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Biodiversity

Octopus Farms Raise Massive Ethical And Evironmental Concerns

5 Mins Read By Alexandra Schnell, University of Cambridge, Heather Browning, London School of Economics and Political Science, Jonathan Birch, London School of Economics and Political Science When you imagine an octopus’s world, you might well see a curious creature in a complex undersea environment.  Yet the reality of life for some octopuses is existence within a barren tank, inescapably surrounded by humans and other […]

10 Things You Need To Know About The 2023 IPCC Climate Report

7 Mins Read The latest IPCC report is out and the findings are distressing and we highlight the ten most important ones you need to know. It’s been a big week for the climate emergency. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN-founded body charged with “advancing scientific knowledge about anthropogenic climate change” released its latest report […]

An Open Letter To The WSJ: Indonesia’s Deforestation Policies Are Far From A Model Of Success

4 Mins Read While it’s true that forest destruction in Indonesia is at its lowest pace in twenty years, deforestation policies in Indonesia are anything but a model of success. I wrote this response to the Wall Street Journal article, “Indonesia Shows It’s Possible to Tame Rainforest Destruction.” With all due respect to Jon Emont and The Wall Street Journal, while […]

What Is Sustainability? And Why Does It Matter?

4 Mins Read Meaningless buzzword or key survival concept? “Sustainability” is more important than ever before – but what does it even mean? Today, googling “sustainability” turns up over 1.65 billion results. We have become so obsessed with this concept that “sustainability” has quickly become a trendy, meaningless buzzword: businesses love to advertise their sustainable practices, while climate […]

Regenerative Agriculture Needs A Standardized Definition, Says New Report

3 Mins Read A new report says that an inconsistent understanding of what regenerative agriculture entails and what it can achieve means an outcome-based framework for measuring and assessing regenerative agricultural practices is needed. The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), a non-profit organization that describes itself as a coalition of ambassadors, donors, country platforms, and partners working […]

The E.U. Bans Imports on Products Linked to Deforestation

4 Mins Read Earlier this month, the European Union announced a new law that will prevent the sale of products including beef, soy, and coffee linked to deforestation. Under the new law, companies selling commodity items from regions where deforestation is rampant will be required to produce due diligence statements about their supply chains. Failure to comply will […]

Can These 6 Marine Tech Startups Help Solve The Many Issues Facing Our Oceans?

4 Mins Read Some of the most exciting young “ocean innovators” accepted into UpLink, the open digital platform launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF), are working toward sustainable progress in ocean conservation.  Life below water is a vital planetary resource that we depend on for everything from absorbing nearly a third of carbon dioxide produced by humans, […]

Agriculture Is Responsible for Nearly All Tropical Deforestation, New Study Finds

4 Mins Read New research finds between 90 to 99 percent of all tropical deforestation is related to agriculture, either directly or indirectly. The new research, published in the journal Science found only half to two-thirds of deforested land for agricultural purposes actually winds up seeing active agriculture. Much of the land lies razed and unused. The study […]

Deforestation Could Create a Financial Crash As Big As 2008, Report Finds

4 Mins Read A new report from the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions warns of economic disaster as big as the 2008 financial crash—or worse—as a result of ongoing deforestation and biodiversity loss. As a result, the world’s leading food and ag companies face value declines of more than 25 percent by 2030, the experts warn. The new […]

Mass Extinction Threat Worse Than Previously Thought, New Research Finds

2 Mins Read New research says our understanding of endangered species is limited, and some species may face greater extinction risks than previously thought. Conservation statuses for nearly 8,000 species with limited population data show a grim reality, according to research published in Communications Biology. More than half of those species likely face extinction, according to the researchers. The […]

Ecovado Targets the Avocado Environmental Impact: Will Consumers Buy It?

2 Mins Read We all know what happened in February when the U.S. temporarily halted imports of avocados from Mexico just ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. Could a sustainable faux avocado be the answer to that and avocado environmental impact? Meet Ecovado. Made from a mixture of broad beans, hazelnuts, apples, and canola oil, a Central Saint Martins […]

A New Approach to Soil Health: 2 Crops Stand Out for Rewilding

4 Mins Read Rewilding polluted land can help to heal soil, promote biodiversity, and sequester carbon. Two plants stand out, according to new research. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than 75 percent of Earth’s land areas are substantially degraded, putting pressure on global food supplies for a population on its way to […]

44% of the Earth Needs Protecting to Safeguard Biodiversity, New Study Finds

3 Mins Read New research published in the journal Science shows a drastic need to protect land areas in order to safeguard the planet’s biodiversity. According to the research, led by the University of Amsterdam, 24.7 million square miles—nearly half of all land area—need some type of protection to mitigate biodiversity loss. The findings The research team came […]

This Is the World’s Most Sustainable Furniture Factory (And It’s Not Ikea)

3 Mins Read Calling it the most sustainable factory of its kind in the world, the outdoor furniture manufacturer Vestre has opened the doors to its $30 million Magnor, Norway facility. While Sweden’s Ikea gets most of the glory when it comes to sustainability, outdoor furniture manufacturer Vestre is giving the giant a run for its money. Designed […]

The FAO Spotlights Food Security On First International Day of Plant Health

3 Mins Read Last week, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization celebrated the first annual International Day of Plant Health—a tentpole built around investment and innovation aimed at boosting food security. Eighty percent of our food comes from plants, but according to the FAO, 40 percent of food crops are lost due to pests and plant disease […]

Why Our Global Food System Is Broken

7 Mins Read The pandemic has exposed what scientists have long been warning about – our global food supply is so broken, disconnected, and insufficient that drastic changes must be made in order to feed the world healthily and sustainably. The global food supply chain was among the hardest hit amidst the coronavirus pandemic with 265 million people […]

The U.N.’s ‘Blue Deal’ Aims to Replace Overfishing With Seaweed Farming: ‘This Is the Perfect Time’

3 Mins Read The United Nations moves to build a “Blue Deal” coalition that will preserve oceans and create a sustainable, seaweed-based ocean economy. Ahead of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference taking place in Lisbon in June, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says a “Blue Deal” coalition will create a sustainable and resilient ocean […]

Groundbreaking UN Resolution Connects Animal Welfare And Environmental Sustainability For The First Time

4 Mins Read The United Nations Environment Assembly has adopted a resolution linking animal welfare to sustainability for the first time. The Animal Welfare – Environment – Sustainable Development Nexus resolution was accepted earlier this month after being sponsored by seven member states. The move is seen as historic and, potentially, a catalyst for widespread governmental action to […]