Delhi, India from 21-31 July to decide which places to designate as new World Heritage Sites and take decisions about actions needed to protect World Heritage Sites that are under threat. See the meeting’s documents and livestream. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as official advisor to the committee, has published its site evaluation reports and recommendations here. As summarized here, IUCN is calling for more geographic diversity in the list of sites, greater participation by affected communities, and an increased focus on conservation outcomes.

Business for biodiversity: On 15 July, more than 130 businesses and financial institutions with combined revenues of US$1.1 trillion called on governments to do more to implement the Global Biodiversity Agreement that they committed to in 2022. The Business for Nature coalition includes Unilever, IKEA, Nestlé and Volvo. They make five core recommendations and 20 specific requests — for details, see the Business for Nature coalition’s press release, business statement, policy recommendations or news article.

Under Indian law, People's Biodiversity Registers should contribute to conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity and fair sharing of benefits but, as Laasya Shekhar reports, there are big implementation challenges.
Fred Pearce reports on the great greening of the world’s drylands linked to carbon emissions and changing land management, and how it could affect water supplies and desert-adapted species.
Marine conservation or ocean grabbing? Imran Muzaffar reports on the case of the Chagos Archipelago and the need for marine protected areas to recognize the rights of local communities
Jack Thompson wrote about the social cost of carbon credits, reporting from Senegal where women have planted tens of thousands of mangrove trees for low pay and no share of the profits of carbon trade.

Tips And Resources

Aruna Chandrasekhar and Yanine Quiroz wrote a comprehensive Q&A about debt-for-nature swaps. They explain the history, how the deals work, where they have been used, and critiques of the approach's effectiveness at reducing debt and conserving nature.

See past editions for more tips and resources.

In Focus: Project 2025

What would a Trump victory in the US Presidential election mean for nature and climate change? A 920-page document called Mandate for Leadership by Project 2025 provides a grim forecast. Published by the conservative Heritage Foundation, it proposes policies for an incoming Republican President with the aim of dismantling large parts of the administrative state.

Among many other things, the document downplays the climate crisis and recommends actions that would harm scientific research, reduce funding for clean energy, increase fossil fuel use and prevent the government from regulating emissions. It would gut the Environmental Protection Agency and reduce protections for endangered species.

For more detail, see recent posts by Substackers on my recommend list — Paul Hormick, who calls Project 2025 “a wish list for fossil fuel companies”, and Jason Anthony who says: “a vote for Project 2025 is a vote to burn down our world far faster and more heartlessly than we are now.” Covering Climate Now also has a guide to Project 2025 and reporting tips for journalists.

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What Caught My Eye

Diego Vincenzi, chief of staff for the Minister of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica, wrote about how the country has halted deforestation and reversed land degradation, and outlines plans to boost conservation.
In the United States, indigenous leaders, environmental organizations and the Department of the Interior launched an alliance to boost Tribal-led efforts to restore buffalo populations.
Colombia says the UN biodiversity conference — COP16 in Cali in October — will be safe to attend, after an armed group threatened disruption.
The painted woolly bat is endangered by trade, with the United States being the top market for dead specimens sold online as curios.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature has urged the International Court of Justice to establish a legal duty for countries to stop harming biodiversity, reports Thomas Cox.
The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Worldwide Fund for Nature will cooperate to reintroduce tigers to Kazakhstan.
Rural communities in Nigeria caught more but sold less wild meat during the pandemic.
Tiger numbers are booming in protected areas in Thailand, reports Carolyn Cowan.

From The Journals

Data from eight European countries shows a strong link between childhood exposure to green spaces and better lung function — read the press release or the full paper.
Researchers working in a biodiversity hotspot in China say that measuring and increasing ‘gross ecosystem product’ can harmonize conservation and economic development — read the full paper.
Nature-based solutions to disaster risk from climate change are cost effective — read the press release or the full paper.
Researchers identified two robust indicators for monitoring the status of hunted wildlife in community-managed areas— read the press release or the full paper.
In Tanzania’s Serengeti ecosystem, communities suffer costs and losses linked to conservation that are smaller than the benefits they receive, highlight a new for new laws and policies to be developed with community input — read the full paper.
Data from 127 studies in Malaysian Borneo show that lightly logged tropical forests retain high conservation value — read the press release or the full paper.
A review of hundreds of studies of nature-based solutions in Africa’s savanna belt finds notable gaps and challenges — read the full paper.

Jobs And Opportunities

Mongabay is hiring a wildlife trade reporter and a staff writer on the outlet's ocean desk.
Journalists can apply to attend CASW's day-long workshop on reporting on climate change and health in Raleigh, North Carolina, on 8 November — deadline 12 August.
CONNECTAS and partners are offering online training on 23-25 July for journalists investigating environmental crimes in the Amazon region — register for free here.
The Indian journal Current Science invites applications for a science writing fellowship — deadline 31 July.
The Revelator is seeking freelance pitches for stories covering the intersection between environmental issues and authoritarian regimes.

Bonus content: There are 34 jobs, grants, fellowships and other opportunities listed here for Global Nature Beat’s paying supporters. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week. A free seven-day trial is available.

On The Horizon

22-26 July 2024: The 27th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry takes place in Rome, Italy. See ENB’s preview and daily coverage.

4-9 August 2024: The 17th International Peatland Conference takes place in Taizhou, China.

6-9 August 2024: The 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress takes place in Singapore.

20-22 August 2024: IUCN's USA Regional Conservation Forum takes place in Washington, DC.

25-31 August 2024: The 12th World Wilderness Congress (WILD12) takes place in the Black Hills of South Dakota, United States.

Bonus content: The full calendar for Global Nature Beat’s supporters includes 45 nature-related intergovernmental negotiations, scientific conferences, report launches, and other events up until 2026. Paid subscriptions are less than £1 per week. A free seven-day trial is available.

Whose Eye Was It?

The eye belongs to a longear sunfish. Photo credit: Charlene N. Simmons / Flickr — Creative Commons