From an underwater photographer to plastic made from avocado pits, this week I cover more of what I'm reading and watching and observing on the topic of climate change and our planet.
PHOTOGRAPHER/ARTIST:
Jess Franks, @jessfranksart
As stated on her website, "Jess Franks is known for vibrant acrylic paintings that dance the line between realistic and abstracted."
John Kowitz, @j.kowitz
Coming from his website: John Kowitz combines his background in freediving, love for the ocean, and passion for photography to capture stunning underwater images. John is a freediving instructor, spearfishing guide, as well as a freediving guide for a whale and shark tours.
BAD NEWS:
Wildfire Smoke is Poisoning California's Kids. Some Pay a Higher Price. by Somini Sengupta by The New York Times
"Her latest research suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke, which contains the same particulate pollution and more, is associated with genetic changes in children’s immune cells. “It could,” she said, “have irreversible consequences.”"
GOOD NEWS:
New Zealand couple shuns developers to give 900 hectares of land to nation by Eleanor Ainge Roy by The Guardian
"Jillian Jardine said she wanted to see the biodiversity and “iconic nature” of the land protected in perpetuity and said her family had spent four years discussing the decision."
The plastic backlash: what's behind our sudden rage - and will it make a difference? by Stephen Buranyi by The Guardian
"This is the other, positive side of the paradox of plastic. If plastic is a microcosm of all of our other environmental problems, then following that logic, so are the solutions. In just a few short years, scientific evidence of the environmental damage done by plastic has spurred people to organise, pressured governments to regulate, and even been noticed by fossil fuel corporations. Customers asked for less packaging at the supermarket, and within a year BP was predicting that, as a result, by 2040 the industry would be producing 2m fewer barrels of oil per day. Our obsession with plastic has registered. In the much larger battle over climate change, the plastic backlash could end up being a small but energising victory, a model for future action."
Tennis-court sized scrap of Bristol to become 'tiny forest' by Steven Morris by The Guardian
"A scrap of ground, the size of a tennis court, beside a river in Bristol is being transformed into a “tiny forest” featuring 600 trees as part of a nationwide initiative to bring more precious woodland into cities.
...
Earthwatch says tiny forests are capable of attracting more than 500 animal and plant species within the first three years and use no chemicals or fertiliser."
YOUTUBE:
How Bioplastic is Made from Avocado Waste | World Wide Waste by Business Insider
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A photo of mine from this beautiful planet:
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