Climate Briefs

World Rainforest Day

World Rainforest Day on 22 June aims to raise awareness about the importance of healthy, standing rainforests for the planet’s climate, biodiversity, and cultures. The day was founded in 2017 by the Rainforest Partnership, a non-governmental organization based in Austin, Texas. as a way to promote action that preserves the vital resources that rainforests provide.

The origins of World Rainforest Day go back to the urgent need to address the ongoing threats facing rainforests worldwide, including deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Rainforests are home to some of the most diverse and complex ecosystems on the planet, providing habitat for millions of species of plants and animals. They also play a critical role in regulating the global climate, absorbing and storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

On World Rainforest Day, events and activities held worldwide include educational programmes, tree-planting campaigns and nature walks. And in the Wairarapa … ?

Seabin collects
data too

The Australian-invented Seabin, an automated, floating trash bin skimming plastic debris from marinas and ports, has proved an immediate success.

Early models boasted the capacity to collect up to 1.5 tons of waste per year, primarily focusing on plastic debris like bottles, bags, and microplastics. Marinas and ports worldwide began adopting Seabin, creating a network of localised clean-up efforts.

However, although unable to collect the vast amount of plastic swirling in the open ocean, Seabin has now incorporated features to collect valuable information alongside the plastic debris. The data collected has revealed the dominance of specific plastic types, potential entry points into waterways, and seasonal trends in plastic debris accumulation. This has, in turn, led to partnerships with research institutions, environmental NGOs, and government agencies to develop more effective ways to clean up our oceans.