#land-use — Public Fediverse posts

Busy Beavers - The Turbidity Signature Of Ecosystem Engineers At Work
--
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70661 <-- shared paper
--
H/T @alan Puttock
“Beavers are the quintessential ecosystem engineers. In slow-flowing streams, they create complex wetlands with ponds by building dams and canals that can positively impact biodiversity, hydrology and water quality. These activities can interchangeably capture or release sediment along the watercourse. To date this has not been quantified at the resolution of rainfall events or beaver activity. This study used 15-min frequency, sustained monitoring upstream and downstream of a newly establishing beaver wetland to measure episodic changes in water turbidity at an event resolution. Monitoring showed no significant differences between upstream and downstream turbidity over 160 days when the first pair of beavers, known not to be building dams or canals, were resident. Shortly after introduction of another beaver pair, however, dam building, burrows and canal excavations were quickly observed, resulting in the creation of a complex beaver wetland between 2021 and 2024. Monitoring over 375 days during this period showed significant differences. Downstream turbidity was significantly higher overall than upstream: 13.1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) compared to 4.2 NTU. Stochastic spikes in downstream turbidity during the study period not recorded upstream were associated with dam building and burrowing. Overall, there was no significant difference in turbidity loads, which was at least partially explained by a reduction in discharge downstream, particularly in higher flows, during the dam building period. This demonstrates a complex system with the trapping of influent sediment, the storing of water and the periodic release of beaver wetland sediment leading to net balance in loads. These results help provide context for other studies which have used temporally discrete sampling campaigns rather than continuous high-frequency monitoring. They provide a unique insight into the downstream impacts of a rapidly developing beaver wetland over its first three and a half years in a landscape that hasn't had beavers for over 400 years…"
#hydromorphic #water #hydrology #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #biodiversity #ecology #benefits #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #EnvironmentalScience #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #valleysreborn #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal

Busy Beavers - The Turbidity Signature Of Ecosystem Engineers At Work
--
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70661 <-- shared paper
--
H/T @alan Puttock
“Beavers are the quintessential ecosystem engineers. In slow-flowing streams, they create complex wetlands with ponds by building dams and canals that can positively impact biodiversity, hydrology and water quality. These activities can interchangeably capture or release sediment along the watercourse. To date this has not been quantified at the resolution of rainfall events or beaver activity. This study used 15-min frequency, sustained monitoring upstream and downstream of a newly establishing beaver wetland to measure episodic changes in water turbidity at an event resolution. Monitoring showed no significant differences between upstream and downstream turbidity over 160 days when the first pair of beavers, known not to be building dams or canals, were resident. Shortly after introduction of another beaver pair, however, dam building, burrows and canal excavations were quickly observed, resulting in the creation of a complex beaver wetland between 2021 and 2024. Monitoring over 375 days during this period showed significant differences. Downstream turbidity was significantly higher overall than upstream: 13.1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) compared to 4.2 NTU. Stochastic spikes in downstream turbidity during the study period not recorded upstream were associated with dam building and burrowing. Overall, there was no significant difference in turbidity loads, which was at least partially explained by a reduction in discharge downstream, particularly in higher flows, during the dam building period. This demonstrates a complex system with the trapping of influent sediment, the storing of water and the periodic release of beaver wetland sediment leading to net balance in loads. These results help provide context for other studies which have used temporally discrete sampling campaigns rather than continuous high-frequency monitoring. They provide a unique insight into the downstream impacts of a rapidly developing beaver wetland over its first three and a half years in a landscape that hasn't had beavers for over 400 years…"
#hydromorphic #water #hydrology #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #biodiversity #ecology #benefits #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #EnvironmentalScience #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #valleysreborn #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal

#Mining sub-Saharan Africa is expanding rapidly. This poses a key threat to tropical forests.

"For every hectare of direct deforestation due to the mine footprint, mining triggers, on average, 34 hectares of additional offsite loss within five years through ancillary activities, including agriculture and settlements. Mines extracting cobalt and copper—key energy transition minerals—caused the highest amount of additional deforestation."

Morton et al. (2026). "Mining triggers extensive additional deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa" https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10551-2 🧩 🧵

#extraction #landscape #pollution #cobalt #copper #gold #climateChange #rivers #deforestation #soil #carbon #causality #land #footprint #forests #landLoss #landUse #Africa #Congo #DRC #Centrafrique #Zambia #ZA #SouthAfrica

#Mining sub-Saharan Africa is expanding rapidly. This poses a key threat to tropical forests.

"For every hectare of direct deforestation due to the mine footprint, mining triggers, on average, 34 hectares of additional offsite loss within five years through ancillary activities, including agriculture and settlements. Mines extracting cobalt and copper—key energy transition minerals—caused the highest amount of additional deforestation."

Morton et al. (2026). "Mining triggers extensive additional deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa" https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10551-2 🧩 🧵

#extraction #landscape #pollution #cobalt #copper #gold #climateChange #rivers #deforestation #soil #carbon #causality #land #footprint #forests #landLoss #landUse #Africa #Congo #DRC #Centrafrique #Zambia #ZA #SouthAfrica

Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley recommends requiring new data centers to cover their eventual decommissioning costs. That makes absolute sense: taxpayers should not inherit the cost of dismantling abandoned industrial infrastructure.

Video:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbOMvv0jlAt/

Provision text:
https://salemdata.net/CityOfSalem/other/BradfordCounty_Decommissioning_Provision_Corrected.txt

#DataCenter #DataCenters #Decommissioning #TaxpayerProtection #LocalGovernment #PublicPolicy #LandUse #EnergyPolicy #Accountability #SalemOR

#Livestock contributes substantially to GHG #emissions, #landuse change & #biodiversity pressures. Impacts are often obscured by global #supplychains. Demand within producer countries and demand from consumer countries in the Global North share responsibility: doi.org/10.1016/j.jc... #trade

Redirecting

#Livestock contributes substantially to GHG #emissions, #landuse change & #biodiversity pressures. Impacts are often obscured by global #supplychains. Demand within producer countries and demand from consumer countries in the Global North share responsibility: doi.org/10.1016/j.jc... #trade

Redirecting

#Sugar is produced in high volumes and often consumed as empty calories in #confectionery products—40% of which in Europe, where related GHG #emissions are 3m tons CO₂eq and #landuse is 250k ha. Reallocation of land from sugar crops could improve #environment & human health: doi.org/10.1007/s410...

Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Em...

#Sugar is produced in high volumes and often consumed as empty calories in #confectionery products—40% of which in Europe, where related GHG #emissions are 3m tons CO₂eq and #landuse is 250k ha. Reallocation of land from sugar crops could improve #environment & human health: doi.org/10.1007/s410...

Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Em...

New publication: #Soil Microbial Diversity and Network Organization Respond to #LandUse and Agricultural Inputs Worldwide. #agriculture #sustainability #microbiome #pesticides
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70984

… Related land-use changes (less agricultural use, more forests) can offer sizeable climate change & biodiversity benefits, while fewer ruminants reduce direct GHG emissions.

#FoodSystems #PlantBased #Diets #Health #Costs #LandUse #ClimateChange #Biodiversity #Emissions

#Siskiyou County could retire large water well on #MountShasta instead of approving #AIDataCenter

The inland #NorthernCalifornia site at the edge of town was former Coca Cola bottling plant, sold then expanded to produce flavored drinks, that market shrinking so now sold again.

https://www.ijpr.org/environment-energy-and-transportation/2026-07-08/siskiyou-county-supervisors-say-they-are-not-considering-approving-ai-data-center

#Landuse #Water #AIDataCenters

#Siskiyou County could retire large water well on #MountShasta instead of approving #AIDataCenter

The inland #NorthernCalifornia site at the edge of town was former Coca Cola bottling plant, sold then expanded to produce flavored drinks, that market shrinking so now sold again.

https://www.ijpr.org/environment-energy-and-transportation/2026-07-08/siskiyou-county-supervisors-say-they-are-not-considering-approving-ai-data-center

#Landuse #Water #AIDataCenters

Mapping Multifunctionality In Remote Patagonian Forest Landscapes Reveals High-Value Ecosystems Beyond Protected Areas
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03515-x <-- shared paper
--
H/T @Peter Potapov | Researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI)
“This paper is] a strong example of multifunctionality analysis applied to conservation planning. The study mapped six ecosystem functions, including carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity. [The author] combined satellite data, field soil sampling, and spatial modeling for this comprehensive analysis.
Two findings stand out.
1. Old-growth forests had the highest multifunctionality index of any land cover type.
2. 78.5% of the top multifunctionality hotspots fall outside the region's protected areas, even though PAs already cover more than 54% of the territory.
Together, these results make a clear case for expanding conservation of the remaining Intact Forest Landscapes and primary forests in Patagonia and elsewhere…”
--
“Remote forest landscapes provide critical references for understanding ecosystem functions (EFs) under low anthropogenic pressure, yet their capacity to sustain multiple EFs simultaneously remains poorly understood. [They] assessed landscape multifunctionality in western Patagonia by integrating satellite indicators, field data, and spatial modeling. Six EFs (carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity) were mapped, and their spatial relationships and hotspot distribution within and outside protected areas (PAs) were analyzed. Old-growth and secondary forests showed the highest functional performance. Strong synergies (ρ ≥ 0.6) between carbon storage and nutrient availability covered >50% of the landscape, whereas strong trade-offs (ρ ≤ –0.6) were spatially limited ( < 6%). Notably, 78% of multifunctionality hotspots occurred outside PAs, indicating that high-functional-value areas extend beyond formal conservation boundaries. These findings reveal spatial mismatches between multifunctionality and protection status and provide a replicable framework for integrating multifunctionality into conservation planning under global change…”
#Patagonia #chile #aysen #coyhaique #landcover #mapping #spatial #spatialpatterns #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #forest #vegetation #oldgrowth #secondgrowth #shrubland #grassland #steppe #ecosystem #habitat #nutrients #water #hydrology #erosion #multifunctionality #multifunctionalityanalysis #protectedareas #landuse #conservationplanning #conservation #ecology #carbonstorage #nutrientavailability #waterregulation #erosioncontrol #habitatquality #ecologicalconnectivity #remotesensing #satellite #earthobservation #modeling

Mapping Multifunctionality In Remote Patagonian Forest Landscapes Reveals High-Value Ecosystems Beyond Protected Areas
--
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03515-x <-- shared paper
--
H/T @Peter Potapov | Researcher at the World Resources Institute (WRI)
“This paper is] a strong example of multifunctionality analysis applied to conservation planning. The study mapped six ecosystem functions, including carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity. [The author] combined satellite data, field soil sampling, and spatial modeling for this comprehensive analysis.
Two findings stand out.
1. Old-growth forests had the highest multifunctionality index of any land cover type.
2. 78.5% of the top multifunctionality hotspots fall outside the region's protected areas, even though PAs already cover more than 54% of the territory.
Together, these results make a clear case for expanding conservation of the remaining Intact Forest Landscapes and primary forests in Patagonia and elsewhere…”
--
“Remote forest landscapes provide critical references for understanding ecosystem functions (EFs) under low anthropogenic pressure, yet their capacity to sustain multiple EFs simultaneously remains poorly understood. [They] assessed landscape multifunctionality in western Patagonia by integrating satellite indicators, field data, and spatial modeling. Six EFs (carbon storage, nutrient availability, water regulation, erosion control, habitat quality, and ecological connectivity) were mapped, and their spatial relationships and hotspot distribution within and outside protected areas (PAs) were analyzed. Old-growth and secondary forests showed the highest functional performance. Strong synergies (ρ ≥ 0.6) between carbon storage and nutrient availability covered >50% of the landscape, whereas strong trade-offs (ρ ≤ –0.6) were spatially limited ( < 6%). Notably, 78% of multifunctionality hotspots occurred outside PAs, indicating that high-functional-value areas extend beyond formal conservation boundaries. These findings reveal spatial mismatches between multifunctionality and protection status and provide a replicable framework for integrating multifunctionality into conservation planning under global change…”
#Patagonia #chile #aysen #coyhaique #landcover #mapping #spatial #spatialpatterns #spatiotemporal #spatialanalysis #forest #vegetation #oldgrowth #secondgrowth #shrubland #grassland #steppe #ecosystem #habitat #nutrients #water #hydrology #erosion #multifunctionality #multifunctionalityanalysis #protectedareas #landuse #conservationplanning #conservation #ecology #carbonstorage #nutrientavailability #waterregulation #erosioncontrol #habitatquality #ecologicalconnectivity #remotesensing #satellite #earthobservation #modeling

Eager Beavers - Rodents Engineer Czech Wetland Project After Years Of Human Delay [ecosystem engineers]
--
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/beavers-save-czech-taxpayers-by-flooding-ex-army-training-site <-- shared technical media article
--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver-engineered_dam_in_the_Czech_Republic <-- shared wiki technical page
--
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-fine-beavers-czech-treasury-million.html <-- shared technical article
--
https://youtu.be/GSTw8qmBP4Y?si=XK2Iy2pAltW91flj <-- shared video (Czech)
--
H/T @ScienceGirl
"We don't expect any conflict with the beaver in the next 10 years," ~ Bohumil Fiser from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency
--
“For seven years, planners struggled to complete a $1.2 million wetland restoration project in the Brdy region of the Czech Republic. The goal was to build a dam that would improve water management and bring back valuable wetland habitat, but the project remained trapped in a maze of permits and approvals.
Then a family of eight Eurasian beavers did what engineers had planned… without permits, machinery, or a budget.
The beavers built a network of dams in almost the exact area chosen for the proposed project, naturally restoring the wetland system officials had spent years trying to create. After seeing the results, authorities decided there was little point continuing with the original human-built dam.
Although some reports suggested the beavers completed the work overnight, experts say their construction likely took several weeks. The reason it seemed sudden is that the animals quietly worked away until their finished dams became impossible to miss.
Beavers are known as “ecosystem engineers” because their behaviour can reshape entire environments. By cutting trees and blocking streams, they create ponds and wetlands that support countless species, including fish, amphibians, insects, birds, and mammals.
Their wetlands also act as natural water reservoirs, helping during droughts, reducing flood risks, filtering water, storing carbon, and keeping landscapes wetter during wildfires…
Once heavily hunted across Europe, beaver populations have been recovering thanks to conservation efforts, proving that sometimes nature can solve problems humans spend years trying to fix…"
#water #hydrology #KlabavaRiver #Czech #BrdyRegion #protected #CzechRepublic #armytraining #military #beaver #Eurasianbeavers #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #restoration #biodiversity #crayfish #wetland #ecology #benefits #Beavers #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #Agroforestry #EnvironmentalScience #Conservation #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #EcosystemEngineers #nature #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flood #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #agriculture #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #drought #wildfire #valleysreborn #slowdetermination #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #ecosystemengineers #watermanagement

Eager Beavers - Rodents Engineer Czech Wetland Project After Years Of Human Delay [ecosystem engineers]
--
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/beavers-save-czech-taxpayers-by-flooding-ex-army-training-site <-- shared technical media article
--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver-engineered_dam_in_the_Czech_Republic <-- shared wiki technical page
--
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-fine-beavers-czech-treasury-million.html <-- shared technical article
--
https://youtu.be/GSTw8qmBP4Y?si=XK2Iy2pAltW91flj <-- shared video (Czech)
--
H/T @ScienceGirl
"We don't expect any conflict with the beaver in the next 10 years," ~ Bohumil Fiser from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency
--
“For seven years, planners struggled to complete a $1.2 million wetland restoration project in the Brdy region of the Czech Republic. The goal was to build a dam that would improve water management and bring back valuable wetland habitat, but the project remained trapped in a maze of permits and approvals.
Then a family of eight Eurasian beavers did what engineers had planned… without permits, machinery, or a budget.
The beavers built a network of dams in almost the exact area chosen for the proposed project, naturally restoring the wetland system officials had spent years trying to create. After seeing the results, authorities decided there was little point continuing with the original human-built dam.
Although some reports suggested the beavers completed the work overnight, experts say their construction likely took several weeks. The reason it seemed sudden is that the animals quietly worked away until their finished dams became impossible to miss.
Beavers are known as “ecosystem engineers” because their behaviour can reshape entire environments. By cutting trees and blocking streams, they create ponds and wetlands that support countless species, including fish, amphibians, insects, birds, and mammals.
Their wetlands also act as natural water reservoirs, helping during droughts, reducing flood risks, filtering water, storing carbon, and keeping landscapes wetter during wildfires…
Once heavily hunted across Europe, beaver populations have been recovering thanks to conservation efforts, proving that sometimes nature can solve problems humans spend years trying to fix…"
#water #hydrology #KlabavaRiver #Czech #BrdyRegion #protected #CzechRepublic #armytraining #military #beaver #Eurasianbeavers #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #restoration #biodiversity #crayfish #wetland #ecology #benefits #Beavers #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #Agroforestry #EnvironmentalScience #Conservation #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #EcosystemEngineers #nature #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flood #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #agriculture #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #drought #wildfire #valleysreborn #slowdetermination #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #ecosystemengineers #watermanagement

With 17 Mha of UK land used for #agriculture and 11 Mha agricultural land abroad linked to food & feed #imports, the land #footprint of these imports should be an important focus when evaluating #environment consequences of UK food consumption: doi.org/10.1371/jour... #FoodSecurity #Trade #LandUse

Global land footprint of UK fo...

With 17 Mha of UK land used for #agriculture and 11 Mha agricultural land abroad linked to food & feed #imports, the land #footprint of these imports should be an important focus when evaluating #environment consequences of UK food consumption: doi.org/10.1371/jour... #FoodSecurity #Trade #LandUse

Global land footprint of UK fo...

Such a fascinating episode from The War on Cars here. “Sidewalk Nation”

💡

Why do we neglect sidewalks but patch the pothole on a road? Why don’t sidewalks in most places have a *network* like motor vehicle traffic does, when they are much more cost effective? These questions and more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-war-on-cars/id1437755068

Hope you enjoy!

#business #climate #gov #greenInfrastructure #landUse #planning #transportation

Such a fascinating episode from The War on Cars here. “Sidewalk Nation”

💡

Why do we neglect sidewalks but patch the pothole on a road? Why don’t sidewalks in most places have a *network* like motor vehicle traffic does, when they are much more cost effective? These questions and more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-war-on-cars/id1437755068

Hope you enjoy!

#business #climate #gov #greenInfrastructure #landUse #planning #transportation

Optical, Radar, And Hybrid Indices To Detect Farming Practices In Europe
--
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2026.115553 <-- shared paper
--
“HIGHLIGHTS:
• [they] compare[d] Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time series to detect farming practices.
• HyBRIS index is introduced, temporally weighting BSI and VH/VV into a daily index.
• Time-series minima and maxima are used to predict sowing, harvest, and tillage.
• Validation is performed across several years, crop types, and European locations.
• Phenology detection is improved compared to HRL-Cropland.
ABSTRACT: Arable farming practices dictate both crop cycles and soil dynamics, and are central to agriculture's environmental impact and its mitigation. Sowing and harvesting mark the beginning and end of the growing season, while tillage modifies soil structure during the dormant period. Although well-established methods exist for delineating the growing season using phenology and optical data, the detection of farming practices, particularly tillage, remains underexplored. This study investigates the strengths of radar and optical data to retrieve sowing, harvest, and tillage dates at the field level, and proposes a novel Hybrid Bare Soil Radar Index (HyBRIS). Based on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, HyBRIS merges optical and radar data into a single index using a temporally weighted mean. Local minima and maxima of the time series are used to detect farming practices across European sites. Validation is carried out against a reference dataset comprising 238 fields in 11 EU countries, including 462 sowing, 374 harvest, and 388 tillage events covering more than 40 crop types over 8 years. Compared to the Copernicus High Resolution Layer Croplands product (HRL-Cropland), the proposed method based on HyBRIS time series improved sowing and harvest dates detection (MAE 26 and 23 days, respectively). Additionally, this method enabled tillage dates estimation during dormant periods (MAE = 28 days), but tended to overestimate the number of tillage events (producer's accuracy = 97%, user's accuracy = 70%). Incorporating soil moisture data is advised for reducing false positives. The results highlight the potential of optical, radar, and hybrid indices for monitoring agricultural management and supporting environmental stewardship…”
#Sowing #Harvest #tillage #tillagedetection #cropland #CroplandManagement #remotesensing #earthobservation #sentinel #Copernicus #cropland #satellite #optical #radar #sensor #landuse #landcover #landsurface #phenology #agricultural #monitoring #GIS #spatial #mapping #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #arable #farming #agriculture #soil #substrate #environment #sustainability #environmentalstewardship #growingseason #Europe #region #model #modeling

Optical, Radar, And Hybrid Indices To Detect Farming Practices In Europe
--
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2026.115553 <-- shared paper
--
“HIGHLIGHTS:
• [they] compare[d] Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time series to detect farming practices.
• HyBRIS index is introduced, temporally weighting BSI and VH/VV into a daily index.
• Time-series minima and maxima are used to predict sowing, harvest, and tillage.
• Validation is performed across several years, crop types, and European locations.
• Phenology detection is improved compared to HRL-Cropland.
ABSTRACT: Arable farming practices dictate both crop cycles and soil dynamics, and are central to agriculture's environmental impact and its mitigation. Sowing and harvesting mark the beginning and end of the growing season, while tillage modifies soil structure during the dormant period. Although well-established methods exist for delineating the growing season using phenology and optical data, the detection of farming practices, particularly tillage, remains underexplored. This study investigates the strengths of radar and optical data to retrieve sowing, harvest, and tillage dates at the field level, and proposes a novel Hybrid Bare Soil Radar Index (HyBRIS). Based on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, HyBRIS merges optical and radar data into a single index using a temporally weighted mean. Local minima and maxima of the time series are used to detect farming practices across European sites. Validation is carried out against a reference dataset comprising 238 fields in 11 EU countries, including 462 sowing, 374 harvest, and 388 tillage events covering more than 40 crop types over 8 years. Compared to the Copernicus High Resolution Layer Croplands product (HRL-Cropland), the proposed method based on HyBRIS time series improved sowing and harvest dates detection (MAE 26 and 23 days, respectively). Additionally, this method enabled tillage dates estimation during dormant periods (MAE = 28 days), but tended to overestimate the number of tillage events (producer's accuracy = 97%, user's accuracy = 70%). Incorporating soil moisture data is advised for reducing false positives. The results highlight the potential of optical, radar, and hybrid indices for monitoring agricultural management and supporting environmental stewardship…”
#Sowing #Harvest #tillage #tillagedetection #cropland #CroplandManagement #remotesensing #earthobservation #sentinel #Copernicus #cropland #satellite #optical #radar #sensor #landuse #landcover #landsurface #phenology #agricultural #monitoring #GIS #spatial #mapping #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #arable #farming #agriculture #soil #substrate #environment #sustainability #environmentalstewardship #growingseason #Europe #region #model #modeling

New publication: A data-driven framework for evaluating categorical versus gradient representations of land-use intensity. #farming #landuse #landuseintensification #remotesensing
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2026.103848

Een onderzoek naar achttien Nederlandse graslanden (in de #Ooijpolder bij #Nijmegen), ontdekten dat de gangbare beheerscategorieën van graslanden geen goed beeld geven van de werkelijkheid. De onderzoekers stellen een meer precieze aanpak voor die beheerintensiteit weergeeft met een doorlopende schaal. Lees verder https://www.ru.nl/onderzoek/onderzoeksnieuws/beheer-van-gras-en-weilanden-is-niet-altijd-in-een-hokje-te-plaatsen
#ecology #biology #landuse #landmanagement

Een onderzoek naar achttien Nederlandse graslanden (in de #Ooijpolder bij #Nijmegen), ontdekten dat de gangbare beheerscategorieën van graslanden geen goed beeld geven van de werkelijkheid. De onderzoekers stellen een meer precieze aanpak voor die beheerintensiteit weergeeft met een doorlopende schaal. Lees verder https://www.ru.nl/onderzoek/onderzoeksnieuws/beheer-van-gras-en-weilanden-is-niet-altijd-in-een-hokje-te-plaatsen
#ecology #biology #landuse #landmanagement

”When our rewilding program started, many big corporations offered us huge amounts of money if we certified carbon credits. We consulted with communities. But our answer was that we don’t sell nature.”

https://e360.yale.edu/features/tero-mustonen-interview?_hsenc=p2anqtz-8qjorrtilmbt14nt4u5r0mw9f2x-hsqsmrt7jgbvhkaktea_1-bgyaitudxi1aluczlc_w

#wetlands #rewetting #prevention #deterrence #rewilding #Finland #Karelia #peatland #restoration #landUse

”When our rewilding program started, many big corporations offered us huge amounts of money if we certified carbon credits. We consulted with communities. But our answer was that we don’t sell nature.”

https://e360.yale.edu/features/tero-mustonen-interview?_hsenc=p2anqtz-8qjorrtilmbt14nt4u5r0mw9f2x-hsqsmrt7jgbvhkaktea_1-bgyaitudxi1aluczlc_w

#wetlands #rewetting #prevention #deterrence #rewilding #Finland #Karelia #peatland #restoration #landUse

Estonia’s Water Towers (Veetornid): Soviet-era Modernism and More!

Listed below are identified water towers (veetoenid) of Estonia. There are likely more than listed, but these are the ones found to date from resources across the internet. As additional information is collected, the list will be updated accordingly.

What quickly becomes apparent when researching water towers in Estonia, are the substantial Soviet-era water tower residences (veetorn-elamu). These formidable modernist buildings place a large storage water tank atop a multi-story residential high-rise. The veetorn-elamu are often the tallest building in the city/town where they were built. Examples from below include towers in Narva, Kuressaare, Paide, Vändra, Tabasalu, and Viljandi.

Putting an adaptive reuse twist on the mix of water tower and residences, the two images above show the historic 1914 Erika Street “Arsenal” Veetorn in Tallin, which is being converted from a water tower into a residential tower with added units atop the base structure. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

Peace/Rahu!

Translatations

• Elamu = residential building
• Nuia = club
• Raudteejaama = railway station
• Vana = old
• Veetorn = water tower
• Veetornid = water towers

1. Narva Veetorn-Elamu (1969): Narva ~ 47 m/154.2 feet

2. “Bekker” Kopli Veetorn (1914): Tallinn = 42 m/137.8 feet

3. Kuressaare Veetorn-Elamu (1960s): Saaremaa Island ~ 41 m/134.5 feet

4. Paide Veetorn-Elamu (1978): Paide ~ 40 m/131.2 feet

5. Erika Street “Arsenal” Veetorn (1914): Tallinn – being converted and elevated to provide residences = 37.8 m/124 feet

6. Karksi-Nuia Veetorn (1994): Karksi-Nuia = 35 m/114.8 feet

7. Tõnismägi Veetorn (1882): Tallinn = 33.8 m/110.9 feet

8. Proposed Veetorn: Tallinn = 33 m/108.3 feet

9. Viljandi Vana Veetorn (1911): Viljandi = 30 m/98.4 feet

10. Vändra Veetorn-Elamu (1975): Vändra ~ 30 m/98.4 feet

11. Kana Veetorn: Pärnu = 24 m/78.7 feet

12. Tõrma/Rakvere Veetorn: Rakvere = 22 m/72.2 feet

13. Raudteejaama Veetorn (1870): Aegviidu = 20 m/65.6 feet

14. Risti Veetorn (1905): Risti = 18 m/59.1 feet

15. Lasva Vana Veetorn: Lasva = 12 m/39.4 feet – now an art gallery

Need more information:

• Abja-Paluoja Veetorn
• Antsla Veetorn (1889?)
• Aseri Veetorn
• Ellamaa Veetorn
• Elva Veetorn
• Haapsalu Veetorn
• Harju Maakond Veetorn
• Harku Veetorn
• Jõhvi Veetorn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Keila
• Kiviõli Veetorn
• Kohtla-Järve Veetorn
• Kukruse Veetorn
• Maardu Veetorn
• Mingi Veetorn
• Mustvee Veetorn
• Kreenholm Veetorn: Narva
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Narva
• Nõo Veetorn
• Patika Veetorn
• Peeterristi (Vaivara) Veetorn
• Põlva Veetorn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Püssi
• Raasiku Veetorn
• Sindi Veetorn
• Suure-Jaani Veetorn
• Suurpea 1 Veetorn
• Tabasalu Veetorn-Elamu (1981): Tabasalu

• Tagadi Veetorn
• Estonian Maritime Academy: Tallinn
• Kristiine Katlamaja and Tonismagi Veetorn (1882): Tallinn
• Laevastiku Veetorn: Tallinn
• Luther Plywood and Furniture Factory: Tallinn
• Noblessner Shipyard Veetorn (1915): Tallinn

• Rocca al Mare Veetorn: Tallinn
• Seewaldi Hospital Veetorn (1903): Tallinn
• Tallinn-Väike Raudteejaama Veetorn (1901): Tallinn
• Telliski Veetorn: Tallinn
• Ülemiste “Dvigateli” Veetorn: Tallinn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Tamsalu
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Tapa
• Raadi Manor Veetorn: Tartu – now a museum
• Tartu Brewery Veetorn
• Tatari Veetorn
• Toila Veetorn
• Türi Raudteejaama Veetorn: Türi
• Vasalemma Veetorn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Viljandi
• Jakobsoni 3 Veetorn-Elamu: Viljandi

SOURCES:

• https://estonianarchitecture.com/project/lasva-water-tower/
• gemini.google.ai
• https://eber.se/arkiv/torn/ebers/ebers-ee-e.htm
• https://www.reddit.com/r/ArchitecturalRevival/comments/i6v8u7/the_historic_19th_century_water_tower_in_aegviidu/
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Water_towers_in_Estonia_by_city
• https://visitestonia.com/en/risti-watertower-from-the-tsar-era
• https://visitestonia.com/en/viljandi-vana-veetorn-viljandi-old-water-tower
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_structures_in_Estonia
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2672_Aegviidu_jaama_veetorn.jpg
• https://harjuelu.ee/algas-raasiku-raudteejaama-vana-veetorni-renoveerimine/
• https://noblessner.ee/en/explore-noblessner/about-noblessner/#/
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18793665241267951
• https://news.err.ee/1609161475/tallinn-approves-detailed-plan-for-telliskivi
• https://www.delfi.ee/artikkel/51176826/tonismae-veetorn-ootab-uut-asjalikku-uurnikku
• https://eeter.err.ee/1609813989/video-ringvaade-kulastas-koplis-seisvat-bekkeri-veetorni
• https://katkestuste-linn.blogspot.com/2010/04/100-bekkeri-tehase-veetorn.html
• https://geenius.delfi.ee/artikkel/120452523/pildid-tallinna-ajalooline-veetorn-saab-uue-elu-kortermajana
• https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kana_t%C3%A4nav_(P%C3%A4rnu)
• https://www.facebook.com/margus.mandveer/photos/tallinnt%C3%B5nism%C3%A4git%C3%B5nism%C3%A4e-veetorn-t%C3%B5nism%C3%A4gi-12-valmis-1882tuuleveski-kohale-t%C3%B5nis/26000616509619457/
• https://ristofoto.com/2026/03/23/elva-veetorn-elamu/
• https://ristofoto.com/2024/11/23/tabasalu-veetorn-elamu/
• https://ristofoto.com/2025/09/27/paide-veetorn-elamu/
• https://vvkntk.ee/et/noortekeskused/lasva-veetorn/98/98
• https://industrialheritage.pro/storage/brochures/Toostusparand-ENG-web-150dpi.pdf
• https://jarvateataja.postimees.ee/7880408/jarvamaa-veetornid-unustatud-ja-uuele-elule-aratatud
• https://arcovara.ee/et/blogi/218-maaklertegevus/106239-arco-vara-top-5-juunis-noppis-voidu-veetorn
• https://kinnisvara24.ee/en/blogi/liven-began-building-headquarters-homes-in-historic-arsenal-water-tower-en
• https://www.pinterest.com/mariannekuurme/water-towers-in-estonia/
• https://citify.eu/peakorter-erika-6a-6b/

Estonia’s Water Towers (Veetornid): Soviet-era Modernism and More!

Listed below are identified water towers (veetoenid) of Estonia. There are likely more than listed, but these are the ones found to date from resources across the internet. As additional information is collected, the list will be updated accordingly.

What quickly becomes apparent when researching water towers in Estonia, are the substantial Soviet-era water tower residences (veetorn-elamu). These formidable modernist buildings place a large storage water tank atop a multi-story residential high-rise. The veetorn-elamu are often the tallest building in the city/town where they were built. Examples from below include towers in Narva, Kuressaare, Paide, Vändra, Tabasalu, and Viljandi.

Putting an adaptive reuse twist on the mix of water tower and residences, the two images above show the historic 1914 Erika Street “Arsenal” Veetorn in Tallin, which is being converted from a water tower into a residential tower with added units atop the base structure. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

Peace/Rahu!

Translatations

• Elamu = residential building
• Nuia = club
• Raudteejaama = railway station
• Vana = old
• Veetorn = water tower
• Veetornid = water towers

1. Narva Veetorn-Elamu (1969): Narva ~ 47 m/154.2 feet

2. “Bekker” Kopli Veetorn (1914): Tallinn = 42 m/137.8 feet

3. Kuressaare Veetorn-Elamu (1960s): Saaremaa Island ~ 41 m/134.5 feet

4. Paide Veetorn-Elamu (1978): Paide ~ 40 m/131.2 feet

5. Erika Street “Arsenal” Veetorn (1914): Tallinn – being converted and elevated to provide residences = 37.8 m/124 feet

6. Karksi-Nuia Veetorn (1994): Karksi-Nuia = 35 m/114.8 feet

7. Tõnismägi Veetorn (1882): Tallinn = 33.8 m/110.9 feet

8. Proposed Veetorn: Tallinn = 33 m/108.3 feet

9. Viljandi Vana Veetorn (1911): Viljandi = 30 m/98.4 feet

10. Vändra Veetorn-Elamu (1975): Vändra ~ 30 m/98.4 feet

11. Kana Veetorn: Pärnu = 24 m/78.7 feet

12. Tõrma/Rakvere Veetorn: Rakvere = 22 m/72.2 feet

13. Raudteejaama Veetorn (1870): Aegviidu = 20 m/65.6 feet

14. Risti Veetorn (1905): Risti = 18 m/59.1 feet

15. Lasva Vana Veetorn: Lasva = 12 m/39.4 feet – now an art gallery

Need more information:

• Abja-Paluoja Veetorn
• Antsla Veetorn (1889?)
• Aseri Veetorn
• Ellamaa Veetorn
• Elva Veetorn
• Haapsalu Veetorn
• Harju Maakond Veetorn
• Harku Veetorn
• Jõhvi Veetorn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Keila
• Kiviõli Veetorn
• Kohtla-Järve Veetorn
• Kukruse Veetorn
• Maardu Veetorn
• Mingi Veetorn
• Mustvee Veetorn
• Kreenholm Veetorn: Narva
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Narva
• Nõo Veetorn
• Patika Veetorn
• Peeterristi (Vaivara) Veetorn
• Põlva Veetorn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Püssi
• Raasiku Veetorn
• Sindi Veetorn
• Suure-Jaani Veetorn
• Suurpea 1 Veetorn
• Tabasalu Veetorn-Elamu (1981): Tabasalu

• Tagadi Veetorn
• Estonian Maritime Academy: Tallinn
• Kristiine Katlamaja and Tonismagi Veetorn (1882): Tallinn
• Laevastiku Veetorn: Tallinn
• Luther Plywood and Furniture Factory: Tallinn
• Noblessner Shipyard Veetorn (1915): Tallinn

• Rocca al Mare Veetorn: Tallinn
• Seewaldi Hospital Veetorn (1903): Tallinn
• Tallinn-Väike Raudteejaama Veetorn (1901): Tallinn
• Telliski Veetorn: Tallinn
• Ülemiste “Dvigateli” Veetorn: Tallinn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Tamsalu
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Tapa
• Raadi Manor Veetorn: Tartu – now a museum
• Tartu Brewery Veetorn
• Tatari Veetorn
• Toila Veetorn
• Türi Raudteejaama Veetorn: Türi
• Vasalemma Veetorn
• Raudteejaama Veetorn: Viljandi
• Jakobsoni 3 Veetorn-Elamu: Viljandi

SOURCES:

• https://estonianarchitecture.com/project/lasva-water-tower/
• gemini.google.ai
• https://eber.se/arkiv/torn/ebers/ebers-ee-e.htm
• https://www.reddit.com/r/ArchitecturalRevival/comments/i6v8u7/the_historic_19th_century_water_tower_in_aegviidu/
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Water_towers_in_Estonia_by_city
• https://visitestonia.com/en/risti-watertower-from-the-tsar-era
• https://visitestonia.com/en/viljandi-vana-veetorn-viljandi-old-water-tower
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_structures_in_Estonia
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2672_Aegviidu_jaama_veetorn.jpg
• https://harjuelu.ee/algas-raasiku-raudteejaama-vana-veetorni-renoveerimine/
• https://noblessner.ee/en/explore-noblessner/about-noblessner/#/
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/18793665241267951
• https://news.err.ee/1609161475/tallinn-approves-detailed-plan-for-telliskivi
• https://www.delfi.ee/artikkel/51176826/tonismae-veetorn-ootab-uut-asjalikku-uurnikku
• https://eeter.err.ee/1609813989/video-ringvaade-kulastas-koplis-seisvat-bekkeri-veetorni
• https://katkestuste-linn.blogspot.com/2010/04/100-bekkeri-tehase-veetorn.html
• https://geenius.delfi.ee/artikkel/120452523/pildid-tallinna-ajalooline-veetorn-saab-uue-elu-kortermajana
• https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kana_t%C3%A4nav_(P%C3%A4rnu)
• https://www.facebook.com/margus.mandveer/photos/tallinnt%C3%B5nism%C3%A4git%C3%B5nism%C3%A4e-veetorn-t%C3%B5nism%C3%A4gi-12-valmis-1882tuuleveski-kohale-t%C3%B5nis/26000616509619457/
• https://ristofoto.com/2026/03/23/elva-veetorn-elamu/
• https://ristofoto.com/2024/11/23/tabasalu-veetorn-elamu/
• https://ristofoto.com/2025/09/27/paide-veetorn-elamu/
• https://vvkntk.ee/et/noortekeskused/lasva-veetorn/98/98
• https://industrialheritage.pro/storage/brochures/Toostusparand-ENG-web-150dpi.pdf
• https://jarvateataja.postimees.ee/7880408/jarvamaa-veetornid-unustatud-ja-uuele-elule-aratatud
• https://arcovara.ee/et/blogi/218-maaklertegevus/106239-arco-vara-top-5-juunis-noppis-voidu-veetorn
• https://kinnisvara24.ee/en/blogi/liven-began-building-headquarters-homes-in-historic-arsenal-water-tower-en
• https://www.pinterest.com/mariannekuurme/water-towers-in-estonia/
• https://citify.eu/peakorter-erika-6a-6b/

Problems of the #livestock sector according to FAO: - #deforestation - #landuse change - GHG #emissions - unsustainable use of land & water - #pollution - competition btwn food & feed - #overgrazing - poor #animal welfare - social #inequity - food safety & #health risks www.fao.org/newsroom/det...

FAO study: Global meat supply ...

The Growing Threat of Flooding on Transportation Infrastructure Across Texas Through 2100
--
https://doi.org/10.1029/2026EF008207 <--shared paper
--
H/T @Rakibul Ahasan
“[The researchers] modeled flood susceptibility across Texas at 30 m resolution and projected how it shifts through 2100. The headline is not just that flood risk grows, but that it moves, into places current planning and regulatory maps are not watching. The July 2025 Kerrville flooding sat squarely inside the kind of inland hazard expansion this model projects.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
● 95% of new flood exposure by 2100 is inland, away from the coast, shifting the resilience problem into interior river basins that planning has historically deprioritized.
● Where [they] benchmarked against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, the model flags substantial hidden risk in rapidly urbanizing peri-urban areas, most notably in Greater Houston.
● Climate change alone expands the flood-susceptible footprint by 10–12% by 2100, before any new road or land-use development, so this is a conservative floor, not a ceiling.
● Half the state's roads and rail and 80% of its bridges already sit in flood-susceptible zones today.
● [They] accounted for both factor-importance and spatial-scale uncertainty, using a Monte Carlo weight-perturbation ensemble and multiscale analysis across nested neighborhoods.
The practical takeaway: this is a statewide screening layer, not a replacement for site-level hydraulic studies. It shows planners and policymakers where the gap between today's protection and tomorrow's risk is widest, and where unmapped peri-urban growth is walking into exposure that regulatory maps still call safe…”
#water #hydrology #hydrography #extremeweather #flood #flooding #Texas #TX #USA #transportation #infrastructure #humanimpacts #risk #hazard #cost #economics #floodsusceptibility #GIS #spatial #mapping #raster #elevation #modeling #model #spatialanalysis #planning #regulation #warning #Kerrville #hazardmapping #floodexposure #inland #coast #urban #urbanisation #development #growth #Houston #lowlying #climatechange #landuse #development #geostatstics #MonteCarlo #regionalscreening #naturalhazard #infrastructureresilience #floodmapping #hydrogeomorphology #geomorphometry #aginginfrastructure

The Growing Threat of Flooding on Transportation Infrastructure Across Texas Through 2100
--
https://doi.org/10.1029/2026EF008207 <--shared paper
--
H/T @Rakibul Ahasan
“[The researchers] modeled flood susceptibility across Texas at 30 m resolution and projected how it shifts through 2100. The headline is not just that flood risk grows, but that it moves, into places current planning and regulatory maps are not watching. The July 2025 Kerrville flooding sat squarely inside the kind of inland hazard expansion this model projects.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
● 95% of new flood exposure by 2100 is inland, away from the coast, shifting the resilience problem into interior river basins that planning has historically deprioritized.
● Where [they] benchmarked against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, the model flags substantial hidden risk in rapidly urbanizing peri-urban areas, most notably in Greater Houston.
● Climate change alone expands the flood-susceptible footprint by 10–12% by 2100, before any new road or land-use development, so this is a conservative floor, not a ceiling.
● Half the state's roads and rail and 80% of its bridges already sit in flood-susceptible zones today.
● [They] accounted for both factor-importance and spatial-scale uncertainty, using a Monte Carlo weight-perturbation ensemble and multiscale analysis across nested neighborhoods.
The practical takeaway: this is a statewide screening layer, not a replacement for site-level hydraulic studies. It shows planners and policymakers where the gap between today's protection and tomorrow's risk is widest, and where unmapped peri-urban growth is walking into exposure that regulatory maps still call safe…”
#water #hydrology #hydrography #extremeweather #flood #flooding #Texas #TX #USA #transportation #infrastructure #humanimpacts #risk #hazard #cost #economics #floodsusceptibility #GIS #spatial #mapping #raster #elevation #modeling #model #spatialanalysis #planning #regulation #warning #Kerrville #hazardmapping #floodexposure #inland #coast #urban #urbanisation #development #growth #Houston #lowlying #climatechange #landuse #development #geostatstics #MonteCarlo #regionalscreening #naturalhazard #infrastructureresilience #floodmapping #hydrogeomorphology #geomorphometry #aginginfrastructure

On The Use Of Rainfall Time Series For Regional Landslide Prediction By Means Of Functional Regression
--
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2026.108860 <-- shared paper
--
#rainfallinduced #landslide #Functionalregression #Japan #Earlywarningsystem #Spacetimeprediction #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #massmovement #engineeringgeology #geomorphology #hydrogeomorphology #geomorphometry #remotesensing #geostatistics #model #modeling #mechanics #rainfall #threshold #precipitation #water #hydrology #risk #hazard #hazardassessment #terrain #landscape #landform #landuse #geology #soil #lithology #functionalGeneralizedAdditiveModel #FGAM #prediction #casestudy #AI #LLM

On The Use Of Rainfall Time Series For Regional Landslide Prediction By Means Of Functional Regression
--
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2026.108860 <-- shared paper
--
#rainfallinduced #landslide #Functionalregression #Japan #Earlywarningsystem #Spacetimeprediction #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #massmovement #engineeringgeology #geomorphology #hydrogeomorphology #geomorphometry #remotesensing #geostatistics #model #modeling #mechanics #rainfall #threshold #precipitation #water #hydrology #risk #hazard #hazardassessment #terrain #landscape #landform #landuse #geology #soil #lithology #functionalGeneralizedAdditiveModel #FGAM #prediction #casestudy #AI #LLM

The #EnvironmentalCost of #ArtificialIntelligence: #Carbon, #Water, and #LandFootprints

#AI’s rapid growth drives huge energy, water, and land use, raising environmental and equity challenges across its global infrastructure.

Date Published 3 Jun 2026

UNU-INWEH Report: Aczel, M., Chamanara, S., Matin, M., Farsi, A., Marwala, T., Madani, K. (2026).

"This report, Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints, by the #UnitedNationsUniversity Institute for Water, Environment and Health ( #UNU - #INWEH ) on its 30th anniversary, examines one of the most underexplored consequences of AI’s rapid expansion: the environmental footprints of the energy required to power it. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in economies, public services, research, communication, and everyday life, it depends on a growing physical infrastructure of #datacenters, advanced #chips, #CoolingSystems, #ElectricityGrids, #WaterResources, land, and #CriticalMineral supply chains. The report shows that AI is not only a digital technology, but also a material system with measurable #EnvironmentalCosts.

"The report moves beyond a carbon-only lens by quantifying the carbon, water, and land footprints associated with the electricity used to train, deploy, and operate AI systems at scale. Its central finding is that AI’s environmental costs depend not only on how much electricity is used, but also on where that electricity is generated and which energy sources power it. Every kilowatt-hour used by AI carries carbon, water, and land implications, and these footprints do not always move in the same direction: low-carbon electricity is not automatically low-water or low-land. The report also shows that AI’s footprint is shaped by both major infrastructure trends, including the rapid growth of data centers, and everyday use patterns, including model choice, output length, modality, and the growing use of text, image, and video generation.

"Importantly, the report frames AI’s environmental footprint as a governance and justice challenge, not only a technical problem. The benefits of AI often flow across borders and sectors, while the environmental burdens of data center siting, electricity demand, water withdrawals, #LandUse, MineralExtraction, and #EWaste can be concentrated in specific communities and regions. To address these risks, the report calls for a responsible AI ecosystem grounded in transparency, efficiency by design, equity and #EnvironmentalJustice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. By making AI’s carbon, water, and land footprints visible and comparable, the report provides a practical basis for integrating AI into energy, climate, water, and land-use planning, ensuring that innovation advances without shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities."

Download PDF:
https://unu.edu/inweh/collection/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-Use-Carbon-water-and-land-footprints

#AIBoom #Electricity #Hyperscale #BigTech #BigData #CarbonFootprint #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalDegradation #NoisePollution #LightPollution #WaterIsLife #AIAgents #BotTraffic #GreenSpaces #Farmland #Prairies #Woodland #TechGiants #ProtectNature #NoDatacenters #EnergyConsumption #USPol #WorldPol #Datacentres
#DatacenterMoratoriums

The #EnvironmentalCost of #ArtificialIntelligence: #Carbon, #Water, and #LandFootprints

#AI’s rapid growth drives huge energy, water, and land use, raising environmental and equity challenges across its global infrastructure.

Date Published 3 Jun 2026

UNU-INWEH Report: Aczel, M., Chamanara, S., Matin, M., Farsi, A., Marwala, T., Madani, K. (2026).

"This report, Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints, by the #UnitedNationsUniversity Institute for Water, Environment and Health ( #UNU - #INWEH ) on its 30th anniversary, examines one of the most underexplored consequences of AI’s rapid expansion: the environmental footprints of the energy required to power it. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in economies, public services, research, communication, and everyday life, it depends on a growing physical infrastructure of #datacenters, advanced #chips, #CoolingSystems, #ElectricityGrids, #WaterResources, land, and #CriticalMineral supply chains. The report shows that AI is not only a digital technology, but also a material system with measurable #EnvironmentalCosts.

"The report moves beyond a carbon-only lens by quantifying the carbon, water, and land footprints associated with the electricity used to train, deploy, and operate AI systems at scale. Its central finding is that AI’s environmental costs depend not only on how much electricity is used, but also on where that electricity is generated and which energy sources power it. Every kilowatt-hour used by AI carries carbon, water, and land implications, and these footprints do not always move in the same direction: low-carbon electricity is not automatically low-water or low-land. The report also shows that AI’s footprint is shaped by both major infrastructure trends, including the rapid growth of data centers, and everyday use patterns, including model choice, output length, modality, and the growing use of text, image, and video generation.

"Importantly, the report frames AI’s environmental footprint as a governance and justice challenge, not only a technical problem. The benefits of AI often flow across borders and sectors, while the environmental burdens of data center siting, electricity demand, water withdrawals, #LandUse, MineralExtraction, and #EWaste can be concentrated in specific communities and regions. To address these risks, the report calls for a responsible AI ecosystem grounded in transparency, efficiency by design, equity and #EnvironmentalJustice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. By making AI’s carbon, water, and land footprints visible and comparable, the report provides a practical basis for integrating AI into energy, climate, water, and land-use planning, ensuring that innovation advances without shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities."

Download PDF:
https://unu.edu/inweh/collection/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-Use-Carbon-water-and-land-footprints

#AIBoom #Electricity #Hyperscale #BigTech #BigData #CarbonFootprint #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalDegradation #NoisePollution #LightPollution #WaterIsLife #AIAgents #BotTraffic #GreenSpaces #Farmland #Prairies #Woodland #TechGiants #ProtectNature #NoDatacenters #EnergyConsumption #USPol #WorldPol #Datacentres
#DatacenterMoratoriums

Cartoon Alley: Nappanee’s Outdoor Comic Strip Museum

For the second time in as many years we’ve had the opportunity to visit an incredible remaking of an alley in small town Indiana. Last year it was Ohki Alley in Columbia City, Indiana and now in 2026 it was Cartoon Alley in Nappanee.

Situated but a few steps south of Nappanee’s bustling downtown crossroads is Cartoon Alley, so named as six (6) well-known animators/commercial artists have hailed from this quaint Amish tourist town of 6,877 (2026 est.).

Adorning the newly painted brick and mortar alley walls are six (6) humorous and colorful panels of famous comic strips from four (4) of the artists whose comic strips were published in newspapers across the nation. A separate panel highlights their careers and personal histories (see below).

The comic strip cartoonists highlighted include Merrill Blosser, Bill Holman, Fred Neher, and Max Gwin. Two other illustrators, Henry Maust and Francis “Mike” Parks, who worked in commercial arts and editorial cartoons respectively are noted on the panel, as well as on an Indiana State Historic Marker located in front of Nappanee Public Library.

“Bill [Holman] also drew ‘Spooky & Foo‘. The word ‘Foo’ became a household name and turned into a catch phrase across the nation. The 415th Night Fighter Squadron adopted Holman’s ‘Foo Fighters’ to describe the unexplainable lights they observed flying beside them over Germany during World War II. The fifteen-time Grammy and five-time Rock Album of the Year Award winning band, The Foo Fighters, carried Holman’s legacy to another generation”

– Cartoon Alley Panel

Source: mycomicshop.com

Other placemaking features of this beautified strip of city pavement include a metal archway, curved benches with matching lights, as well as flower-filled pots.

And…the best news is that Nappanee is not done yet with their remarkable makeover of its alleys. Directly across Main Street from Cartoon Alley will be Shoe Alley (or Aisle) which will commemorate the town’s noted shoemaking history.

Needless to say, these wonderful additions to the townscape are perfect tools for maintaining the health and vitality of downtown. Congratulations to the good folks of Nappanee, Indiana whose hometown pride has been manifested into a charming, interesting, and enjoyable outdoor historic museum for all to enjoy and partake.

Peace!

Cartoon Alley: Nappanee’s Outdoor Comic Strip Museum

For the second time in as many years we’ve had the opportunity to visit an incredible remaking of an alley in small town Indiana. Last year it was Ohki Alley in Columbia City, Indiana and now in 2026 it was Cartoon Alley in Nappanee.

Situated but a few steps south of Nappanee’s bustling downtown crossroads is Cartoon Alley, so named as six (6) well-known animators/commercial artists have hailed from this quaint Amish tourist town of 6,877 (2026 est.).

Adorning the newly painted brick and mortar alley walls are six (6) humorous and colorful panels of famous comic strips from four (4) of the artists whose comic strips were published in newspapers across the nation. A separate panel highlights their careers and personal histories (see below).

The comic strip cartoonists highlighted include Merrill Blosser, Bill Holman, Fred Neher, and Max Gwin. Two other illustrators, Henry Maust and Francis “Mike” Parks, who worked in commercial arts and editorial cartoons respectively are noted on the panel, as well as on an Indiana State Historic Marker located in front of Nappanee Public Library.

“Bill [Holman] also drew ‘Spooky & Foo‘. The word ‘Foo’ became a household name and turned into a catch phrase across the nation. The 415th Night Fighter Squadron adopted Holman’s ‘Foo Fighters’ to describe the unexplainable lights they observed flying beside them over Germany during World War II. The fifteen-time Grammy and five-time Rock Album of the Year Award winning band, The Foo Fighters, carried Holman’s legacy to another generation”

– Cartoon Alley Panel

Source: mycomicshop.com

Other placemaking features of this beautified strip of city pavement include a metal archway, curved benches with matching lights, as well as flower-filled pots.

And…the best news is that Nappanee is not done yet with their remarkable makeover of its alleys. Directly across Main Street from Cartoon Alley will be Shoe Alley (or Aisle) which will commemorate the town’s noted shoemaking history.

Needless to say, these wonderful additions to the townscape are perfect tools for maintaining the health and vitality of downtown. Congratulations to the good folks of Nappanee, Indiana whose hometown pride has been manifested into a charming, interesting, and enjoyable outdoor historic museum for all to enjoy and partake.

Peace!

Legacy of #Indigenous #stewardship of #camas dates back more than 3,500 years, #OSU study finds

May 20, 2024

Excerpt: CORVALLIS, Ore. — "An #Oregon State University study found evidence that Indigenous groups in the #PacificNorthwest were intentionally harvesting edible #CamasBulbs at optimal stages of the plant’s maturation as far back as 3,500 years ago.

"The findings contribute to the growing body of research around #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge and practices, demonstrating the care and specificity with which Indigenous groups have been stewarding and cultivating natural resources for millennia.

"Camas is an #ecological and cultural keystone, meaning it is a species that many other organisms depend on and that features prominently within many cultural practices.

" 'If you think about #salmon as being a charismatic species that people are very familiar with, camas is kind of the plant equivalent,' said Molly Carney, an assistant professor of anthropology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts and lead author on the study. 'It is one of those species that really holds up greater #ecosystems, a fundamental species which everything is related to.'

"An eye-catching blue flower that grows widely throughout the Pacific Northwest, camas is referred to in Indigenous calendars across the region, with the plant’s growth stages used as a sort of seasonal benchmark. It is often included in traditional #FirstFood ceremonies, in which tribal communities mark the coming of spring with the first #SalmonRun or the first #EdibleRoots after a long winter, Carney said.

"Camas bulbs must be baked for two to three days to render them edible. Once soft, the bulbs taste a bit like sweet potato, Carney said. Traditional baking was done in underground ovens using heated rocks."

Read more:
https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/legacy-indigenous-stewardship-camas-dates-back-more-3500-years-osu-study-finds

#SolarPunkSunday #LandUse
#IndigenousFoods #CulturalPreservation
#NativeAmericanHistory #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousHistory #TraditionalFoods
#TraditionalFoodSources #KeystoneSpecies #PNW #TEK

Legacy of #Indigenous #stewardship of #camas dates back more than 3,500 years, #OSU study finds

May 20, 2024

Excerpt: CORVALLIS, Ore. — "An #Oregon State University study found evidence that Indigenous groups in the #PacificNorthwest were intentionally harvesting edible #CamasBulbs at optimal stages of the plant’s maturation as far back as 3,500 years ago.

"The findings contribute to the growing body of research around #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge and practices, demonstrating the care and specificity with which Indigenous groups have been stewarding and cultivating natural resources for millennia.

"Camas is an #ecological and cultural keystone, meaning it is a species that many other organisms depend on and that features prominently within many cultural practices.

" 'If you think about #salmon as being a charismatic species that people are very familiar with, camas is kind of the plant equivalent,' said Molly Carney, an assistant professor of anthropology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts and lead author on the study. 'It is one of those species that really holds up greater #ecosystems, a fundamental species which everything is related to.'

"An eye-catching blue flower that grows widely throughout the Pacific Northwest, camas is referred to in Indigenous calendars across the region, with the plant’s growth stages used as a sort of seasonal benchmark. It is often included in traditional #FirstFood ceremonies, in which tribal communities mark the coming of spring with the first #SalmonRun or the first #EdibleRoots after a long winter, Carney said.

"Camas bulbs must be baked for two to three days to render them edible. Once soft, the bulbs taste a bit like sweet potato, Carney said. Traditional baking was done in underground ovens using heated rocks."

Read more:
https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/legacy-indigenous-stewardship-camas-dates-back-more-3500-years-osu-study-finds

#SolarPunkSunday #LandUse
#IndigenousFoods #CulturalPreservation
#NativeAmericanHistory #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousHistory #TraditionalFoods
#TraditionalFoodSources #KeystoneSpecies #PNW #TEK

#NativeAmericaCalling: A Native cafe, #CamasRestoration and the #IndigenousFoodPyramid

Friday, May 29, 2026

Excerpt: "Camas, a wild purple flower with an onion-like bulb, has been an important plant for Native people, mainly in the northwest. This is the time of year for harvesting and cooking them.

"Some Culture-keepers are reconnecting with traditional teachings and recipes handed down across generations. But environmental and land use changes are setting up more access barriers. The #ConfederatedTribesOfGrandRonde is one tribe working to protect this significant plant through a series of projects in #Oregon."

https://indianz.com/News/2026/05/29/native-america-calling-a-native-cafe-camas-restoration-and-the-indigenous-food-pyramid/

#SolarPunkSunday #LandUse #IndigenousFoods #CulturalPreservation #PlantPreservation #EnvironmentalRestoration #CamasPreservation #TraditionalFoods #TraditionalFoodSources

#NativeAmericaCalling: A Native cafe, #CamasRestoration and the #IndigenousFoodPyramid

Friday, May 29, 2026

Excerpt: "Camas, a wild purple flower with an onion-like bulb, has been an important plant for Native people, mainly in the northwest. This is the time of year for harvesting and cooking them.

"Some Culture-keepers are reconnecting with traditional teachings and recipes handed down across generations. But environmental and land use changes are setting up more access barriers. The #ConfederatedTribesOfGrandRonde is one tribe working to protect this significant plant through a series of projects in #Oregon."

https://indianz.com/News/2026/05/29/native-america-calling-a-native-cafe-camas-restoration-and-the-indigenous-food-pyramid/

#SolarPunkSunday #LandUse #IndigenousFoods #CulturalPreservation #PlantPreservation #EnvironmentalRestoration #CamasPreservation #TraditionalFoods #TraditionalFoodSources

Rethinking the Global Response to Deforestation
#Deforestation #ClimateChange #Environment #Forests #Sustainability #Biodiversity #COP31 #COP30 #EUDR #IISD #TradePolicy #GreenEconomy #CarbonEmissions #Nature #LandUse #Earth #NetZero #ForestProtection
https://the-14.com/rethinking-the-global-response-to-deforestation/

Rethinking the Global Response to Deforestation
#Deforestation #ClimateChange #Environment #Forests #Sustainability #Biodiversity #COP31 #COP30 #EUDR #IISD #TradePolicy #GreenEconomy #CarbonEmissions #Nature #LandUse #Earth #NetZero #ForestProtection
https://the-14.com/rethinking-the-global-response-to-deforestation/

Rethinking the Global Response to Deforestation
#Deforestation #ClimateChange #Environment #Forests #Sustainability #Biodiversity #COP31 #COP30 #EUDR #IISD #TradePolicy #GreenEconomy #CarbonEmissions #Nature #LandUse #Earth #NetZero #ForestProtection
https://the-14.com/rethinking-the-global-response-to-deforestation/

Rethinking the Global Response to Deforestation
#Deforestation #ClimateChange #Environment #Forests #Sustainability #Biodiversity #COP31 #COP30 #EUDR #IISD #TradePolicy #GreenEconomy #CarbonEmissions #Nature #LandUse #Earth #NetZero #ForestProtection
https://the-14.com/rethinking-the-global-response-to-deforestation/

Indiana joins the billionaire stadium welfare program

First, Kansas decided to help fund the National Football League’s (NFL) Kansas City Chiefs move from Missouri to Kansas earlier this year to the tune of $2.8 billion. Now, Indiana will be doling out $1 billion to help the Chicago Bears move to neighboring Hammond, Indiana.

Just like Kansas, there are many more useful purposes for $1 billion that could greatly benefit the average residents of Indiana than another football stadium. Perhaps, improving the quality of life for all Hoosiers would be a useful alternative?

Per CNBC, Indiana received a grade of F and was ranked 48th in the nation in terms of Quality of Life in 2025. Only Texas and Tennessee are worse. Weaknesses are Child Care, Reproductive Rights, Inclusiveness, and Air Quality. – cnbc.com

But today, welfare for the rich and corporations appears to outweigh any empathy, sympathy, or care for the sick, poor, unhoused, the needy, or the unfortunate.

“Funny how so many wealthy people and corporate interests despise socialism (such as welfare) until THEY want it or need it.” – Panethos.wordpress.com

As long as more Americans keep voting against their own best interests, these kind of disjointed priorities will likely continue.

Sad…

Indiana joins the billionaire stadium welfare program

First, Kansas decided to help fund the National Football League’s (NFL) Kansas City Chiefs move from Missouri to Kansas earlier this year to the tune of $2.8 billion. Now, Indiana will be doling out $1 billion to help the Chicago Bears move to neighboring Hammond, Indiana.

Just like Kansas, there are many more useful purposes for $1 billion that could greatly benefit the average residents of Indiana than another football stadium. Perhaps, improving the quality of life for all Hoosiers would be a useful alternative?

Per CNBC, Indiana received a grade of F and was ranked 48th in the nation in terms of Quality of Life in 2025. Only Texas and Tennessee are worse. Weaknesses are Child Care, Reproductive Rights, Inclusiveness, and Air Quality. – cnbc.com

But today, welfare for the rich and corporations appears to outweigh any empathy, sympathy, or care for the sick, poor, unhoused, the needy, or the unfortunate.

“Funny how so many wealthy people and corporate interests despise socialism (such as welfare) until THEY want it or need it.” – Panethos.wordpress.com

As long as more Americans keep voting against their own best interests, these kind of disjointed priorities will likely continue.

Sad…

New publication: Multiple global-change drivers and cascading effects in #Mediterranean ecosystems: Lessons from an iconic national park. #globalchange #climatechange #landuse #invasivespecies
https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70293

New publication: Multiple global-change drivers and cascading effects in #Mediterranean ecosystems: Lessons from an iconic national park. #globalchange #climatechange #landuse #invasivespecies
https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70293

#NoNaturalDisasters [UN]
--
https://www.undrr.org/our-impact/campaigns/no-natural-disasters | https://www.nonaturaldisasters.com/ <-- shared technical articles
--
#Resilience #ClimateAction #Governance #risk #hazard #riskassessment #naturalhazard #disaster #humanimpacts #engineeringgeology #NoNaturalDisasters #natural #nature #earthquake #storm #flood #flooding #tsunami #volcano #desertification #wildfire #fires #publicsafety #planning #policy #preparedness #ISO31000 #monitoring #buildingcodes #engineering #landuse #earlywarning #humanmaderisk #exposure #vulnerability #socioeconomic #ecosystems #habitat #livelihoods #farming #infrastructure #buildings #structures #industrial #cost #recovery #economics #homes #extremeweather #hurricane #tornado #resilience #sustainability #poverty #assessment #UNDRR #UN #riskreduction
@United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

#NoNaturalDisasters [UN]
--
https://www.undrr.org/our-impact/campaigns/no-natural-disasters | https://www.nonaturaldisasters.com/ <-- shared technical articles
--
#Resilience #ClimateAction #Governance #risk #hazard #riskassessment #naturalhazard #disaster #humanimpacts #engineeringgeology #NoNaturalDisasters #natural #nature #earthquake #storm #flood #flooding #tsunami #volcano #desertification #wildfire #fires #publicsafety #planning #policy #preparedness #ISO31000 #monitoring #buildingcodes #engineering #landuse #earlywarning #humanmaderisk #exposure #vulnerability #socioeconomic #ecosystems #habitat #livelihoods #farming #infrastructure #buildings #structures #industrial #cost #recovery #economics #homes #extremeweather #hurricane #tornado #resilience #sustainability #poverty #assessment #UNDRR #UN #riskreduction
@United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

"The authors report that the occurrence of extensive deforestation in tandem with climate change will cause the remaining rainforest to lose resilience at global-warming levels of or slightly higher than 1.5 °C — rather than 4 °C — above pre-industrial levels".

Wunderling, N., Sakschewski, B., Rockström, J. et al. "Deforestation-induced drying lowers Amazon climate threshold." (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10456-0

#droughts #deforestation #landGrab #landUse #landUseChange #forests #forest #carbon #carbonSinks #carbonSink #footprint #Brazil #beef #cattle #Amazon #Amazonia #climateChange

"The authors report that the occurrence of extensive deforestation in tandem with climate change will cause the remaining rainforest to lose resilience at global-warming levels of or slightly higher than 1.5 °C — rather than 4 °C — above pre-industrial levels".

Wunderling, N., Sakschewski, B., Rockström, J. et al. "Deforestation-induced drying lowers Amazon climate threshold." (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10456-0

#droughts #deforestation #landGrab #landUse #landUseChange #forests #forest #carbon #carbonSinks #carbonSink #footprint #Brazil #beef #cattle #Amazon #Amazonia #climateChange