Biodiversity for a Livable Climate

News and Insights

Proposed Clean Water Act Revision Would Narrow Tribes’ Authority Over Water Quality

Bio4Climate values indigenous knowledge and supports Indigenous decision making. We encourage encourage you to submit public comments against the proposed rule change by February 17. 

Despite widespread opposition among tribes to these changes, the EPA has moved forward with a proposal to revise the Clean Water Act, limiting the power tribes and states have over water quality. “Experts say the move would dissolve one of the few tools tribes have to enforce treaty rights and hamper their ability to protect tribal citizens.” 

“‘It gets at their ability to put conditions on or, in extreme cases, block projects that are either proposed by the federal government or under the jurisdiction of the federal government,’ said Miles Johnson, legal director at Columbia Riverkeeper, an organization that works on issues affecting the Columbia River.”

Greenland Shark Discovery Shifts Understanding of Ocean Giants

You may recall our Featured Creature profile about Greenland Sharks from a few weeks ago, which was thoughtfully written by Anya Reddy. We’re excited to share a new development in the world of Greenland Shark research, furthering our understanding of these ocean giants. From their eyesight to their swimming patterns, this new research tells us more of the elusive sharks’ story.

“The newly published findings upend commonly held beliefs and expose the challenges of studying a shark that has long resisted the reaches of science. But the disruptive nature of the research also underscores the challenges scientists face in predicting how a rapidly changing climate might harm or help the elusive fish.”

Events and Community

These nine expert guest speakers will take you inside the living systems of forests in our upcoming course How Trees & Forests Shape Our Climate — revealing how intact, biodiverse ecosystems regulate the climate through water cycling, cooling mechanisms, soil moisture control and the biotic pump, while sustaining life for a vast array of living organisms.

These experts will unpack the science, identify industry narratives, and separate fact from fiction on common forest management practices, especially as it relates to logging, thinning, clearcutting and biomass energy.  .

Discover how microbes, fungi, insects, wildlife, biodiverse plants and trees, and dead wood are all essential to forest health. Come away with practical insights and strategies to protect and restore forests, wildlife, and climate stability in your own community.

FREE WEBINAR: Want to test the waters and learn more about how our forests are being managed?  Attend this free webinar to find out if a new proposed “climate solution” of cutting down trees to “bury” the carbon is viable and the best way to keep the carbon in the ground?

Join us on Monday, February 2, at 7 pm ET for a 90-minute webinar, Is Tree Burial a Climate Solution?

Catastrophic wildfires are becoming more frequent, and their post-fire impacts—especially flooding and landscape degradation—are intensifying. 

On February 3 at 6:00 pm ET, we will show Episode 3 of Thinking Like Water, “Fire & Flood.” This episode explores how restoration practices can help landscapes adapt to the drought–fire–flood cycle. With less snowfall and earlier snowmelt, many ecosystems are becoming increasingly dry as warmer, windier seasons arrive. This episode examines how hybrid restoration approaches can slow and retain snowmelt on the land longer, reduce peak flooding, and support recovery in areas stressed by fire and drought.

Then, at 7:30 pm ET, our guest speakers Lia Griesser, Wildlife Conservationist at the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation, and Cameron Weber, Habitat Conservation Director at Rio Grande Return, will highlight practical, place-based strategies for building resilience in fire-impacted and river-connected landscapes.

A Moment For Art

We are delighted to share a piece of artwork from one of our community members, Ann Barrett! Ann Barrett works in watercolor and oil on a variety of supports. With roots in observational drawing, her imagery fluctuates between figuration and abstraction, and celebrates human interconnectedness with all of life.

Ann is a six-year member of Jim Laurie’s symbiosis team, a Biodiversity for a Livable Climate financial supporter, and on the board of directors of East Quabbin Land Trust in Hardwick, MA. This is the second piece of Ann’s we’ve shared recently, and we are grateful for her artwork!

Share Your Art!

If you have artwork you’d like to have showcased in this newsletter, please respond to this email to get in touch with our team. We are accepting submissions for artwork, which can be anything from a poem to a painting—use your imagination! We are also accepting book recommendations. 

What’s Your Favorite Creature?

Lastly, we want to invite you to write your very own Featured Creature article. If you are passionate about a specific creature that you have a personal connection to, we want to hear from you! 

We look forward to receiving your artwork, book recommendations, and Featured Creature proposals.