In a world that is becoming increasingly aware of the effects of climate change, one sector of the community holds most of the cards – businesses. The top fifteen U.S. food and beverage companies alone generate more greenhouse gases every year than the entire continent of Australia. Change at this level can make waves, yet business owners may not know how to start on the path toward a sustainable and eco-friendly future.
Snow is a magical phenomenon for children. Building snowmen, drinking hot chocolate, and receiving the day off from school create memorable experiences for little ones. But as an adult, these weather patterns may lose their whimsy due to restrictions on driving.
With summer around the corner, city dwellers are planning their shoreline retreats to escape unbearable heat. Urban regions typically stay warmer during this season due to their structure. What if there were ways to reduce this effect by making minimal changes to metropolitan lifestyles?
Cities can effectively preserve natural land by permitting one region to house many individuals. When we build up rather than out, we allow many areas to remain untouched by humans.
However, although cities can conserve organic areas, they also contribute to a dangerous warming phenomenon known as urban heat islands.
At least 820 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition globally and human population growth is likely to exacerbate this problem in the future. It is becoming increasingly important to develop sustainable and efficient methods to meet food demands. To address this global issue, Dr. Sanju A. Sanjaya and Bagyalakshmi Muthan from West Virginia State University and their colleagues from Michigan State University have developed genetic technologies to improve the nutritional and energy content of crops. Their technology could increase production and improve profitability and sustainability across a range of important crop plants.
The destruction of tropical forests is a major contributor to biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. In response, conservationists and scientists like us are debating how to best catalyze the recovery of these forests. How do you take a patch of earth littered with tree stumps, or even a grassy pasture or palm oil plantation, and turn it back into a thriving forest filled with its original species?
David Burslem, University of Aberdeen; Christopher Philipson, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and Mark Cutler, University of Dundee
Rain is a euphoric natural occurrence. Homeowners often install tin roofs, sheltered sunrooms, and skylights to maximize the calming effects of rainfall. Unfortunately, this tranquil weather pattern can negatively impact the global ecosystem if the built environment isn’t prepared for it.
As precipitation increases in the atmosphere, Earth’s surface experiences a rise in stormwater runoff. As rain and snowmelt travel along streets, roofs, and fields to reach a drain, it collects debris. The excess material then finds its way into essential bodies of water, introducing multiple types of environmental degradation.
Fears over supermarket shortages during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic led many people to buy their food from local producers, raising the prospect of a transformation in the way people get their food in the future. But while eating locally and shorter supply chains are often viewed as a more sustainable alternative to our global food system, the reality is much more complicated, explains Dr. Tessa Avermaete, a bioeconomist at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.
Soil covers all of the earth, and it’s more than just rocks and plant matter. These layers of soil are teeming with biodiversity and living organisms. Your food largely depends on the soil where it is grown. If there isn’t enough of one nutrient or the soil’s structure is failing, then the amount of food you have to choose from will decrease.
Natural ecosystems often have some of the best soil. With a proper variety of plant and animal species, our soil can constantly regenerate and produce enough microbes and nutrients to support all that lives on it.
What if an unfathomably hot, never-ending, never-varying heat source existed that could be harnessed for energy production? This heat source does exist. Right beneath our feet. The top of the Earth’s mantle hovers around 1000 degrees celsius, achieving access to it would make the efficiency of all other current energy sources pale by comparison. With global ocean temperatures continuing to climb, concerned organizations and individuals continue to seek a solution for our presently unsustainable energy production methods.
The construction industry is transitioning to using sustainable building strategies and practices in exciting ways. Companies understand that newer generations care about their surroundings and want to live, work, and shop in buildings made with sustainable materials and eco-friendly equipment. Furthermore, governments are beginning to set higher standards for green buildings across the world.
