The Wordsmith's Forge

When rainforests died, the planet caught fire: New clues from Earth’s greatest extinction

When Siberian volcanoes kicked off the Great Dying, the real climate villain turned out to be the rainforests themselves: once they collapsed, Earth’s biggest carbon sponge vanished, CO₂ rocketed, and a five-million-year heatwave followed. Fossils from China and clever climate models now link that botanical wipe-out to runaway warming, hinting that losing today’s tropical forests could lock us in a furnace we can’t easily cool.


I pointed this out decades ago and nobody listened. Now here we are. But hey, someone could roll up this newspaper and beat Brazil with it.

Beavers restore lands damaged by wildfire, human abuses, or other causes. 

This is especially useful with climate change causing more drought.  I recommend recruiting all available keystone species to resist the decline.  Good examples for Turtle Island / North America include beavers, buffalo, goldenrod, milkweed, oak trees, prairie dogs, redwood trees, salmon, sea otters, and wolves.  While not everyone has the resources to house any of those personally, you can still support organizations that aim to promote them.

readera has a post about heat precautions regarding the heat dome. These are my additions...

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This 5-star island paradise doubles as a sea turtle rescue

In Malaysia, five islands form Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, a glittery turquoise oasis filled with coral reefs, parrotfish, seahorses, and green sea turtles.

Gaya, the largest of the five islands, is also home to the Gaya Island Resort: a luxury 5-star retreat nestled in an ancient rainforest that boasts stunning sea views, swim-up pools, and a spa village hidden amongst the mangroves.

But when guests have free time — between relaxing on massage tables and eating teppanyaki, shabu-shabu, and nabe — the resort challenges visitors to partake in local marine conservation efforts.


Ecotourism is a good way to get people involved, and maybe they'll want to stay involved.

French Polynesia created the world’s largest marine protected area

At the U.N. Ocean Conference this week, French Polynesia announced the creation of the world’s largest marine protected area, covering nearly 5 million square kilometers, or over 1.9 million square miles. It also plans to add another 500,000 square kilometers by next World Ocean Day.

Of that area, 1.1 million square kilometers (424,712 square miles) will be designated as highly or fully protected, meaning only traditional coastal fishing, ecotourism, and scientific research are allowed.


It's a step forward, but my standard of FULLY protected means "humans don't go there." That's what is required for many edge-sensitive and disturbance-sensitive species. On land, if there is so much as a road through it, those species will avoid the area even if there are no vehicles using the road most of the time.

‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects
A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides.

They include in Germany, where flying insects across 63 insect reserves dropped 75% in less than 30 years; the US, where beetle numbers dropped 83% in 45 years; and Puerto Rico, where insect biomass dropped up to 60-fold since the 1970s. These declines are occurring in ecosystems that are otherwise protected from direct human influence.
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At one research centre – falling within a 22,000-hectare (85 sq mile) stretch of intact forest in Panama – scientists comparing current bird numbers with the 1970s found 70% of species had declined, and 88% of these had lost more than half of their population.


As the insects die off, everything that eats them -- birds, amphibians, reptiles, etc. -- suffers a decline also.

The Panama Canal has long been a vital shipping route. Right now, it's running dry because of climate change.

At the same time, Panama's islands are going under as the sea level rises.

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... was on April 3.

On April 3, 2025, Jane Goodall — the renowned environmentalist, conservationist, and activist — celebrates her 91st birthday.

To celebrate, the Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, declared a new holiday: Animals Matter Day.
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“Dr. Goodall’s groundbreaking work has inspired countless individuals to advocate for the protection of animals and their habitats. Let’s continue Jane’s legacy by fostering compassion and stewardship towards all living beings.”


10 Best Wildlife Charities to Support
I am amused that Sea Shepherd made the list. Support eco-piracy! It's more ethical than the capitalist kind.

'Thriving ecosystem' of creatures found in a previously unseen seafloor

Scientists discover thriving ecosystem after city-sized iceberg breaks away from Antarctica.

Sea spiders, octopuses, and icefish have been found thriving on a newly exposed seafloor, which is also home to giant corals and sponges. Researchers can now see all the creatures that call it home after an iceberg broke off near the Antarctic and exposed the ecosystem below.


While it's possible for underwater currents to carry nutrients, my bet is the ice itself. It can carry a lot of nutrients from land, either picked up from soil or deposited from wind. That bottom layer is melting as it its the water, so whatever is carried by the ice will be released for the use of nearby organisms.