A tidal wave of interest is building in farming the seas. It’s part of a global rush to exploit oceanic resources that’s been dubbed the “blue acceleration.” Optimistic projections say that smart mariculture – fish farming at sea – could increase ocean fish and shellfish production by 21 million to 44 million metric tons by […]
The Biden administration is proposing a massive infrastructure plan to replace the nation’s crumbling bridges, roads and other critical structures. But to make those investments pay off, the U.S. will need designs that can endure the changing climate. By Jeremy Bricker, University of Michigan The Conversation Most U.S. infrastructure is designed to stand for decades, […]
From West Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, tens of millions of people struggled through late winter storms that froze pipes, broke water mains, and cut off electricity. They froze without showers, toilets, or washing machines — let alone drinking water — for days or even weeks. By Robin Broad, John Cavanagh Otherwords The irony that Texas, the state […]
Read on to explore all the different ways you can take part in Earth Hour 2021. No matter where you are in the world, you can make an impact and join us for the Hour as we speak up for nature! Most important, remember to turn out all lights from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm! […]
Nature-based solutions are key to advancing climate adaptation. These are approaches that work with nature, not against it — from restoring wetlands, which can protect against storms, to conserving forests that stabilize soil and slow water runoff. By Manish Bapna and Patricia Fuller World Resources Institute Mangrove forests, for example, save an estimated $80 billion per year […]
The United Nations marked this year’s World Water Day Monday by warning of worsening inequalities in access to clean water across the globe and calling for recognition of the “true value” of the vital resource in order to sustainably manage it. By Kenny Stancil Common Dreams “Chronic under-investment in water and sanitation disadvantages and harms vast numbers of people,” […]
It is well known that climate-induced sea level rise is a major threat. What is less well know is the threat of sinking land. And in many of the most populated coastal areas, the land is sinking even faster than the sea is rising. By Sally Brown, Bournemouth University and Robert James Nicholls, University of […]
New data from a Norwegian nonprofit is generating fresh concerns about humanity’s destruction of the natural world, revealing Monday that people have ravaged about two-thirds of original tropical rainforest cover globally. The Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) analysis found that human activities including logging and land-use changes—often for farming—have destroyed 34% of old-growth tropical rainforests and degraded […]
Emphasizing that the world still has a “fighting chance” to limit global warming with immediate and ambitious climate action, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday urged governments and the private sector to cancel all planned coal projects, cease financing for coal-fired power plants, and opt instead to support a just transition by investing in renewable […]
A society based on natural ecology might seem like a far-off utopia—yet communities everywhere are already creating it. By Jeremy Lent Yes! magazine Read the full series, What Does An Ecological Civilization Look Like? 1 Diversity – 2 Balance –3 Fractal Organization – 4 Life Cycles – 5 Subsidiarity – 6 Symbiosis As a new, saner administration […]
An international survey conducted by the University of Cambridge and YouGov ahead of this November’s COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and published on Monday, found overwhelming support around the world for governments taking more robust action to protect the environment amid the worsening climate crisis. By Brett Wilkins Common Dreams The pollsters surveyed 14,627 adults in seven […]
The latest round of national climate pledges falls “far short of what is required” to achieve the targets set out in the Paris Agreement, according to new UN analysis. A new “synthesis report” from UN Climate Change examines the combined impact of the 48 new and updated “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) submitted by its end-of-year deadline. By Josh […]
The world’s most forbidding deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power – the most abundant and clean source of energy we have. Deserts are spacious, relatively flat, rich in silicon – the raw material for the semiconductors from which solar cells are made — and never short of sunlight. In […]
Cut flowers are a multi-billion-dollar business globally, closely linked to social events and holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Mother’s Day, and to happy and sad occasions, like weddings and funerals… And then there’s Valentine’s Day. By Paul D. Larson, University of Manitoba The Conversation In the United States alone, an estimated $1.9 billion worth […]
“The United States has a moral and practical responsibility to lead on issues of climate change, migration, and displacement.” So says a report published Thursday by Refugees International, which has advocated for U.S. policy focused on the intersection of those three issues for over a decade. The document details a four-step road map that President Joe […]