Professional development and continuing education are valued here at EarthShare of Texas. We believe it is important to stay on top of what is going on in the industry and world to make sure we are guiding the organization to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. One result of this is that the team shares interesting articles with each other on Slack. And starting this month, we are going to share our favorite reads with the public too. Here’s a roundup of articles we’ve been reading.
Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation Are Underfunded — But Offer Big Benefits
It turns out, nature has some effective and affordable answers to adapt to climate change and create healthier communities. But according to research reported on by the World Resources Institute, nature-based solutions are rarely employed. We’re sharing this article so more people can think about solutions that serve “nature, economies, communities, culture and health” all at once.
The ‘Green Vortex’ Is Saving America’s Climate-Change Future
We’re not good about passing legislation for the sake of the environment, but progress is being made regardless. This article explains the “Green Vortex” as a phenomenon when industry, government, and consumers all push each other to make meaningful changes to mitigate climate change. It’s not too often that you find a positive article about climate change, so we’re happy to share this one.
It’s Time We Stop Treating Tech As Overhead
Nonprofits like EarthShare of Texas and our members carefully budget and categorize each expense, making sure every dollar is invested where it will make the most impact. In this article, the argument is made that technology should be shifted from the operations side to programmatic. As the pandemic revealed, technology plays a central role in engagement, development, and more. It’s not a nice-to-have, it’s essential for the success of our programs.
Study on Climate Change Impacts on Plants Could Lead to Better Conservation Strategies
University of Texas researcher, Amelia Wolf, co-authored a recently published study describing how the loss of plant species especially vulnerable to climate change can create bigger problems for the ecosystem. When a plant species dies, the role they play in the biodiversity of their ecosystem goes unfulfilled and the impact of climate change is felt more strongly by the more resilient species. As many of our nonprofit members focus on conservation, this article backs up why it is so important.
What Technology Could Reduce Heat Deaths? Trees.
Just like the previous article on nature-based solutions, the New York Times is also reporting that a key way to survive the summer heat is to have more trees. This article is just another reminder that we should conserve our natural environment for our own benefit.
