Nature-based solutions to climate change, such as “Resilience Hotspots,” can enhance climate resilience by restoring and maintaining pockets of nature, such as wetlands and urban green spaces, to counteract storm surges and urban heat islands. Integrating these natural defenses into urban planning, while emphasizing community equity, not only mitigates climate impacts but also promotes climate justice.
The “30 by 30” conservation movement aims to conserve 30 percent of the Earth’s land by 2030. California is among the first jurisdictions to implement a comprehensive 30 by 30 strategy and has invested $11 billion towards the effort. The movement focuses on protecting biodiversity, engaging local communities, and building resilient ecosystems, while also navigating challenges like land use conflicts and climate change adaptation.
The human health effects of air pollution and climate change can exacerbate each other and some air pollutants, like black carbon, are both hazardous to human health and powerful greenhouse gasses. We spoke with Dr. Collins Gameli Hodoli about the importance of increasing awareness of poor air quality–through the use of a mobile app he developed–to developing policies to improve air quality in Ghana.
Electric motorcycles and battery swap technology can improve livelihoods and reduce emissions in Africa and around the world. Ampersand, an African electric vehicle company, provides affordable electric motorcycles (called “e-motos”) in East Africa and operates a convenient battery swap system. These e-motos are replacing polluting gas motorcycles with a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.
The use of indigenous forest burning practices, also known as prescribed burns, can reduce the risk of severe wildfires and promote healthier habitats amid climate change. Bill Tripp from the Karuk Tribe discusses the importance of re-establishing these practices.
In our second episode with California Air Resources Board’s Executive Officer, Dr. Steve Cliff, hear how Dr. Cliff is thinking about the challenges of building electrification and the role government can play in ensuring a just transition to energy efficient buildings.
In the fourth episode of our series highlighting the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) and its global partners’ leadership in transportation decarbonization, Climate Break spoke with CARB’s Executive Officer Dr. Steve Cliff about the importance of reducing emissions from trucks and heavy duty vehicles — and how Advanced Clean Trucks can help phase in a zero-emission trucking future.
Native communities have disproportionately low access to and pay higher rates for utilities, particularly electricity, which has a significant impact on access and opportunities for remote work, education, and other activities. The Indigenized Energy Initiative works to increase indigenous energy ownership and access in order to address the social, economic, and environmental injustices that native communities face. This week, Chéri Smith, founder and CEO of IEI, discusses their strategy for assisting indigenous communities and eliminating energy poverty.
Russia is a major oil producer, responsible for 11 percent of the world’s total oil supply in 2020. Its invasion of Ukraine has roiled the markets and geopolitics of energy, driving oil and gas prices to their highest levels in nearly a decade and forcing many countries to reconsider their energy supplies. This week, listen to Steve Cohen, professor of international affairs and sustainability management at Columbia University, talking about the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having on energy policy.
The environmental justice movement began in the 1980s which address the unfair exposure of poor and marginalized communities to harms associated with resource extraction, hazardous waste, and other land uses. It’s often closely tied with environmental racism. Dr. Robert Bullard first defined environmental racism in his 1990 book Dumping in Dixie, and is now serving on the White House Environmental Justice Council to develop a screening tool to determine which communities get priority for new climate investments.