• Forests

Invasive Pests Threaten 40% of U.S. Forests

U.S. forests are under threat, and not just from logging or drought but from invasive insects and fungi that could kill 40% of all domestic forests. As the Guardian explained, “About 450 overseas pests that damage or feed on trees have been introduced to US forests due to the growth in international trade and travel. […]

• Forests

One Cool Thing: Smokey Turns 75!

We think he doesn’t look a day over 65!  On Friday, the lead character in the longest-running public service campaign, Smokey The Bear, turned seventy-five.  His message has always been simple and highly effective — reminding Americans that “Only you can prevent wildfires,” When Smokey first took to the airwaves, the overwhelming majority of U.S. […]

• Forests

Wildfires in Siberia Force Government To Declare An Emergency

• Arctic
• climate change
• Russia
• Siberia
• state of emergency
• wildfire

Wildfires raging across Siberia this year have reached historic levels — It is estimated that the fires released 300 megatonnes of carbon dioxide in July, the most since satellite records began around two decades ago. In response, the government declared a state of emergency for five regions of Siberia — with the “acrid smoke” impacting both small settlements and “major cities in Western Siberia and the Altai region as well as the Urals such as Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg,” and even disrupting air travel. 

• Forests

Ethiopia’s Green Legacy – Hundreds of Millions of New Trees Planted

• carbon dioxide
• carbon sink
• Ethiopia
• reforestation
• sink
• trees

On Monday, Ethiopians around the nation planted trees — and not just a few — the citizens of the second-largest African nation planted 353 million trees in just 12 hours as part of the “Green Legacy” initiative led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

• Forests

We Need Trees to Stay Cool But We Keep Losing Them

• Forests
• trees
• urban forests

We wrote last week that trees and forests have an important role to play in fighting climate change and their importance was only underscored by the recent heatwave that much of the east coast experienced. Tree cover can cool cities by as much as 10°F but in the United States, we’ve been losing a significant […]

• Forests

The Power of Forests to Fight Climate Change

by Alexandra Patel A new study published in the journal Science reveals that restoration of forested land on a global scale could help capture atmospheric carbon and mitigate climate change at an unprecedented rate. Why This Matters: Trees and forests play a crucial role in maintaining balance within our environment and atmosphere, as they absorb […]