Christmas tree farming just got tougher
What we're writing
Northeast Christmas tree farmers get听drought in their holiday stockings
Drought has killed many young trees on farms across New England. Farmers are strugglng to adapt, by planting new varieties and considering drip irrigation systems.听鈥淵ou keep hoping that climate change isn鈥檛 going on, but then you have these experiences,鈥� says grower John Elwell in West Newbury, Mass. As scientists say warming temperatures听may deepen such challenges, some publicly managed forests are testing "assisted migration" of tree species to new zones.听//听Zack Colman
Protesters'听pipeline win may be听short- and long-lived
The decision to block construction of a controversial portion of the Dakota Access Pipeline could be overturned by the next administration. But the determination of the #noDAPL protesters听could also help kindle new activism. //听Henry Gass
EPA's McCarthy听speaks at Inhabit event;听Trump names his own pick听to lead the agency
Although Trump and Obama agendas differ, some forces tilt toward continuity, Gina McCarthy of the Environmental Protection Agency听蝉补颈诲听at an Inhabit-hosted event in Washington. A听separate story quotes听other current and听former EPA workers amplifying the idea that Trump's听appointee听can't turn policy on a dime. For one thing,听the genie of climate-aware mindsets is hard to put back in the bottle. And Inhabit听profiles the听nominee, climate-change skeptic and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. //听Zack Colman,听Mark Trumbull
Gore, yes. But听watch who else has Trump's ear.
A visit by climate-change evangelist Al Gore with Donald and Ivanka Trump has stirred hopes that the听president-elect may be open to adjusting his stance on climate change. (Then came听climate-concerned actor Leonardo DiCaprio later in the week). But green groups see plenty of Trump signals that don't point toward any pivot yet on greenhouse gases.听//听Zack Colman
Mexico joins听'big reserve' trend of ocean conservation
On Monday,听Mexico established 160 million acres in biological reserves, surpassing UN targets three years early. //听Joseph Dussault
How natural gas and nuclear made US greener
A new study by Brookings found increases in natural gas and nuclear energy for electricity generation have allowed parts of the US to 'decouple,' with states reducing their carbon dioxide emissions but seeing their economies grow. //听
What we're reading
Construction of solar panels and wind farms hasn鈥檛 been matched by electricity grid upgrades // The Wall Street Journal
Public opposition has听played a role in at least some decisions, while听factors include shifting economics and governments' concerns about the environmental or project siting.听// InsideClimate News
Why a seed bank in Colombia may help Africa and the world听in the听fight against crop failures. // Inter Press Service
"Are human beings capable of assimilating such global perspectives....?" // The Guardian
What's trending
Giraffes on听'vulnerable' list as ranks drop听40 percent
The world's tallest land animal is being pushed toward possible听extinction, conservationists said Thursday, adding that there is still time to turn the tide against poaching and reduction in living space.听// 海角大神
鈥淸It] would be tantamount to an illegal modern-day political witch hunt, and would have a profoundly chilling impact鈥� if Trump were to punish agency workers carrying out policies his administration doesn鈥檛 agree with. // Sen. Ed Markey (D), quoted by Bloomberg
听
鈥淪uppression of Amazon deforestation is still highly dependent upon command-and-control measures鈥搉amely, law enforcement."听// Scientist Daniel Neptstad, quoted in The Washington Post
Google to go all green. Will other tech giants follow?
The company's power contracts ensure that, even if its specific facilities are not green-powered, "we are contributing to greening the grid where we operate." // Google, quoted in 海角大神
