Climate and Biodiversity News
August 18, 2025 | Source: The Dirt | by Jared Green
Why Concrete Might Be Doing More Harm Than Good in the Fight Against Flood Risks, CNN, August
“It’s time to ask the question: what other way can we adapt to climate change?” In a 3-minute video segment, landscape architect Kongjian Yu, FASLA, founder of Turenscape, calls for replacing grey stormwater management systems with a “sponge city” approach that leverages the many benefits of water. He envisions a more harmonious relationship with nature through “land-based, water-driven solutions.”
California Approves an Unprecedented Plan to Protect Joshua Trees from Climate Change Threats, Los Angeles Times, August 16
The new plan uses science and indigenous knowledge to get ahead of anticipated climate impacts on the state’s iconic Joshua trees. Permits and fees will now be required for public and private development near them. Critics argue the plan raises regulatory costs and creates obstacles for new housing and infrastructure projects.
How to Accelerate Carbon Neutrality Without Federal Support? Invest in Carbonsheds, Common Edge, August 13
City leaders can start “managing their carbonsheds with the same attention and rigor as their watersheds,” argues landscape architect Chris Hardy, ASLA, PLA, senior associate at Sasaki and founder of Carbon Conscience. Carbonshed is a relatively new term that describes the “localized concentrations, emissions, and storage of carbon in the atmosphere and living environment.” Hardy wants to broaden the definition to include the “carbon metabolism of a city, from emissions for energy and materials to the emissions associated with our waste cycles.”