No. 138: Genetic Erosion

Greg Rancourt -

When we discuss conservation efforts, we're often focused on healthy population sizes. Genetic diversity and genetic erosion are just as important, however, and a new study shows that declines in genetic diversity lag declines in population. That has major implications on our ability to intervene to save species and ensure they have the diversity to adapt to a changing environment. Might that have applicability to humans as well?

I'm also sharing some job opportunities with the Crisis Text Line, which provides 24/7 mental health support, and I'm digging up some top sustainability podcasts for your next commute. I'll be downloading a few myself – it's a great way to learn.

~ Greg

What we're reading

Genetic erosion is threatening endangered species, even when they appear to have adequate genetic diversity on the surface. (Forbes)

  • Biodiversity loss is a crisis akin to climate change, and a recent study of an Australian bird called the regent honeyeater provides clues into how population declines relate to genetic erosion and eventually a lack of genetic diversity.
    • That's important because genetic diversity improves the chances that a species can adapt and survive to a changing environment.
    • For example, the author of the regent honeyeater study, Professor Hernán Morales, noted that another bird has lost over 60% of its genetic diversity, including in critical immune response genes, making it more susceptible to diseases.
  • Despite a 99% population decline in regent honeyeaters, Professor Morales found only a modest 9% reduction in genetic diversity over the same period.
    • The research team sequenced genomes from 44 regent honeyeaters: 24 birds were museum specimens collected before 1919, and 20 were modern birds. That gave them the ability to track genetic erosion over the course of a century.
    • The lag between population crash and genetic erosion can mask problems until it's too late for conservation efforts to succeed. If conservation groups simply monitor genetic diversity as a sign of species health, they may miss their opportunity to intervene.
  • This is interesting from the conservation point of view, although I also think it's important for species in general – say, Homo sapiens.
    • We're not experiencing population decline in the same way as an endangered species of course. From a global perspective, our population is increasing, but imagine the case where cities have declined. Those populations could be smaller and less resilient to change in the long term.
    • To take an extreme example, consider how royal families were more susceptible to illness as a result of consanguinity.
  • For now, I'm just heartened to see this lag between population decline and genetic erosion identified. It should help conservation groups reevaluate their strategies and ultimately preserve more species.

Job of the week

Recently, there have been signs that some of the services provided by the 988 suicide hotline may be defunded, and that inspired me to spotlight Crisis Text Line this week. They provide mental health support around the clock, and not just for suicide and depression: they support people experiencing anxiety, eating disorders, and gun violence. It's a great organization offering an essential service to people whenever they need someone to talk to.

You can volunteer for the Crisis Text Line, but they also have roles for more permanent employment. The first is for a full-time Development Operations Manager who will help build efficient systems to support fundraising objectives. They are also looking for a few part-time Crisis Counselor Supervisors who support Crisis Counselors interacting with texters. Both roles are remote. This is a tough environment to be sure, but I can think of few jobs more impactful than saving lives, and the work at Crisis Text Line does just that.

Community roundup

  • The producer of one-third of the world's EV batteries, CATL, announced new auxiliary battery technology that should be available in two to three years and greatly increases the main battery's energy density. (NYT)
    • This means an existing battery of the same size could greatly increase range, or an automaker could squeeze the same range out of a smaller battery. In the latter case, that could lower the price of EVs without lowering performance.
  • You may remember the Held v. Montana case we've discussed where a group of young people successfully argued their right to a "clean and healthful environment" enshrined in the state's Constitution. That ruling was recently upheld in the state Supreme Court. (Inside Climate News)
    • In response to that ruling, the Legislature has queued up a series of bills that aims to make it more difficult to restrict business activity to protect the environment. They are also investigating ways to reform the judiciary, including creating a chancery court appointed by the governor which would interpret the law, essentially side-stepping the role of the existing judiciary.
  • Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences built the first-ever thorium reactor last year and have now successfully reloaded it while the reactor was running. (Popular Mechanics)
    • This type of reactor uses thorium and molten salt instead of uranium and water, which is designed to reduce the likelihood of radioactive leaks and overheating. It's still early though, and most of the new nuclear projects I've seen rely on existing technology.
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported an increase in atmospheric CO2 of 3.75 ppm last year, the highest increase since data collection began in the 1950s. (Inside Climate News)
    • For reference, it is usually around 1 to 2 ppm. Scientists don't have a perfect explanation for why it jumped so much, but one theory is that forests and wetlands are not absorbing as much carbon and atmospheric carbon tends to jump in El Niño years.
  • If you're planning your travel this year, you might enjoy this article from the NYT that spotlights Denver's Populus hotel and other hotels marketing carbon neutral or carbon positive stays. (NYT)
    • I featured the Populus a while back in the footer of the newsletter because of its distinctive style: it resembles a birch tree.
    • One thing that won't surprise you is that in order to make these claims, hospitality companies are relying on credits and reforestation efforts that don't always make good on their potential. Keep an eye out for how hotels minimize their impact as opposed to how they offset their impact.

Civic corner

  • It's time for another executive order: this time, the President has instructed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to expedite deep sea mining permits for both U.S. and international waters. (NYT)
    • I wrote about this a few weeks ago because the International Seabed Authority is supposed to finalize new regulations. The United States was never a signatory to the ISA, so the Trump Administration is essentially bypassing their guidance.
    • This is a big deal because countries around the world see deep sea mining as an opportunity to mine rare earth minerals used in high-volume technologies such as smartphones, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries. The risk is that mining could impact ocean ecosystems with unknown consequences. With the Trump Administration taking this step, it will put more pressure on the ISA to finalize regulations.
  • Every few years, the federal government releases a comprehensive report called the National Climate Assessment that informs how governments and businesses address the downstream impacts from climate change. The researchers working on the next report for 2028 were told on Monday that they have been dismissed, which means we may not get that report or get a report with disinformation in it. (NYT)
  • Lastly, a quick update on the gas tax discussion from No. 128: EV Credits Become Fees. A new proposal in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure would add a $200/year registration tax on electric vehicles to offset gas tax revenues. (Electrek)
    • As a reminder, the gas tax has been an issue for as long as cars have gotten more fuel-efficient, and it hasn't been raised since 1993. This is as much about disincentivizing EV purchases as it is about raising tax revenue. Fingers crossed this one doesn't make it out of committee.

Hot job opportunities

Resource of the week

I used to listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks when I was commuting to and from work, and honestly, those were the most educational two hours of my day. If you have a long commute, this week's resource is for you.

You can find podcasts on many social impact topics, and they range from deeply academic to philosophical to just plain entertaining. Listicles abound, so I'd recommend searching for "best <social impact topic> podcasts" in your favorite search engine to find examples.

Environmental impact features heavily in this newsletter, so I'm going to point you to a list of the best sustainability podcasts that the University of San Diego put together. I like the way they summarize each podcast with a few of their notable episodes. Many podcasts have been running for years, so having a good place to start is a plus.

Test your knowledge

Last week's question about electric vehicle adoption was about as difficult as they come. I asked about when adoption reached 1 million units sold globally, which happened in 2016.

Plug-in hybrids achieved that milestone sooner and continue to perform well – I was reading Consumer Reports last week and found that many of the vehicles that have the highest user satisfaction were plug-ins. Personally, I have my heart set on a pure EV because the plug-in range on most vehicles is below 50 miles: not enough to get downtown and back but a step in the right direction.

The weather is getting better, which means I'm itching to plan a national park vacation again. If you enjoy the national parks as much as I do, then this week's question is probably a slam dunk:

What was the first national park in the United States?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I have been thinking for a while that I need to get my money out of the big banks and into a bank that invests in the kinds of things I care about. My current path of investigation has led me to a few credit unions in the area.

I haven't made a decision yet, but I was happy to learn that, at least for the credit union I spoke with, their deposits go towards things like home and small business loans in the local community. I may branch out further to find impact investment firms for my brokerage and retirement accounts, but it's a step in the right direction.