3 Shifts to Advance Adaptation and Resilience in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic did not break the world, but rather revealed a world already broken. COVID-19 and the climate crisis exposed the fragility of economies and societies, upending the lives of people worldwide and, in particular, harming vulnerable communities and countries already facing
Just 7 Commodities Replaced an Area of Forest Twice the Size of Germany Between 2001 and 2015
New analysis shows that just seven agricultural commodities — cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and plantation wood fiber — accounted for 26% of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015. These agricultural commodities replaced 71.9 million hectares
What’s Next for State Climate Action in the US? 7 Areas to Watch
The Biden administration has committed to a historically ambitious climate agenda. We can expect a profound shift in U.S. federal climate policy — from one of continued domestic rollbacks and international disengagement, to one of forward progress and cooperation. This is
5 Opportunities of a Circular Economy
More than 100 billion tons of resources enter the economy every year – everything from metals, minerals and fossil fuels to organic materials from plants and animals. Just 8.6% gets recycled and used again. Use of resources has tripled since 1970 and could double
7 Things to Know About Renewable Natural Gas
The production and use of renewable natural gas made from organic waste is growing rapidly in the United States. The number of production facilities in the country — which convert landfill waste, animal manure, wastewater, food waste and other organic
Direct Air Capture: Resource Considerations and Costs for Carbon Removal
As global carbon emissions continue to rise, the effects of climate change are increasingly felt through more severe storms, wildfires and flooding. The need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — such as through investing in energy efficiency, deploying solar panels
To Build Back from COVID-19, Don’t Overlook Informal Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread health and economic hardship, and it’s occuring in parallel to a year of climate-driven catastrophes. East Africans face food shortages after the worst locust invasion in 70 years. Cyclone Amphan in eastern India caused an estimated $13.2 billion in
Climate Action Must Progress Far Faster to Achieve 1.5 C Goal
Countries agreed to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and ideally 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The latest science shows that emissions will need to drop
To Unlock the Potential of Direct Air Capture, We Must Invest Now
Congress recently approved at least $35 million for research and development of direct air capture technology and $60 million overall for research into carbon dioxide removal technologies. This is the first time direct air capture — a type of technology that
5 Visible Signs of Climate Change in Antarctica
“Why did you choose to come to Antarctica?” my fellow passengers asked shortly after we exchanged names. So many answers quickly surfaced in my mind: the wildlife; the icebergs; the history of exploration. But above all, I decided to travel
Resilience After Recession: 4 Ways to Reboot the U.S. Economy
The COVID-19 pandemic is already affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans; it’s poised to get worse before it gets better. Our primary concern is for the health and welfare of all those affected. In the long run,
4 Charts Explain Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Countries and Sectors
Global annual greenhouse gas emissions have grown 41% since 1990, and they are still climbing. While emissions dipped notably in 2016, recent data suggests that carbon dioxide emissions rose each year since then. Where are these emissions coming from, and who is responsible?