Nature-powered climate solutions

Communities and nature working together, species at risk, and learn more indigenous climate action

Last month, I had the privilege of hosting The Nature Conservancy’s once-every-five-years One Conservancy Science Gathering. Over 500 scientists from around the world attended this event, which was held in Mexico City. Why Mexico City? Because we used TROOP's travel management software to find a location that minimized the carbon footprint of in-person travel (while also offering virtual and recorded options)! Attendees both in person and online represented the 80 countries where TNC works, as well as scientists from other nonprofits and universities.

Our week together provided a fascinating dive into the latest science on biodiversity, conservation, and nature-based climate solutions. I could write a whole book about everything I learned; but I’ve narrowed it down to just a few highlights so you can get a glimpse of the incredible breadth of the research happening in these areas!

GOOD NEWS

Madang, Papua New Guinea. Photo by Junior Akai, March 5, 2024

Close to 10,000 people live on the island of Manus in Papua New Guinea. Fishing is the primary way they provide food for their families and communities: but many fish tend to congregate around coral reefs, which can be damaged by nets and other fishing equipment.

To help people catch the fish they need without damaging the reefs, TNC scientists are partnering with local communities to install fish aggregating devices. These are floating mats or rafts that can be anchored or designed to drift in the ocean. The shade and shelter offered by the mats attract pelagic species like marlin, mackerels, and bluefin tuna, directing them away from coral reefs to a more convenient area that fisherman can easily paddle to in their canoes.

A year’s worth of fish catch data shows that this method is working—and that’s not all! TNC is also providing solar freezers to the three coastal communities, enabling fishermen to freeze their fish and sell them.

This project contributes to two of TNC’s six 2030 goals, conserving 10 billion acres of ocean and supporting 45 million people whose livelihoods depend on land, water and ocean. It also reinforces our focus on equity by empowering local women’s co-ops within the community. “The daily operations of each solar freezer will be conducted by women’s groups within each community and agreements will be developed to guide this process,” says Jane Wia, TNC’s Marine Program Manager in Papua New Guinea. That’s three wins!

NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS

Ecologist Dr. Gerardo Ceballos has been instrumental in shaping Mexico’s ecological policy. Over the last few decades, he’s spearheaded the creation of 20 protected natural areas covering 2.5 million hectares across the country. These help protect many of Mexico’s wildlife species that face a high risk of extinction.

During his plenary talk at the conference, though, Dr. Ceballos focused primarily on the bad news – the fact that our earth is facing a sixth mass extinction. And this time, rather than being caused by natural factors such as an asteroid strike, it’s being caused by humans.

Over the past century, the extinction rate for vertebrate species has soared to 100 times the natural background rate. He highlighted the key drivers of extinction—human population growth, unsustainable consumption, and inefficient technologies—and issued a call to action: “Saving species at risk and biodiversity is our sole responsibility. Paradoxically, saving them is our only hope for a bright future,” he said.

For more, I recommend this podcast with Dr. Ceballos and his colleague, Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich of Stanford’s Center for Conservation Biology, and this article on their brand-new book that just came out this fall, Before They Vanish: Saving Nature’s Populations—and Ourselves. As I often say, nature doesn’t need us: we are the ones who need it for everything, from the air we breathe to the food we eat.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

For me, the highlight of the Science Gathering was the chance to learn something new. Many events, from the plenary talks by Indigenous climate activist Xiye Bastida and philosopher Dr. Kyle Whyte to panels, workshops, and break-out sessions, explored how Indigenous ways of understanding and working with nature can benefit conservation, biodiversity, and climate efforts.

I also loved learning about how TNC is already applying Indigenous knowledge to its land management practices. One example comes from Oregon, where a few years ago, the Bootleg Fire swept through a large area, including part of a preserve where TNC had been conducting prescribed burns with local tribal nations. The results were dramatic: as shown in the photo above, the areas treated with prescribed burns fared far better than those left untreated.

So this week, your to-do is to learn more! Read about TNC’s partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities such as the ones in Papua New Guinea. Follow Xiye on Instagram to keep up with everything she’s doing to raise climate awareness around the world. Listen to this panel or this talk with Kyle on YouTube where he shares what we can learn about climate action today from how many Indigenous peoples have already faced the end of their world, and begun to rebuild a new one. Stream The Territory on Disney Plus and learn about the fight against deforestation being mounted by the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

And then, don’t forget to share what you learn with people you know. Scientists are the second most effective messenger when it comes to talking about climate change: people we know are the first, and that means you!