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IMPORTANT: LAST CALL FOR
PATRONS!Dear
reader, We've come to an inflection
point here at SFB headquarters: plough on in the
face of economic uncertainty or call it quits and
move on to pastures new. In advance of such a
tricky choice, we've decided to make one last call
for patronage in a final bid for the
publication to stand on its own feet financially.
So if you get any value out of the service we
provide, we hope you will consider becoming
one of our sustaining patrons – whether its enough
for a monthly takeaway, a sandwich or even just a
coffee, any little you can afford to spare would
be so gratefully appreciated. In exchange,
we pledge that if we cross the £500/month-mark,
we'll publish a new longread or photo essay every
week along with the newsletter. And if we hit
£1000/month, we'll launch a new solutions-focused
podcast. Of course, we'll keep you informed
of our decision in the coming weeks. But whatever
happens, we wish you a heartfelt thanks for your
all your time and support so
far! Ollie Founder &
Editor-in-Chief, Struggles From
Below | |
Large
tree-planting initiatives often fail – and
some have even fuelled deforestation. In our top
read this week, Vox's Benji Jones
discovers there's a better way to restore
forests.
On 11 November 2019,
volunteers planted 11 million trees in Turkey as
part of a government-backed initiative called
Breath for the Future. In one northern city, the
tree-planting campaign set the Guinness World
Record for the most saplings planted in one hour
in a single location: 303,150.
“By planting
millions of young trees, the nation is working to
foster a new, lush green Turkey,” Turkey’s
President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said when he
kicked off the project in Ankara.
Less than
three months later, up to 90% of the saplings were
dead. The trees were planted at the wrong time and
there wasn’t enough rainfall to support the
saplings.
In the past two decades, mass
tree-planting campaigns like this one have gained
popularity as a salve for many of our modern woes,
from climate change to the extinction crisis.
Companies and billionaires love these kinds of
initiatives. So do politicians. Really, what’s not
to like about trees? They suck up carbon emissions
naturally while providing resources for wildlife
and humans – and they’re even nice to look
at. It sounds like a win-win-win.
There’s
just one problem: These campaigns often don’t
work, and sometimes they can even fuel
deforestation.
In one recent study in the
journal Nature, for example, researchers examined
long-term restoration efforts in northern India, a
country that has invested huge amounts of money
into planting over the last 50 years. The authors
found “no evidence” that planting offered
substantial climate benefits or supported the
livelihoods of local communities.
The study
is among the most comprehensive analyses of
restoration projects to date, but it’s just one
example in a litany of failed campaigns that call
into question the value of big tree-planting
initiatives. Often, the allure of bold targets
obscures the challenges involved in seeing them
through, and the underlying forces that destroy
ecosystems in the first place.
Instead of
focusing on planting huge numbers of
trees, we should focus on growing trees for
the long haul, protecting and restoring ecosystems
beyond just forests, and empowering the local
communities that are best positioned to care for
them. | |
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What we're reading:
How Zurich blazed a trail for
recycled concrete
The Swiss city requires
recycled concrete to be used in the construction
of public buildings. Now other cities are
following its lead. BLOOMBERG
CITYLAB
How machine learning is identifying
new, better drugs
Artificial intelligence
has revolutionised the drug development process,
making the work faster, more efficient, and more
effective. WIRED
Record $5bn donation to protect
nature could herald new green era of
giving
Philanthropists pledge to protect
30% of land and sea by 2030, as the planet’s
health climbs the charity agenda. THE
GUARDIAN
How sea otters can fight climate
change
Sea otters were hunted to the brink
in the 19th Century fur trade, but their numbers
have been slowly recovering since. The return of
these playful creatures doesn't just transform
their ecosystems, it can turn them into a powerful
carbon sink. BBC FUTURE PLANET
Pollution to products? Recycled
carbon emissions are coming to consumer shelves
Around the world, technological
innovations to capture, store, reuse or replace
carbon pollution are on the rise. THOMSON REUTERS
FOUNDATION
One to ponder:
Has Covid ended the
neoliberal era?
The year 2020
exposed the risks and weaknesses of the
market-driven global system like never before.
It’s hard to avoid the sense that a turning point
has been reached. THE GUARDIAN
Quote of the
week:
“What is success?
It is an inner and indescribable force,
resourcefulness, power of vision; a consciousness
that I am, by my mere existence, exerting pressure
on the movement of life about me. It is my belief
in the adaptability of life to my own ends.
Fortune and success lie within ourselves. We must
hold them firmly—deep within us.”
– Thomas Mann
Song of the
week:
Celestial Choir -
Stand On The Word (Larry Levan Mix)
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That's it for today, folks. If you're
enjoying this newsletter, please do forward it on to any friends who
might be into it. All the
best, Ollie Founder &
Editor-in-Chief, Struggles From
Below | | |
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2019 Struggles From Below, All rights
reserved.
Our mailing address
is:
Struggles From Below, 48b Waller
Road, London, SE14 5LA
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