Environment

Written by: Kimberly White  China has announced a new plan to tackle plastic pollution. On January 19th, the National Development and Reform Commission unveiled the plan to begin rapidly phasing out single-use plastics.  Plastic pollution has become one of the most...

Written by: Charles Masquelier, Carolyn Petersen, and Matt Lobley The Burren region of County Clare, Ireland, is famous for its distinctive limestone habitat, coastal landscape, rich wildlife and unusual archaeology. Several hundred farmers also manage livestock on this land. As social scientists, we’ve been...

Written by: Viniece Jennings When many people think of New Year’s resolutions, they brainstorm ways to improve themselves for the year ahead. What if we expanded those aspirations to include resolutions that benefit our communities, society and the planet, too? It...

Written by: Chris Armstrong The ocean is becoming ever more central to our economies. Around 80 percent of internationally traded goods are transported by sea, and even brief blockages cause panic in global markets. Fishing remains big business, but in the...

Written by: Erik Hoffner January brought a pair of rough storms to the northeastern U.S. They hit when the tides were high and pushed higher than normal by rising sea levels, setting numerous high-water records and prompting Maine Governor Janet Mills to...

Written by: Johnny Wood What happened to the birds, fish and marine wildlife that used to thrive in the wetland banks of Florida’s Kissimmee River? Against all odds… they are returning. Much of the Kissimmee’s original course and ecosystem have now been...

Written by: Geoffrey Holland "At the current rate of loss, some 12 million hectares of agricultural land per year are rendered useless, an area equivalent to the arable land of Germany, Poland, or Ethiopia.” Phillip Lymbery, Sixty Harvests Left Early in the...

Written by: Louisa Montagu-Pollock The world faces an unprecedented set of challenges, from a global pandemic and rampant income inequality, to man-made climate change and the destruction of natural ecosystems. Did you know that 10% of global society still lives in...

Written by: Kate E. Smith, Diane Hanano, and Dominique Weis There’s a good chance you live in a city — or will soon. According to estimates by the United Nations, two out of every three people will live in an...

Written by: Kimberly White On December 24, 2018, Bali Governor Wayan Koster announced that the Indonesian province of Bali is officially banning single-use plastics. The ban is a welcome step in Bali’s battle against plastic pollution. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest...