In efforts to address climate change and identify ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses like CO2 in the atmosphere, one key place to include is below our feet: the soil. Soil organic carbon is a central component of soil health. A 2020 study showed that soil carbon represents 25% of the potential of natural climate solutions.
Science Categories: Climate Change
The Climate is Changing. How we Manage Water Must Change Too
Flooding amidst persistent drought is indicative of the future of the arid West under climate change. Add in agriculture, growing populations, wildlife, and safe drinking water (particularly for historically disadvantaged communities), and it’s apparent there is a mosaic of complex needs to consider. One thing is clear: how we manage water in the West over the next hundred years must look different than how we’ve managed it for the last hundred.
Hope is Green and Soggy in the Sierra Nevada
It was July 28, 2021, I was sitting in my living room overlooking Lake Almanor in the Northern Sierra Nevada, having spent the morning raking fir needles and covering attic vents, I was hunched over the air purifier sucking in as much fresh air as I could get. It was 3 weeks into the Dixie Fire, and the sky, much like what the San Francisco Bay Area experienced in the fall of 2020, had looked an eerie orange for weeks from wildfire smoke with little relief. I was alone, having sent my family out of harm’s way the week before.
Science News: Guiding Renewable Energy, Celebrating Climate Legislation, and much more
Biden Signs Landmark Climate Bill On August 16th, 2022 President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Although it’s not perfect, it is the biggest, most important piece of federal climate legislation to date. It encompasses clear and actionable policy to drive the needed investment to decarbonize our economy emissions. Importantly, the bill clearly prioritizes
Antarctica, An Expedition of a Lifetime!
Point Blue is excited to offer its supporters a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to a place that remains virtually untouched. An entire continent of windswept expanses, snow-shrouded peaks, wildlife in abundance, and ice taking on hues of turquoise and iridescent blue.
Science News: Major advance in whale protection and much more…
Encouraging News for Whales We’re thrilled to report a major advance in our collaboration to protect whales. For over a decade, reducing deadly collisions between cargo ships and whales has been a priority for the Point Blue Oceans team. In 2017, we published a seminal paper showing that the actual number of whale deaths from
Planning for Change: New Tools to Support Bird Habitat in the Central Valley
How can water managers in California’s Central Valley make sure enough water is allocated to birds as the region faces changing climate patterns while still helping the state reach its ambitious 30×30 conservation goals? New planning tools are here to help.
How Cool is Petaluma?
Have you heard? Petaluma, where Point Blue is headquartered, was one of three cities in California, along with Los Angeles and Irvine, to receive $1million through the Cool City Challenge to address climate change at the neighborhood level. Watch the KPIX 5 news story here and find a Bohemian article here to learn more. Part
Conscious Conservation Methods: Tracking Blue Carbon and Environmental Justice at COP26
Imagine this – you started graduate school in the midst of a pandemic, and you only recently started going to class in person (socially distanced and masked, of course), but the bulk of your time has been spent on Zoom in your tiny studio. This was me. So, one could easily imagine the elation that I felt following the announcement that COP26 had the “Green Light” for our school.
Ecological restoration works for urban birds in San Francisco’s Presidio
While cities and towns have not historically been considered priorities for ecological restoration projects, the UN Decade effort explicitly calls for urban restoration. The Presidio Trust, the National Park Service, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy were visionary in their pursuit of restoration in San Francisco’s Presidio, and since 2001 they have restored 78 acres.
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