BRB w/ Nathan P - The Amazon's Reservation 1202, Soy Garlic Broccolini & Bad Blood

The square plot that intrigued scientists for decades, a tasty side with a twist, and a tale of greed and lies in Silicon Valley (#17).

Hi all,

Welcome back to BRB w/ Nathan P - a weekly newsletter featuring 💥1 Breakthrough, 🥘1 Recipe, and 📚1 Book on food & climate.

Before we get started, here are some highlights of food & climate in the news this week:

• Study shoes nutritional benefits in regenerative agriculture crops (World Grain)

• Brazil’s president returns 800 square miles of Indigenous Iand to its original caretakers (Grist)

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💥 Breakthrough: The Amazon’s Reservation 1202

Reserve 1202 is a perfect square of undisturbed rainforest in the Amazon. It is also the site of the longest and most consequential experiment in ecology.

Forest fragment “Reservation 1202” under research in the Amazon (Photo Credit: Richard Bierregaard)

In the 1970s, Brazil had incentives for cattle farmers. Farmers would get a stipend from the government if they cut down a portion of rainforest for cattle, on the condition that they would leave half the forest intact on the plots.

Now the question is: which half? If you have the inklings of a scientists, you might get excited (I’m blowing my cover). Hint: you can run cool experiments.

Ecologists from the Smithsonian proposed to the Brazilian government to let scientists dictate which half was preserved. Officials agreed. And thus in 1979 was born the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) in Manaus, Brazil.

Researchers set out to answer some big questions: How do fragmented forests differ from intact forests? Could forests recover after being partially cut? Could fragments of forests be safe havens for endangered species? Should conservationists focus on saving forest fragments or big forests?

They were curious how animal populations would behave in a forest reserve of a given size. 12 plots were divided in segments of 1, 10, and 100 hectares and isolated from each other by clear-cutting. The fauna and flora was censused over time.

This is a remarkable study for a few reasons:

🕰 It has been running for 35+ years, producing incredibly valuable data.

🌳 The area is 1,000 sqkm or 386 sqmi, with real-world implications.

🐜 A wide variety of organisms are studied, from ants to birds and monkeys.

There have been incredible findings from the BDFFP published in over 180 studies. Here are 4 key findings:

1. Fragmented forests are hyper-disturbed. Architecture and microclimates are heavily affected because trees are more exposed to edge effects like wind on the perimeter of the fragment. 30% of the biodiversity can lost forever due to wind exposure alone.

2. Small and isolated habitats “bleed” species. If a tamarin needs 10 sqmi to roam and only has 1, it will move elsewhere. This process is lightheartedly called relaxation. Even the largest 100 hectare plots lost half their bird species in 15 years.

3. The main predictor of extinction is small populations. Low numbers decreases chances of reproduction, which over time lead to extinction. It can be quite difficult for species to recolonize once this has happened.

4. Carbon storage in forests decreases. When nearby plots are deforested, wind and desiccation stress kills trees on the edges, releasing even more carbon into the atmosphere.

Much of the world now looks like Reservation 1202. Forests and other habitats globally have been fragmented and isolated by man - just think of your local park or forest.

Over time, it is clear that fragmented forests have a steady degradation of biodiversity over time. Local extinctions can become regional, then global.

The good news is that there is still time to change course and protect the world’s habitats. And humans have shown time and time again that we care about sharing the Earth with other species, and that are willing to make sacrifices on their behalf.

We can be forward thinking and altruistic. Outspoken and persistent scientists and writers led to the preservation of seabirds in Britain, the creation of Yosemite National Park, the Endangered Species Act, and the prohibition of DDT almost everywhere.

And millions of Americans support these efforts directly or indirectly through the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, and African Wildlife Federation.

We go to incredible lengths to save many animals from extinction, like the Sumerian rhino. History reveals that life is incredibly resilient, but not infinitely so. Let’s regenerate 🌱

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🥘 Recipe: Soy Garlic Broccolini

I have said it before and I will say it again: Yotam Ottolenghi’s unique flavor combinations do not miss.

And neither does this soy garlic broccolini with peanuts and orange peel, a bright and umami sidekick to your favorite main. Try it out for your next dinner and let me know what you think.

If you make it, please send pictures :)

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📚 Book: Bad Blood

Elizabeth Holmes is the infamous founder of Theranos, a start-up developing a blood diagnostics device in the 2010s. Theranos once reached a valuation of $9B. Yet the device never worked.

John Carreyrou illuminates in Bad Blood how Elizabeth and Theranos set out to revolutionize at-home diagnostics, yet deceived investors about its tech and promises. It is a riveting piece of investigative journalism.

Investors of the likes of James Mattis, Betsy Devos, Rupert Merdoch, and the Walton family were duped - as were institutional investors like Fortress, Jupiter, and Partner Fund. It’s fascinating to see how it all plays out.

Elizabeth Holmes was convicted for fraud and begins her 11-year prison sentence this May.

Many investors today investing in many large pre-revenue foodtech and biotech companies today are wondering - I’m not investing in the next Theranos, am I?

Some of my favorite quotes as teasers:

• Hyping your product to get funding while concealing your true progress and hoping that reality will eventually catch up to the hype continues to be tolerated in the tech industry. … Holmes channeled this fake-it-until-you-make-it culture, and she went to extreme lengths to hide the fakery.

• Her story was intoxicating… [Elizabeth] was an amazing saleswoman. She never once stumbled or lost her train of thought. She wielded both engineering and laboratory lingo effortlessly and she showed seemingly heartfelt emotion when she spoke of sparing babies in the NICU from blood transfusions. Like her idol Steve Jobs, she emitted a reality distortion field that forced people to momentarily suspend disbelief.

• Sure, Mark Zuckerberg had learned to code on his father’s computer when he was ten, but medicine was different: it wasn’t something you could teach yourself in the basement of your house.

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Thank you for reading - BRB next week ✌️

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🥘 Recipe: Soy Garlic Broccolini

Source: Yotam Ottolenghi

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil

• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 1/4 inch fresh ginger, peeled and julienned (2 1/2 tbsp)

• 1 Orange; peel finely, shaved to get 3 strips

• 3 tablespoons salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

• 1 pound broccolini, trimmed and cut in half crosswise if the stems are thick

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1.5 teaspoons Honey

• Salt

Instructions (30mins)

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, orange strips, and peanuts and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic and nuts are light golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl (along with all of the oil) to stop them cooking and set aside.

2. Place a steamer insert in a stockpot and fill with just enough water so it doesn't touch the teaming basket. Place over high heat and, once boiling, add the broccolini. Cover and steam for 4-5 minutes, until cooked. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving plate, and set aside.

3. Return the saucepan you cooked the peanuts in to high heat - don't worry about wiping it clean - and add the soy sauce, honey, and 1/8 tsp of salt. Heat for about 1 minute; it should reduce to about 1 1/2 tbsp of sauce. Spoon 2 tbsp of the infused oil over the broccolini, along with the peanuts and aromatics. Add the reduced soy sauce mixture, give everything a gentle mix, and serve.

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About Me

Hi there! My name is Nathan Paumier - I’m an avid reader, food enthusiast, and climate optimist. I started this newsletter after frequent questions on food tech, reading recommendations, and my secret recipes.

Want to get in touch or chat further? Any feedback or things you’d like to see more of?

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