Forests cover 31% of the world’s land surface and absorb 15.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, making them an important buffer against climate change. Adam Symington’s maps show the ratio of the world’s surface covered with tree canopy to non-green areas. Asia is home to some of the richest and most biodiverse green canopies of the world, such as Russia’s boreal forests, China’s broad-leaved forests and Indonesia’s mangrove forests. Meanwhile, South America’s Amazon and Congolian rainforests are two of the remaining regions in the world that absorb more carbon than they emit. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
