It has been weeks since I last posted — on account of some travel, visiting friends and family in Portugal and Asheville, NC, and then the inevitable catching up when I returned home to Maine. So, here’s a brief post to begin the process of catching up on things climate change and wildfire. I’m working on a future blog post that will describe the landscape of carbon offsets and credits. I’ve discussed issues related to offsets in this blog, but I’ll pass along a more comprehensive — not more detailed but bigger picture — treatment of offsets and credits. This is a very important issue for dealing with climate change and for co-benefits, like forest and biodiversity protection. It’s also an issue that is eliciting a tsunami of criticism and correction. More on all that in a future post.
In the current post, I want to cover just two brief topics.
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ESA Water Cooler Chat: COP26 Debrief (@ESA_org, #COP26)
If you’d like to hear some observations by other ecologists who attended COP26, join the following event on Thursday, January 27, at 11 am. I’ll part of it as well. ESA is the Ecological Society of America, a professional society of some 15,000 members worldwide.
Please join us in sharing lessons learned from the 2021 United Nations Conference of the Parties Meeting (also known as COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, and actions we can take going forward as a professional society. Panelists will share their experience at COP26 and together we will discuss what actions ESA members can take to help society mitigate and adapt to climate change in a just and equitable way.
ESA President Dennis Ojima will share some introductory remarks and Pamela Templer will facilitate the discussion. Join Kaydee Barker, Andrew Barton, Fabio Berzaghi and Andrea Swei for their perspectives.
You can also read Andrew Barton’s blog posts from the event here: https://www.esa.org/esablog/category/ecology-in-policy/
To register for the event, go to If you haven’t already, please register for the event here: https://esa.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdOuqqzoqHN3NEbkOaqhGCTvJJji9QWPT
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A Few Blogs of Folks Who Have Followed TheWorldIsOnFire
The number of followers of TheWorldIsOnFire is modest, but apparently diverse! Most followers did not link to a blog of their own, but below I feature a selection of those who did — all very compelling.
a year to think it over
the daily texture of progressive education
https://ayeartothinkitover.com/2014/03/31/time-claps-the-first-5-million-years/
From the blogger: “…this blog is mostly about teaching. From 1988 through 2013, I taught at Touchstone Community School, in Grafton, Massachusetts, working mostly with 10 to 12 year old students, exploring not only reading and writing but also social studies and math and science, and some music and art around the edges. The whole universe! You can read some things I wrote for parents, while I was teaching, at http://pollybrownteacher.blogspot.com”
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Rainforest Art Project – Pas de Cartier!
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The body: The most basic and innate form of communication & Alternative communication: Sign language
Dialogue through the body is the most natural and pure form.
Because initially there is no “culture” that influences this form of communication, because it is not born as a “language”, the one that is emulated by one’s family, the one that is learned in schools, the one that is handed down.
Body language is poetry, it is basic, it is essential, it is universal, it is innate.
The nuances of this language are infinite, because there are no limited labels such as written or vocal words, movement is a broad form, like a dance form, it transmits and excites people, even tears, even smiles, even the movement of the hair is a form of dialogue, it is a language that is as real as possible.
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A remarkably eclectic and fun blog that dives into food (with many terrific recipes), politics, and culture – all by someone I grew up with in the Jewish community in Asheville, NC.
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Maine Climate Action Now!
https://www.maineclimateaction.org
MISSION
MCAN catalyzes transformative action in response to the climate and ecological emergency. Through advocacy, education and grassroots organizing, we seek to honor, unite and amplify the voices of youth, frontline communities, and others historically excluded from the climate conversation and positions of power.
We hold social, racial, and economic justice as critical to the transition to zero carbon emissions by 2030, and demand the equitable implementation of clean renewable energy, ecological land-use practices, and bold community-led action for a more resilient Maine.
I’m volunteering with MCAN to help build an online clearinghouse on climate change in Maine – a website that will cover a lot of ground but will be accessible to just about everyone in the state.
The World is On Fire 