Mountain roads pave the way for Yoshino Forestry

Mountain logging roads pave the way for Yoshino forestry

Carefully built mountain logging roads may be key in preserving the historical Yoshino forestry region and reviving Japan's timber industry. >>
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Displaced indigenous Malaysians face uncertain future

Many of the Orang Asli peoples living in Malaysia's forests are relocated to make way for development and must continually battle for land rights. >>
Japan should look to satoyama and satoumi for inspiration

Japan should look to satoyama and satoumi for inspiration

Traditional ways of living in harmony with nature offer the country hope as it rebuilds after the triple disaster. >>
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Nauru confronts developed world over climate change

This island state's permanent representative to the UN calls for climate change action. >>
Phosphorus: Unsung bedrock of prosperity

Phosphorus: Unsung bedrock of prosperity

Though modern agriculture's reliance on fertilisers puts a strain on global phosphorus reserves, one initiative is looking at ways to sustainably manage the resource. >>
Rebuilding after the tsunami: eco- or transition towns?

Rebuilding after the tsunami: eco- or transition towns?

It is essential to 'build back better' after the tsunami and to create liveable, eco-friendly towns through the participation of the local people. >>
Time for some honesty about sustainable commerce

Time for some honesty about sustainable commerce

In this month's instalment of the Sustainable Planet Series, Jacob Park ponders what it will take to make business truly sustainable. >>
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Dispute over fishing permits for foreign fleets hots up

Senegal's artisanal fishers condemn the "selling off" of fishery resources when the country's coastal stocks are severely depleted. >>
Land of rising food anxieties

Land of rising food anxieties

The impact of the ongoing nuclear disaster means Japan's food security situation seems unlikely to improve in the future, unless there are drastic policy changes. >>
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Humanity’s attachment to Mother Earth

Efforts to stem our planet harming ways would be more effective if they harnessed the feelings of security and nurturing that lead us to love the Earth. >>
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How nuclear apologists mislead world over radiation

Anti-nuclear advocate and author Helen Caldicott responds to claims that she overstated the health effects of radiation and reiterates the dangers. >>
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Can Japan go 100% renewable by 2050?

If the goal is to create a secure, low carbon, resilient and safe energy system, then now may be the appropriate time for an objective assessment. >>
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A story of food in Australia

Author Rebecca Huntley takes an in-depth look at the good, bad and ugly eating habits of people in Australia. >>
How things work: Solar electricity

How things work: Solar electricity

We've all heard about the benefits of solar electricity, but how does it work? This primer aims to shed some light on photovoltaic technology. >>
Japan's peak oil dry run

Japan’s peak oil dry run

To start off our Transition Japan series, we look at a whether post-tsunami Japan is experiencing a dry-run for peak oil. >>
Trees on shaky ground in Texaco’s rainforest

Trees on shaky ground in Texaco’s rainforest

Oil contamination in northeastern Ecuador is much worse than imagined, Tierramérica discovered upon touring the area. >>
Ontario’s local biodiversity has global significance

Ontario’s local biodiversity has global significance

Ontario Nature's Biodiversity Charter aims to send a strong message to the Government of Ontario to protect a key part of Canada's biodiversity. >>
Water for life: an African photo exhibit

Water for life: an African photo exhibit

Photographer Peter Bregg travelled through Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia documenting projects that aim to ease the struggle so many face in accessing clean water. >>
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The tragic Tohoku-Kanto earthquake and tsunami

The Our World 2.0 team expresses thanks to Japan's emergency workers and admiration for the bravery of those affected by disasters around the world. >>
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Local communities protect their Amazon

Residents in one of Peru's most deforested regions adopted 267,133 hectares of state-owned land and are working to conserve it. >>
Local innovation to help nourish the planet

Local innovation to help nourish the planet

Speculation about any future global food crisis aside, here are some inspiring examples of agricultural innovation from the Nourishing the Planet blog. >>
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Conservationists unveil plans to save coral from extinction

The Zoological Society of London is attempting to protect 10 of the world's most important threatened coral species. >>
All they wished for was soda

All they wished for was meat and soda

Food prices are again making headlines worldwide and Ugandans, already strapped with drought and devalued currency, felt the effects this holiday season. >>
Urban mining: cities of gold

Urban mining in ubiquitous cities of gold

As peaks loom for many minerals, cities could go from being simply centres of consumption to becoming the ultimate resource. >>
What future for international environmental law?

What future for international environmental law?

A new book from UNU Press attempts the demanding task of assessing the effectiveness of existing international environmental law. >>
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Eco-products under the holiday tree

After visiting Tokyo's eco-fair, a couple of Our World 2.0ers share ideas they hope can inspire holiday gift buyers to think green. >>
Collaboratively consuming everyday things

Collaboratively consuming everyday things

Sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping are being reinvented through network technologies. >>
Is Cancún climate deal a pig's ear?

Is Cancún climate deal a pig’s ear?

In a guest editorial, a young journalist argues that a positive image has been given to an outcome that is not as valuable as it has been made out to be. >>
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Deal is reached at Cancún summit

With the exception of Bolivia, the world's nation-states agree to modest goals to tackle climate change at COP16. >>
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Getting graphical about climate change

Is a new clearly illustrated UNEP report on Latin American and the Caribbean the kind to help laypeople better absorb the mounting piles of science data? >>
What does Cancun offer the Climate Generation?

What does Cancún offer the climate generation?

No matter the outcome of COP16, there is hope in cultivating young green entrepreneurs who are working to address climate and sustainability issues. >>
Debate 2.0: do we still care about climate change?

Debate 2.0: Do we still care about climate change?

Have your say on whether the world's urgency to deal with climate change has lessened. >>
Discovering species in the mountains under the deep sea

Discovering species in the mountains under the deep sea

Investigations by a multi-disciplinary team will form the scientific basis for management and conservation in the southern Indian Ocean. >>
Cancún and the new economics of climate change

Cancún and the new economics of climate change

In this commentary two experts argue that COP16 should see the world embracing the 'new economics' that are more compatible with climate science. >>
Mapping critical politics: a land use expert talks tar sands

Mapping critical politics: a land use expert talks tar sands

Veteran land use planner Petr Cizek shares how and why he helps make maps that show the true scale of Canada's advancing tar sands development. >>
Cities, biodiversity and governance

Cities, biodiversity and governance

A UNU-IAS policy report aims to spur the development of effective governance mechanisms for managing the impacts of cities on biodiversity and vice-versa. >>
The shame of concentrated animal feedlots

The shame of concentrated animal feedlots

The CAFO Reader compiles 30 writers in a chorus of outrage against a system they view as unjust and unhealthy to animals, humans and, in fact, all living creatures. >>
The complicated truth about sea level rise

The complicated truth about sea level rise

Climate change is indeed happening and sea levels are rising. However, how this will affect the islanders of the world is a complicated story. >>
Green idea: self-organizing traffic signals

Green idea: self-organizing traffic signals

Thinking outside the box, these experts are working on smart technology to cut the emissions, fuel waste and waits caused by traffic. >>
Rural Pakistan lends insight on energy poverty

Rural Pakistan lends insight on energy poverty

UNU-MERIT academics hope their new research can boost understanding on the widespread lack of access to energy sources in the developing world. >>
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Climate finance plan could break Cancún talks inertia

Nicholas Stern and Trevor Manuel argue that rich countries can and should raise money to assist developing nations to deal with climate change. >>
Illicit owl trade casts shadow on Diwali in India

Illicit owl trade casts shadow on Diwali in India

A new report sheds light on illicit trade in live owls in India, most of which are used in occult practices. >>
Renewable hydrogen: key to a new civilization

Renewable hydrogen: key to a new civilization

Griffith University's landmark Sir Samuel Griffith Center in Australia will be the world’s first solar powered hydrogen education and research building. >>
The forest paradox during heatwaves

The forest paradox during heatwaves

A European study has readjusted some former assumptions about the role of forests, crops and grassland in temperature regulation during heatwaves. >>
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One-fifth of back-boned animals face extinction: study

A comprehensive assessment of the world’s vertebrates confirms one-fifth of species are threatened. >>
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Biodiversity in the Hani cultural landscape

Indigenous wisdom is key in the complex forestry and land management system practised by the people of China's Ailao Mountains. >>
India set to publish world's first 'natural wealth' accounts

India set to publish world’s first ‘natural wealth’ accounts

Economics of ecosystems and biodiversity study demands nations account for natural capital, as India plans to. >>
South Indian agricultural model mimics fragile ecosystem

South Indian agricultural model mimics fragile ecosystem

A decline in the traditional practice of home gardening by Wayanad’s tribal population can have far-reaching consequences. >>
Stories from a Biodiverse World

Stories from a Biodiverse World

As COP10 begins, the United Nations University is delighted to present films that explore interactions between humans and nature in Japan and across the globe. >>
How climate change impacts our imagination

How climate change impacts our imagination

A short documentary explores the ethical issues underpinning our social responses and attitudes towards climate change. >>
World Food Day: don’t just get mad about hunger

World Food Day: don’t just get mad about hunger

By eating locally and reducing food waste, even those in lands of plenty can do a small bit to help reduce world hunger. >>
Rethinking a weed: the truth about amaranth

Rethinking a weed: the truth about amaranth

A ‘superweed’ that has developed herbicide immunity is in fact cousin to a superfood. Why are we trying to zap it instead of studying its potential? >>
Back Biodiversity 100, save our wildlife

Back Biodiversity 100, save our wildlife

To press governments into action on the biodiversity crisis, not platitudes, about preserving wildlife, you have helped compile a list of 26 actions. But there is still work to be done. >>
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Building biotic peace at COP10, Nagoya

An environmental conflict resolution expert reflects on why and how negotiators need to overcome their reluctance to link ecology and peace-building. >>
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Debate 2.0: Paying Ecuador to leave oil underground?

Ecuador will forgo drilling to protect rainforest peoples and species. Should rich nations compensate for this sacrifice? >>
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Science City stores heat in the ground

On the science campus of the Swiss Federal Technical Institute, waste heat from buildings is stored in the ground in summer to be re-used in the winter. >>
UN warns corporate lobbying blocking food reforms

UN warns corporate lobbying blocking food reforms

Large agri-business and food producers are stifling efforts to improve global and environmental health. >>
How to read environmental literature 101

How to read environmental literature 101

Great environmental literature, whether from East or West, speaks of nature as in integral part of human identity. >>
Not all biofuels are bad: A rural India case

Not all biofuels are bad: A rural India case

Biofuels programs can provide sustainable benefits for rural communities, as the Andhra Pradesh experience illustrates. >>
Farming in the concrete jungle

Farming in the concrete jungle

UN University agriculture researcher finds out the costs and benefits of growing her own vegetables in Tokyo's urban sprawl. >>
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Tokyo drifts from seafood to meat eating

Japan’s food self-sufficiency challenge is also critical to the countries bearing the environmental burden of supplying the nation's growing appetite for meat. >>
Four Fish, but for how long?

Four Fish, but for how long?

Author and fisherman Paul Greenberg views the future of wild food through our treatment of salmon, sea bass, cod and tuna. >>
IPCC must keep its eye on the ball

IPCC must keep its eye on the ball

The IPCC should focus on recommending methods and standards for regional climate change assessments. >>
Tajik women’s perspectives of climate change

Tajik women’s perspectives of climate change

A project in Tajikistan aims to unite leading scientists and local communities to document scientific and traditional knowledge on climate change. >>
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How things work: Food energy

With obesity and diabetes becoming ever more common, it seems many people don’t understand the basics of nutrients and metabolism. Do you? >>
Plastic to oil fantastic

Plastic to oil fantastic

A Japanese company creates a small, very safe and easy to use machine that can convert several types of plastic back into oil. >>
Nature is a language we need to read

Nature is a language we need to read

A University of California community and agroecology program is creating environmentally literate leaders. >>
Fate of the Amazon hangs in the balance

Fate of the Amazon hangs in the balance

With the Brazilian elections just months away, vested interests are competing to weaken the country's environmental laws. >>
Japan’s charcoal making traditions still alive

Japan’s charcoal making traditions still alive

Charcoal-makers in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture revive traditional knowledge of skills associated with forest management. >>
Galápagos giant tortoise saved from extinction

Galápagos giant tortoise saved from extinction

Scientists have successfully reintroduced giant tortoises to a Galápagos island where the species once teetered on extinction. >>
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Can we feed our world without Monsanto?

April Davila spent weeks tirelessly tracing simple foods back to their seed source in an experiment spurred by her concern over genetic engineering. >>
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Sweden’s gold medal winning eco-town

Eco-towns like Stockholm's Hammarby are leading the way in saving carbon and remaking urban civilisation >>
Cuba braces as Gulf oil approaches

Cuba braces as Gulf oil approaches

Havana calls in Venezuelan experts to combat potential environmental disaster as tarballs spotted off island's coast. >>
Entering the snow leopard’s lair

Entering the snow leopard’s lair

Our World 2.0's Citt Williams took a trek in Russia's Altai for a first-hand look at the plight of endangered snow leopards and hard-pressed shepherds. >>
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Preserving Japan’s sea salt making tradition

Japan's centuries-old sea salt production landscapes can serve in developing models for integrated management of land and marine ecosystems. >>
Nigeria's agony dwarfs Gulf oil spill

Nigeria’s agony dwarfs Gulf oil spill

The Deepwater Horizon disaster is in the headlines worldwide, yet the people of the Niger delta have lived with environmental catastrophes for decades. >>
Germany's great green transformation

Germany’s great green transformation

Renewable energy, eco-cities, and green parties in power. We take a look at Germany's green credentials. >>
Thailand’s rice farmers adapt to climate change

Thailand’s rice farmers adapt to climate change

Thailand's rice farmers are adapting to climate change in a variety of ways >>
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Japan should jump over its Kyoto climate target

If Japan is to reach its commitment to reduce emissions by 25% by 2020, it will have to leapfrog its Kyoto climate target. >>
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Transition Town Totnes plans for energy descent

The launch of the Totnes Energy Descent Plan is an event that we should all follow with great interest. >>
China cotton pest outbreak prompts GM review

China cotton pest outbreak prompts GM review

Widespread adoption of Monsanto's Bt cotton has led to a surge in pests in China's cotton farms. >>
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Colours of water: Bangladesh’s leather tanneries

In the Hazaribagh district, lack of options traps workers and residents in a toxic industry that is harming their health and killing Dhaka’s main river. >>
Pastures for the future in Kyrgyzstan

Pastures for the future in Kyrgyzstan

Sustainable land management systems are becoming vital to the preservation of the Pamir-Alai mountain ecosystems upon which local people rely for their livelihoods. >>
What can Japan do to conserve biodiversity?

What can Japan do to conserve biodiversity?

Japanese firms and communities are increasingly getting involved in conserving biodiversity. >>
A Thousand Suns: the view from Ethiopia’s Gamo Highlands

A Thousand Suns: the view from Ethiopia’s Gamo Highlands

Externally driven agricultural pressures threaten an ancient and sustainable way of living. >>
Endangered species trade enforcement is key

Endangered species trade enforcement is key

Despite criticisms, the recent CITES meeting was a step forward for enforcement against trade in endangered species. >>
Don't hound the climate scientists

Don’t hound the climate scientists

IPCC chief Rajendra Pachauri re-asserts that evidence of climate change is undeniable, despite recent scientific inaccuracies. >>
Resilient Bangladesh: Songs help kids adapt to climate

Resilient Bangladesh: Songs for a changing world

In this final part of the Bangladesh series, we see how children are learning about adapting to changes in their environment. >>
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Resilient Bangladesh: Mapping local solutions

This second video of the series shows how the people of Bangladesh are tackling local problems like less predictable rainfall. >>
Resilient Bangladesh: Fishermen cope with rough seas

Resilient Bangladesh: Fishermen cope with rough seas

This video brief, the first in a 3-part series showcasing Bangladeshi resilience in coping with climate change, looks at a fisherman's struggle. >>
10% of Europe’s butterflies face extinction

10% of Europe’s butterflies face extinction

Insects are being hit hard by the loss of grassland habitats due to intensification of agriculture, climate change and abandonment of farming land. >>
Bye bye beta

Bye-bye, beta! Hello, new design

It is a pleasure to launch our new look! This is another step in our drive to reach ever more readers who can help us to upgrade our world. >>
Finding a place to feed: Kyrgyz shepherds suffer pasture loss

Finding a place to feed: Kyrgyz shepherds suffer pasture loss

Kyrgyz shepherds in the Tian Shan Mountains are challenged as climate and degradation alter their land and lives. >>
Putting nanotech to green use?

Putting nanotech to green use?

After a glimpse of eco-friendly uses of nanotechnology at a recent exhibit in Tokyo, we still have questions. >>
My green team

My green team

New York City 9th grader Elizabeth Adesanya writes about her efforts to live sustainably. >>
Tasmania’s potato protectors

Tasmania’s potato protectors

The Tasmanian Institute for Agricultural Research protects Tasmania's biodiversity by cultivating, certifying and sharing new and old potato varieties. >>
Post COP15 industrial policy

Post COP15 industrial policy

National industrial policies need to be reassessed in light of the financial crisis and ongoing negotiations for a global agreement on reducing emissions. >>
Obama gives green light to nuclear reactors

Obama gives green light to nuclear reactors

The US president announces $8.3 billion in loan guarantees for construction of the country’s first nuclear reactors in 30 years. >>
What happened here, at the Salton Sea?

What happened here, at the Salton Sea?

This photo-essay begs the question: Is there a bearable margin of ecosystem wreckage inherent to feeding and powering the world? >>
Hawaii’s clean energy challenge

Hawaii’s clean energy challenge

Although it is the most oil-dependent State in the United States, Hawaii launched a Clean Energy Initiative and aims to go 70% green by 2030. >>
Sands shifting for Africa's nomadic herders

Sands shifting for Africa’s nomadic herders

Huge areas of land used by pastoralists in Africa have been lost to sedentary farming and conservation. >>
Land has breath: respecting nature in Altai

Land has breath: respecting nature in Altai

Russia’s Altai Republic is home to rich indigenous culture that has respected and protected the natural environment for generations. >>
Reinventing fire

Reinventing fire

Modern society is built on fossil fuel. But as its cost to wallets and habitats become ever more intolerable, one system is dying as another strives to hatch. >>
Fashionista farm gals of Tokyo

Fashionista farm gals of Tokyo

Model, singer and marketing whiz Shiho Fujita is the face of a new trend in Japan where young people are increasingly attracted to farming. >>
Energy crisis in the Pamir mountains

Energy crisis in the Pamir mountains

Inhabitants of the Eastern Pamirs are pressured to overuse a highland shrub as firewood, as imported fuel becomes too costly. >>
E-learning not to fly

E-learning not to fly

Connecting across the world through already functional energy and time efficient technologies like video-conferencing makes total sense. >>
US climate change legislation Q & A

US climate change legislation Q & A

The global recession, US mid-term elections and a weak deal at Copenhagen all play a part in the future of cap and trade. >>
Farmers market comes to the UNU

Farmers market comes to the UNU

The farmers market at United Nations University is part of a global movement towards more organic, seasonal and local food. >>
Rice, water, power: micro hydroelectricity in Japan

How things work: Micro hydroelectricity in Japan

Local innovations in renewable energy, like micro hydro from rice irrigation, should not be overlooked. >>
Food for all people

Food for all people

Non-profit organisation Second Harvest is doing something about the heartbreaking levels of food waste that occur in affluent countries like Japan. >>
Why all is not (yet) lost from COP 15

Why all is not (yet) lost from COP15

Even though the deal from COP15 was a bitter disappointment, we can still learn from that experience and step back from climate disaster. >>
Greetings from Satoyama

Greetings from Satoyama

Satoyama systems symbolise a pure integration of environmental, economic, cultural and social links between humans and nature. >>
Here comes the sun: Eco-Products 2009 Tokyo

Here comes the sun: Eco-Products 2009 Tokyo

Visitors to Tokyo's Eco-Products expo can check out the low-carbon future of Japan, and perhaps the world. >>
The climate is changing and so are we

The climate is changing and so are we

United Nations University staff have been and should continue to be vigilant with their carbon footprints. >>
Does climate change cause conflict?

Does climate change cause conflict?

A new report links temperature rises to conflict in Africa. But does this mean that climate change causes conflict? >>
Turn off your pool cleaner and help save the planet

Turn off your pool cleaner and help save the planet

'1 Million Women' encourage Australian women to reduce carbon emissions, but is their message strong enough? >>
Turn off your pool cleaner and help save the planet

2009 World Summit on Food Security

World leaders meet to try and address the world food security challenge and restore faith in market mediated food security. >>
Indigenous Voices on Climate Change film festival

Indigenous Voices on Climate Change film festival

The Indigenous Voices on Climate Change film festival will screen during COP15 at the National Museum of Denmark. >>
How things work: Canada’s oil sands

How things work: Canada’s oil sands

Huge tracts of remote forested land are strip-mined to obtain a thick crude oil called bitumen from Canada's oil sands. >>
Grow a green roof (and eat it too)

Grow a green roof (and eat it too)

Cities are called concrete jungles because cluttered skyscrapers overlook congested streets and highways. Green roofs to the rescue! >>
Fashion from trash

Fashion from trash

Bombastic Plastic of Bali designs and sews handbags, tote bags and wallets from fabric they create by fusing together reclaimed plastic shopping bags. >>
The future is electric

The future is electric

If the 41st Tokyo Motor Show is any guide, major car manufacturers are taking the race to build eco-friendly machines seriously. >>
High and dry

High and dry

Scientists explain how they protect the Tibetan grasslands by working with communities to improve biodiversity, livestock production and livelihoods. >>
Into the seed bunker

Into the seed bunker

Including the recently added endangered pink banana, Kew's millennium seed bank now contains seeds from 10% of the world's plant species. >>
Shared futures

Shared futures

The UK Youth Climate Coalition and the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change's Kenyan chapter plan to take their place as COP15 stakeholders. >>
Ocean energy making waves

How things work: Ocean energy making waves

Ocean power could produce energy enough to cover the world's current electricity consumption, yet the industry is not getting adequate assistance. >>
Summit all up

Summit all up

Declarations by global leaders at September's climate summit in New York are hot news world-wide. But what can average citizens take away? >>
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Fighting carbon with fire

In Arnhem Land, North Australia, Bininj (aboriginal) people use traditional fire management to reduce emissions and foster their lands. >>
Lights, climate, action

Lights, climate, action

Podcast interview with Energy Surveyor Zi Zi Searles on how businesses that invest in energy efficient lighting can save money and cut emissions. >>
Debate 2.0: What will it take to make you change?

Debate 2.0: What will it take to make you change?

We ask: What will it take to make you change your high carbon emitting behaviours to save the planet? >>
Fake trees, algae tubes and white roofs

Fake trees, algae tubes and white roofs

Report from UK Institute of Mechanical Engineers says geo-engineering ideas can be integral part of the solution to climate change. >>
Apples have feelings too

Apples have feelings too

Japanese organic farmer Akinori Kimura grows pesticide and fertilizer-free apples in a weedy ecosystem that relies on natural soil ecology. >>
Young leaders from the global south

Young leaders from the global south

United Nations University students from the global south provide us with their thoughts about climate change and energy and food security. >>
Many strong voices

Many strong voices

The Many Strong Voices Programme connects indigenous people from the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) affected by climate change. >>
One man inspiring Hope

One man inspiring Hope

Wan Ping is inspiring volunteers to help him battle aridification with a land restoration project that halts advancing sand dunes in Khorchin, China. >>
Forbidden forest of the Dayak people

Forbidden forest of the Dayak people

The Dayaks combine centuries-old indigenous knowledge with eco-tourism and carbon trading to fight deforestation. >>
Who put the COP15 in Copenhagen?

Who put the COP15 in Copenhagen?

At the COP15 conference in Copenhagen in December we need to replace the Kyoto Protocol. >>
Japan to suffer huge climate costs

Japan to suffer huge climate costs

There is a pervasive belief amongst Japanese leaders and decision-makers that climate change will not have a big impact on Japan in the future. They are wrong. >>
Wilder typhoons may mean bigger yen losses

Wilder typhoons may mean bigger yen losses

Wilder typhoons in Japan as a result of climate change could cause larger financial and infrastructure damage. >>
How-to guide for environmental refugees

How-to guide for environmental refugees

Dubbed the world's first “environmental refugees”, Carteret Islanders document their relocation plan to aid other climate change victims. >>
How-to guide for environmental refugees

“Plenty of fish in the sea”

Ninety percent of the oceans' big fish are already gone and if commercial fishing trends continue, there will no longer be "plenty of fish in the sea". >>
2,000 watt society

2,000 watt society

Scientists in Switzerland have a strategy to boost the country's energy efficiency — the 2000 Watt Society. >>
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Tourism meltdown

Climate change-caused drift ice loss is impacting Japan's tourism industry and the marine ecosystem that depends on nutrients the ice carries. >>
Flipside of banking

Flipside of banking

Ethical banking considers the impacts of banking operations and is not just about delivering attractive profit margins. >>
The world's next breath

The world’s next breath

Central to the Transition Movement is the belief that communities can be a catalyst for the societal redesign required to respond to climate change and the coming end of cheap oil. >>
Japan, waking up to peak oil?

Japan, waking up to peak oil?

Japan’s economy is vulnerable to peak oil due to its high dependence on fossil fuels. But is the government moving fast enough? >>
A taste for organic food

A taste for organic food

In countries like Germany, organic food production is booming, as is the population's awareness about food sustainability. >>
Roots that bind

Roots that bind

After volunteering with Guatemalan farmers, Adam Darragh believes bottom-up approaches to development and deforestation can succeed. >>
Brazil, bio-fuel and beef

Brazil, bio-fuel and beef

Bechara Saab, a Brazilian rancher in the state of Paraná, has developed a way to convert a cheap waste product into feed for his cattle. >>
Sucking dry an African giant

Sucking dry an African giant

The size and vibrancy of Lake Chad has diminished significantly thanks to climatic changes and poor human management. >>
Will you eco-marry me?

Will you eco-marry me?

Wedding celebrations can be low carbon-emitting, socially-responsible, energy efficient and embrace the four Rs (reuse, reduce, recycle, repair). >>
Intelligence to fuel cars of the future

Intelligence to fuel cars of the future

The Swiss Federal Institute for Technology in Zurich introduces an environmentally-friendly automobile called the PAC-Car II to the world. >>
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Walking on country with spirits

Located on the eastern shore of Australia’s tropical north, Shipton’s Flat is home to Marilyn, a Kuku Nyungkal Aboriginal woman, and her family. >>
Squeezing the issues

Squeezing the issues

Climate change, access to water, reliance on oil and poor ecosystem health may provoke a storm of consequences, warns The Great Squeeze documentary. >>
Cutting emissions through innovation

Cutting emissions through innovation

Cleaner energy, boosted efficiency and lower emissions are essential, but technological innovation alone will not provide all the answers. >>
Sea level rise in Kowanyama

Sea level rise in Kowanyama

Aboriginal people living on gulf coastal plains in Kowanyama are particularly susceptible to even the most minor changes in sea level. >>
Harvest time in satoyama

Harvest time in satoyama

The idea of satoyama embodies particular views about nature and its integration with lifestyle, cultural values and resource management practices. >>
From naïve to Evian

From naïve to Evian

The “bottle-isation” of world water presents serious environmental and ethical challenges that transcend national boundaries. >>
Bangladesh tackles its cabon footprint

Bangladesh tackles its carbon footprint

Bangladesh certainly faces serious impacts brought by climate change, but the country has become a hotbed of adaptation strategies and experimentation. >>
Let’s generate electricity by walking!

Let’s generate electricity by walking!

Kohei Hayamizu has a bold vision for the future: a city that is in itself an electric power station. >>
Measuring eco-innovation

Measuring eco-innovation

Eco-innovation is likely to be an important driver for economic development across the globe as we respond to today's challenges. >>
World Energy Outlook 2008

World Energy Outlook 2008

The International Energy Agency has just released the 2008 World Energy Outlook and it's a classic 'the glass is half full or half empty' story. >>
Electric cars hitting roads around the globe

Electric cars hitting roads around the globe

Japanese ex-race car driver Yoshio Takaoka heads one of the small firms that are already producing and selling electric cars. >>
Falling oil prices: Temporary lull or back to normal?

Falling oil prices: Temporary lull or back to normal?

After several months of worrisome price jumps, oil prices are falling. The overall trend however, is a year on year increase. What does the future hold? >>
Cool United Nations

Cool United Nations

"Cool UN" aims to reduce the use of air conditioning at UN Headquarters in New York to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save money. >>
Yokohama, an environmentally friendly city

Yokohama, an environmentally friendly city

Cities around the world must take leadership in solving global environment problems. Yokohama takes this role very seriously. >>
Call for action on African food security

Call for action on African food security

Food security is a critical issue for Africa today, as the continent struggles with declining agricultural stocks and high food prices. >>
Outcome from the Toyako Summit

Outcome from the Toyako Summit

It appears that substantively not much was achieved at the G8 Toyako Summit, especially in relation to climate change. >>
Follow the leaders in Hokkaido, Japan

Follow the leaders in Hokkaido, Japan

Discussion at this week's G8 Toyako Summit should focus on the need for a long-term target for CO2 emission reduction. >>
Japan as a Low Carbon Society

Japan as a Low Carbon Society

Japan should lead a "CO2 reduction revolution", said Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as he announced plans to cut CO2 by 60-80%. >>
Africa and climate change

Africa and climate change

For the depth and breadth of climate challenges that Africa faces, the country needs frontier science and entrepreneurship. >>
Nagoya's waste revolution

Nagoya’s waste revolution

Thanks to dramatic action, Nagoya has the lowest per capita waste generation and highest per capita recycling rate of Japan's big cities. >>