Fungi and flatworms? Scientists call for greater emoji biodiversity

Researchers say better representation could elicit interest in lesser-known organisms and help conservation efforts, by Ajit Niranjan (The Guardian, 12 December 2023)

When Stefano Mammola and Francesco Ficetola went to an ecology conference in Prague in 2021, they met a scientist with an unusual complaint. Jennifer Anderson, an expert in aquatic fungi, lamented that the subject of her research was not available in emoji form.

“If you are doing the important work of trying to save the planet, you can use graphics to help you communicate this in a very relatable way,” said Anderson, a microbial ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. “If you are working to save the aquatic fungi, you first must let people know that yes, aquatic fungi exist, then describe in words what they look like – usually not like mushrooms.”

Struck by their conversation with Anderson and wary of how unusual species were ignored, Mammola and Ficetola set out with a colleague to find how well the “tree of life” was represented in the emoji library. The answer, the Italian ecologists found, was not well at all.

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Trouble Brewing for coffee – A Climate Conundrum
by Catherine Early, Resurgence magazine, Issue 334
Exploring coffee’s carbon footprint.

Grown, dried, processed, shipped and brewed – the average coffee bean goes through a lengthy process before it reaches our morning cuppa. The beverage has become increasingly popular, with global sales of coffee surging from 105 million 60kg bags in 2003–04 to more than 175 million in 2020–21.

But coffee has a climate conundrum. A major problem is deforestation. Primary rainforest is often cleared to make room for cultivation of crops grown in tropical countries.

One of coffee’s other major climate impacts comes indirectly once brewed – milk. In fact, high-street chain Starbucks cites dairy milk as the single biggest contributor to its total carbon footprint. The milk accounts for three-quarters of a latte’s footprint. Using soya or oat milk almost halves the footprint of a latte and reduces it for all other drinks.

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Emissions inequality is getting worse – here’s how to end the reign of the ultra-polluters, writes Nicholas Beuret, Lecturer in Management and Ecological Sustainability, University of Essex (The Conversation, December 1, 2023)

Climate change is overwhelmingly a problem of wealthy people. The wealthiest 1% of humanity produce over 1,000 times the emissions of the poorest 1%. In fact, these 77 million people are responsible for more climate-changing emissions than the poorest 66% (5 billion people) of humanity.

Since 1990, the personal emissions of the world’s wealthiest have exploded. They are now 77 times larger than the level that would be compatible with a 1.5°C warming limit – a threshold beyond which whole island nations will possibly disappear.

There are two things we can do to address global carbon inequity. The first is to institute wealth and income taxes to reduce damaging social inequality and the carbon pollution of the super rich.

Oxfam’s report found that a 60% tax on the richest 1% could cut the equivalent of the total emissions of the UK. We could go further still and introduce a progressive land and inheritance tax as well as introduce maximum wages in industries to further reduce inequality.

The second is to curb high-polluting forms of extreme consumption, from SUVs to short-haul air travel, as well as excessive meat and dairy consumption.

MMM Issue 43, April-May 2024