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☆ Opinion | What Barack Obama Understood About America
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The conventional wisdom is that Donald Trump’s trial over his alleged efforts to buy the silence of a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election is the least important of the cases against him. Politically that may be true. But more than any of the other cases, this one is revealing of a trend ailing America today: how much we’ve lost our moorings as a society. To my mind, one of the saddest things that has happened to America in my lifetime is how much we’ve lost so many of our mangroves. They are endangered everywhere today — but not just in nature.

Persons: Donald Trump’s Organizations: Conservation International Locations: America, Brazil

“One of the biggest problems is the fragmentation of the forest,” said Luís Paulo Ferraz, executive director of the Golden Lion Tamarin Association, known by its Portuguese acronym AMLD. In the canopy above, the small golden monkeys with long tails were jumping from one branch to another. In the specific region of the Atlantic forest where golden lion tamarins can be found, the forest is down to just 2% of its original size, Ferraz said. In the 1970s, when scientists began efforts to save the species, there were just 200 golden lion tamarins left, according to AMLD. And in spite of a bad bout of yellow fever in 2018 — when the population dropped more than 30% in a matter of months — there are now more golden lion tamarins than at any time since conservation efforts began.

Persons: replanting, ”, Luís Paulo Ferraz, Sarah Darwin, Charles Darwin, “, ” Darwin, Ferraz, tamarins, Diarlei Rodrigues Organizations: RIO DE, Lion Tamarin Association, Nature Conservancy, AMLD, Associated Press Locations: RIO DE JANEIRO, Rio de, Forest, British, Portuguese, Brazil’s, Brazil, —

☆ Rachel Rosenkrantz is making guitars from mushrooms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Flo Cornall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

While these classic guitars will always have a firm spot in our playlists, there are some new designs making waves by harnessing some peculiar materials. Guitar maker and master luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz thinks she’s hit the right note crafting bespoke instruments out of biomaterials. From mushroom ukuleles and beehive guitars to banjos made out of kombucha leather, she’s assembled a curious collection of biodegradable instruments. Her “Mycocaster” electric guitar is made from mycelium and paper, with dried fibers such as corn husk added to make the guitar body more rigid. Her “Mycocaster” electric guitar is made from mycelium and paper, with dried fibers such as corn husk added to make the guitar body more rigid.

Persons: Rachel Rosenkrantz, she’s, banjos, Rosenkrantz, luthiers, I’m, it’s, ” Rosenkrantz, Biomaterials, Rachel Rosenkrantz's, “, –, doesn’t, Angela Weiss, ”, Rosenkrantz’s Mycocaster Organizations: CNN, Forest, Convention, International Trade, BMW, Rhode Island School of Design, Getty Locations: biomaterials, Paris, Rhode, Sitka, Brazil, New York

A new global assessment has found that 41% of amphibian species that scientists have studied are threatened with extinction, meaning they are either vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. “Amphibians are the world's most threatened animals,” said Duke University's Junjie Yao, a frog researcher who was not involved in the study. But a growing percentage of amphibian species are now also pushed to the brink by novel diseases and climate change, the study found. The study identified the greatest concentrations of threatened amphibian species in several biodiversity hotspots, including the Caribbean islands, the tropical Andes, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. Other locations with large numbers of threatened amphibians include Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, southern China and the southeastern United States.

Persons: ”, Duke University's Junjie Yao, Michael Ryan, Patricia Burrowes, Juan Manuel Guayasamin, Guayasamin Organizations: University of Texas, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Northern, University San Francisco, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Madrid, Quito, Ecuador, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Forest, China, United States

☆ 'Extinct' holly tree in Brazil rediscovered living in big city, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A type of holly tree in Brazil that was believed to be extinct was rediscovered after 186 years. An organization called Re:wild said it was one of their "top 25 most wanted lost species." AdvertisementAdvertisementA species of small holly tree known as "Ilex sapiiformis," or the Pernambuco holly, has reemerged in Brazil after nearly two centuries, a conservation organization reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe identification of the Pernambuco holly was made possible by the expedition team, who recognized the tree by its distinctive tiny white flowers. Re:wild shared their excitement on Instagram, stating, "The Pernambuco Holly is one of our top 25 most wanted lost species."

Persons: —, Milton Groppo, University of São Paulo, Gustavo Martinelli, Pernambuco Holly Organizations: Service, University of São, Navia Biodiversity, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Pernambuco holly's Locations: Brazil, Pernambuco, Igarassu, Navia, Atlantic Forest

☆ COP27 climate talks seen as key to success at next month's U.N. nature summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Climate change is one of the big drivers of biodiversity loss," said David Cooper, the deputy chief of U.N.'s Convention on Biological Diversity. "If we don't have successful outcomes in the climate process, then we cannot halt biodiversity loss," Cooper said. "You cannot have a dream of coping with climate change only through the emissions," Virginijus Sinkevičiu, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, told Reuters. "If ecosystems are not able to cope, you don't have a success story" in fighting climate change. President Xi Jinping has not attended the climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh and is also not expected to attend COP15.

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