World Orangutan Day! Building Data Infrastructure to Understand Climate Change Migration, World Honey Bee Day!

WORLD  ORANGUTAN DAY 2022

The goal of International Orangutan Day is to raise awareness about the predicament of this species, which has progressed from endangered to critically endangered. Orangutans have been around for generations and are thought to be the ancestors of gorillas. They are large apes who spend the majority of their time in trees and are only found in the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra, and the two species that live there were formerly thought to be the same.

There are currently about 50,000 to 65,000 orangutans left in the wild. Unfortunately, humans are the greatest threat to the survival of orangutans. Deforestation, for example, encroaches on their habitat. In addition, illicit hunting claims the lives of 3,000 orangutans each year. Some wildlife specialists believe the orangutan will become extinct in the wild over the next 50 years. Though, several organizations are working to conserve orangutans. The Centre for Orangutan Protection, the Sumatran Orangutan Society, The Orangutan Project, Orangutan Outreach, and Humane Society are a few of these organizations. . 

Name one good way to celebrate. Okay. I will. The UK-based Orangutan Foundation is offering us all the chance to sponsor an acre of Borneo orangutan habitat for as little as two pounds, or just under three dollars American. 250 acres supports less than ten orangutans. 

Why do orangutans matter to us? They play a vital role in seed dispersal and in maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem, which is important for people and a host of other animals, including tigers, Asian elephants and Sumatran rhinos. So by conserving the orangutan’s habitat, we’re also benefiting local communities and other species.

DEEPER DIVE: Orangutan Foundation, WWF, Perfect World Foundation

WORLD HONEYBEE DAY

World Honey Bee Day on the third Saturday in August brings a buzzing celebration for beekeepers, honey lovers, and all blooming things. So this year, it’s tomorrow, August 20th.

The World Honey Bee Day program started back in 2009. with a simple concept: Bring together beekeepers, bee associations, as well as other interested groups to connect with communities to advance beekeeping. By working together and harnessing the efforts that so many already accomplish, and using a united effort one day a year, the rewards and message is magnified many times over. Bee associations, individuals, and other groups are encouraged to get involved. The program is free and open to all.

The primary goals of World Honey Bee Day Programs include:

1) Promotion and advancement of beekeeping.

2) public education about honey bees and beekeeping.

3) public awareness of environmental concerns as they affect honey bees.

Another important part of the day includes learning about honey bees and providing them with a supportive environment. When we plant wildflowers, orchards, and other flowering plants, we support pollinators such as honey bees. They depend on the nectar of a variety of plants for their survival. Conversely, we depend on honeybees for our survival, too! Without their pollinating abilities, many nutritious plants wouldn’t reproduce.

Why does World Honeybee Day matter to us? Honeybees are responsible for more than 1/3 of the food we eat. Best thing you can do on World Honeybee Day, if you’ve got even the tiniest tract of land (including a balcony garden pot)? Plant pollinator friendly plants.

DEEPER DIVE: National Calendar, HoneyLove

BUILDING DATA INFRASTRUCTURE TO UNDERSTAND CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATION

Ten research teams are sharing $1.3 million of the Climate Change Solutions Fund (CCSF). Aiming for impact at both the local and global level, these projects will seek to reduce the risks of climate change, hasten the transition to renewable energy, diminish the impact of existing fossil fuels on the climate, understand and prepare for the effects of climate change, and propel innovations needed to accelerate progress toward a healthier, more sustainable future.

Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School (HBS), Satchit Balsari, Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School (HMS); Caroline Buckee, Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Jennifer Leaning, Senior Research Fellow, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights; Rahul Mehrotra, John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization, GSD; Neha B. Joseph, Research Fellow, The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard are the team behind, “BUILDING DATA INFRASTRUCTURE TO UNDERSTAND CLIMATE CHANGE MIGRATION.”

 The aim of this project is to develop a transformative, open-access climate and population health data-monitoring ecosystem in South Asia. 

More than 700 million people in South Asia have been affected by at least one climate-related disaster in the last decade. Yet, there is only a vague understanding of how climate change affects who moves, when, and why; how such distress migration in South Asia affects host communities; and the impact that large population fluxes have on access to food, shelter, jobs, and population health. 

Why does this project matter to us? 

Funding will allow the researchers to develop a prototype open-source data repository of traditional and novel data streams from public and private datasets, and invite interdisciplinary teams of stakeholders — including communities, scientists, and policymakers — to explore and apply the datasets to advance adaptation measures.

DEEPER DIVE: CCSF, More Intel