Coronavirus impact

how technology might enable rewilding in the U.K. and Europe. Riggall had begun thinking about the historical landscape when he studied environmental archaeology as a university student. “My first introduction to the concept that Europe had a wildwood was through the archaeological record,” he says. Over the years, as he worked in the climate change sector, he noticed a disparity in how that past was discussed—developing countries would be criticized for cutting down forests to farm, but few people talked about the fact that the same thing had happened earlier in Europe at a massive scale, and again when Europeans arrived in America. … [Read more...] about Why we need to “rewild” our environment

We would expect to see anxiety levels rising during COVID-19, but in fact we first made this observation before the pandemic. Passengers reported that they experience anxiety about getting to the airport on time. They’re anxious about spending time in close proximity with strangers, TSA staff, and the airline crew. There’s anxiety about suitcases being over the weight limit, and about properly emptying their pockets before going through the TSA line. Even after clearing Security, there’s anxiety about boarding the flight and whether there will be room for a carry-on. COVID-19 compounds all these worries, as passengers shuffle through a seemingly motionless queue, struggling to keep a proper social distance. … [Read more...] about Three shockingly obvious ways to make flying less miserable

Considering staff The last, and trickiest challenge for the Biden Administration’s sterilization efforts, has nothing to do with furniture, fixtures, or oxygen. It’s the challenge of personnel. The White House has 5,900 people on staff as of last count. Some of those people are in-house cooks, others might handle communications outside the Oval Office, others might oversee Camp David. These individuals don’t all literally work inside the White House, but they are considered key support personnel of the President. And those who work in the White House are actually at risk of carrying and transmitting COVID-19. … [Read more...] about You can’t use bleach to sterilize the White House. Here’s what experts recommend instead

Gallup research repeatedly demonstrates the powerful impact of having a best friend at work: According to its data, people who say they have one are happier, healthier, and seven times as likely to be engaged with their jobs . A work spouse , as they’re cheekily known, is the one person in whom you trust and confide above all others on professional matters. They’re your happy hour buddy (even if the drinks are on Zoom), but also the first person you contact when you get the news of a promotion, or when your meeting presentation goes south. … [Read more...] about Why you need a virtual work spouse now more than ever

One of the challenges the company identified was the lack of land: Some land that was originally forested is now covered by cities or used for farming. Other areas might not be available for sale. But there’s a large amount of desertified land that is available. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification reports that around 4.7 billion acres on the planet—about twice the size of China—have been affected by drought or desertification, but could potentially be restored. Finding enough water to grow trees there is a challenge. But the folks at Terraformation believe that if desalinated water is used to irrigate seedlings, a restored forest will eventually be able to sustain itself. … [Read more...] about Reddit’s former CEO is now in the forest-planting business