Blogs at Worldwatch
Each blog features regular contributions from Worldwatch researchers and outside experts on the global issues that the Institute tracks, from climate change negotiations to how to feed a growing population. We invite you to engage our bloggers in dialogue on the latest news and developments in their respective research areas.
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Sowing the Seeds of a Food-Secure FutureBy Dana Drugmand Worldwide, 195 million children suffer from malnutrition, which adversely affects their development and overall well-being. Approximately 26 percent of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. And according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, the number of malnourished children in the region will rise 18 percent between 2001 and 2020. Fortunately,... |
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Refocusing Environmental EducationOver the past decade, more college students than ever have completed environmentally oriented courses or graduated with degrees in environmental studies and science (ESS). While many hail this environmental renaissance in U.S. higher education as an important step toward sustainability, others see it as a missed opportunity. In the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World [...] |
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Norway Invests $23.7 Million to Ensure Crop Diversity in a Changing ClimateBy Sophie Wenzlau Earlier this week, the government of Norway pledged US$23.7 million to conserve and sustainably manage some of the world’s most important food crops, citing the critical need for crop diversity at a time when populations are soaring and climate change is threatening staples like rice and maize, according to the Global Crop [...] |
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Innovation of the Week: A Low-Cost Composting ToiletBy Sarah Alvarez Across the Asia-Pacific region, millions of people have inadequate access to sustainable sanitation infrastructure—in other words, they don’t have a safe and sanitary place to go to the bathroom. In the Philippines alone, 28 million people do not have access to the sanitation services needed to prevent contamination and disease. As a [...] |
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No More Hot Air: New Report Holds Countries Accountable to 2 Degree Global Warming PledgeLast month, our friends at Germanwatch published a report that lays out near-term strategies for countries, international climate negotiators, and non-governmental institutions through 2020 that can keep the world on a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pathway to limit the average global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. The report, entitled “Short-Term Mitigation Ambition Pre-2020:... |
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Governance and the Development of the Renewables Sector in LACMany energy investors are interested in Latin America due to its great renewable energy potential and its relatively untapped markets. Good governance in the energy sector – a government’s ability to ease the flow of investment, and its capacity to handle resources and finances of projects transparently – is a key factor in determining a country’s readiness for renewables. It is not only a matter of getting the money from international and national funds, but also of... |
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All Eyes on Connecticut: Microgrid Pilot Program Gets UnderwayOne of the most underreported stories in the U.S. energy industry today is Connecticut’s ambitious electricity pilot project—one that could have a widespread ripple effect across the country. On July 24, state government officials announced plans for nine microgrid projects as part of a Microgrid Pilot Program aimed at ensuring electricity grid resilience and reliability during severe weather events. |
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Sowing the Seeds of a Food-Secure FutureBy Dana Drugmand |
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Norway Invests $23.7 Million to Ensure Crop Diversity in a Changing ClimateBy Sophie Wenzlau |
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Innovation of the Week: A Low-Cost Composting ToiletBy Sarah Alvarez |
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FAO Says Food Waste Harms Climate, Water, Land, and BiodiversityBy Sophie Wenzlau |
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Refocusing Environmental EducationOver the past decade, more college students than ever have completed environmentally oriented courses or graduated with degrees in environmental studies and science (ESS). While many hail this environmental renaissance in U.S. higher education as an important step toward sustainability, others see it as a missed opportunity. In the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the... |
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The Role of Degrowth in Our FutureAt a time when our societies continue to be committed to endless economic growth and attempts to redirect our economy seem futile, what is the role of “degrowth” in humanity’s future? |
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Can the “Greenest City” Get to One-Planet Living?View of Vancouver (photo by Evan Leeson) |
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Embracing Traditional Living with a Few Modern PerksIn his recent book, The World Until Yesterday, author and professor Jared Diamond explores “what we can learn from traditional societies.” Being a new dad, I picked it up mainly because there is a chapter on parenting. I figured it would have tips on how children have been raised through the ages, rather than modern tips that are so often shaped by marketing and product... |
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