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April 1 - April 30, 2021

Green Defenders Feed

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Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Contact your Elected Officials
    Do you have any personal connections to a farm or farmland? If so, what are they? What feelings are evoked for you when thinking about declining farmland?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:15 AM
    Degraded farmland is often abandoned, but need not be. Restoration can bring these lands back into productivity and sequester carbon in the process.
    Around the world, farmers are walking away from lands that were once cultivated or grazed because those lands have been “farmed out.” The causes range from damaging agricultural practices to desertification, from lack of market access to migration. It can be cheaper to walk away from the land than to work it.

    There are an estimated 950 million to 1.1 billion acres of deserted farmland around the world—acreage once used for crops or pasture that has not been restored as forest or converted to development. This land offers an opportunity to improve food security, farmers’ livelihoods, ecosystem health, and carbon drawdown simultaneously.

    To feed a growing population and protect forests from deforestation for fresh farmland, restoring abandoned cropland and pastureland is key. Bringing abandoned lands back into productive use can also turn them into carbon sinks. Where soils are left to erode, abandoned farmlands can be a source of emissions.
    Restoration can mean the return of native vegetation, the establishment of tree plantations, or the introduction of regenerative farming methods. Active restoration is labor intensive, yet necessary for cultivation to revive. Programs to finance regeneration are a necessary stimulus to action, helping landowners make changes without having to bet the farm.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Local Perennial Biomass
    Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe states that "The reason we care about climate change is because it affects the people and places that we care about." What is happening (or will happen) in your area that will affect the people and places you care about?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:14 AM
    Biomass provides a stepping stone in the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and according to Project Drawdown, biomass energy as a climate change solution must come from waste from mills and agriculture or sustainably grown perennial crops. Annual grain crops like corn and sorghum depletes groundwater and requires high inputs of energy, and harvesting biomass (wood) from native forests "is nothing less than an atrocity.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Learn More about Silvopasture
    Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:13 AM
    An agroforestry practice, silvopasture integrates trees, pasture, and forage into a single system. Incorporating trees improves land health and significantly increases carbon sequestration.
    Silvopasture is an ancient practice that integrates trees and pasture into a single system for raising livestock. Research suggests silvopasture far outpaces any grassland technique for counteracting the methane emissions of livestock and sequestering carbon under-hoof. Pastures strewn or crisscrossed with trees sequester five to ten times as much carbon as those of the same size that are treeless, storing it in both biomass and soil.

    Carbon aside, the advantages of silvopasture are considerable, with financial benefits for farmers and ranchers. Livestock, trees, and any additional forestry products, such as nuts, fruit, and mushrooms, generate income on different time horizons. The health and productivity of both animals and the land improve. Because silvopasture systems are diversely productive and more resilient, farmers are better insulated from risk.

    Silvopasture often runs counter to farming norms and can be costly and slow to implement. Peer-to-peer education has proven effective for spreading it. As the impacts of global warming progress, appeal will likely grow, because silvopasture can help farmers and their livestock adapt to erratic weather and increased drought. That is the climatic win-win of this solution: Silvopasture averts and sequesters emissions, while protecting against changes that are now inevitable.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Explore My Area
    How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:11 AM
    Spending more time outdoors enhances our sense of deep knowledge & appreciation for surroundings. It enhances our skills and deeper understanding about the environment and society where we live.We meet different kind of people in our outdoor environment which belong from different culture tradition beliefs and are having different set of moral values in their life.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Support a Community Garden
    What are the multiple benefits of community gardens, including carbon sequestration? Why do these benefits matter to you?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:09 AM
    Community gardens can help reduce negative environmental impacts by promoting sustainable agriculture; reducing food transportation costs and reducing water runoff. Humans, plants and animals can all benefit from urban agriculture since it creates habitats and improves the ecology of the area. Community gardens Help improve air and soil quality. Increase biodiversity of plants and animals. Reduce “food miles” that are required to transport nutritious food. Can replace impervious structures and improve water infiltration. Can reduce neighborhood waste through composting. Positively impact the urban micro-climate.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Research Peatlands
    Much of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained so they could be replaced with palm oil or pulp and paper plantations. How can you make choices that help to protect peatlands, even if you live far away from one?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:08 AM
    Peatlands are a type of wetlands that occur in almost every country on Earth, currently covering 3% of the global land surface. The term ‘peatland’ refers to the peat soil and the wetland habitat growing on its surface.
    Peatlands are highly significant to global efforts to combat climate change, as well as wider sustainable development goals. The protection and restoration of peatlands is vital in the transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
    Damaged peatlands contribute about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from the land use sector. CO2 emissions from drained peatlands are estimated at 1.3 gigatonnes of CO2 annually. This is equivalent to 5.6% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Fires in Indonesian peat swamp forests in 2015, for example, emitted nearly 16 million tonnes of CO2 a day. This is more than the daily emissions from the entire US economy.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Conduct Virtual Meetings
    How can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:05 AM
    Conferencing solutions offer more benefits than meets the eye. Consider these examples of how the right video conferencing strategies can make your business stand out.
    Display clean, crisp video
    Video quality can make or break the professionalism of the presentation. Use a web conferencing solution that displays high-quality video. Superior video quality elevates the professionalism of the presenter.
    Make joining easy
    Attendees want to join the video conference meeting without hassle. By making access easy and secure, small businesses project a secure, simplistic approach to video conferencing for all attendees. Features such as personalized meeting rooms and instant meeting access make attendees feel at ease.
    Add a personal touch
    Video conferencing allows small businesses to keep a personalized approach to communicating. Virtual meetings make participants feel like they are in the same room.
    Improve productivity
    Video conferencing allows small businesses to streamline communication with both internal and external customers. Alleviate playing phone tag or sending multiple emails by knocking out all the agenda items in one fell swoop.
    Connect remote teams
    Most small businesses have staggered teams that may work outside of the office. Whether someone is working from home or connecting to the meeting on the go, video keeps everyone connected. Multipoint video functionality easily allows multiple participants to be both seen and heard.
    Save time and money on travel
    Small businesses have limited resources and video conferencing can reduce the need to travel. Use this as a means of reducing the bottom line.

    Collaborate through a video room

    Online conferencing with GlobalMeet allows small businesses to collaborate with ease. Participants located in a video room can use VRC (video room connector) technology to exhibit a professional quality web meeting.
    Maximize your small business video conferencing strategy
    You can take advantage of these video conferencing strategies and more for free. To see VRC integration in action for your huddle room, schedule a demo of GlobalMeet VRC.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure
    What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:04 AM
    Bicycles offer an alternative to cars and fossil-fuel transport, especially in cities. Infrastructure is essential for supporting safe and abundant bicycle use, thereby curbing emissions.
    Bicycles are on the rise as cities attempt to untangle traffic and unclog skies, urban dwellers seek affordable transportation, and diseases of inactivity and billowing greenhouse gases become impossible to ignore. Infrastructure is essential for supporting safe, pleasant, and abundant bicycle use, and includes:
    • Networks of well-lit, tree-lined bike lanes or paths—the more direct, level, and interconnected the better.
    • Well-designed intersections, roundabouts, and points of access, where bicycles and cars meet.
    • Access to public transport, secure bike parking, city bike-share programs, and workplace showers.
    In the places where cycling thrives, programs and policies complement physical infrastructure. Educational initiatives target cyclists and motorists alike, for example, and stricter liability laws protect those on two wheels. Numbers from the world’s cycling capitals are compelling. In Denmark, 18 percent of local trips are done on two wheels, and in the Netherlands, 27 percent—with virtually zero emissions.
    A virtuous cycle is clear: With more infrastructure come more riders. Perhaps counterintuitively, with more infrastructure and more riders, safety improves. And the more bicycles there are traversing a city, the more it reaps numerous returns on investment, including the health benefits of cleaner air and greater physical activity.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Explore Other Transportation Solutions
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 9:02 AM
    Transportation solutions address alternatives, fuel efficiency, and electrification.
    Shift to Alternatives
    Alternative modes of mobility reduce demand for fossil-fueled transportation or replace it altogether. With public and “pooled” transit, we can make the most of available seats. Compact cities, intentional infrastructure, and advanced communication technologies make it possible to walk, cycle, or simply stay put.
    Enhance Efficiency
    Where combustion engines remain in use, vehicles can be made far more fuel-efficient through mechanical improvements, lightweighting, better design, and more artful operation.
    Electrify Vehicles
    Electrification of vehicles completely replaces petroleum—and has even greater benefits when paired with renewable electricity generation.
    These transportation solutions have the potential to save money and preempt pollution, but the transformations required are substantial and the sector can be slow to move. Vehicles remain in use for many years. New transportation infrastructure is expensive and takes time to build. Clean fuels for airplanes remain distant. But many of the solutions can, if done intelligently, create more equitable mobility and livability in our cities and communities, without forfeiting the stability of our climate.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle
    Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

    Fahad Akhtar's avatar
    Fahad Akhtar 3/30/2021 8:57 AM
    There are many reasons to make your next vehicle purchase an electric car. Lower fuel costs, environmental stewardship, and energy independence are all compelling reasons to go electric with your next car. Here are the top three benefits of electric vehicles.
    Reduce or even eliminate your fuel costs.
    Weekly trips to the gas station to fuel up your car are expensive, especially when the ever-fluctuating price of gasoline is high. By choosing an electric vehicle, you can forget about paying for gasoline and being at the mercy of gas prices. Not only is electricity less expensive than gasoline, it also has a much more stable price point, meaning that rapid price swings are all but eliminated by going electric.
    You can reduce your costs even further by installing a rooftop solar installation to charge your electric vehicle. When you produce your own free electricity, you avoid increasing your monthly electric bill by plugging your electric vehicle into the grid. Due to the remarkable flexibility of electricity generation, it is possible to entirely remove fuel costs from your life.
    Reduce car emissions to help the environment

    Humans have historically had a very negative impact on our environment, and switching to an electric vehicle is one way to reduce further damage to the earth. Carbon dioxide emissions from traditional vehicles contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and accelerate climate change. All-electric vehicles don’t release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when you drive them, and hybrid electric cars use their battery to greatly improve the distance you can travel with a gasoline-powered engine.
    Electric vehicles can be fueled by electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, hydropower, and solar, while gasoline can only be produced through intensive extraction and transportation processes. Electric vehicles are also built to be more environmentally friendly than conventional vehicles, as the large battery inside your electric car can be recycled. By choosing an electric car, you can reduce your carbon footprint and pollution impact to help preserve our natural environment.
    Become energy independent
    Owning a conventional vehicle means being tied to the gas pump – the only way to fuel your car is by buying gasoline. Electric vehicles are fueled by connecting to the electric grid, and electricity can be produced through several generation methods. Importantly, electric vehicles allow you to become energy independent, through the installation of renewable electricity generation such as a solar array to fuel your car. By pairing a solar PV system with an electric vehicle, you can become energy independent and produce free electricity from the sun to power your car, instead of buying fuel at the gas pump.