200,000 hectares of oil palm plantations to be converted into forests, Indonesia’s government says & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Thursday, November 2, 2023 "It's coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. It's not just climate change; it's sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now." – David Attenborough 200,000 Hectares of Oil Palm Plantations to Be Converted Into Forests, Indonesia’s Government Says In Indonesia, which is the top producer and exporter of palm oil globally, about 200,000 hectares (494,210 acres) of oil palm plantations are to be replaced with forests, the government announced Tuesday. The move will convert oil palm plantations on lands that are [designated as forests]( Reuters reported. [Read More]( Related: [‘Palm Oil 101: Everything You Need to Know]( Major Rainforest Nations Agree to Work Together to Save Biodiversity Two-thirds of the land-based [biodiversity]( and 80 percent of the tropical forests in the world are located in three tropical forest basins: Congo, Amazon and Asia-Pacific. These [rainforest ecosystems]( also provide the livelihoods for more than a billion people, a press release from WWF said. Last week, government officials and heads of state met for three days in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, for the [Three Basins Summit]( to discuss collaboration on ending [deforestation]( and protecting, restoring and sustainably managing these essential and irreplaceable ecosystems. [Read More]( Related: [Amazon Nations Sign Rainforest Protection Agreement, but Don’t Agree on Deforestation Deadline]( Meltwater Beneath Antarctic Glaciers May Be Speeding Up Their Retreat, Study Finds The [Antarctic ice sheet]( is of vital importance to the climate. [Ice]( reflects sunlight, keeping the planet cool. The sheet contains 70 percent of all the [freshwater]( on the planet, which, if it were to melt entirely, would absorb heat and cause [global sea levels]( to rise by around 200 feet. A new modeling [study]( of the Antarctic ice sheet by scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at [University of California, San Diego]( (UCSD), suggests that, as [water]( beneath the [glaciers]( melts and flows out to sea, it causes ice to melt faster, a press release from UCSD said. The process is known as subglacial discharge. [Read More]( Related: [Switzerland Loses 10% of Glacier Volume in Just Two Years]( Environmental Groups Launch Global Plastic Laws Database A group of environmental organizations has produced the Global Plastic Laws Database, which is launching ahead of the next round of the United Nations Plastic Treaty negotiations in November. [Read More]( Related: [Microplastics in Clouds Could ‘Modify the Climate,’ Study Finds]( 5 Mushrooms With Fantastic Health Benefits [Fungi]( are everywhere, even if we can’t see them. The mushrooms below are just a few of the many that have proven benefits to human health. If you’re [foraging]( harvesting mushrooms yourself, remember to use caution and consult foraging guides to make sure you’re collecting the right species, and doing so in a way that isn’t harmful to the ecosystems you find them in. [Read More]( Related: [Cultivating Mushrooms by Trees Could Feed Millions While Mitigating Climate Change, Research Finds]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](