Grass, greenhouse gas and grazing: Why North America’s prairies are key to cutting emissions
In North America, prairie grass used to be everywhere. Today, just a fraction of it remains. It sits at a critical intersection of agribusiness and the environment — cattle can…
Read More...Researchers look into the effects of repeated droughts on different kinds of forests
Scientists are only beginning to understand how the effects of multiple droughts can compound to affect forests differently than a single drought alone. A variety of factors can increase and…
Read More...Does overselling regenerative ag’s climate benefits undercut its potential?
A new white paper from the Rodale Institute and the Carbon Underground says that regenerative practices, if adopted around the world, could sequester all annual carbon dioxide emissions. Critics warn…
Read More...Are carbon markets for farmers worth the hype?
Private markets promise farmers monetization of a secondary crop: carbon stored in the soil. But questions loom about data ownership, consolidation, and increased pollution in communities of color.
Read More...Forest margins may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought
A warming climate and more frequent wildfires do not necessarily mean the western United States will see the forest loss that many scientists expect. Dry forest margins may be more…
Read More...Tree planting has potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity
USDA Forest Service scientists have published an in-depth study on the value of tree planting as a means of offsetting carbon emissions in the United States. An analysis based on…
Read More...The science connecting wildfires to climate change
Climate change has inexorably stacked the deck in favor of bigger and more intense fires across the American West over the past few decades, science has incontrovertibly shown. Increasing heat,…
Read More...A Colorado dashboard seeks to put a price on future wildfires, other natural disasters amid a warming climate
Future Avoidance Cost Explorer (FACE:Hazards) is a proactive attempt to explore Colorado’s resiliency in the face of disaster. Dashboard users can view the estimated economic costs of natural hazards under…
Read More...As wildfires grow more intense, iconic western forests may not come back
High-severity fires leave behind massive burn areas with almost nothing alive. And any baby trees simply can’t thrive in the increased heat and drought brought on by climate change. If…
Read More...Can loans tied to soil health save agriculture? A new $250 million fund wants to find out
America’s soil health is in dire straits and a new investment fund, rePlant Capital, has been formed to help clove the crisis with capitalism by tying interest rates for farm…
Read More...