Monthly Archives: November 2020

Not Your Mother’s Brand of Socialism–What is Democratic (Eco)Socialism?

Posted on by

 

In March 2019, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) proposed a resolution in the House of Representatives and the Senate respectively, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Great Depression. The aim? To address both climate change and economic inequality.

 This resolution, dubbed the Green New Deal (GND), harkens back to the Roosevelt era. FDR’s own New Deal is credited for bringing the United States out of the Great Depression and restoring economic stability. How? By providing jobs and improving infrastructure across the country. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Markey propose something similar.

 Ocasio-Cortez and Markey are self-declared Democratic Socialists. Any American who lived through the McCarthy era, or studied it in history class, probably has their own definition of the word socialism. Many picture Stalin or Mao, a hammer and sickle, or brutalist architecture—but Democratic Socialism, the umbrella under which the ecosocialist Green New Deal lives, is far from that.

What is Democratic Socialism?

The official Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), support the idea that the economy and governing bodies should be run, well, democratically. Radical, right?

 According to the Democratic Socialists of America, our current system of government, once heralded as the model for representative democracy around the world, is failing. Because rather than equitably addressing the needs of the American people, it favors the desires of large corporations that buy control of the government. 

Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada incorporate tenets of Democratic Socialism into their societies. These approaches include socialized medicine, paid paternal leave, and a livable minimum wage. However, in the United States, the government and many of the people consider these policies “too progressive” and harmful for the free-market. Many are convinced that equitable access to health care and a livable minimum wage will disincentivize economic growth, rather than guarentee people their rights. 

 Doesn’t socialism mean that the government will control everything?

Certainly not. Democratic Socialists don’t believe in upending the governmental system or giving total control of every aspect of life to the government. Instead of bailing out corporate conglomerates and providing subsidies for fossil fuel companies, Democratic Socialists want to represent the will of the people. Currently, powerful conglomerates have a greater say in the American government than the electorate. What if this money went to investing in greener American jobs and infrastructure? 

Under the GND, investment in industry doesn’t end, it’s simply redistributed more equitably. Corrupt politicians and those at the top benefiting from the current system paint these policies in poor lighting, their pockets stuffed with oily bills. If Congress implements a Green New Deal, there won’t be room in Washington for oil profiteering. Rather, companies that demonstrate a desire to become sustainable receive greater funding for such purposes. Low-income communities see investment in their futures, propelled by job creation to rebuild failing infrastructure in more sustainable ways. Rather than “control everything,” the government can restructure its approach to environmental justice and policy to actually hear the will of the people and not just those at the top. 

 What does this have to do with the Green New Deal?

The Green New Deal can catalyze a transition towards a more equitable future. Creating jobs in struggling communities, providing livable wages, and encouraging workers to organize to protect their jobs, a Green New Deal is the first step towards incorporating aspects of democratic ecosocialism in the United States. 

In the coming decades, the climate crisis will only get worse. The path we’re on isn’t a sustainable one. An investment now in a more equitable society and eco-friendly infrastructure that will survive the changing climate can only prepare all Americans, not just the wealthiest,  for this uncertain future.

May the Forest be with You, Haiti

Posted on by

Once a heavily forested island, Haiti is now unrecognizable. It is a land of bald hills and dry soil. New research focuses on changes in land use, rather than charcoal production, as the leading cause of deforestation to help formulate effective land use policy.

The name “Haiti” or “Ayiti” is derived from the Indigenous Arawak word “Ayti”, meaning ”mountainous land”. Considered one of the most deforested countries in the world, Haiti maintains relatively high levels of biodiversity compared to other Caribbean nations. Though a mind-blowing paradox, this is attributable to several microclimates that are home to a majority of the island’s biodiversity (or number of inhabiting species) due to their guarded status as “mostly protected zones”.

Haitian-Dominican border on Hispaniola showing disparity in forest cover (Source: Singing Rooster News)

 

In a recent study published in PeerJ, researchers Ose Pauleus and T. Mitchell Aide found that previous data collected on forest-cover in Haiti were inaccurate. Due to varying classifications of “forest”, past research presented by the Global Forest Watch, the United States Agency for International Development, and other organizations, estimated drastically different deforestation rates varying between <1% to 33%. Without accurate and consistent assessment methods, it is difficult to create effective policies. 

In contrast, this study found that between 2000 and 2015, forest cover decreased from 26% to 21% while agriculture land cover increased from 39.7% to 47.9%. Pauleus and Aide collected separate unbiased satellite imagery data to produce these figures because data from corrupt government reports can be inaccurate and misleading. Previously, charcoal production was believed to be the major cause of deforestation in Haiti. But according to land use maps produced from the study, much of previously forested land has changed to agriculture/pasture, shrub land, and plantation — this is most noticeable along the southern peninsula near the Pic Macaya National Park and the La Visite National Park, two mostly protected areas preserving biodiversity. Mapping these terrestrial changes over time has provided statistical evidence to better inform Haitian policies.

Land-use changes (Source: PeerJ)

It is important to understand the historical context that has depleted so much of Haiti’s forests because environmental degradation poses a fundamental threat to ecosystem sustainability, environmental and population health, and ultimately, the ability of Haitians to provide for themselves. 

Haitian Revolution (Source: ThoughtCo.)

The dense native tropical forests and mountainous landscape were instrumental to the self-liberation of the Haitian slaves. So why does this country suffer from deforestation today? Dating back to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the Spanish (1492), the French (17th Century), and the United States (1930’s) occupations each robbed Haiti of the majority of its original forest landscape. Some main causes include a crusade against Haitian religious beliefs in efforts to force conversion and submission, and secondly, the exploitation of timber resources to fund wars and plantation slavery. Haitians have long held spiritual relationships to specific trees, such as the mapou, which connected them to their ancestral lineage. As recently as 1941, the Catholic Church led an “anti-superstition” campaign and pillaged mapou populations. During the same time period in the 1940’s, over 50,000 acres and millions of fruit trees were destroyed to plant rubber trees to contribute to the American war effort.

This historical religious and environmental violence has left Haiti with some of the highest levels of environmental catastrophes and government instability to date, including a lack of investment in alternative energy resources. Haitians rely heavily on wood charcoal as fuel for cooking. As a result, many varieties of trees are utilized and often cut down illegally as a means for survival and income.

What often goes unconsidered during mass deforestation is that without trees, there are not sufficient root systems holding soil in place or absorbing and retaining large quantities of water. Under these conditions, soil erosion persists during the rainy season when torrential rains wash away loose topsoil. Losing topsoil increases the probability of landslides and deadly floods, especially on mountainous terrain. Ultimately, losing trees will result in less soil and difficulties with land uses including agriculture. Government intervention can play a key role in repopulating forests.

The authors suggest that future funding efforts in Haiti should focus on land management and effective environmental policy and enforcement to reduce deforestation and promote well-planned reforestation. They propose that a long-term land cover management institute, supported both nationally and internationally, would help to better understand the landscape. Environmental education programs and community led reforestation efforts like Codep and the Eden Project, continue to make strides in restoring Haiti’s forests.

Thinking about the political and economic dimensions of past and current Haitian society, it is imperative that international involvement not be self-serving, but rather, prioritizes the well-being of the Haitian people. There must be more solidarity-based international relationships with Haiti. The cyclical and manipulative abuse of power has impoverished the nation for far too long. It is time this historical nation that inspired and aided in liberation movements around the world revives its former dignity and self-sufficiency by reclaiming the forests that are embedded in its cultural identity and were instrumental to historical survival.

Could Happiness Help Mitigate Climate Change? Study Says Maybe So

Posted on by

Money can’t buy happiness–a truism so familiar that not even a quick Google search reveals its origins. Nevertheless, investing in climate change mitigation can improve quality of life. Many of the world’s poorest countries also find themselves at risk from climate change without the necessary investment in weather-proof infrastructure needed to sustain life. Developing countries find this especially difficult, as many work to expand their economies within the global market. 

Under a free-market capitalist system, the strength of a country’s economy is measured by its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP measures the net value of a country’s production and thus its “worth” in the global market. It would stand, therefore, that the wealthier the country, the better the quality of life, right?

Often heralded as an international status symbol, GDP’s wealth measurement is inherently problematic. The free-market system worships economic growth with little concern for human or ecological consequences. A Gross Domestic Product measurement, therefore, doesn’t take into account most of the fundamental parts of human life–relationships, community, and quality of life.  Therefore, some scientists suggest that rather than dubbing our age the Anthropocene, we adopt an alternative title that specifically targets capitalism’s impact on our environment: the Capitalocene.

Following the Great Recession, more countries became open to the idea of replacing GDP with a more comprehensive measurement of success. After witnessing massive bailouts of the fossil fuel industry, countries like France and Bhutan used the momentum to heighten public awareness of the fossil fuel industry’s massive impact on human-induced climate change. Their plan? Eliminate the social and environmental conditions that allowed bailouts and stunted socio-economic growth. 

A study conducted by researchers from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa decided to examine how a country could create an actionable method for inspecting and changing its culture. Pulling data from a book by Lorenzo Fioramonti, the study argues that global economic growth has been static since the 1970s, if including the costs of environmental externalities. 

Consider the case of Bhutan. This south Asian country pioneered a more holistic measurement of a country’s success. Adopted by the UN in 2011, the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index considers the overall wellbeing of a nation’s residents by measuring satisfaction with education, health, and other living standards.

In Bhutan, the researchers inspected the Bhutanese Constitution to determine which values the people and government deem necessary to uphold. The document explicitly references the government’s purpose as a body that helps  “enhance the unity, happiness and well-being of the people for all time.” Using these standards, they designed a survey to guide the government in responding to the results.

A survey conducted by the Bhutanese government asked citizens to rate their overall satisfaction within 9 different domains, such as Health and Education, and the 33 sub-categories, like living standards, psychological wellbeing, and ecological diversity/resilience. With a sample size of 9,000 people, the researchers and Bhutanese government surveyed approximately 1% of the country’s total population. Unlike GNH surveys in other countries, Bhutan trains its workers for 13 days, requiring that the survey conductors spend significant time with each person they interview. They must also conduct the survey in the region’s local language rather than English so as to reach a more diverse group of respondents.

 

Overall, only 10.4% of the population declare themselves unhappy. People are most satisfied with their safety, relationships to the environment, and feeling responsible for their environment. The areas with the most room for improvement include expanding education, work/life balance, and cultural participation. Most importantly, the results show that as material wellbeing increases, psychological wellbeing decreases significantly.

Bhutan, like many other nations globally, finds itself wanting to preserve its environment and culture, two elements that survey participants emphasize. Nevertheless, survey participants remark that because of the Bhutanese government’s acceptance of multinational corporations, many feel they and their families are at risk of losing their jobs and land to make way for economic development.

Ultimately, the Gross National Happiness indicates there must be change on local levels to bring about national (and then international) systemic change. The more that scientists and government officials communicate, the better policy can be informed by science. By examining and addressing the population’s concerns, governments can employ the results of a GNH throughout communities nationally to combat the climate crisis and socioeconomic inequality.

To attain a viable path to a sustainable future, the researchers emphasize examining the shortcomings of traditional political thinking. Adopting an ecosocial approach to the climate crisis requires small-scale alterations on the local level before a large-scale structural change can occur. The results of the Bhutanese study conclude that by developing platforms focused on social and environmental justice instead of capitalism alone, we can mend the developing ecological crisis.

Chop the trees to plant the seeds: agricultural pressures on deforestation

Posted on by

Jungle Book

Jungle Book (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

Tarzan (Source: Pinterest)

If you’ve seen Disney’s Tarzan or The Jungle Book, then you can imagine a dense tropical rainforest. Haiti, an island nation often portrayed as destitute and barren, was once covered in forests too. When Europeans colonized Haiti, they robbed the country of its trees for agricultural gain. Deforestation has devastated Haiti. Deeply tied to agriculture, deforestation is prevalent around the world. According to the United Nations, forests cover 31 percent of Earth’s land area and are home to more than 80 percent of land animals. Yet, since 2015, deforestation has been rampant — 10 million hectares of forests are lost each year. For you sports fans, that is about 125 million football fields annually.

Deforestation has been trending in the news most recently when #PrayforAmazon populated social media. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro perpetuates decades old government support of clearing the rainforest. Incentivized by his policies, farmers have been burning neighboring sections of the Amazon rainforest to increase the size and yield of their agricultural plots. Why should you care? Well for one, burning trees release all of their stored carbon back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

 

Amazon Rainforest burning in Brazil (Source: BBC)

Agriculture-based deforestation drives most forest loss each year. Meanwhile, 90% of people living in extreme poverty depend on forests for much of their livelihoods — pollinators, freshwater, food, shelter, and climate regulation are beneficial products of forests. Trees also play a key role in oxygen production, atmospheric pollution removal, and soil accumulation and retention.

Agriculture also depends on forest health. Successful farming is tied to  availability of soil and water. With shifting global temperatures, changes in climate patterns predict increased rainfall in various regions globally. Healthy forests prevent soil erosion, which occurs when soil is loose and washes away with the rain. Therefore without trees, these regions may suffer from erosion, like Haiti, and experience agricultural hardships from lack of soil nutrients, soil abundance, and water retention. 

Thus, trees indirectly help communities improve greater agricultural yields. Once people have consistent access to food and clean water, they can focus on other aspects of their lives, leading to educational advancements, economic prosperity, and better health.

According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, food security can lead to economic growth, poverty reduction, and improved health. In India for example, when women have access to agricultural land rights, they produce more food over which they have autonomy. Studies show that with more income from their produce, mothers are more likely to invest in nourishing and educating their children, thus investing in their futures.

 

Agroforestry: creating beneficial collaboration between reforestation planting and agricultural production (Source: Plant with Purpose)

Eden Project – Haiti (Source: YouTube)

The Eden Project is a collaboration between foreign donors and Haitian people based on independence to reforest the land sustainably. Similarly, the Cooperative Development Project (CODEP), another reforestation organization in Haiti, implements agroforestation.

 

Looking into historical causes and more recent approaches and solutions of forested islands including Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Australia, I will explore relationships between agriculture, deforestation and reforestation.

Capitalism and the Climate: Why We Can’t Have Both

Posted on by

Do you feel a sense of impending doom when thinking about our planet’s future? Are you concerned about the ever-widening wealth gap between the 1% and the dwindling middle class? Does the current political climate seem unsustainable to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then maybe ecosocialism is for you!

Broadly defined, ecosocialism is a burgeoning ideology combining criticisms of capitalism from both social and environmental perspectives. Ecosocialists argue that pursuing individual financial gain at the expense of the working class and the planet landed us in our current climate crisis. That proposition requires ecosocialists to ask a fundamental question: how can we create a better future for all when we refuse to change the systems that created the present? 

Just as with human-induced climate change, capitalism is not the natural order of the world. Capitalism in its current, unregulated form wasn’t conceived until the late 18th-century, though slavery and exploitation of labor harken back several centuries. With roots in the imperialist traditions of the British and American Empires, capitalism celebrates personal gain instead of collective success and private property rather than traditional land rights. 

Capitalist principles directly oppose those of Indigenous peoples, who remain victims of Western economic growth to this day. A prominent tenet of many Indigenous nations, respecting the land helped these societies prosper for hundreds of years before the arrival of European colonists. Indigenous traditions offer an alternative, more sustainable relationship with the planet, but are currently incompatible with Western consumer culture. 

Turning a profit, though not inherently bad, is embedded in capitalism. However, a study from 2017 shows that the richest 1% possess more than half of the world’s wealth. This massive wealth gap is no accident–unchecked capitalism is largely responsible. Between 2010-2015, American fossil fuel executives alone pocketed over $6 billion, approximately 1000x times more than the average American. 

Corporations often claim that “going green” is bad for business. Is this true? Partially. While the operating costs of sustainable business are higher, the social and environmental costs, however, are worth the extra cash. Corporations don’t pollute for fun, but they do behave in a risk-averse manner. Though often the safest business decision, weighing immediate profit over long-term environmental consequences and human lives comes with a high price tag: our planet itself.   

For this beat, I will examine case studies of countries that incorporate eco-social policies. There is a precedent for modern ecosocialism. In fact, the United States is far behind most of the world at implementing ecosocial and collectivist policy to combat climate change. 

A number of countries, including India, Bhutan, France, Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom, incorporate ecosocialist policies in their mainstream government. By examining the United States’s shortcomings and successful policy applications in other countries, I will highlight ways the U.S.  can move forward towards a more sustainable and equitable future. 

Stop Disturbing Me: Climate, Invasive Species, and Disturbances

Posted on by

New England forests may seem immune to the consequences of climate change. Hurricanes are infrequent, and there is no risk of ocean flooding or raging wildfires. In an age of wild weather, New England forests seem remarkably stable. If only that were true. Climate change is actually reshaping this ecosystem inconspicuously. The warming climate and its related impacts are causing more changes to the ecosystem than New England forests have ever faced.

How will the climate change in New England?

New England is already getting warmer and wetter. Climate is defined as the combination of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time, and New England will continue to see changes in both. The region has already seen a 2.4°F increase in average temperature over the last century. Additionally, climate models predict that the speed of this warming is only going to increase. Temperatures are increasing particularly fast during the winter months, likely tied to the dramatic warming in the Arctic. 

On the whole, precipitation is projected to increase across the year. The distribution of precipitation will likely also change. New England is projected to have both drier summers and wetter autumns and winters. Perhaps the most concerning disturbance is that the New England climate is predicted to become more unpredictable.

Just how unpredictable are we talking?

The popular term “weather whiplash” was coined to refer to the increasingly erratic weather patterns expected with climate change.  It is a real concern in New England forests. In meteorological terms, it is often defined as rapid shifts between wet and dry or warm and cold conditions. For New England forests, this is particularly damaging in the case of “false” springs. Early warm weather can cause plants to begin budding prematurely, only to die when freezing temperatures return. Although this will not kill mature trees, it does wear them down, as they then must produce buds again or simply not have leaves that year. 

Damage from a windstorm at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.

How will climate change impact extreme weather events?

Short answer: There will be more. Whether caused by icy winter storms or violent summer thunderstorms, the consequence of increasingly unpredictable weather is more downed trees and broken branches. 

As the weather intensifies, the potential for strong winds will create many more canopy gaps, or openings in the treetops, that fundamentally transform these forests. More light and precipitation reaching the forest floor gives saplings an advantage. Canopy gaps are the primary change agent in New England forests as these openings allow new species or age groups of trees to enter the forest.

How is climate changing invasive species in New England forests?

In recent years we have seen an increase in the diversity and abundance of invasive species in New England. Emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, and gypsy moths are just a few of the invasive species currently munching through these forests. The changing climatic conditions, particularly the loss of cold winters that typically kill off pests, are making their movements easier. Trees that are already stressed by false springs, drought, and the changing climate are more vulnerable to an invasive pest. Research shows that entire tree species, like hemlocks and ash, are likely to be wiped out in the coming decades. 

This loss of species will change New England forests and have staggering economic consequences. Although the total economic impacts of invasive pests can be difficult to quantify, one study estimates that the United States loses roughly $77 billion a year just to invasive insects. Stopping invasive species entirely is nearly an impossible task, but policies such as bans on moving firewood across state lines can help to slow the spread. Educating the public on signs and symptoms of invasive species to look for in their local trees may be our best hope of tracking the spread.

Forest devastated by hemlock woolly adelgid infestation in Pennsylvania.

What are climate migrant species and what do they mean for New England forests?

Climate migrants are defined as species entering a new ecosystem as a result of changing climatic conditions. They differ from invasive species in that they are not introduced through human behavior and they are native to a nearby geographic area. An example is red oak’s northward movement through New England forests. While invasive species tend to spread entirely unchecked, climate migrants usually just have a slight advantage over native species in an ecosystem. However, several climate migrants arriving all at once could destabilize these forests. 

Why does it matter?

It is the compounding of these climate change impacts that poses the greatest danger for New England forests. Small canopy gaps created by natural disturbances such as the death of older trees, weather events, and pests are actually necessary for northern temperate forests. Some disturbance is essential to every ecosystem. But by drastically increasing the number of canopy gaps in the northeast, climate change is tearing apart the fabric of New England forests. No ecosystem was built to handle so much change all at once. Climate change poses a dire threat to New England forests. It’s time we noticed. 

For more information look here:

It’s Getting Hot in Here: Climate Change Experiment Finds Unexpected Consequences for New England forests

Posted on by

This year has once again brought us some crazy weather: snow in October. Although the saying, “if you don’t like the weather in New England just wait a minute,” holds true, this much snow in October is definitely out of the ordinary. The last time Boston received this much snow (3.5”) in October? 1872. While unexpected weather events are common in New England, their increasing frequency is a symptom of climate change.

Climate change is no secret—our world is getting warmer as a result of human introduction of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. But the havoc climate change will wreak on various ecosystems is complex and often not well understood. 

A new study published in Ecology this summer looks at the potential impacts of both warmer growing seasons and decreased winter snowpack on New England’s northern hardwood forests. This study (Climate Change Across Seasons Experiment or CCASE) uses forest plots with manipulated precipitation and temperature to simulate future climate scenarios at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Hubbard Brook is one of the most important sites in the northeast for ecosystem ecology research.

Study design of the manipulated climate variables and plots at the Climate Change Across Seasons Experiment. Figure by Pamela Templer.

As the study points out, climate models for the Northeast over the next century predict warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and even more unpredictable weather. Our snowy Halloween is just another reminder that those erratic changes are already here. 

On the surface, warmer winters probably sound appealing: less bitter cold days when the wind bites through your jacket, fewer wintry mornings freezing your fingers while scraping snow off your car. But changing winters is going to change a lot more than just the snow. 

Less winter snowpack means less snow on the ground. Snowpack acts like insulation for fine tree roots, so less insulation leads to more damage. Surprisingly it is these tiniest tree roots, known as fine roots, that are most critical for the future ability of trees to take up water and nutrients. Damage on a local scale can have drastic implications for water and carbon movements of New England forests on a broader level.

Thermal cables on the forest floor that provide the artificial warming for the experimental plots of the CCASE experiment

Unfortunately, warming summer temperatures will not increase the carbon storage capacity of northern hardwood forests. Although the study did find that soil warming alone caused plants to grow faster and thus intake more carbon, this was offset in plots with more frequent soil freezing as the damage to plant roots reduced their ability to grow faster. These results cast doubt on whether northern temperate forests will continue to be a carbon storage space as climate change worsens. This would only speed up the feedback loop of climate change impacts. 

The CCASE study also found that changes in soil temperature over the next century will impact the water cycle. On average, a single mature oak tree pumps 100 gallons of water into the atmosphere each day. Trees essentially control the water cycle in northern hardwood forests. When considering an entire forest, this pumping accounts for two-thirds of all water movement in the ecosystem. This research suggests that ecosystems are going to change dramatically in a warmer climate, cranking up that pump by 42 to 61 percent. Increased water uptake during the growing season could exacerbate water-stress for forests, particularly with the concurrent rise in frequency of droughts. 

These findings spell disaster for two New England traditions: colorful foliage and maple syrup. 

Drought stress on trees can drastically shorten the fall foliage season. Colorful foliage is typically triggered by the cooler days and longer nights of fall. Moderate heat and drought can prolong this process, giving us particularly vibrant fall colors. Extreme drought and high heat, like the conditions occurring in New England this year, cause color changes to happen sooner and faster. Trees that are mildly stressed by drought and heat will delay changing color and dropping their leaves, but when trees are severely stressed by weather conditions, the process accelerates. What is a New England forest without its changing leaves? For many communities, it is not just the loss of a beautiful view, it is the loss of tourism. 

The maple syrup industry is under similar stress from the combined loss of deep snowpack and increasingly unpredictable early spring weather. Sugar maples are particularly susceptible to damage to fine roots from soil freezing. Maple sugaring is dependent on the combination of below-freezing nights and above-freezing day temperatures. Climate change is pushing this timing earlier and often shortening the length of the season, mirroring changes to the fall foliage season.

Although the scientists look specifically at red maple trees, they conclude that the changes in climate will have broader implications for the future of northern temperate forests as a whole. These climate changes certainly mean a more unpredictable world—random October snow storms may be the new normal. So, as harmless as warmer weather and less snow might sound, it could mean the end of the New England forests we know and love. 

For more information on the Climate Change Across Seasons Experiment look here:

 

Color Me Surprised: A Shorter Fall Foliage Season and Other Climate Change Impacts

Posted on by

Photo taken by author. Fall foliage along the Ashuelot River in New Hampshire.

If I asked you to describe New England you would probably talk about the quaint small towns with their brick buildings, the forested mountains, and the vivid colors of the changing fall foliage. Leaf-peeping is a cultural hallmark of New England as well as a key tourism draw. It brings nearly $3 billion in tourism revenue to the region annually. But leaf-peeping is dependent on beautiful fall foliage, which climate change is putting at risk. Warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are causing leaves to turn sooner and faster which means a shorter fall foliage season. And invasive species are changing the forest composition leading to fewer maples, which offer the brightest colors. A shorter fall foliage season is just one of many impacts human-caused climate change will have on northern temperate forests of New England. 

New England forests are prized for their beauty and as a space for outdoor recreation. The forests also provide essential services including clean water and clean air—they even slow climate change by storing carbon. A 2017 report found that New England forests offset 20 percent of the region’s carbon produced through fossil fuel consumption. 

Climate change is rapidly shaping New England forests. Invasive pests, warming temperatures, and increasingly unpredictable weather events threaten the stability of the ecosystem. There is simply not enough time for forests to adapt. These disturbances all impact small New England communities which rely on forests for timber, tourism, and fuel. 

Rural communities throughout New England are struggling to handle the challenges of climate change. The fractured management of these forests makes any adaptation strategy difficult to implement. New England forests are 80 percent privately-owned which makes planning challenging. Thus, the future of these forests depends on an economically and socially diverse collection of people. 

Photo taken by author. White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

There are some initiatives to increase the portion of protected forest in the region. One such project is the Wildlands and Woodlands (W&W) vision which calls for conservationists and landowners to permanently protect 70 percent of the New England landscape as forests by 2060. But just protecting these forests from development is no longer enough. Citizens must take action on climate change and work to make New England forests as resilient as possible to rapidly changing conditions.  

What will changing New England forests mean for rural communities? My beat will explain how climate change is already impacting New England forests and what the future climate will bring. Beyond their ecological benefits, forests also have incredible economic and cultural importance in New England. Understanding these different values is key to protecting this vital resource. 

Everything You Need to Know about the Spotted Lanternfly in Pennsylvania

Posted on by

2020 has been horrible for most of us, and Pennsylvanians have found a new reason to add to the list. The spotted lanternfly, an invasive species from Asia, swarmed eastern Pennsylvania in a record-breaking infestation. Pennsylvanians, like me, have found it more than a little alarming to see hordes of this invasive planthopper in our own backyards. Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said, in a March press release, that the spotted lanternflies are “wreaking havoc for home and business owners; kids who just want to play outside; Pennsylvania agriculture and the economy of the state we all call home.” Want to know more about how you can be a part of the solutions to this pesky problem? Read on! 

How can I identify the spotted lanternfly?

Depending on the season, spotted lanternflies are found in a few different life stages. In the spring, young nymphs are quarter-inch black insects that are occasionally mistaken for ticks. Later in the lanternfly’s life cycle, they take on a red coloration, still with white spots and black lines throughout, and eventually molt to adults with working wings. As we approach the end of fall, the most common stages of the lanternflies that you will see are adults and egg masses. 

Adult lanternflies, which peak in population during the summer and fall months, are the largest and easiest to spot. Adults are about one inch in length and black, grey, and red in color with black spots covering their wings. 

The egg masses of lanternflies can be difficult to find because of their tan color and smooth mud-splash-esque exterior but are nevertheless important to search for. Lanternflies lay their eggs on virtually any hard, smooth surface, including on cars, cushions, bark, and more. Destroying these egg masses is one of the most simple ways to reduce their spread.

Spotted lanternfly life stages and sizes. Credit: Towamencin Township

How did the spotted lanternfly get here?

The spotted lanternfly, native to China, India, and Vietnam, is believed to have been introduced into the United States as egg masses on a shipment of stones in 2012. The first infestation of the lanternfly was found in 2014 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, just northwest of Philadelphia. The state made efforts to contain the lanternfly locally while there was still hope of preventing an outbreak. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. The lanternflies began to spread rapidly to other Pennsylvania counties and eventually to surrounding states. 

What is the environmental and economic impact of the spotted lanternfly?

The spotted lanternfly has devastated landowners and farmers in Pennsylvania, and its effects are only getting worse as it infests new counties.

Environmental Impact

When lanternflies feed on trees, stems, and vines, they excrete a substance called honeydew. While it sounds sweet, this sugary substance is a breeding ground for sooty mold, which can kill plants by blocking sunlight from reaching their leaves. While harmless to human health, sooty mold still causes issues for homeowners whose outdoor spaces can become overrun by dark, sticky substances. Talk about putting a damper on the family barbeque!

Economic Impact

In 2019, a report released by The Center for Rural Pennsylvania determined that these insects have the largest effect on the grape market and have the power to spoil up to 50% of grape crops in serious infestations. The study also estimated that spotted lanternfly infestations have cost PA $50.1 million annually and have eliminated nearly  484 jobs annually due to the reduction of agricultural and forestry output. These losses are a large part of why Pennsylvania and its surrounding states are so keen on controlling their lanternfly populations. 

Which states have the spotted lanternfly spread to?

There are spotted lanternfly infestations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. There have also been sightings of spotted lanternflies in North Carolina, Massachusetts, and New York. The largest and most severe infestation still remains in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Spotted lanternfly distributions from October 2020 with blue sections indicating infestations and purple dots representing sightings. Credit: New York State Integrated Pest Management  

 What are some regulations in place to control spotted lanternfly populations?

The first line of defense is a quarantine zone around the infested counties in Pennsylvania. A quarantine prohibits the movement of material that could harbor the lanternflies, like firewood, across the quarantine line (seen outlined in red on the map above). Commercial vehicles and personal drivers can apply for exemptions to move these items responsibly across the zones but must submit to thorough inspections.

There have been some other, more complicated control methods that scientists have been researching. One of those projects is introducing a predator species, the tiny Chinese wasp which would kill baby spotted lanternflies by laying eggs in them. However, adding an introduced species in response to invaders is risky. Research is being conducted on a small scale to determine the viability and safety of this project. Another strategy has been training scent detection dogs to sniff out spotted lanternfly egg masses in order to destroy them.

Photo: Rosie Emerson: The view of multiple spotted lanternflies outside my sixth-floor apartment window in Willow Grove, PA, this summer. 

What can we do to address spotted lanternflies?

The state has encouraged property owners to actively destroy egg masses on their property, using rubbing alcohol to ensure they don’t hatch unexpectedly. Although egg masses can be difficult to find, this practice has a distinct advantage over trying to capture and kill a flying adult lanternfly. 

In order for any of these efforts to be successful against the spread of spotted lanternflies, we will need to work together and remain vigilant, taking the extra time to stay informed and check our vehicles before exiting the quarantine zone. Agriculture Secretary Redding remarked that “We need to unite over our hatred for this pest for our common love: Pennsylvania.” 

Thank you so much for taking the first step to fighting this invasive insect. To find more information or to report sightings of spotted lanternflies, please visit the Penn State Extension website here. 

You Can Kiss Your Ash Goodbye: New research shows severe impacts of invasive tree-destroyer, the Emerald Ash Borer

Posted on by

Children in Michigan and growing parts of the U.S.  are witnessing the death of a species, ash trees. A local conservation educator wrote about how even his fifth-grade students could spot the drill hole-shaped indications of an emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation. Roger Mech, from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, ominously foreshadowed in 2015 that “billions of dollars [will be lost] as EAB continues to spread.” 

Now, new detailed research has found that individual county-level earnings in the most vulnerable industries drop by as much as 4% in the years after EAB has been detected. This study on the economic effects of county-level EAB detection, spearheaded by University of New Mexico economics professor, Benjamin A. Jones, found there to be significant negative impacts on the community’s labor market and economy in the years following infestation.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive species, native to Asia, which feasts on ash trees. The larvae of EAB burrow into the ash tree’s inner bark layer siphoning off the host’s nutrient-rich sap. An adult EAB is about half an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide with metallic, emerald green outer shells and a red-copper abdomen. Although the small shape and Christmas-colored exterior of EAB may seem almost inviting, there are massive efforts to control and regulate the spread of this ravenous invasive species, and for a good reason.

The EAB has emerald green elytra (tough outer shell wings that protect the flying wings below). Credit: Ecological Landscape Alliance

The death of ash trees even changes temperature and air quality. Temperatures increase when ash trees disappear because there are fewer shaded areas and sources of photosynthesis. Trees also act as natural air purifiers, cleaning away toxic pollutants, and improving air quality. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also reports that ash trees represent 10-40% of tree cover in urban communities so the death of these trees could leave portions of already nature-starved cities without wildlife. 

County-level research confirmed EAB’s devastating economic effects, as well. Earnings in every sector dropped by an average of 1% in the years following an EAB detection, with a near 4% drop seen in the manufacturing industry which heavily relies on wood and paper products. Workers retired at higher rates after EAB detection due to job loss and EAB detection lowered average county-level per capita earnings by $174.14.  That might not sound like much, but over the ten year period investigated, EAB cost these counties a whopping $11.8 billion.

The relationship between EAB detection and these findings are extremely clear because the drop in earnings follows the EAB destruction cycle. Initial detection of EAB did not constitute an immediate economic loss, just as one EAB sighting does not immediately kill an entire forest. After a few years, when almost all of the ash trees in the communities were damaged or dead, the economic impact reached its peak while businesses shut down or moved and jobs were lost.

The spread of EAB by year first detected. Credit: Benjamin A. Jones, Figure 1 in study

The EAB is almost impossible to contain. The pest equips a killer combination of high reproduction rates and fast rates of spread. The latter is usually facilitated by humans, unintentionally helping them cover huge swaths of the United States as they hitch rides on our vehicles and in our luggage. Invasive species, such as EAB, that live on trees are most commonly transported through the timber industry and the delivery of goods on wooden pallets or crates. Since 2000, when EAB arrived in Michigan, this little insect has been rapidly spreading across the country. In the past four years has it reached parts of the east coast such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. 

Most recent EAB quarantine map from October 1st, 2020. Credit: Emerald Ash Borer Information Network

The USDA is taking several steps to limit the spread of EAB. The most significant of these is the implementation of an EAB quarantine zone which limits shipments of timber and other wood-based supplies from infected areas to non-infected areas without a permit. This means that a timber company based out of New Hampshire would require a permit to move its products into neighboring Maine. This is one of the common techniques used in the prevention of the spread of invasive species, along with educational training combined with sighting and reporting methods. 

This research brings forest-attacking invasive insects to the forefront of environmental issues. These invasive species require and deserve to be recognized by other agencies as a credible threat to American livelihood. With the increased globalization of trade, the issue of invasive species has become an even greater threat to American economic well-being. The combination of economic and environmental damage that invasive insects cause to communities across the country, as well as the rapid rate at which these damages are spreading, should be a wake-up call to policymakers. We must address the issue of invasive species.