TREVE

03/05/2019

What’s on the grid ? ��

[The loss of services provided by biodiversity is as worrying as climate change]

Next Monday, IPBES will publish a scientific report on biodiversity at the global level, the first since 2005. In recent decades, the destruction of plant and animal richness has accelerated to the point of threatening our well-being.

Indeed, many services are provided to our society by the biodiversity that surrounds us. Pollination is one of the most well known, accounting for three-quarters of global agricultural production, but we can also mention the protection of coasts by coral reefs, the capture of CO2 by phytoplankton and vegetation, and the many innovations inspired by the way species function and interact. Moreover, for a given process, the greater the diversity of life forms, the greater the probability that one of them will be able to adapt to change and fulfil its role. Destroying biodiversity could therefore have catastrophic consequences, especially since the planet's ability to adapt to global warming depends on it.

To evaluate the services provided, some scientists propose to measure their economic value. However, this poses many problems, especially since the study must be carried out over long periods of time and must be able to evaluate an immense number of processes in which the subject is involved. Finally, it also means forgetting that biodiversity is self-sufficient and therefore should not be considered only for what it brings to mankind.

Source (�) : https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/sciences/pollinisation-lutte-contre-les-nuisibles-ce-que-nous-devons-a-la-biodiversite_2075935.html

Avec l'accélération de la disparition des espèces animales et végétales, examinée au sommet IPBES, l'humanité a beaucoup plus à perdre qu'elle ne le pense.

29/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? ��

[A major week for biodiversity, currently in Paris]

The scientific community expert in biodiversity is meeting in Paris, with the aim of assessing the state of biodiversity in the world and drawing up a report to get political decision-makers to react.

The 132 Member States of IPBES are meeting at UNESCO in Paris during this week, each represented by scientific experts. They are responsible for producing a convincing report to get policy makers to act, similarly to the IPCC's role in climate change. The final document must bring together all scientific knowledge on biodiversity and its degradation, basing itself on about 150 scientific studies. This report is the first in terms of biodiversity and will represent the beginning of action for biodiversity on a global scale and in the face of climate change. A calendar in 5 acts is planned: the IPBES week will be followed by the G7 Environment, then the G7 General, the IUCN Congress in 2020 and finally the COP15 for Biodiversity which will take place in China. Biodiversity must become as important a subject as climate, in order to mobilize civil society, funding and political action.

The rate at which species are becoming extinct in the face of climate change is staggering. It is hoped that this alarming assesment suppoted by scientists, once argued and disseminated through this report and dedicated summits, will quickly foster effective and appropriate actions for the environment.

Source (�) : https://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/news/Biodiversite-semaine-majeure-ouvre-Paris-33355.php4

La communauté scientifique experte de la biodiversité se réunit pendant une semaine à Paris. Objectif : dresser l'état de la biodiversité mondiale et surtout établir un rapport suffisamment convaincant pour encourager les décideurs politiques à agir.

29/04/2019

Biodiversity is the one richness that makes our planet special, resulting from hundreds of millions of years of evolution. However it is declining at unprecedented rates, due to human activities. What are the causes, and what are the levers for action to fight against its unbridled erosion?

Today opens the 7th IPBES Plenary, where scientists and politicians from around the world will gather to publish the first IPBES Global Report on the state of biodiversity in the world and actions needed to conserve it. This report will be the first since 2005, and will go much further and be much more comprehensive than its predecessor, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

IPBES

24/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝🏞

[Indigenous peoples' rights and protection of the planet, a common fight?]

If the protection of the planet is one of the current challenges for the international community, it is also the key to the survival of indigenous peoples. These populations have a different relationship with Nature than western societies, and their survival depends essentially on their territory and the species present there. Consequently, climate change and biodiversity loss that endanger entire ecosystems also threaten these peoples.

They are currently mobilizing to voice their rights as the areas dedicated to them are increasingly restricted, particularly because of deforestation or mining operations. In Brazil, the arrival of Jair Bolsonaro to power has further worsened the conditions for the survival of these populations. Among other things, he considers that the indigenous people own too much land, and that they have no right to it.

Indigenous peoples therefore call on the international community to rethink its conceptions of territories and natural spaces. The sustainability of their society depends on it, and therefore on the preservation of natural areas. Agribusiness or industry cannot be reasons to fragilise and shrink their living spaces.

Source (🇫🇷) :
https://www.frequenceterre.com/2019/04/23/peuples-autochtones-et-planete-des-combats-communs/

Résistances des peuples autochtones et écocide sont liés. Des représentants brésiliens soulignent le retour en arrière qu’ils vivent actuellement chez eux.

22/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝🧼

[Indoor air pollution is partly due to household products.]

Studies have been carried out and have shown that most household products are toxic to health due to their composition. Indeed, microscopic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by industrial products and persist in the air. As the latter contain several types of VOCs, they diffuse a cocktail of molecules, multiplying toxicity.

It is recommended to use "homemade" products and to learn about industrial ones. The ingredients composing them are not yet displayed on all, but ratings calculated by agencies, and similar to the nutriscore available for food, can be found on the internet. Some industrial products are very effective and difficult to replace. But indoor air is about 7 times more polluted than outdoor air and it is time to worry about it.

In addition to reducing indoor air pollution, the “homemade” manufacturing of cleaning products is beneficial to the environment. With less industrial processing there is less consumption of energy, water, and fewer plastic containers are used leading to a reduced amount of waste. At the condition that the proponents of DIY household products take necessary precautions and keep safety in mind.

Source (🇫🇷) : https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2019/04/12/les-produits-menagers-industriels-contribuent-a-la-pollution-de-l-air-interieur_5449049_3224.html

Selon « 60 millions de consommateurs », la plupart des sprays, désodorisants et nettoyants d’intérieur contiennent des substances toxiques.

19/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝💧

[Water shortages within 25 years in England?]

According to Sir James, the head of the Environment Agency, the growing population in England combined with a decline in water supply could lead to severe water shortages within few decades. This astonishing situation is one of the consequences of global warming. Precipitation will be less regular and long periods of drought may occur more frequently.
To avoid at most such dramatic events, citizens and firms will need to reduce their water consumption and increase water use efficiency. For instance, Sir James calls for a decrease in 40L per day per person for the public. It could be reached by taking showers rather than baths, installing water efficient toilet flush, avoiding watering lawns, etc.
In addition to a decline in the amount of water consumption, the Environmental Agency encourages efforts to increase water supply. For this purpose, new reservoirs should be built, as well as pipes to transfer water from wet to dry regions. Nonetheless, such construction works are not ecologically harmless and might have serious negative effects on biodiversity for instance.

Source (🇬🇧) :
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47620228?fbclid=IwAR03r9XwUWcJstOmRF0RbhD84T4j8SENHsjRRAz6ac39lxyO1MK1m3hR5MI

17/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝🌆

[San Fernando, a zero waste city]

San Fernando, a Philippine city, was swallowed up by mountains of untreated waste. The inhabitants were desperate and did not think that a solution existed. But the local government called on an NGO to develop the zero waste strategy and solve the problem.

Between 2012 and 2018 the city became the best in the world in terms of waste management: waste no longer ends up in rivers or landfills, it is recycled, reused or composted. The banning of certain materials, the development of dedicated infrastructures and a strict policy have enabled this result. Additionally, collective actions of cleaning and composting strengthened social ties between inhabitants, despite an initial difficulty to change behaviors.

The success of this change is the result of 3 factors: the support of local authorities, the implementation of strict policies and the strong household education campaign.

There is a drawback for the deployment of this project to other cities, as the initial financial investment is certainly high for low-income municipalities. But the amortization takes place a few years later and the economy is then more favorable.

Developing countries are the most prone to increased pollution due to neglected waste management. Most of them are sent to incineration or to unregulated landfills. San Fernando shows that other alternatives are available. We hope that the project will inspire other cities to follow this example.

Source (🇫🇷) : http://www.lefigaro.fr/conso/philippines-san-fernando-ville-zero-dechet-20190415

FIGARO DEMAIN - Dans cette ville située au nord de Manille, 80% des déchets sont triés. Un modèle dans le pays et dans le monde.

15/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝👑

[Summer is coming: a parallel between Game of Thrones and the current climate crisis]

Being one of the most popular saga of the decade, Game of Thrones has never ceased to stimulate the imagination of its millions of fans. Among the many analyses of the series, one of the theories makes a connection between the current climate crisis and the threat of the Long Night (the invasion by Northern creatures called the white walkers,).

Indeed in both cases, people are responsible for setting in motion processes with devastating inertia, whether through the use of fossil fuels or magic. Another similarity is that the first warnings and reports of an impending disaster are not enough to convince people and their leaders to take action. Finally, as with climate, short-term issues prevail in this fiction over long-term ones, until the latter begin to have visible consequences. While author George R. R. Martin developed the plot long before the current climate crisis, the striking similarities can be explained by identical social behaviours. The series also illustrates the difficulty that groups studying phenomena (the scientific world // the Night's Watch) have in making themselves understood by the general public, and the need to be able to provide concrete and accessible data to convince.

Whatever is the outcome of Game of Thrones, whose eighth and final season has begun, it is urgent that our societies make greater efforts to ensure a positive ending to the current climate crisis.

Source (🇬🇧) : https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/game-of-thrones-ending-climate-change-global-warming

It's a doozy...

12/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝🛬

[“Flygskam”, flight shame in Sweden]

Mainly followed by women and young Swedes, this movement consists of shaming air travellers on social media, thus exerting social pressure. This has a significant impact on the number of passengers, which is about to drop after having increased over the last 20 years.

Between 1997 to 2010, per capita CO2 emissions from air traffic in Sweden were five times higher than the world average, and this is prompting more and more passengers to switch to other modes of transport. Trains are therefore favoured, both domestically and internationally, to such an extent that the government plans to reintroduce night-journeys to major European cities by 2022.

While this development is encouraging, it is not only due to changes in social norms. The introduction of an air tax and the bankruptcy of one of the domestic companies have also contributed to this collective awareness. However, there is some regrettable collateral damage, as some students refrain from studying abroad when flying is the only alternative.

Source (🇬🇧) https://www.france24.com/en/20190410-flight-shame-has-swedes-rethinking-air-travel

'Flight shame' has Swedes rethinking air travel

08/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝🌉

[A floating artificial city that meets the requirements of sustainable development]

This week, the start-up Oceanix presented to the UN a floating city project aimed at the populations most vulnerable to global warming. It meets the requirements of sustainable development, combining environmental and social aspects.

Many criteria were considered for the design of this large artificial structure, composed of several 15,000 square metre hexagonal islands. The city would be autonomous in terms of water thanks to the implementation of circular treatments of natural waters, energy would be based on renewable production methods, and food produced through dedicated marine and land cultures. Waste treatment would also take place on site in recycling systems. Built of ultra-resistant, bio-sourced, sustainable and eco-responsible materials, the buildings would resist devastating natural disasters (tsunamis, hurricanes, floods). In total, this floating city would house up to 10,000 inhabitants, who will travel by bicycle, drone or electric boat.

If the United Nations has been seduced by this project when many similar sustainable and self-managed city projects have already been presented, it is because it targets modest populations in high-risk areas. By proposing a way to limit their vulnerability to global warming, it stands out from other projects offering sustainable yet luxurious residences.
Nevertheless, the idea seems utopian and this makes us think about the solution it provides: Is this project really feasible? Will this city be ready to help these people when we need it most? Is it a real solution to build artificial land to replace those swallowed up by the consequences of global warming?

Source (🇬🇧) : https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/04/floating-cities-could-ease-global-housing-crunch-says-un/

Squeezed between rising populations, rising seas, and threatened ecosystems, cities need new options, including a real-world approach to the formerly fanciful vision of offshore communities.

06/04/2019

What's on the grid ? 📝🐝

[Many British pollinating insects in decline]

A recent scientific study measured trends in pollinators population over the last 30 years in United Kingdom. It appears that one third of species have decreasing populations (in term of habitat range), while about 10% are becoming more abundant. Nonetheless, the overall trend is a loss of diversity between 1980 and 2012. This decline has far-reaching consequences for entire ecosystems.
The ‘loser’ species are mainly rare species and solitary bees, in contrast to the ‘winners’ which are among the most abundant pollinator species. This pattern of change is a global trend: the world is becoming more homogeneous, poorer, ans less resilient regarding biodiversity.
This loss is probably caused by habitat reduction, but also by the constant use of insecticides on crops. However, some neonicotinoids have been ban in the UE last year, and hopefully this action will have a positive effect on bee populations.

Source (🇬🇧): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47698294

What's on the grid ? 📝🐝

[Pollinisateurs en déclin au Royaume Uni]

Une étude scientifique récente a mesuré les tendances de populations de pollinisateurs au cours des 30 dernières années au Royaume-Uni. Il a été montré qu'un tiers des espèces ont des populations déclinantes (en termes d'aire d'habitat), alors qu'environ 10% sont plus abondantes. Néanmoins, la tendance générale est une diminution de diversité entre 1980 et 2012. Cette perte de biodiversité a des conséquences profondes pour les écosystèmes entiers.
Les espèces «perdantes» sont principalement des espèces rares et des abeilles solitaires, contrairement aux «gagnantes» qui sont parmi les espèces de pollinisateurs les plus abondantes. Ce type de changement n’est pas inhabituel : le monde devient plus homogène, plus pauvre et moins résilient en matière de biodiversité.
Ce déclin des pollinisateurs est probablement dû à la perte d'habitat, mais aussi à l'utilisation constante d'insecticides sur les cultures. Toutefois, certains néonicotinoïdes ont été interdits dans l'UE l'année dernière et nous pouvons espérer que cette action aura un effet positif sur les populations d'abeilles.

Source (🇬🇧): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47698294

03/04/2019

What’s on the grid ? 📝🥩

[Change of diet in American school canteens]

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to develop meatless Mondays in the 1800 public schools of the Big Apple. The concept, which is already a success in 15 Brooklyn schools, is spreading to other states such as California, which has begun to implement this policy.

This initiative has several important benefits. In addition to having the objective of reducing the environmental impact, there is also a health benefit. The idea is to offer more balanced menus, based on less processed products, in order to educate future generations to eat healthily. This will also help to reduce the risk of diseases related to poor nutrition, which have increased sharply in the United States in recent years. The children are aware that American diets are over-consuming meat and that this is not balanced, which is reassuring.
The mayor points out that the implementation and maintenance of this initiative, as well as the development of similar actions to reduce the environmental impact and spread healthier lifestyles, also requires rethinking the way we produce what we eat.

Source (🇫🇷) : https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/politique-de-sante/video-a-new-york-les-cantines-scolaires-ne-proposent-plus-de-viande-le-lundi_3234717.html

What’s on the grid ? 📝🥩

[Changement de régime dans les cantines scolaires américaines]

Le maire de New York, Bill de Blasio, souhaite développer les lundis sans viande dans les 1800 établissements scolaires publics de la Big Apple. Le concept, qui est déjà un succès dans 15 écoles de Brooklyn, a également conquis d’autres états tels la Californie qui a commencé à instaurer cette politique.

Cette initiative comporte plusieurs bénéfices importants. En plus d’avoir pour objectif de réduire l'impact environnemental, il y a aussi un bénéfice sanitaire non négligeable. L'idée est de proposer des menus plus équilibrés, à base de moins de produits transformés, pour éduquer les futures générations à manger sainement. Ceci participera aussi à réduire les risques de maladies liées à une mauvaise alimentation qui ont fortement augmenté aux États-Unis ces dernières années. Les enfants sont conscients que les régimes américains sont surconsommateurs de viande et que cela n'est pas équilibré, ce qui est rassurant.
Le maire précise que la mise en place et le maintien de cette initiative, ainsi que le développement d'actions similaires pour réduire l'impact environnemental et propager des modes de vie plus sains, passe aussi par repenser la façon de produire ce que nous mangeons.

Source (🇫🇷) : https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/politique-de-sante/video-a-new-york-les-cantines-scolaires-ne-proposent-plus-de-viande-le-lundi_3234717.html