More than half a million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring Jordan since the armed conflict began eight years ago, straining the host country’s water, housing, and electric sectors, as well as social relations. The Jordan Green Building Council and Habitat for Humanity jointly lead a green infrastructure pilot program in Dhlail, Jordan, a city […]
Hurricane Maria Inspires Resilience & Adaptation in Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico: demolished homes, food and water shortages, and a decimated power grid characterized daily life for months. While millions of people began the process of rebuilding what previously existed, a couple in Puerto Rico took an unconventional approach and decided to build an Earthship. Developed 50 years ago, Earthships are sustainable […]
Resources Legacy Fund Multisolves for Resilience & Climate
The Resources Legacy Fund is a philanthropy organization that works in the western United States to fund land, watershed, and marine conservation, as well as other multisolving policies that increase resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other benefits. As part of their work, they focus on helping organizations build capacity, uniting diverse coalitions to empower […]
California Requires New Homes Have Solar Panels, Energy Efficiency
In mid-May, the California Energy Commission voted unanimously to approve building standards that will require new California homes to have rooftop solar panels, greater energy efficiency, better ventilation, and lighting standards for commercial buildings. All in all, these rules will lead to a reduction of 493 million pounds of carbon emissions every year. The commission projects that the […]
Lakota Solar Grows Native-Owned Renewables in Tribal Communities
Lakota Solar Enterprises is a Native-owned and operated renewable energy company located on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Its aim is to help tribal lands reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and achieve energy sovereignty. In doing so, it also creates jobs and reduces energy bills in remote and energy-poor communities. Lakota Solar […]
Urban Mining Turns Waste into Value
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 […]
Warm Up New Zealand is Multisolving with Home Insulation
A government program in New Zealand demonstrates how health, economic vitality, and climate protection can all be enhanced via investments in energy efficiency. A radical move What would it look like if, in the middle of an economic crisis, your government invested in a program aimed at keeping vulnerable households warm? What if this action […]
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 […]
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 […]