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RARE PLANT SPAWNS POACHERS—AND AN ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we bring news of a succulent struggle in South Africa, a U.N. treaty targeting plastics pollution, an eco-friendly way to label fruits, cemeteries that are good for the planet … and an unprecedented campaign to save an imperiled fish.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SYDELLE WILLOW SMITH

Plant collectors like the little ends on one particularly rare succulent. Or that you can make faces out of them.

The market for a group of a rare succulents called “conos,” (short for the genus, Conophytum) has grown such that poachers are marauding onto farmers’ lands in South Africa to steal them. Collectors in China, Japan, South Korea, and elsewhere are willing to pay top-dollar for these unusual plants (pictured above and below)—the rarer the better.

Some are found only on a single hillside or rocky outcrop. That scarcity is what fuels demand— and that puts the survival of the plants at risk. Guns have been involved. And charges of attempted murder. Corruption, too. Please read Dina Fine Maron’s suspenseful story on these coveted plants.

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TAKE SIX

Fish sticks: The ocean’s little problem solvers (Quartz)

These tiny spiders synchronize their movements to hunt (Nat Geo)

Electric planes are coming sooner than you think (AFAR)

The unprecedented effort to save one of Africa's most threatened fish (Nat Geo)

EPA confirms filters reduce lead in Michigan city’s water (AP)

Podcast: The enduring legacy of Amelia Earhart (Nat Geo)

SMARTER PLANET

PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY KARUMBA, AFP/GETTY

A fix to plastic pollution? The latest attempt is a treaty called Paris Plus that aims to set nation-by-nation targets for cutting plastic waste. Pictured above, the U.N. African headquarters in Nairobi, where 175 U.N. delegates worked on the treaty. Outside the building (pictured above), a 30-foot monument themed "Turn off the plastics tap," designed by Canadian activist and artist Benjamin von Wong, illustrates the flow of plastics polluting the world. Read Laura Parker’s guide to what’s involved and how a treaty might help solve a global crisis.

Subscriber exclusive: For animals, plastic is turning the ocean into a minefield

ONE MOMENT

PHOTOGRAPH BY EOSTA/NATURE AND MORE

Stopping plastic labels on fruit: A Dutch produce distributor has devised an eco-friendly way of labeling fruits and veggies as organic: Harmless markings are lasered into foods’ skins with a method called natural branding. It reduces plastic packaging and food waste, since marked pieces can be sold individually, the April edition of National Geographic reports. See more scientific breakthroughs here.

IN A FEW WORDS

QUOTE

We inhabit a water planet, and unless we protect, manage, and restore that resource, the future will be a very different place from the one we imagine today.

Alexandra Cousteau

Filmmaker, environmental activist, Nat Geo Explorer

FAST FORWARD

ILLUSTRATION BY XIAO HUA YANG

Resting in peace: Even death has gone eco-friendly, the upcoming issue of National Geographic reports. Conservation cemeteries, with properties that double as parks or nature preserves, take green burials a step further. No caskets or concrete liners. No embalming, which uses potentially harmful chemicals. Corpses are dressed in biodegradable clothing. The landscape helps protect the dead, and the deceased, in turn, help protect the land. This is conservationists’ plan for 50 acres outside of Houston, in a bid to slow suburban sprawl.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

We hope you liked today’s Planet Possible newsletter. This was edited and curated by Monica Williams, Heather Kim, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link for us? Write [email protected]. Have a good week ahead!

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