June 2021 Study Group – OLLI - Biodiversity Collapse and 30x30

Overview: Our virtual study group will explore current data on global biodiversity collapse (sometimes called the Sixth Extinction) and major threats to and habitats in our first meeting. Our next three meetings will focus on potential solutions and how we can each support the proposed UN and US policies to conserve 30% of land and ocean by 2030. Optional film and reading resources are provided below.

Week 1 – Wednesday, June 9th – 9:45am – 11am • Brief overview of the primary challenges facing the environment today – overconsumption, , and biodiversity collapse. Discussion of the scope of these problems • Discussion of related challenges that make environmental conservation and pursuit of environmental sustainability difficult such as lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, not understanding what can be done, and disagreements within the ‘movement’ on priorities.

Week 2 – Wednesday, June 16th – 9:45am – 11am • How individuals can impact the environment in their daily lives and local communities. • Why individual actions matter. • Example: Pollinator gardening

Week 3 – Wednesday, June 23th – 9:45am – 11am • Class preparatory activity – 15-minute plastic audit • Opening – the complexity of consumption, the case of plastic • Some approaches to changing production and consumption o Consumer demand and advocacy o Business reform o Technological innovation o Government action – rewards and regulations

Week 4 – Wednesday, June 30th – 9:45am – 11am • Some global (and national) movements o Paris Agreement o #30by#30 – Convention on Biological Diversity, China, Oct. 2021 o Global Plastic Treaty o International rights of nature • How can we support these efforts? • Study group conclusions – learning and engaging further

1 Recommended Resources: Note: these are a few recent resources on some of the topics we will cover in the class. If you would like more materials on any topic, please email me.

Week 1 – the challenges • Film - A Life on by • Overview – Summary of WWF Living Planet Report - https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/4783129/LPR/PDFs/ENGLISH- SUMMARY.pdf • Climate change - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-warming-is- endangering-more-than-we-think-we-must-adjust/2021/03/26/1a963fc0-77cc-11eb- 8115-9ad5e9c02117_story.html • Freshwater/rivers - https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56160756 • Forests - https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/as-amazon-forest-to-savanna-tipping- point-looms-solutions-remain-elusive/ • Oceans - . https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/the-world-s-oceans-are-under-the- greatest-threat-in-human-history-says-sir-david-attenborough https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/earth-s-coral-reefs-could-be- gone-2100-research-finds-n1138151 • Invertebrates . https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/10/15/hyperalarming-study- shows-massive-insect-loss/ . https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/insect- apocalypse-under-way-toxic-pesticides-agriculture/ • Flagship species o Elephants - https://theconversation.com/africas-2-elephant-species-are-both- endangered-due-to-poaching-and-habitat-loss-157944 o Monarch Butterflies - https://www.npr.org/2021/02/26/971650046/climate- change--threaten-monarch-butterfly-migration

Week 2 – individual engagement in solutions • https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/zero_waste_boxes • iNaturalist Seek - https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app • Leafsnap - https://plantidentifier.info/ • Cornell e-bird - https://ebird.org/home • https://www.rewildmystreet.org/resources

Week 3 – pursuing sustainable consumption • Films: End of the Line narrated by Ted Danson, Eating Animals with Natalie Portman, Biggest Little Farm • Fishing

2 o https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/climate/climate-change-oceans.html • Plastic o https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/world/single-use-plastics-scli- intl/index.html o https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2021/03/25/sir-david-attenborough- backs-new-uk-tech-that-can-recycle-all-plastics/?sh=4f063d767bc8

Week 4 – national and international solutions • US - https://www.vox.com/2021/5/7/22423139/biden-30-by-30-conservation- initiative-historic • Oceans o https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-need-a-paris-agreement-for- plastics/ o https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/declaring-key-ocean-habitats-off-limits- to-human-activities-protects-biodiversity-and-guards-against-climate-change- commentary/ • #30by#30 (Global Deal for Nature) o https://www.wysscampaign.org/news/2019/1/22/fact-sheet-a-plan-to-protect- at-least-30-percent-of-our-planet-by-2030 o Making Peace with Nature, UNEP, 2021 - https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature • International law - https://www.economist.com/international/2021/02/28/is-it-time- for-ecocide-to-become-an-international-crime • Environmental rights as human rights - https://knowablemagazine.org/article/society/2021/a-healthy-environment-human- right

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