SOLUTIONS
Climate Change and a Growth Market
Rain can quickly ruin a long-awaited vacation, whether it’s a day at the theme park with the family, a night glamping with friends or a weekend on a ski slopes. Customers may be more cautious about committing to trips that could be ruined by rain, as climate change is causing more extreme weather.
Nick Cavanaugh, a climate scientist who has advised a hedge fund on weather risk, was motivated to start Sensible WeatherA company that insures trips against severe weather events is, Customers can purchase Weather Guarantees from the company when booking a hotel, rental skis, or tickets to theme parks online. Sensible reimburses customers when it rains on the day they are planning to go.
Sensible will offer a Weather Guarantee to customers who purchase $100 worth of tickets to the theme parks. This is a guarantee that the weather conditions will not be adverse based on their excursion date and location. It is approximately $10. Sensible will text customers in the morning to inform them that rain is forecast.
Sensible was founded in 2019 and now has thousands of customers. It is also growing rapidly, Cavanaugh stated. It functions like an insurance company. The company uses new technology to quickly assess the risk of bad weather. Customers can also purchase protection as they pay for their trip. Weather Guarantees are currently only available on some camping websites and theme park sites, but Cavanaugh said that he plans to make the product readily available on major travel booking sites.
Although the risk analysis is based only on historical trends, Cavanaugh said that future climate projections, greenhouse gas emissions, and future warming projections will also be used to integrate the data. This will ensure that the company can deal with more extreme weather.
Cavanaugh stated that vacations are a chance for anyone. If you’ve been looking forward to it, it’s a serious expense.
SCIENCE
As Long as the Immigrants are Birds and Insects
As global warming increases temperatures, species are moving poleward from their native environments. This may present challenges for wildlife managers, as newcomers arrive and disrupt native species.
British birdwatchers, wildlife observers and wildlife experts have all reported a positive outlook on climate refugee species. More than 300 wildlife experts were asked to answer questions about eight bird species as well as eight insect species that had recently moved into the United Kingdom. They strongly opposed the idea of eradicating all newcomers. StudyBased on the survey findings, the report emphasized the need for biodiversity conservation.
One thing we were wondering about was whether [respondents think] climate change is bad, so therefore, the species moving due to climate change are also bad, which we didn’t see any clear pattern of, said lead author Jamie Cranston, a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Exeter. Most people were either neutral or sympathetic.
Cranston stated that the survey was focused on wildlife observers as they were more likely than others to understand the implications for range-shifting species and could potentially be involved in collecting data about these species.
We manage nature for the public good. He said that it is right to consult people about how to manage it. It’s got to be a balance of different people’s views, and also the interests of future generations.
SCIENCE
This could make for a good burger
Alternative protein sources such as fungi could help reduce our need for beef and other water-intensive animals.
Scientists have calculated that if humans replace 20 percent of their beef and other ruminant animal product intakes with this alternative protein, deforestation would be reduced in half by midcentury.Nature publishes a new study.
The study focused on microbial protein, which is a meat substitute that has a similar protein content and texture as conventional meat. Microbial proteins are produced by fermentation, which is similar to alcohol and bread, and fed with sugar in a bioreactor. Researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have modeled future projections up to 2050 in which microbial protein would replace animal proteins. This would result in less land being used for pasture or crops to feed livestock. According to Hermann Lotze Campen (head of the Potsdam research center), even a small amount can result in a greater than proportional benefit for the environment.
You would need to use less land to produce the same amount of protein. This would prevent deforestation and protect valuable ecosystems. And you’re also reducing feed production. You basically eliminate the effects of fertilizer, water for irrigation, and the overall footprint for the food sector.
Lotze-Campen stated that microbial proteins are not dependent on a particular climate and can be produced in a controlled environment. These products are not yet widely accessible. U.K.-based company sells microbial protein. QuornThe, which is available worldwide, is available in 16 countries, as well as the United States.
Lotze-Campen stated that in order to achieve the environmental benefits, more technology is needed to scale up production, make the products cost-competitive with traditional meat products. Plus, consumers will need to be open to trying these alternatives and substituting beef for other meats in their diets.
How fast will people pick it up? He said. That’s a bit hard to predict.
SCIENCE
The Environment and City Dwellers
People who live in urban areas along the coast are less likely than those who live elsewhere to have a deep understanding of how ecosystems and humans interact. A new study was conducted.. Researchers believe this may be related to a decrease in exposure to natural coastlines due to increased human infrastructure.
The study was published in the journal. npj Urban SustainabilityBased on surveys of residents on the east coast of the United States, this study found that people who lived in areas with more infrastructure like boat ramps and seawalls had more consistent perceptions of ecosystems than those who lived outside of urban areas.
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The study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), found that urban respondents tend to view human and environmental interactions in a more linear manner, while non-urban respondents saw these interactions more systemically. For example, linear thinkers might understand that overfishing can lead to a decrease of fish population. A systems thinker, however, would see things differently. They would understand that an increase in the fish population due to overfishing would result in a shortage of fish and more regulations for fishermen.
Payam Aminpour (postdoctoral fellow at NIST), said that humans are affecting the environment and the environment is affecting human lives. Linear thinking is a way of seeing only one direction: from human to environment or ecosystem to man. You don’t see the interactions, the feedback loops, bidirectional or reciprocal relationships.
The survey also showed that urban dwellers were less likely to be pro-environmental, such as voting for a candidate who reflects their stance on environmental issues, giving money to conservation organizations, and changing their buying habits to reduce the impact of a product’s environmental impact. Aminpour stated that he believes this could be due to the lack of exposure in natural environments, but this cannot be proven.
Jennifer Helgeson, a NIST economist, was study co-author. She stated that this simplifying of knowledge in urban populations could result in decreased interest in protecting natural ecosystems, particularly as a growing percentage of the world’s population lives in urban areas. The middle of the century will see two-thirds more people living in cities. According to the United Nations.
Helgeson said that urban living is seen as having less impact. But I think we show that there can be a real balance here of having more negative impacts if you’re not in tune with these natural systems.
Columnist and Web Producer, St. Paul
Katelyn Weisbrod works as a reporter and web producer at Inside Climate News. She is based in Minnesota. She writes ICN’s weekly Warming TrendsColumn highlighting climate-related innovations, studies, books, cultural events, and other developments from global warming frontier. After graduating from the University of Iowa, she joined the team in January 2020. She has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and environmental sciences. Katelyn worked as a Pulitzer Center student fellowship in Kerala, India and was a reporter for the University of Iowa student newspaper, The Daily Iowan.
