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Buying up threatened land to protect forests
CategoriesSustainable News

Buying up threatened land to protect forests

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Recent research into the productivity of mature trees as carbon sinks found that the average age of peak net primary productivity ranged from 35 to 75 years. As a result, the many millions of trees being planted as part of reforestation efforts are not going to be fully effective at helping to mitigate climate change for several decades. Reforestation should therefore not be seen as a panacea for climate change, especially if it normalises people to the destruction of forests on the mistaken belief that we can ‘bring them back’ at will.

This is the argument of Green Sanctuaries, which is focusing its attention on preserving the forests that are still intact. The French organisation connects financial supporters with forests and communities needing support. It oversees projects around the world, including forest ecosystems in Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Namibia that are especially important to the world’s biodiversity. Companies can get involved by donating money, time, and equipment. Individuals can contribute financially via a one-off or regular monthly donation.

The Green Sanctuaries team includes a global network of ‘forest watchers’ – biodiversity experts who identify the most precious plots of forested land in private hands. Once a parcel of land is confirmed as at risk, Green Sanctuaries tries to buy or long-term lease as much of it as possible. Once ownership has been transferred, the organisation works closely with local communities to design and implement long-term management strategies that include water access, creation of conservation jobs, and the opening up of the forest to research projects. In some areas, the Green Sanctuaries team also helps local and Indigenous communities protect the land from neighbouring pollutants, such as runoff from industrial farms.

The world’s forests are such rich spaces for biodiversity that in just one of Green Sanctuaries’ projects, a 3,500-hectare habitat, protects more than 100,000 species of insects, around 200 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 550 species of birds, while providing critical habitat space for the endangered tapir.

From creating a database of the world’s forests to using forest products as new food sources, innovations in Springwise’s library highlight the diversity of the projects working to save some of the world’s most important carbon sinks.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Adjustable blades protect windows from the summer heat 
CategoriesSustainable News

Adjustable blades protect windows from the summer heat 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Despite all pledges to reduce emissions to reverse the worst effects of climate change, scientists believe that even if we fully implement all 2030 nationally determined contributions, pledges, and net-zero targets, global warming of nearly two degrees Celsius is still expected later this century. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) operational costs will naturally rise alongside temperatures, and use of those systems further exacerbates environmental damage. 

One way to help reduce reliance on traditional HVAC systems is to retrofit existing structures with energy-neutral solutions that reduce indoor heating during the summer while allowing the sun’s rays in during winter. French technology company Immoblade has taken inspiration from the space industry to create low-cost, quick-to-install, custom sunshade blades on windows and roofs.  

The blades are available in a range of shapes and sizes, from the barely visible designs of the Immoblade Mini to the wide, closely fitting stripes of the Immoblade Serigraphy. Installed in the same way as regular double glazing, the blades allow light into the building while blocking heat when the sun reaches a certain angle. Similarly, when the sun is below a certain angle during the winter, the blades allow heat to enter the building.  

Each solution is custom designed for the location and the structure, with the Immoblade team conducting a full thermal review of the building’s façade and local environment. The design of each set of blades meets the exact heating and cooling requirements of each piece of glass, and performance is monitored throughout the duration of the lifespan of the blades. Maintenance costs are zero as the designs and applications are fixed.

Immoblade was first spotted by Springwise in 2021, and was one of the featured solutions at ChangeNOW 2023.

Glass bricks that collect solar energy and nailable solar shingles are two other recent innovations in solar energy that Springwise has spotted helping to make renewable power more accessible and widespread.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Insurance payouts based on weather data protect farmers from drought
CategoriesSustainable News

Insurance payouts based on weather data protect farmers from drought

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate changes and extreme weather events, and as global warming heats the planet, this vulnerability will get worse. Seasonal climate variability already frequently undermines farm yields, reduces food availability, and lowers income. Small-scale agricultural producers, who often feed themselves from their farms as well as others, are especially affected by unpredictable rainfall. Oko was created to help farmers deal with this uncertainty.

The startup provides low-cost crop insurance for small farmers. Oko (which is the name of an African deity who protects harvests), uses the concept of index insurance. This uses data analysis and risk calculation, rather than onsite inspections, to create cheaper and more accessible insurance.

Farmers sign up and manage their insurance using their mobile phones. They pay around $20 (around €18.60) for one season’s coverage of approximately 1.7 hectares. Oko analyses the risk to each plot and the cost of insurance using historical and weather data.

The company uses real-time satellite data and rainfall monitoring to monitor for floods and check the amount of rainfall needed for a good harvest. If there is a flood or if rainfall drops below a certain amount, a payment to the farmers is triggered automatically. Because farmers only need to sign up once to receive future payouts automatically, it reduces the chances that these smallholder farmers will fall victim to fraud and fake insurance scams every time a drought hits.

Tackling climate change is partly about building resiliency, and insurance that is affordable and easy to use is one way to do this. Springwise has also spotted other innovations aimed at building climate resilience. These include improving the biodiversity of forests with fungus, and using modular greenhouses to protect farmers from the effects of extreme weather.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference