Urban mining, or recycling and reusing everything from buildings to electronics to household waste, is a way to preserve the value of goods that would otherwise be thrown away. Nearly everything can be recycled: “Paint is dried up to make chalk, the rancid oils are processed into cosmetics, and old devices dismantled to recycle materials such as paper, plastics, metals […]
Turning Mountaintop Coal Mines into Farms
Coalfield Development, a nonprofit social enterprise in West Virginia, is working to turn former coal mining areas and mountaintop removal sites into farmland and forest, using farm animals to root out invasive plants and fertilize the depleted soil. These efforts have created dozens of full-time jobs, and residents are offered training and stipends to work on their […]
Helping Refugees Start Urban Farms
Plant It Forward Farms trains refugees in the city of Houston to set up their own urban, organic farming businesses. Although Houston resettles the highest number of refugees in the USA, many are unable to find meaningful work. This initiative helps them settle in their new home and earn good livelihoods. It also provides the […]
Regenerative Agriculture Protects the Land and Its Inhabitants
Regenerative agriculture is a type of farming that sequesters CO2 while improving water retention, soil health, and rainfall conservation. It uses techniques such as agroforestry, crop rotation, and rotational grazing, while excluding pesticides and factory farming. Many of the techniques used are an adaptation of indigenous and local farming practices. Regenerative agriculture can help communities […]
The Netherlands Recycles Toilet Paper to Pave Bike Paths
The Dutch province of Friesland is innovating by recycling toilet paper and using it to enhance the safety of asphalt, which is used to pave bicycle paths. Normally, toilet paper is filtered out at wastewater treatment plants and then incinerated, which releases CO2 and destroys the resources contained in the toilet paper. Instead, this project extracts […]
Interfaith Power & Light Helps Congregations Protect the Climate
Interfaith Power & Light is an organization helping thousands of diverse religious congregations limit their carbon emissions and organize campaigns to urge lawmakers to take action on climate change. Their programs help faith communities reduce their emissions by increasing renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and starting local organic farms. They also have a program that […]
Learning Conservation in Prison
The Sustainability in Prisons Project is partnering with inmates to develop and advance conservation efforts in prisons in the United States. Some of the conservation programs include zero-waste centers, cultivation of native plants to restore local habitats, and breeding threatened pollinator species. These programs engage prisoners and give them opportunities to learn more about conservation, […]
Clam Gardens Restore Coastal Health and Indigenous Cultures
Coast Salish tribes in British Columbia, together with The Clam Garden Network, are reviving ancient clam gardens using traditional First Nations methods. These coastal gardens, maintained without the use of plastics or pesticides, provide habitat for sea life and improve local biodiversity. They also provide a sustainable, local, and healthy food source to the coastal tribes. The […]
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network Shares Global Expertise on Multisolving
The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) brings together leaders from all sectors of society and regions of the world to “accelerate joint learning and promote integrated approaches that address the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world.” The Network is geared toward practical solutions that help implement both the Paris Climate […]
Solar-Powered Gardens in Benin Reduce Poverty & Food Insecurity
The Solar Electric Light Fund is providing solar-powered pumps that combine with drip irrigation systems to women farmers in Benin. These pumps allow women to farm year-round despite the 6-month dry season, and save them from having to haul water by hand for long distances. As a result of the pumps, food production has increased […]