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Hand putting nitrogen pellets on small plants

Using the power of collaboration to tackle the global nitrogen challenge

My great-great grandfather was an innovative farmer. Working the sandy soils of North West Denmark, he was still able to produce a plentiful harvest of wheat and vegetables. The secret behind his success laid in the farming practices he used on his land. Instead of animal manure or crop rotation…
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Vaquita half above water

Three ways to include biodiversity protection in your life, besides cutting back on totoaba bladders

The theme of this year’s International Day of Biodiversity is “Mainstreaming biodiversity; Sustaining people and their livelihoods” and if you’re like 99% of people you will then ask – what is mainstreaming biodiversity? Mainstreaming biodiversity is a broad term we use to describe a…
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Protesters with signs urging to save the planet with climate control. July, 2015, Toronto, Canada.

When it comes to fighting climate change, citizen action matters

On April 19-22, world leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters to sign the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Ahead of the high-level summit, UN agencies and partners responsible for the climate change agenda were producing press releases, media advisories, and running social media…
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Logo for Paris Climate Agreement signing ceremony

Safeguarding the global commons is the wisest investment we can make

Scientists tell us that the biophysical processes that determine the stability and resilience of Earth, our “planetary boundaries” that allowed our societies to thrive during the past 10,000 years, are being pushed to their limit. Evidence is mounting that the miraculously, favorable Earth…
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Elephant walking with mountain in background

A must-read list to get you ready for #WorldWildlifeDay 2016

On March 3rd, there are so many ways to celebrate World Wildlife Day 2016. One can go to the zoo and take pictures with elephants, organize a wildlife photo exhibition, participate in a street parade, host an art contest, organize a panel discussion or a film screening, and maybe even…
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Women using a water pump in an arid landscape

Climate change and women: impacts compounded by gender inequality

It is critical to recognize that all too often women experience the impacts of climate change differently than men. Women are often affected disproportionately due to gender inequalities. They also constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent for their livelihood on natural…
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The future of all life on Earth depends on how we manage the interdependencies between environment and development. Photo: Olga Kashubin/Shutterstock.

Environmental challenges need integrated solutions

At last month’s landmark Paris Conference, world leaders committed to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change. The historic agreement is a major boost for efforts to spur investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future.  But, delivering on the promise…
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Young girl carrying brother on her back

Improving aid effectiveness and implementing GEF-5 reforms

Below I am attaching an abridged version of President Obama’s speech at the United Nations yesterday, during the occasion of the MDGs Summit. I also append a couple of paragraphs from a World Bank blog posting submitted by Axel van Trotsenburg (Vice President for Concessional Finance and Global…

Can conservation cut poverty?

A commentary in Nature last week redirects the spotlight to a central question for the environment and development agendas: can efforts to conserve biodiversity also benefit the poor? There is growing social and ecological evidence suggesting that a large number of opportunities exist globally for…

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