June

Estimates suggest that a garden of 1,000 square meters could sequester one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year [see entry from November, 2019]. Miyawaki forests, or tiny forests, are even more efficient sequestering CO2 due to their greater biodiversity and vegetation density. I wonder how much CO2 am I sequestering in my little páteo high density forest (around 25 square meters)?

Even small, little apartment forests help to clean the air, reduce water runoff, lower heat, feed bees, attract birds (and free manure!), reduce the garbage produced (by composting and mulching), lowers stress, brightens the day and fills the space with ever-changing beauty. 

Unlike «things», Nature does not repeat itself. One never knows what flower will open next, what new plant will show up, or what culprit will eat the fruits that we longed for :)

May 2023 photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

May

"While options range from incremental changes to fundamental reform, science provides a clear warning about continuing on our current path." in Beyond growth: pathways towards sustainable prosperity in the EU, document for the European 'Beyond Growth' conference taking place next week (15 to 17 May, 2023), prepared by the Parliament, Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, presenting "the economic and socio-ecological challenges facing today's society and offers a reflection on possible transition pathways and associated tools to move beyond growth in EU policies. The focus is the European Union and its Member States, with the global context integrated where relevant for understanding the status quo and discussing options." See also the brief «'beyond growth': concepts and challenges» (May 2023).

Photo by Monica Pinheiro, free to use if you respect the license CC BY-NC-SA ( CC ).