Recently, I explored the thought-provoking article titled "Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation" by Abson et al. (2017), building on the ideas Meadows presented in her 1999 paper (thanks to Mónica Hernández Morcillo). The main idea? Every complex system has specific points that can guide positive change. While some are more influential than others, the idea of a paradigm shift stands out as a major driver. However, understanding these systems often means thinking beyond simple, straight-line logic.
As a fervent participant in the crusade against climate change, my mind often grapples with the enormity of the challenge. The work I contribute, though vital in its own right, seems minuscule against the backdrop of global efforts. The truth is, there is no silver bullet solution for this colossal dilemma; it requires an amalgamation of thousands of small and substantial endeavors. The burning question that reverberates in my mind: will we make it? Are our collective efforts adequate, or has the horse already bolted? Attempting to decipher this enigma compels me to gaze into history, seeking to unearth insights that might illuminate the path ahead.
The global fashion industry is widely known for the environmental pollution throughout its supply chain.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of carbon emissions annually. If the current pace of greenhouse gas emissions continues, it will surge by more than 50% by 2030.
John Redfern might just save the planet. Chances are that you’ve never heard of the soft-spoken, middle-aged Canadian entrepreneur. For much of his career, he was busy with his startup in Shenzhen, China’s free-trade region, using data analytics to recommend the best places to open thousands of stores for companies like Nike and McDonald’s. He only got into “the entrepreneurial thing” by accident.
I never thought I’d embrace composting. It’s an eco-friendly idea, sure, but one that certainly wouldn’t work in the confines of a tiny city apartment, right? I imagined smells, bugs and, most importantly, a dreaded six-block weekly walk to a community compost project, where I’d be carrying a gross bag filled with decomposing organic waste.
After months of expectation, it's official — 2023 will be the hottest year ever recorded. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced the milestone after analyzing data that showed the world saw its warmest-ever November.
Last month was roughly 1.75 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial average, Copernicus said, with an average surface air temperature of 14.22 degrees Celsius, or about 57.6 degrees Fahrenheit. And now, Copernicus says that for January to November 2023, global average temperatures were the highest on record — 1.46 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
World leaders and renowned scientists are taking center stage at COP28, the U.N.’s Climate Change Conference, fervently arguing about how to keep the world within a 1.5-degree Celsius global temperature rise. But no one can agree on how to measure 1.5 degrees.
JOINVILLE ISLAND, Antarctica – Behold the world's largest iceberg, a colossal mass of ice that has been grounded for decades, but has now started moving again across the polar regions of Antarctica's open waters.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) released a video above showcasing the massive iceberg known as A23a, which is 40 miles wide and stretches as far as the eye can see.
Despite this cultural connection to farming, agricultural production and food systems across Hawai’i have suffered from decades of commercial exploitation, climate change, economic volatility and policy failures. Historically, Hawai’i allocates less than 1% of the state budget to agriculture.
I moved to Missoula in December 2006 to enter the environmental studies graduate program at The University of Montana. There I found an active community motivated by the desire for self-sufficiency. I soon was introduced to the people and activities at one of the local hubs of sustainability, the Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society (PEAS) farm.