Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Adèle Pautrat Crafting a story and connecting people are centrally important to successfully cultivating biodiversity, as Belgian farmer Tijs Boelens has found out in his work to integrate heritage grains into the supply chain.
In this conversation, Nate is joined by ecological economist Josh Farley to explore the persistent myths taught in business schools, and the disconnect between economic theory and reality. Building on Nate’s recent Frankly episode, they unpack topics like the misconception between value and price, how GDP is a flawed measure of well-being, the truth about debt, and the ripple effects these have across market dynamics.
Top down decisions about “national infrastructure” may save time on paper but are not a good way to make progress. It appears autocratic and shifts objectors onto the streets or into the courts. Real consultation takes time and effort. But it builds trust and leads to better outcomes.
As climate change makes flash floods and other extreme weather events more common and deadly, researchers across the country are struggling with how to effectively communicate risk to the public, without losing their trust through over-warning.
Agroecology is a science, a set of practices, and a movement that is critical to the transition to sustainable food systems.
What model could make us more resilient, more comfortable, and more likely to survive a global ecological meltdown? The answer is low-tech library socialism.
Things caused by humanity can probably also be solved by humanity. A good place to start seems to be to make sure that the risks we face are more consistently included in things like national risk assessments or global policy making, so that we can better explore what might be done about them.
I am not claiming that we need to consider rivulets or fire or lightning as animate forms of Life. The difference in complexity is truly staggering. Yet, the comparison offers a mottled window—especially into decision-making processes that appear (via feedback/success) to be directed, or purposeful.
In Carbon County, Pennsylvania, the conservation ethic runs deep. It manifests in the county’s comprehensive plan, its “return on environment” analysis, and most recently, a fund to preserve open space, which voters overwhelmingly supported.
Climate harms from projects like YaREN’s proposed plant pose an immediate threat to Ingleside’s community. Texas is one of America’s most climate-vulnerable states – facing among the highest risks for drought, flooding and temperature-related deaths.
To sum up, I believe the recommendations for healthy food neglects the realities and limitations of the production system as well as of the market place. In addition, some of them are also based on flawed or weakly supported assumptions.
WWF is a big, diverse organization. But what drives me are the places — Cameroon, Brazil, the Coral Triangle in Asia. And in those places, the communities are the best conservation leaders.
