It should go without stating "nature's contribution to people are vital to human existence." Nevertheless, this was the third line in the May 6th report by the UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). As the report notes, "70% of drugs used for cancer are natural or are synthetic products inspired by nature, four billion people reply primarily on natural medicines for their health and, among other examples, 70% of global food crops rely on animal pollination. "Nature underpins," the report states, "all dimension of human health." Duly noted, noted, the UN report goes on to detail at great length the fact nature is being "significantly altered by multiple human drives" including anthropogenic global warming that among other things is presently threatening approximately 25% of species of assessed animal and plant groups "suggesting that around 1 million species already fact extinction unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss." As of 2016 over 9% of 6,190 domesticated breeds of indigenous mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct. (Despite the UN report's devastating findings and/or dire warning), the head of the Democratic Party (the only major party to recognize climate change), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, did not bother to release a press release commenting on the IPBES report's findings.) One way to substantially mitigate nature's collapse are via natural climate solutions, largely reforestation. As it relates to greenhouse gas emissions, forests act as carbon sinks.
During this approximately 25-minute discussion Ms. Tabola explains how the The Nature Conservancy's (TNC's) Natural Climate Solutions initiative was born or its rationale. She moreover explains how and why "natural" climate solutions present a substantial opportunity to mitigate the adverse effects of global warming. I.e., re-greening the planet via net zero deforestation and reforestation, related re-vegetation of coastal habitats (think: mangroves, salt marshes, sea grass beds) and several other changes in land use, e.g., use of cover crops on crop lands, in sum nature-based solutions, are estimated to potentially provide 37% of climate change mitigation until 2030 needed to meet the Paris climate accord goal of keeping warming to no greater than 2 degrees Celsius.
Ms. Tabola is currently TNC’s Acting Director of its Climate Strategy programming that addresses forest and soil carbon science, forestry, communications, carbon finance and policy, and works to connect global, regional and local climate work across TNC. Previously, Ms. Tabola served as TNC’s Deputy Managing Director for Global Lands. Prior to TNC, she was the Senior Director for Health and Climate Change at ecoAmerica, leading a national strategy across the health sector to elevate climate solutions as a top health priority. Ms. Tabola has also been the Senior Director of Education at the National Environmental Education Foundation, leading national strategy, programming and partnerships to advance K-12 climate change and environmental literacy. Ms. Tabola also worked in the U.S. federal government within the Corporation for National and Community Service as the Education and Training Director for the National Civilian Conservation Corps and as one of the first national AmeriCorps Program Officers. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, Ms. Tabola collaborated with international and local NGOs to develop the country’s first urban environmental youth service corps. Ms. Tabola holds a Bachelor Degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine, and a Masters in Policy from Harvard University. She is a Board Member of the Green Schools National Network, the Climate for Health Leadership Circle, and is a member of her city’s local Environmental Services Council.
Since Ms. Tabloa is presently serving in an acting role re: TNC's Natural Climate Solutions, her comments are her own.
TNC's Natural Climate Solutions web page is at: https://global.nature.org/initiatives/natural-climate-solutions
The UN IPBES report's 39-page summary, see particularly "key messages" at pgs. 1-9, is at: https://www.ipbes.net/system/tdf/spm_global_unedited_advance.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=35245
The October 2017 National Academy of Sciences Proceedings' paper, "Natural Climate Solutions," also mentioned during this discussion, is at: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/114/44/11645.full.pdf
Natural Climate Solutions: The Nature Conservancy's Jennifer Tabola Discusses Its New Initiative to Address Climate Change (May 8th)