GoGreenNation news

Indigenous land rights crucial for climate success

News Feed

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Giving Indigenous communities greater control over their lands significantly improves conservation results, according to a new study in One Earth. Anita Hofschneider reports for Grist. In short:Researchers analyzed 648 studies of conservation areas, comparing the ecological and social outcomes based on the degree of Indigenous involvement.The study found that recognizing Indigenous autonomy leads to significantly better environmental and social results than merely treating them as stakeholders.Examples include successful conservation in Chile’s Los Lagos Indigenous Marine Areas and ineffective efforts in China’s Hainan province due to lack of Indigenous involvement. Key quote: “The findings reveal that more equitable governance, based on equal partnership or primary control for [Indigenous peoples and local communities], are associated with significantly more positive ecological outcomes.” — Study authors Why this matters: Indigenous communities have long been the stewards of vast tracts of land, preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance through traditional knowledge and sustainable practices. Studies indicate that these lands support healthier ecosystems and store more carbon, an important factor in mitigating climate change. However, these benefits are jeopardized when Indigenous land rights are overlooked or violated. Related EHN coverage: Opinion: Protecting Indigenous children means protecting water Colonialism, the climate crisis, and the need to center Indigenous voices Hands on the land, heart in community: Returning cultural fires

Giving Indigenous communities greater control over their lands significantly improves conservation results, according to a new study in One Earth.

Anita Hofschneider reports for Grist.

In short:

Researchers analyzed 648 studies of conservation areas, comparing the ecological and social outcomes based on the degree of Indigenous involvement.
The study found that recognizing Indigenous autonomy leads to significantly better environmental and social results than merely treating them as stakeholders.
Examples include successful conservation in Chile’s Los Lagos Indigenous Marine Areas and ineffective efforts in China’s Hainan province due to lack of Indigenous involvement.

Key quote:

“The findings reveal that more equitable governance, based on equal partnership or primary control for [Indigenous peoples and local communities], are associated with significantly more positive ecological outcomes.”

— Study authors

Why this matters:

Indigenous communities have long been the stewards of vast tracts of land, preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance through traditional knowledge and sustainable practices. Studies indicate that these lands support healthier ecosystems and store more carbon, an important factor in mitigating climate change. However, these benefits are jeopardized when Indigenous land rights are overlooked or violated.

Related EHN coverage:

Read the full story here.

Photos courtesy of

Related News

Why mountain meadows should be a priority for California’s new climate bond

More than half of California's Sierra meadows have been degraded or lost. Given their vital role assisting with water storage, carbon sequestration and providing a habitat to wildlife, investments from the newly passed Proposition 4 could boost ongoing restoration work.

Guest Commentary written by Ryan Burnett Ryan Burnett leads the Sierra Nevada Group at Point Blue Conservation Science and is the chair of the Sierra Meadows Partnership. When I stepped into a Sierra Nevada meadow over 25 years ago, I was struck by the diversity of life, the hub of biological activity — full of birds, frogs, fish and plants. As a wildlife ecologist, I was in love. That infatuation has endured, growing into one of the great passions in my life. As a lifelong Californian, I’ve always been enamored with the natural wonders our state contains, and meadows are no exception. Californians have a lot to be proud of. In addition to the highest GDP of any state, we have a proven track record as the country’s climate and environmental leader. Since voters recently approved Proposition 4, we can be proud that California will deepen its commitment to large-scale action to address the state’s water, wildfire and climate challenges. The $10 billion bond measure will flow to environmental projects large and small, including $1.2 billion for land conservation and habitat restoration, which will benefit communities and wildlife around the state. But one question looms: What might these investments to increase climate resilience look like on the ground? Some of the most important — and often overlooked — natural resources the state has are the verdant high elevation wetlands we call mountain meadows. These meadows lie at the headwaters of the rivers that flow out of the Sierra Nevada, Cascade and Klamath mountains, supplying the majority of water we rely on for agriculture and drinking, and supporting diverse ecosystems from the Sierra to the sea, from Yreka to San Diego. They serve an important role in improving water quality and increasing water storage, acting as giant sponges that soak up snow melt and slowly release it through the dry summer months. And mountain meadows are superstars at carbon sequestration, pulling carbon out of the atmosphere as fast as tropical rainforests. Mountain meadows provide important wildlife habitat for a broad suite of species, including many that are threatened with extinction, such as Willow Flycatchers and Yosemite Toads. For a millennia, mountain meadows have also held a deep cultural significance for the many tribes that have stewarded these ecosystems. Read Next Elections Prop. 4 passes: Californians approve $10 billion for water, wildfire, climate projects by Alejandro Lazo Unfortunately, over 50% of Sierra meadows have been heavily degraded or lost over the past 150 years, due to road-building, overgrazing, fire suppression, mining, water diversions and more. These meadows no longer provide the wealth of important services they once did. The Sierra Meadows Partnership has sought to protect and restore these crown jewels of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades mountains. Comprised of NGOs, government agencies, universities, conservation districts and restoration practitioners, we have restored more than 8,000 acres and protected 10,000 since 2016. The goal is to restore and conserve 30,000 acres by 2030. Prop. 4 has the potential to dramatically scale up the meadow restoration and conservation work taking place, which will pay dividends to the people and wildlife statewide that rely on the many natural benefits of healthy mountain meadows. The billions designated for water projects, forest health and nature-based climate solutions could increase funding possibilities to restore meadows, amplify Indigenous voices and improve the resilience of our watersheds. Recently, I had the privilege of engaging local elementary students from the small town of Chester to assist us in the restoration of Child’s Meadow, near Lassen Volcanic National Park. Witnessing their sense of purpose and accomplishment as they took an active role in restoring their watershed reminded me once again of why California invests in the restoration of our incredible natural resources. Read More Water More water for urban areas, some farms: Biden, Newsom officials announce long-awaited new water delivery rules December 20, 2024December 20, 2024 Environment Unstoppable invasion: How did mussels sneak into California, despite decades of state shipping rules? November 26, 2024November 27, 2024

Climate

Mountains

Water

Grief, Hope, Joy: Faith in the Time of Climate Change

As the director of Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, Sarah Ogletree has spent the last three and a half years working from her base in Mitchell County to empower congregations and interfaith organizations in the fight for climate and environmental justice. She and other faith leaders active in the climate movement have long […]

Leaders from different spiritual traditions share their unique approaches to wrestling with existential climate fears.By Nina DietzAs the director of Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, Sarah Ogletree has spent the last three and a half years working from her base in Mitchell County to empower congregations and interfaith organizations in the fight for climate and environmental justice.

Climate

Hurricane-Force Winds Bear Down on California, Latest in Stretch of Extreme Weather

California has been hit hard by extreme weather over the past several weeks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Record-setting flooding over three days dumped more than a foot of rain on parts of northern California, a fire left thousands under evacuation orders and warnings in Los Angeles County, forecasters issued the first-ever tornado warning in San Francisco and rough seas tore down part of a wharf in Santa Cruz.All of this extreme weather has hit California in the past several weeks, showcasing the state’s particular vulnerability to major weather disasters. Strong storms Tuesday produced waves that forecasters said could reach 35 feet (10.7 meters) around Santa Cruz. The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning until early evening, cautioning people to stay out of the ocean and away from piers. For Chandler Price, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego, these extreme weather events are both typical and unusual for a La Niña winter, a natural climate cycle that can cause extreme weather across the planet. In California, it means a wetter than average northern region and a drier south. “So far we’ve seen that pattern play out pretty well,” he said, but added, “obviously, you know, the tornado in the Bay Area was atypical. ... We haven’t seen that before, at least not for a very long time.”A storm and wind gusts of up to 60 mph (96 kph) prompted the San Francisco tornado warning that extended to neighboring San Mateo County, which went out to about 1 million people earlier this month. The tornado overturned cars and toppled trees and utility poles near a mall in Scotts Valley, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of San Francisco, injuring several people. Tornadoes do occur in California, but they rarely hit populated areas.In San Francisco, local meteorologists said straight-line winds, not a tornado, felled trees onto cars and streets and damaged roofs. The storm also dumped significant snow across the northern Sierra Nevada. F. Martin Ralph, director of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, said climate change means that atmospheric rivers, long stretches of wet air that can produce heavy rains, will be responsible for a greater share of California’s yearly precipitation and the periods in between those big events will be drier. These storms are essential for the water supply but can also be dangerous.“When they are too strong and too many in a row, we end up getting floods,” he said, adding that they drive California’s weather extremes.During storms this week around Santa Cruz, one man was trapped under debris and died and another person was pulled into the ocean. The surf also splintered off the end of a Santa Cruz municipal wharf that was under construction, plunging three people into the ocean. One swam to shore and the other two were rescued. A series of atmospheric rivers are expected through the rest of the week. Overall, this pattern is not unusual — these storms regularly produce high winds, heavy snow in the mountains and torrential rain this time of year.“What’s a little unique about this setup is how closely spaced they are, so there’s not much of a break between them,” said David Lawrence, a meteorologist and emergency response specialist with the National Weather Service.But these storms haven’t stretched very far south, creating dry weather in Southern California that increases fire risk.One of the state’s most recent blazes, the Franklin Fire left some 20,000 people under evacuation orders and warnings and forced students at Pepperdine University to shelter in place. The blaze was fueled by the Santa Anas, the notorious seasonal winds that blow dry air from the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.Most of the destruction occurred in Malibu, a community on the western corner of Los Angeles known for its beautiful bluffs and the Hollywood-famous Zuma Beach. The fire damaged or destroyed 48 structures and is one of nearly 8,000 wildfires that have scorched more than 1 million acres (more than 404,685 hectares) in the Golden State this year. The Santa Ana winds, which peak in December, have also contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in parts of the southern state, said Price with the National Weather Service. “Eighty-degree (26.7 Celsius) Christmases are not entirely uncommon around here,” he added, but “there was a couple of high temperature record breaks in the mountains, which are usually less affected by the Santa Anas, and so those were a little unusual.” Phillis reported from St. Louis.Associated Press writers Martha Mendoza and Stefanie Dazio contributed to this story.The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

Climate

Mountains

Water

EPA administrator Michael Regan to depart at year’s end

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan will leave the Biden administration at the end of this year — about a month before the presidency changes hands. While Regan could serve until Trump’s inauguration, he notified staff on Friday that he will leave a few weeks early. “Today, I am writing to let you know that my last day as your Administrator will be Dec. 31,” he wrote in a note to EPA staff. “I am so proud to be part of the EPA family,” he wrote, touting the agency’s regulations over the past four years aimed at mitigating climate change and pollution. Jane Nishida, head of the agency’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs, will serve as acting administrator in Regan’s absence. The message said that Regan would “return home” to North Carolina, but gave no other information on his next steps. President-elect Trump has already said he would nominate former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) to helm the agency during the incoming administration.

Climate

Pollution

Energy

How to teach climate change so 15-year-olds can act

OECD’s Pisa program will measure the ability of students to take action in response to climate anxiety and ‘take their position and role in the global world’More summer essentialsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast“It’s going to get hot and everything’s going to be on fire and the oceans will rise,” says a year 11 student, Josh Dorian. “That’s just like the worst of the worst. How do you combat that?“Well, you fix it, you stop it from happening, you take preventive measures,” says Josh, who is studying VCE environmental science at Mount Lilydale Mercy College, a high school in Melbourne’s outer east. “Involving kids in that is scary but I think it’s necessary.”Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

“It’s going to get hot and everything’s going to be on fire and the oceans will rise,” says a year 11 student, Josh Dorian. “That’s just like the worst of the worst. How do you combat that?“Well, you fix it, you stop it from happening, you take preventive measures,” says Josh, who is studying VCE environmental science at Mount Lilydale Mercy College, a high school in Melbourne’s outer east. “Involving kids in that is scary but I think it’s necessary.”In 2025, for the first time in nearly a decade, science will be the major focus of the OECD’s program for international student assessment (Pisa) – which runs every three years (give or take Covid interruptions), its focus rotating between reading, maths and science.This year it will measure the knowledge and ability of 15-year-old students from 92 countries and economies to act on climate change, under a new heading: Agency in the Anthropocene.Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s director of education, describes the refreshed science framework as a “small revolution” addressing students’ capacity to distinguish scientific evidence from misinformation in the context of the “biggest challenge of our times – our environment”.“This is not about a few people who are going to be engineers or scientists in their later lives,” he says. “This is the foundation we want to create for every student.”Dr Goran Lazendic, who works with the Australian Council for Educational Research, is the international survey director responsible for delivering Pisa this year. He says the survey has never solely been about curriculum or content knowledge.“The purpose of Pisa is to understand how young people are prepared to take their position and role in the global world,” he says.That’s why the survey focuses on students approaching the end of their formal education and preparing to take part in further education or work.Giving young people choiceAgency in the Anthropocene tests students’ ability to understand and explain human interactions with Earth systems, Lazendic says, to make informed decisions based on the evaluation of different sources and to demonstrate respect for diverse perspectives as well as hope in seeking solutions.In responding to targeted questions, they will also have to show agency – an understanding of how individual and collective choices can make a difference.Dr Peta White, an associate professor at Deakin University who led the design of Agency in the Anthropocene, says climate change education recognises the Earth’s systems are being changed through human interaction.White, a former teacher, has decades of experience researching environmental science and climate change education.Many young people understand the problems, she says, but don’t know what to do about them.“We don’t teach an understanding by looking at what the most fearful climate impact is,” she says. “What’s important is to allow young people to appreciate the context that we’re in and be able to move forward.”When young people have agency, they can make informed decisions taking into account the complexity of Earth’s systems, diverse sources of knowledge and different perspectives, White says.It’s about understanding their role in the ecosystem. “Not as a pinnacle up the top, but as a player in a whole range of other players in an ecosystem. They’re part of a system, which means they have to act responsibly in the system.”skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Five Great ReadsEach week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morningPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionThis world is going to be ours in 20, 30 yearsAt Mount Lilydale Mercy College, students tackle environmental issues and sustainability across a variety of subjects by working on real examples. The approach has been recognised for fostering responsible, community-oriented citizens.For one project, Josh’s class investigated the effects of logging on the habitat of the endangered leadbeater’s possum, in nearby Toolangi state forest.“We went out in the forest, we saw first-hand,” he says. The students learned that leadbeater’s possums rely on old-growth trees with hollows, and observed how few there were in the forest.Other students constructed nesting boxes to help make up for the lack of hollow-bearing trees.‘Too big to even think about’In Australia, climate change in education has often been caught up in politics. In 2019 the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, said it was a source of “needless anxiety” for children, and it was barely mentioned in the curriculum. Coverage has increased since 2022.Amelia Pearson, at the Monash climate change communication research hub, says there have been more “climate change dot points” added to the curriculum, but mainly in subjects such as science and geography.“Climate change impacts every area of society and our lives,” she says. “So it’s really important that people who might not engage, particularly with [science, technology, engineering, maths], still have the opportunity to learn about these different challenges.”Education isn’t about persuading children to think a certain way, she says, but providing a non-political space to understand the issues and make up their own minds.Pearson manages Climate Classrooms, an initiative that brings teachers together with climate scientists and energy experts to design lesson plans and activities. The approach provides teachers with the opportunity to ask questions about complex – and sometimes contentious – concepts such as renewable energy, nuclear power, carbon offsets and net zero – “big ideas and terms that aren’t always distilled or made accessible”.Australia is a relative latecomer when it comes to embedding climate change in education, says Russell Tytler, a professor at Deakin University.Tytler, who specialises in science education and was involved in designing the Pisa science framework, says Pisa is highly influential in education policies around the world.When the results from Pisa 2025 are in, every country will be scored on young people’s understanding of climate change and their role in seeking solutions, he says. There are already signs that some countries are looking to reflect the approach in their education systems.White, with other educators and researchers, is calling for an Australian climate change education strategy to incorporate learning across all subjects and levels.“Climate change is often too big to even think about,” White says.It requires complex understanding and there are big emotions involved. What works in education, she says, is breaking things down and focusing on what people can do individually and collectively in a local context.“This world is going to be ours in 20, 30 years,” Josh says. “So our awareness of the issue, and our fears need to be acknowledged.”It can be confronting for young people whose futures aren’t looking so lucky, he says.“Education is one of the first steps you can take towards fixing the issue.”

Climate

Science

Energy

Suggested Viewing

Reboot

Humans have exploited Earth to the point where it is no longer possible to live on it. Their only option is to relocate to Mars. When the last group of people has boarded the spaceship for the red planet, the Earth can finally breathe easy. Like an expressionist painting, Reboot depicts a world in which the absence of our species is the only chance nature has to recover its lushness and flourish once more.

Animation

Crisis

Cosmos

The Invisible Mammal - The Bat Rescuer

Bats are struggling to survive, specifically in North America, where white nose syndrome is causing a sharp decline of certain species. Pertinent issues: climate change, habitat destruction, what can humans must do to prevent extinction.

Animals

Climate

Extinction

Inside The Grand Canyon

This guerrilla style documentary film captures a Colorado River rafting expedition through the Grand Canyon. Exhilarating and sometimes dangerous expeditions like this are not often considered when discussing global climate change but could be helpful to enlighten more folks about the changes to our planet. This rafting trip will soon be a thing of the past with record draughts continuing due to ongoing global climate change caused largely by humans. This is just a tiny slice of natures many warning signs of things to come. We find ourselves in a world of ongoing disbelief and hesitation in lieu of planning for the clear and present dangers from climate change. The Colorado River has already reached devastating levels for communities that depend on the water and electrical power resource. Government study in 2022 showed that Lake Powell could reach ""dead pool"" by 2023. There is no plan to mitigate the catastrophe that will leave over a million and a half people with no electricity.

Water

Climate

Sustainable

TripleF***

The spirit of a movement that sometimes reminds us of our young revolutionary self, who still believed that he:she could change the world. This green filmed documentary mirrors the global situation and the diversity of climate change related activism.6 continents, 3 dozen filmmakers, countless activists and seasoned scientists. It is not about just one person but about many who stand up. TripleF*** is a documentary on the global climate movement, containing material from six continents (North - and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Antarctica), filmed green by cooperating film teams on site. The topic of climate activism itself as a protagonist takes us on a global journey to activists' lives and forms a dialogue within. Why did so many young people became activists? What is life as an activist like, how do they deal with political stagnation, harsh criticism and even threats and why do they still continue? Very personal but not private - to protect the activists' privacy, sensitive topics are woven in as a fictional part. This is the first of 5 Episodes. In this episode, which also stands for itself as a midlength film, the history of climate change related activism is highlighted. In its core spirit of a holistic approach, the project is been realized similarly to its topic of the climate activists' movement: independent, global, green.

Climate

Activism

Documentary