3 ms·

In a first, U.S. appoints a diplomat for plants and animals

17 points by voisin 4y ago

themodelplumber 4y ago
> “It's a crisis that we face that's interwoven with the climate crisis, but also independent and important on its own,” she said. “If we can solve the biodiversity crisis, we're a long way along the way to solving the climate crisis.” Fascinating viewpoint, making the human and whole-Earth connections in there. Lots of interesting points like this in there for a brief piece. Thanks for sharing it.
RcouF1uZ4gsC 4y ago
Plants in pollen season cause me a lot of allergies and deer are tearing up my garden. I would like to summon the ambassador for plants and animals to give account!
- Spivak 4y ago
  So we actually did this to ourselves, it’s sometimes called “botanical sexism.” The majority of flora we plant are pollen releasing rather than fruit or seed bearing because we don’t like cleaning it up. This makes allergies so much worse if you live in area that is professionally landscaped compared to nature. In truth we could have the best of both worlds if we were diligent about only planting seed bearing trees because no pollen no fruit but that’s a lot of work.
  - nanomonkey 4y ago
    This! I've been on a crusade in my city trying to get them to reverse the laws around what fruit bearing trees can be planted on the streets. It's crazy to me that only male trees can be used, as they produce so much pollen and don't produce anything useful for folks to eat. I can see the point about fruit making a mess, but pollen is just as bad for cars and our health.
QuadmasterXLII 4y ago
We have some people racing to create a coherent, memetically transmissable, and generalizable ethical system that includes the rule "Treat beings who are vastly weaker and dumber than you with kindness even if you don't have to," and we have other people racing to create silicon beings vastly more powerful and smarter than us. I'm excited to see who finishes their work first!
- Proven 4y ago
JPKab 4y ago
“She is the wife of White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain.” A position that essentially does nothing substantive, paid taxpayer dollars, awarded by nepotism. Awesome. Thanks for nothing.
- devwastaken 4y ago
  High level government, abstracted away from voters so they cant understand it. If the general public knew what was going on under the hood there would be a civil war, so it's in everyone's personal best interest to let the perpetual motion machine continue.
- Proven 4y ago
8bitsrule 4y ago
What happens to plants (phytoplankton, for example), fungi and animals may very well impact we 'top-of-the-food-chain' animals as well. That somebody is overseeing reports on what's happening to all life is an amazing, too-long deferred development (as were acts to protect water and the air). If noone had responded to the ozone hole, many of us would be listening to, not reading, HN.
- Proven 4y ago

17 points by voisin 4y ago

> “It's a crisis that we face that's interwoven with the climate crisis, but also independent and important on its own,” she said. “If we can solve the biodiversity crisis, we're a long way along the way to solving the climate crisis.” Fascinating viewpoint, making the human and whole-Earth connections in there. Lots of interesting points like this in there for a brief piece. Thanks for sharing it.

RcouF1uZ4gsC 4y ago

Plants in pollen season cause me a lot of allergies and deer are tearing up my garden. I would like to summon the ambassador for plants and animals to give account!

Spivak 4y ago
So we actually did this to ourselves, it’s sometimes called “botanical sexism.” The majority of flora we plant are pollen releasing rather than fruit or seed bearing because we don’t like cleaning it up. This makes allergies so much worse if you live in area that is professionally landscaped compared to nature. In truth we could have the best of both worlds if we were diligent about only planting seed bearing trees because no pollen no fruit but that’s a lot of work.
- nanomonkey 4y ago
  This! I've been on a crusade in my city trying to get them to reverse the laws around what fruit bearing trees can be planted on the streets. It's crazy to me that only male trees can be used, as they produce so much pollen and don't produce anything useful for folks to eat. I can see the point about fruit making a mess, but pollen is just as bad for cars and our health.

QuadmasterXLII 4y ago

We have some people racing to create a coherent, memetically transmissable, and generalizable ethical system that includes the rule "Treat beings who are vastly weaker and dumber than you with kindness even if you don't have to," and we have other people racing to create silicon beings vastly more powerful and smarter than us. I'm excited to see who finishes their work first!

Proven 4y ago

JPKab 4y ago

“She is the wife of White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain.” A position that essentially does nothing substantive, paid taxpayer dollars, awarded by nepotism. Awesome. Thanks for nothing.

devwastaken 4y ago
High level government, abstracted away from voters so they cant understand it. If the general public knew what was going on under the hood there would be a civil war, so it's in everyone's personal best interest to let the perpetual motion machine continue.
Proven 4y ago

8bitsrule 4y ago

What happens to plants (phytoplankton, for example), fungi and animals may very well impact we 'top-of-the-food-chain' animals as well. That somebody is overseeing reports on what's happening to all life is an amazing, too-long deferred development (as were acts to protect water and the air). If noone had responded to the ozone hole, many of us would be listening to, not reading, HN.

Proven 4y ago