Quitobaquito Springs

Quitobaquito Springs, in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, was selected for a US National Park Service environmental protection project. Part of that was moving out the native Tohono O’odham and Hia-Ced O’odham people who had lived there for centuries. NPS didn’t understand that the fragile springs had already been conserved by the area’s people.

More:

“How efforts to protect an Indigenous oasis almost led to its demise,” Maria Parazo Rose and Daniel Penner, Grist

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Greenwashing

Many consumers — and investors — are attracted to companies and products that prioritize products that minimize ecological harms. Corporate marketing that makes empty eco-promises is so common that there’s a name for it: Greenwashing. A Wall Street Journal video.

Update:

“‘A sea of misinformation’: FTC to address industry greenwashing complaints,” Tom Perkins, The Guardian

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Permaculture

Permaculture may help produce food without destroying the planet. A Deutsche Welle video by Kiyo Dörrer.
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99% of ocean plastic pollution is ‘missing’

Scientists have been trying to account for the 8 million metric tons of plastic dumped in the ocean each year assumed that alot was floating out to large garbage patches Recent measurements of trash in the patches fell far short. So where is it? A Vox video.

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Beavers, Unleased!

Beavers are back, and they’re restoring ecosystems and it looks like they’re combatting the climate crisis. Joe Hanson explores.

More:

“Landscape with Beavers,” Stacy Passmore, Places

Opposing viewpoint:

“Dam it: beavers head north to the Arctic as tundra continues to heat up,” Oliver Milman, The Guardian

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99 percent of bottles in Germany get returned

Germany seems to have the best system to recycle bottles. What’s holding other countries back? A DW video reported by Aditi Rajagopal.

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Watching Plastic Pollution From Space

ESA, the European Space Agency, is tracking plastic pollution in the ocean by satellite. Animation by Rui Braz.

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We’re Saving the Wrong Bees

Efforts at saving honey bees may make people feel good and agribiz happy, but the little critters are really buzzing bad boys. Wild bees are better for the environment. A Deutsche Welle video.

More:

“The Problem with Honey Bees,” Alison McAfee, Scientific American

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Fire Country Homeowners Think They’re Prepared. Nope.

University of Colorado researchers surveyed residents of a mountain country housing subdivision about wildfire risk to their homes. Professionals rated 61 percent of households as high fire risks, while 22 percent of residents did. 70 percent of residents said their houses were at low or moderate wildfire risk, while experts said only 19 percent of housewere. 50 percent said they had 100 feet of defensible space around their homes, but only 17 percent did.

Hope springs eternal, but wildfire does, too.

More:

“Mountain residents underestimate wildfire risk, overestimate preparedness,” Kelsey Simpkins, CU Boulder Today

Related:

“Burn. Build. Repeat: Why Our Wildfire Policy Is So Deadly.” Jeffrey Ball, Mother Jones

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Top image (“Smokey Says ‘Let It Burn’”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Bye-Bye Bambi: National Park Service Guns Down Deer in DC

In DC, the National Park Service begins its seasonal “Deer Management Program,” deploying NPS biologist-sharpshooters in Rock Creek Park to hunt whitetail deer in the middle of the Nation’s capital. This year the hunt may extend into Rock Creek neighbors, including Melvin Hazen Park, Soapstone Valley Park, Pinehurst Parkway, Glover Archbold Park, Battery Kemble Park and Fort Totten Park. The seasonal slaughter will commence tonight, November 16th, and continue every night until March 16, 2021. The Park Service is, um, shooting to reduce the population to 15 to 20 deer per square mile.

Last year, the NPS donated 1320 lbs. of venison harvested by the program to the DC Central Kitchen charity.

Related:

“Advocacy group presses for culling of deer population in Arlington,” Scott McCaffrey, InsideNoVA

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Image (“Rock Creek Deer Hunt, after Atelier de Walt Disney”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.