Category Archives: Recent Research

Cultivating Hope: Community-Owned Regenerative Agriculture as a Way Forward

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Birdsfoot Farm remains a sturdy, if subdued, tribute to an alternative way of living and farming.

Next to the slightly peeling Obama 2008 bumper sticker sits one with a small white and blue quotation: “Despite all our accomplishments, we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains.” 

The quote dots the bumpers of the eight or so cars parked in front of the 150-year old barn of Birdsfoot Farm in Canton, NY. Founded in the 1970s as part of the Back to the Land movement, the farm now supports a small cohousing community, a K-12 school, and vegetable plot that supplies produce  to local families and businesses. They host Maypole Dances, an annual Garlic Festival, and weekly potlucks in the main kitchen. They live mostly self-sufficiently, with the occasional luxury bar of chocolate and movie night in town. It is, in many ways, an agrarian utopia. 

This image is not the reality for the vast majority of agriculture that occurs in the United States today. Instead, the food and agricultural landscape is dominated by farms that span millions acres, plant corporation-patented seed corn, and rely on massive center pivot irrigation systems.  Many pay starvation wages to largely undocumented migrant workers who lack the political power to advocate for better conditions. 

Additionally, the switch to industrial farming has dovetailed a shift to majority cash crops, animal feed, and ethanol production, leaving only 2% of American agriculture dedicated to fruits and vegetables, like Birdsfoot is. Of that 2%, the majority of it is in California, with produce then shipped to other states for distribution. 

Industrial agriculture, according to a 2022 special feature review article from the journal Sustainability Science, is a major contributor to “climate change, biodiversity loss, and severe impacts on soil and water quality”, all of which are increasing in intensity and human impact. Around 34% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, with the majority of that being from industrial agriculture. It also causes harmful algae blooms and ‘dead zones’, like the Gulf of Mexico dead zone which spans 6,705 miles. 

In addition, competition from imported fruits and vegetables is making farming financially unviable for many families. Dulli Tengeler, the primary farmer at Birdsfoot, is grappling with that reality. In 2019, her total income was $3,200, with two kids in college. “We had a great year working together in the gardens and I am happy, and the happy factor is not to be underestimated, but it is not sustainable.” 

Dulli (right) and Goldie (left), in a back field at Birdsfoot Farm.

 

The solution, according to the article’s authors, Cathy Day and Sarah Cramer, lies in what is called regenerative agriculture. 

Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving “the ecological conditions of a farm, while also producing food”, according to Day and Cramer. Regenerative agriculture is a departure from the massive industrial agriculture that has become the American standard of food, feed and ethanol production. Farms that practice regenerative agriculture use fewer external soil amendments, smaller fields, and more diverse crops and are more resilient in the face of climate change.

Regenerative farming is not a new concept.  Remember the six inches of topsoil and rain model of cultivation on those  bumper stickers? Farms like Birdsfoot demonstrate what a more regenerative  model of farming looked like.

The researchers  investigated how this model can be expanded upon and made more viable for struggling farms. Day and Cramer focus on unpacking regenerative agriculture policy, adoption and education. Given how powerful industrial agriculture is, policy that supports smaller farmers is a tough sell to many legislators.

Shifting laws, especially within the American Farm Bill, which outlines American agricultural policy, subsidizes industrial agriculture heavily, is key to making regenerative agriculture viable. Making no- or low-interest loans available to farmers who use regenerative practices or subsidizing labor costs are both policy changes that could have a real impact.

Outside of policy, modern approaches for community and support, like farm to table networks that help fund farmers making the switch and internet communities for sharing ideas. Encouraging farmers to explore new financial models and sharing approaches that work locally are also essential. 

At Birdsfoot farm, a CSA model has been the main reason they remain viable. Birdsfoot also hosts young farmers to come and learn regenerative agriculture techniques who will then continue to bring those principles and techniques to their own farms, highlighting the role of educational networks for farmers. 

While it is by no means a solution to all of our environmental problems, switching from an industrial agricultural model to a regenerative one would reduce the ways in which the current systems perpetuate harm and leave communities vulnerable to climate change and soil degradation. Still, Food produced organically and on a smaller scale through regenerative agriculture is often prohibitively expensive to consumers. The benefits of regenerative agriculture do not fundamentally address the problem of how to implement these changes in a way that doesn’t lead to the creation of food shortages or or more economic hardship, given that cost-saving is a real asset of industrial agriculture. 

So, what to do? Expanding welfare programs, like EBT benefits, to cover CSAs and other models of food distribution is key to reducing harm for those undergoing the shift from industrial to regenerative agriculture. Farmers themselves also play a role in accessibility, such as Birdsfoot’s “Buy a Share, Give a Share” program, that allows wealthier families to contribute to their community by sponsoring an anonymous CSA share. When moving forwards to regenerative agriculture, Birdsfoot Farm, and Dulli specifically, is an inspiration, modelling a path, rather than a destination.

 

How Social Attitudes Affect Cover Crop Implementation in the Midwest

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The Midwest is turning to dust. In the past 160 years, an estimated 57 billion metric tons of topsoil has been lost, totaling to 1 foot in depth. In most areas, the Midwest soil is disappearing 100 times faster than it can regenerate, leaving farmers racing to preserve what’s left. 

To reduce soil erosion, experts recommend cover crops. After the fall harvest, farmers plant cover crops, such as rye or red clover. These crops, which grow throughout the winter, protect the soil from erosion by putting down roots to hold loose soil in place. Additionally, cover crops introduce diverse nutrients to the soil. 

Despite the benefits of cover crops as a farming method, adoption is uneven.  Cover crops are planted on only 5% of midwestern farms.  The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has invested upwards of $44 million in 2023 into funding cover crops, but finding success with them takes experimentation. The lack of immediate benefits and spotty results deters farmers from trying out cover crops, as they feel the costs outweigh the benefits. 

A new study seeks to understand the social factors that impact the likelihood of a farmer to plant cover crops. By comparing neighboring counties with high adoptions and low adoptions of cover crops across the Midwest, the study examined factors that explain why farms in some  counties are  high adopters of cover crops. The research shows that a farmer’s likelihood of planting cover crops comes down to 3 factors: potential benefits, local support , and community attitudes. 

Favorable attitudes towards cover crops and collaborations–which occur between organizations and cover crop experts, advocates, and entrepreneurs– proved to be the most significant predictor. In almost every high adopter county, farmer’s held  positive attitudes of environmental stewardship, self-sufficiency, and entrepreneurship concerning cover crops. 

Surprisingly, agencies that focused entirely on the environmental benefits of cover crops in their promotional materials drew negative reactions from farmers. Respondents to the study asserted they cared deeply about their land and understood the potential conservation benefits of cover crops. Many who neglected to use cover crops did so because they believed that  cover crops wouldn’t work or were too expensive, and they were not provided adequate information about how to integrate cover crops into an effective farm management system. 

Therefore, the most important attitude that influenced farmers was the belief that cover crops yielded economic benefits. Environmental attitudes were not enough on their own-  each farmer also believed that cover crops were economically beneficial. Farmers would include cover crops as part of their farm management system to increase profits in the long term by improving soil quality and generating a source of free cattle feed. Positive attitudes are thus essential; while cover crops are economically beneficial they require time to yield benefits. 

Collaborations between local farmers and agencies play a key role in providing information on how to integrate cover crops into farm management systems. In counties where lines of open communication were fostered, agency staff and cover crop experts, advocates, and entrepreneurs could consult with one another and keep up to date on the newest strategies, providing the best local partnerships. By making themselves available and checking in with farmers on their progress, local agencies were able to give advice and troubleshoot issues early, before they discouraged farmers. If cover crops fail the first year, farmers are unlikely to continue the practice; with slim profit margins, farmers can’t afford to take chances.. Collaboration is key to the implementation of cover crops; through conversations between local growers, government agencies, and crop advisors, discussions are fostered and new farm management practices are spread throughout communities. 

Moving forward, cover crop promotional material must advocate for both the benefit to soil health and the economy. In Lawrence, Indiana, a high adopter county, agency personnel found early success with field days. At a local high school, the agency planted cover crops on a plot of land where students and farmers of the area were invited to view the plot and ask questions.  Afterwards, they could see  cover crops planted on a nearby farm. Additionally, a local contractor traveled from farm to farm promoting cover crop subsidy programs offered by the government. Farm Bill procedures are fairly complicated and time consuming. When local experts help farmers to apply for funding, cover crop implementation becomes feasible.

With roughly 356 million tons of topsoil disappearing in the Midwest every year, it’s crucial to find affordable and practical fixes to be incorporated into farm management strategies. Cover crops provide a sustainable strategy to revive soil. By understanding the social factors that affect farmers’ use of cover crops, more effective promotion techniques can be implemented.

Hotels Need to Do More to Address Food Waste

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Baskets of pastries, piles of fruit, coffee you don’t have to brew yourself, and eggs cooked at least two different ways—this is the spread at the quintessential hotel buffet. While buffets give the freedom of portioning, sometimes it is hard to resist. For diners, uneaten food are leftovers that are whisked out of sight. For the hotel, it’s another form of waste they have to deal with. The hardest part? Making it sustainable.

Image of a breakfast buffet with table seating. Opera Cadet from PARIS, FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sustainable food waste management poses a growing challenge for hotel groups. In 2022, food service and retail industries globally wasted the equivalent of 400 million meals every day. Hotels are taking action to counter this issue. A recent study has found those strategies are not enough. 

From a corporate perspective, food waste management is a means to meet sustainability goals and reporting requirements within the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. Even Hilton, one of many big hotel chains, uses this approach. Their “Travel With Purpose Report,” adopts the general ESG structure in their reporting. How are these goals put into action? Certification programs. These programs require companies to commit to sustainability standards through compliance methods, like audits. 

The problem: corporate goals are not translating into practice at individual hotels.

As an auditor from the study puts, “there is a huge discrepancy between the official policies and what is actually happening (around food waste).” Other certification professionals agreed, citing a lack of access to sufficient resources, like financial means. “[Individual hotels] don’t really have time to do things that aren’t going to have some kind of immediate payback for them.” Without the proper support, hotels are less likely to follow through with food waste alternatives. 

This can also be seen in how goals are set.

Benchmarks often focused on “what was easy and convenient to report,” ignoring “the local ecology and social context.” Certification programs also use more common definitions that are “incompatible” with different work methods and thought processes, such as those of indigenous communities. 

To bring big picture solutions to  the local level, the study suggests implementing regenerative practices. On a fundamental level, regeneration can be understood as something undergoing growth again. In tourism, it means taking the extra step to improve the local environment, culture and people (as opposed to only minimizing the impacts of tourism as practiced by sustainable tourism). 

A family-owned business in New Zealand is doing just that. At Kohutapu Lodge and Tribal Tours, guests help with preparing a traditional Māori Hangi feast with ingredients that vary depending on the season. They may even have the opportunity to take part in traditional eel trapping. These practices not only encourage better appreciation of the food and culture, but also ensure there is little to no excess food that could go to waste.

While Kohutapu Lodge may seem like an exceptional case, they show that regenerative practices are not impossible to implement. For hotels using certification programs, improvement can start from adopting a regenerative perspective. Regeneration is only possible when considering the individual local conditions. By having a more defined focus, individual hotels would have better incentive to consider the natural resources and local practices available to them. The perspective can also help foster a more proactive mindset where waste can be used to improve the local environment, rather than simply be reduced and ignored.

Currently, the likelihood of regenerative practices being implemented by major hotel chains is unlikely. More awareness will have to be brought to the concept before large changes can be made. However, it could be the solution that hotels need to improve food waste management.

Farmers Market and Foraging: Eating Local Could Reduce Metric Tons of Emissions

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The frozen shrimp prepared at the worst buffet in town have traveled more than most Americans. It’s a questionable food choice and questionable from an environmental perspective. When most groceries in the United States travel thousands of miles to get to consumers, emissions add up quickly. 

A recent study from Nature Food shared how transporting groceries creates upwards of three billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. This is 8% of all global emissions. The study tracked carbon emissions from all supply chains and every country. Their estimate is more than triple previous studies that lacked this level of complexity. 

Current supply chains span countries and continents. China and the United States are separated by the largest ocean on Earth, but trade between them is common. The US trades with Canada, Brazil, most of Europe, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and others. Year-round cravings for seasonal vegetables like zucchini and tomatoes and tropical fruit like dragon fruit, mangos, and lychee are indulged. Trucks, ships, vans, and planes all emit greenhouse gasses as they travel thousands of miles between countries to deliver these foods. As world trade increases, emissions are rising.

Take, for instance, frozen shrimp in Massachusetts. Shrimp raised in Ecuador is shipped to Shanghai (10,000 miles). The shrimp is packaged and sent to Los Angeles (6,400 miles). This is then taken by truck or train to Boston (2,900 miles). Altogether, that is over 19,000 miles for some frozen shrimp, 

These miles and emissions are mainly caused by the US and other high-income countries. High-income countries represent 12.5% of the global population, but 46% of international emissions from food transportation. Having a wealthy consumer population means foods are brought from around the world to satisfy cravings for tropical fruit and out-of-season food. While these global foods are undeniably delicious, they cause an inordinate amount of harm. It does not have to be this way. 

There is still a way to get healthy, diverse, and delicious food while reducing emissions. The researchers recommend eating locally. Consumers would still get a wide variety of fruits and vegetables year-round from the area, just not the ones with high emissions. Changing to a more local diet could curb excessive greenhouse gasses. Eating food made in state would carry a lower emissions tag than shipping food across the country. 

One way to supplement this diet is foraging. Collecting berries, mushrooms, nuts, roots, and leaves growing in parks, backyards, and mountains would reduce emissions further while bringing in more diverse offerings. Forageable plants can be found everywhere, including in cities. While wild plants are most abundant in the spring and summer, food can be foraged at any time of the year. They provide nutrition without the emissions of grocery stores. It’s also free and acts as an alternative to the highly consumerist and globalized food system currently in place. There is still a variety of new, healthy, exciting flavors to try, but it comes from where people already live. 

Reducing emissions needs to come from all over, and food consumption is a great place to start. As the researchers showed, eating local is one solution to a larger problem. Working to limit international transportation of food may be the thing the Earth needs to fight back against climate change. 

Is Savers the Savior of Fashion? The Impact of Thrifting on Fast Fashion

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No. No. Ugly. Frumpy. Too big. Too small… Perfect! 

 

Thrifting is an art. Trudging through aisles of clothing to find the one gem is a skill that one acquires over many trips to Goodwill. The ego boost I get when someone asks me “Where did you get that?” and I get to tell them about the amazing deal I got for a one of a kind item; the feeling just can’t be beat. My Coach designer bag worth approximately $200 — that I got for $20 — is my pride and joy.

 

For young consumers like me, it’s not just the sustainability aspect that draws us to the thrifting. It’s the price. Would I — a semi-broke college student — be able to afford a Coach bag regularly? Not at all. But through thrifting I can.

 

Price is one of the same reasons fast fashion is so popular. It’s trendy clothing for very cheap prices. Although it costs the consumer very little, the environmental costs are enormous. Not only are most fast fashion pieces not recyclable, adding to the ongoing issues of “eternal” plastic waste in our landfills, but the water waste and transportation pollution that comes from making the clothes also take a toll on our planet.

 

Thrifting might offer an alternative. Thrifting’s low price point often rivals that of fast fashion — with equally trendy items and with a lower environmental cost. One recent study asked that exact question, and whether environmental education on fast fashion and thrifting is the push people need to make the sustainable switch. 

 

While trying to find the answer, the researchers conducted a multiple-part study trying to find a link between sustainability, thrifting, and increased incentive to buy from second-hand options. The studies looked at how effective sustainability is as an incentive, and if there was a correlation between education and consumer habits.They found that Gen-Z and Millennials — a group that I myself am a part of — are more receptive to sustainability claims, but also more susceptible to greenwashing, meaning the false sustainability claims made by  fast fashion brands.

 

In response, the study suggested that educating people about greenwashing can change  consumer habits. When the young people they interviewed were told about the environmental costs of fast fashion and the benefits of thrifting, there was a small change in consumer behavior; although the link was overall very weak. 

 

While education may be part of the solution, researchers were worried about online sellers driving up the prices of second-hand clothing. With platforms such as Depop, Ebay, and Poshmark, they found that some people are able to capitalize on finding the thrift gems and reselling them at exorbitant prices. How is thrifting an alternative to fast fashion when it is becoming less affordable? 

 

For example, a shirt that probably cost them $2 at Savers, will be sold for $40 — even $100 — on Depop. Everyone has to make a living, but this is having a real impact on the thrift market and its affordability. To deter online sellers from buying clothes in bulk and reselling, some thrift stores have raised their prices, while others are limiting customers to only a few items. These changes could harm those who have no other choice but thrift stores to buy their clothes, and might make fast fashion more desirable. While the study only lists online sources as an issue, I’ve found that thrift collectives (real-life versions of Depop with individual sellers) also drive price gouging. 

 

Another problem surprisingly unmentioned in the study is drop shipping. That’s the practice of buying clothing from fast fashion companies and large wholesale manufacturers — such as Alibaba or AliExpress — and reselling it as your own product at very high prices. It’s usually very dishonest, because many sellers try to pass off the goods as handmade or thrifted. By purchasing wholesale from these companies and reselling it, these sellers are just adding to the problem of fast fashion and its environmental costs. Personally, I’ve been wary of buying from small artists/sellers just because of the fear of drop shipping. 

 

The study recommends a multifaceted approach to changing consumer behavior. They suggested that policymakers and the government should get involved. In another vein, they suggested that clothing retailers should allow for circular cycles within their brands. That means that they should encourage consumers to sell the clothes back to them. Sustainability brand Reformation claims it will become completely circular by 2030. And some big brands like Lululemon have also begun a circular reselling model, which allows consumers to snag trendy clothes at discounted prices.

 

This study highlights the potential for education to change what’s possible with second hand fashion market. It may already be happening. Between 2021 and 2023, the value of thrifting industry grew  from $138 to $211 billion. It has happened for me. I almost exclusively get my clothes from second hand sources, and many of my friends do the same. If anything, with more education and information about thrifting, a lot of young people could make the switch. Because it’s not only about being mindful about how much you buy, but where you buy. 

 

The New York City Climate Crisis: How Communities are Put at Risk

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New York City has a longstanding history of environmental racism that continues to be felt by many of its marginalized communities. The racialization of poverty, primarily through redlining, has been one of the most prominent ways in which BIPOC experience life in NYC. 

 Areas like the Bronx, Central Brooklyn, and Upper Manhattan have been the subject of many discriminatory housing policies. By being labeled “undesirable for investment” and ineligible for federally backed loans, these neighborhoods lost out on  better infrastructure, public spaces, and financial resources. Its inhabitants have been haunted by this label and face the effects of racism and classism in environmental changes. 

The report describes these communities as facing the most hardships with finding affordable transit in addition to overexposure of pollutants due to their proximity to highways, railroads, and waste routes. Access to resources to alleviate these issues, like expanding bike share programs and adding more bus stops, is also declining as these communities face worsening weather conditions. 

Figure 1: A map of Manhattan’s most vulnerable areas colored in red; these redlined areas are considered hazardous

In April of this year, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice released a report outlining the NYC Boroughs affected most by climate change. Not surprisingly, these designated “Environmental Justice” areas – EJ areas, for short– are home to minority communities which  have historically faced issues of disproportionate effects from climate change. The report states that about 67% of the total population– mostly Black and Latinx communities–living in redlined areas have been affected. 

It is reported that around 370 deaths annually result from hot weather, and Black communities have a mortality rate that is twice that of white communities. For many communities, a lack of access to home air conditioning plays a key role in contributing to a higher mortality rate. A 20% deficit in access to green spaces is also a major contributor to the disproportionate health effects in these communities, leading to higher temperatures in EJ areas. 

The historical redlining and mapping of these neighborhoods has also resulted in them being closer to polluted water as more and more factories were polluting these areas. This has made the water quality less safe than other parts of the City. Coastal surges and flooding are also impending issues as a rise in the occurrence of these events is expected in coming years. Hurricane-like rains are also expected to raise the potential for greater risks in these communities as limited aid will likely reflect environmental prejudices as redlining has. 

Figure 2: Image of expected flooded areas in the coming years as storm surges and weather conditions worsen in force and damage

These inequalities set EJ area communities up to be more vulnerable to climate change. The Office of Climate and Environmental Justice report outlines steps the City is taking to engage others in the initiative to help those residing in these areas address the injustice Black and Brown communities have faced. Incorporating assets they have been missing, like financial investments, proper planning, and new infrastructure, due to discrimination is another step towards resolving the effects of these pre-existing issues. 

Climate budgeting, the process of taking environmental changes into consideration when discussing in policies and budgets, is also projected to improve how the City determines the impact of long-term climate changes; it is expected to help identify gaps in communities across, not only EJ areas, but all of NYC while being more transparent about the use of the budget allotted to focusing on such issues. 

The report emphasizes the role the government has in bettering the future of NYC and its most vulnerable communities. It calls for transparency in decision-making as a way to build trust and a way to hold those in power accountable in regards to prioritizing those already suffering from environmental crises. It highlights the use of data tools as well for maintaining a level of accuracy as more and more reports come out and more disasters are faced. 

Commitment to working with marginalized communities and upgrading regulations in the industrial areas surrounding these neighborhoods is another way to help keep them safe from worsening health impacts. By uplifting the voices of those directly affected and underrepresented, a new future for environmental justice in general is bound to blossom. 

As we look more closely into some of the movements that ran and continue to run the call for environmental justice in NYC, let us remember how the history of discrimination has and continues to affect communities across all the boroughs. The Environmental Justice report released by the mayor reminds us of the growing need for change within urban legislation offices. How the City, the government, and its citizens approach aiding EJ areas and taking action will, ultimately, reveal the impacts people can have in changing policies, having proper investments, and having more consideration when discussing who climate change affects most.

Double-Edged Sword: Indigenous perspectives on tourism in Northwestern Himalayas, India

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Khan, A. M. (2022). Doodhpathri, Bras. Unsplash. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from https://unsplash.com/photos/a-river-running-through-a-forest-cyDwsEpSHBE.

It is said that when the Islamic saint, Kashmir Sheikh ul Aalam Sheikh Noor din Noorani was praying to the gods for water, he pricked the ground with a stick and milk came out. Instead it was a powerful white river  that flowed downstream from snow capped mountains, surrounded by vibrant deodar trees. This is Doodhpathri, or the Valley of Milk. A part of the Kashmari region, Doodhpathri gets its unique name from its milky white river rapids. The indigenous people of Doodhpathri (Gujars) reside in the Valley of Milk semiannually.  

Doodhpathri is a rising tourism destination, drawing tourists with natural attractions such as the Shaliganga river, northwestern Himalayan mountains, and the Palmaidan valley. Nargis Suraya, Chief Executive Officer of Doodhpathri Development Authority reported that 2.812 million tourists visited Doodhpathri in 2023, more than 3 times as many in 2022 (843,599). However, the boom of tourism has posed a new challenge: how is this rise in tourism in Doodhpathri impacting the Gujars and the environment?

For centuries the Gujars have lived in this region. The Gujars rely on the land to fuel their goats and sheeps they herd, as well as to participate in subsistence farming. Since their way of life is semi-nomadic, due to herding cattle, they rely on lush grazing fields throughout the year. Despite the risks of both the health of themselves and the environment such as water quality deterioration due to pollution and an influx of garbage creation, they support tourism. Researchers at the Department of Geography and Disaster Management, University of Kashmir decided to find out why.

Their study analyzed the Gujars’s attitudes and perceptions of tourism development. 344 Gujars of Doodhpathri were asked 19 questions  about their opinions of tourism in the Doodhpathri region. Questions included their opinions on tourism developments impact on their job opportunities, the culture, subsistence farming, and the environment. The results were categorized in five parts: socio-cultural, environmental, life quality effects, overcrowding impacts and economic impacts.

In Doodhpathri, 60% of Gujars engage in forms of subsistence practices, such as farming and raising livestock. Tourism accounts for almost 7% of the total GDP of both the Kashmir and Jammu Region (which includes Doodhpathri). The Gujars also overall have a positive sentiment on the economic impacts of tourism —  including to the demand for labor, the increase of job opportunities, and the increase in household income of the Gujars.

The Gujars do not believe tourism impacted the quiet life of their area. Instead, the survey reveals, the Gujars agreed that tourism improved the image of Doodhpathri, and generally see tourism as a helpful contribution to Doodhpathri. Similarly, Gujars positively perceived both life quality and overcrowding impact. This means the Gujars see more benefits to increasing visitors to the region as their own standard of living benefits, such as the construction of new facilities they can utilize.

The main issue the Kashmir region faces is that it is an ecologically fragile area. In 2024, Doodhpathri experienced a rise in tourism to the region, in which accommodations in Doodhpathri were packed with tourists. After the repeal of Article 370 in 2023, Doodhpathri’s environment has been plagued with unregulated tourism to the region. Unregulated leads to an increase in solid waste pollutants such as plastic and glass, sewage, deforestation due to commercial forestry, logging, unregulated infrastructure development, and loss of animal habitat.

Researchers warn that Doodhpathri unique mountain systems are “susceptible to climate change.” The research article further explains how the Himalaya’s glacier and mountain ecosystems can have cascading impacts on environments downstream. Environmental degradation in the Himalayas is directly linked with the rise of tourism, as development of tourism sectors and activities, and desire for economic prosperity in the region puts increased pressure on the population of Doodhpathri.  Specifically, according to researchers, In Kashmir the deterioration of water sources was primarily contributed by the unplanned tourism in the region (partially due to Article 370’s repeal). That milky river  transforms from pure unbridled nature to a tourist photo-op, where trash and pollutants are littered around it. Dal Lake, also suffers the same fate, which has been severely mismanaged and protected as tourism has not been regulated.

What did worry the Gujars was tourism’s impact on their environment they have relied on for centuries. Gujars had an overall negative perception of the environmental impacts of tourism on Doodhpathri. This includes the destruction of agricultural lands, water quality deterioration and waste (solid and liquid) generation. As tourism increases in the region, so does the need for infrastructure and facilities. Meaning commercial forestry and construction of facilities in Doodhpathri will increase, harming the grazing lands the Gujars rely on for their cattle.

Despite these concerns, the Gujars favor tourism development in Doodhpathri. The study revealed that “ most residents believed tourism should be actively developed and were in favor of additional tourism facilities so that more tourists would come to this destination.” The Gujars are acutely aware of their fragile ecosystem, tourism’s impact on the environment, their water quality, and the amount of waste that tourism produces.  The results also show that the Gujars agree that tourism is a significant benefit to the community, economically, doesn’t negatively affect their culture, life quality and does not create overcrowding issues. 

A double edged sword is evident in this case study, showing that while socio-cultural and economic impacts of tourism development are positive, it is evident that the environmental impacts negatively impact the indigenous populations. Researchers even discuss this complex relationship as the Gujars believe their quality of life would improve with the construction of recreational facilities, infrastructure, and public services, but place the Doodhpathri region on thin ice environmentally, as waste, forest reduction and water pollution may increase.

Overall the Gujars’s positive sentiment for tourism development despite the overall negative sentiment on environmental impacts illustrates why the researchers acknowledge the use of this study for environmental policy makers. With a sustainable development approach, Doodhpathri can create longevity both environmentally and in the tourism sector in the region. It is important to acknowledge sustainable development is likely to be more effective with Gujars involvement. With the implementation of waste management programs, resource conservation and environmental education, tourism to Doodhpahtri could both generate higher income and quality of life for Gujars and minimize the environmental degradation of the region.

Running Towards Greener Future: Climate Finance in Africa

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When people take aerial photographs of eastern Africa, they can see white windmills stretching for hundreds of kilometers like dragons. When the wind blows, the spinning windmills allow millions of families in Kenya to have enough power to light the house, watch TV, and enjoy a refreshing drink from the fridge on a hot summer day.

Those windmills belong to the Lake Turkana Wind Power Station, the single biggest operating wind farm in Africa with 365 turbines which can deliver an average of 1500 GWh energy every year. The station supplied 11% of the country’s electricity in 2023. The wind station has played a crucial role in providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy to Kenya’s national grid and further stimulated economic activity in the region by creating jobs, improving infrastructure, and funding community development initiatives.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest wind farm in Turkana, Kenya.

Lake Turkana Wind Power Station, Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest wind farm in Turkana, Kenya.

This case study, highlighted in a recent study, serves as an example of the benefits that effective climate finance can bring. The paper reviews the effectiveness of climate finance strategies for renewable energy projects in Africa.

Climate finance refers to “all financial flows addressing the causes and consequences of climate change,” according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Climate finance will play a pivotal role in African nations’ transition toward a sustainable future by providing the capital needed to overcome the high initial costs associated with renewable energy technologies and infrastructure.

Climate finance strategies such as grants, loans, and public-private partnerships have performed well  in supporting renewable energy projects. Notably, international financial mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) provide grants and low-cost loans for  large-scale investments. 

The Lake Turkana Wind Power Station is an example of another approach: a public-private partnership. This long-term contract between a private party and a government entity aims to provide a public asset or service. In this case, Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) has an agreement with the Government of Kenya to sell all of its power to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).

Renewable energy investments are urgently needed in Africa. Researchers highlight the reliance of inhabitants in Africa on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, driven by the limited access to electricity and essential infrastructure. Energy shortages result in social and economic challenges such as stunted economic development, restricted educational opportunities, and inefficient healthcare delivery.

Moreover, expanding renewable energy in Africa will help close the energy gap between African nations and the rest of the world, thereby contributing to international climate goals such as the 2°C target set by the Paris Agreement. For instance, the Lake Turkana Wind Power project avoids over 600,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually and millions of Euros in fuel imports.

Community involvement is also a crucial aspect of green investment in Africa. Engaging local communities in project development and decision-making not only ensures long-term project viability but also brings social economic benefits, making these projects both environmentally sustainable and beneficial for the people they serve. 

Reliable electricity access can significantly enhance living standards, from better healthcare to enhanced education opportunities. For instance, the Lake Turkana Wind Power Station is the largest private employer in Marsabit County. As of 2023, 307 people were employed at the facility, 98% of whom are local Kenyans. In addition to providing jobs, the company has funded various community programs, including emergency food relief, the construction of a maternity hospital, and new roads. Through community Open Days, facility operators engage directly with hundreds of local residents to raise awareness about their operations and foster stronger community relationships.

However, there are still challenges for implementing renewable energy projects in Africa. Common barriers include outdated regulations, weak institutions, and limited market access due to underdeveloped infrastructure and distribution networks. In many African countries, regulatory frameworks are old or unclear, which makes it hard for investors to navigate those complex procedures and policies. These obstacles discourage large-scale private investments, especially when there aren’t enough funding sources or financing options available. Additionally, weak institutions make it difficult to manage big renewable energy projects effectively. 

At the international level, the high cost of renewable energy components remains a significant burden, as many must be imported from developed countries with high production costs. Additionally, developing countries often face ‘unequal exchange,’ where they sell raw materials at low prices but must import expensive finished goods, including renewable energy equipment. This imbalance raises costs and limits purchasing power, making it harder for African nations to access affordable technology for renewable energy projects.

Africa holds immense potential to transition to a renewable and inclusive energy future aligned with international climate goals—if local communities, policymakers, and investors collaborate effectively. Researchers recommend that to ensure sustained advancement, policymakers should focus on optimizing regulatory structures and enhancing institutional capacity, such as simplifying licensing for renewable energy projects, while investors should explore hybrid financing methods that mitigate risks. Promoting local and regional cooperation will be key to the long-term success and sustainability of renewable energy projects in Africa.

Consider the Krill: deep diving into this underappreciated blue carbon sink.

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How can krill, bug-like creatures the size of a pinkie, save our planet? A new study analyzed how these small but mighty open ocean organisms can draw down carbon from the atmosphere and store it deep in the ocean. 

Climate change is looming over the future. Critical action has been taken to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas that humans create such as carbon dioxide and methane. However, there’s still a need to draw down the carbon that has already been created and released during industrialization.   

Going hand in hand with emission reduction is the process of offsetting. This involves growing plants and restoring ecosystems that suck carbon from the atmosphere and store it in a way that keeps it from returning to the atmosphere for a long time. However, land is scarce. People need places to live and crop land to grow food, soaking up carbon from the atmosphere often isn’t a priority compared to other essential land uses. This is a massive problem. But research has shown that the ocean, and the tiny krill living there can help! 

Blue carbon refers to carbon storage in the ocean. Most blue carbon related projects focus on accessible coastal ecosystems like seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and algae. But there are carbon sinks with more potential much further from our coastal waters.

Off shore, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is grabbed by phytoplankton.  These almost microscopic single cell algae live in the open ocean, where they perform  photosynthesis and make the carbon usable for many organisms. Krill, then eat the phytoplankton, fueling their bodies, and then produce waste that falls to the ocean floor where it can stay for hundreds of years.

Taking a deep dive into this recent study published in Nature shows how those tiny pinkie-size krill can help tackle global climate change. Researchers from the United Kingdom and Denmark worked together to, well, estimate the amount of krill poo, otherwise known as “fecal pellets”. While there are other ways that these krill can move carbon to the depths of the Southern Ocean, such as molting (shedding their “skin” like a lizard) and dying, the researchers chose to focus on fecal pellets and use a database that includes 90 years of density data on Antarctic krill. This data was then used to determine calculations such as the depth of the Southern ocean, the amount of krill at different times of year, how many krill fecal pellets (and therefore carbon) actually becomes sequestered, and how much total carbon was sequestered by the krill in a given year. These questions and calculations elevate the importance of the humble krill.

What they learned is that krill poo really adds up. Atlantic krill sequester 20 million metric tons of carbon per year. This is approximately the same amount of carbon that 4 million cars produce in a year. And this estimate is conservative. Factoring in molting and migrations triples the calculated carbon sequestration abilities of the Atlantic krill (66 million metric tons of carbon). This more encompassing calculation shows that the krill beat out other  forms of blue carbon like seagrasses and mangroves. Krill then, are small but a mighty force to be considered in the fight against climate change and offsetting carbon emissions. 

This study makes several recommendations. Krill populations must be conserved, particularly in the face of overfishing. Since most krill aren’t caught for human consumption and instead are used in oils, health supplements, and farmed fish food, the fishery isn’t the doesn’t receive much thought or scrutiny. Researchers claim the fishery is unsustainably managed since it doesn’t take into account how krill drift around at sea and can move into unprotected waters easily. Sea ice melt and shifting ocean ecosystems; both of which are caused by climate change and human activities, are also threatening krill and their habitat. 

Despite the grim picture painted above, there are solutions to the conservation problem. Supporting krill populations could be considered for carbon credits (the system that large companies must use to be allowed to emit carbon). Projects that create protected zones for krill or provide incentives to krill fishers to reduce harvests could be used to generate carbon credits in the same way that planting mangroves or restoring seagrass can. Additionally, more attention should be brought to these open ocean ecosystems as an indispensable part of carbon sequestration. If something as small as krill can have such a large impact then other parts of the tangled web of nutrients that swirl in our oceans are worth a gander. Fighting climate change needs a fresh set of ideas and innovation. Perhaps when thinking of blue carbon… consider the krill.

It’s in Their Bones: Salmon Remains Paint a Picture of Sustainable Fisheries Pre-Colonization

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Rivers and estuaries snake between green mountains speckled with trees, leading out to the ocean inlet around North Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Salmon fight to swim upstream in freshwater. Once they ran in great abundance. Fish still jump and gleam in these rivers, but chum salmon in British Columbia have been facing major population declines. Their numbers have decreased as much as ∼90% since 1960 along the central coast.

Many Central Coast First Nations have been raising the alarm about the vulnerability and declining status of chum salmon populations for years. Despite being a key species for the ecosystem and economy of British Columbia, the collapse of chum salmon populations could be linked to mismanagement by the government organization in charge of fisheries management, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

Further south along the coast, researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation have confirmed that the Tsleil-Waututh people had maintained the stewardship of a sustainable chum salmon fishery for thousands of years before colonization. In a new study, archaeological analysis of salmon bones in collaboration with the scientists and members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation has resulted in a new hope for the management of chum salmon in British Columbia.

Jug Island Beach, located in Belcarra Regional Park along the most northern tip of the park. // Credit: Jerry Meaden, Flickr

This study focuses on the remains of salmon found at təmtəmíxʷtən (Tum-tumay-whueton), a large and culturally important site for Coastal Salish communities, where researchers over many years have pieced together an archaeological record of activity and stewardship by the Tsleil-Waututh people. Unearthing over 200 salmon vertebrae gave researchers the ability to look into the past using DNA testing and identify the species and sex of salmon the Tsleil-Waututh people preferentially fished for. The archaeological record goes back around 3000 years, establishing a long-lived and plentiful fishery. Within these bones, researchers were able to create a profile for a strong relationship between the people whose traditional, ancestral, and contemporary unceded territory is known presently as Belcarra Regional Park.

With European contact in 1792, colonists began to focus on the rapid extraction of resources and quickly developed the region’s resources, stripping ecosystems for power and financial gain. European settlements in the studied area grew into what is now known as Vancouver, the largest and most productive port in Canada. Development drastically changed the coastal region, decreasing the abundance of wildlife and greatly hindering the Coastal Salish communities’ way of life.

Previous narratives around Indigenous and Coastal Salish nations were centered around the idea that these communities did not manage or cultivate the environment around them, characterizing communities as complex hunter-gatherers. This played into the falsehood that the land and waters of the inlet ecosystem, now known as Burrard Inlet, were “untouched” and open to being colonized by European settlers. Combined with oral histories and traditional knowledge of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, archaeologists now can reaffirm the importance of salmon to indigenous peoples and in turn reaffirm the importance of their stewardship that sustained salmon fisheries for millenia.

Chum salmon in spawning colors. // Credit: David Csepp, NMFS/AKFSC/ABL. NOAA Photo Library.

Over the course of around 3,000 years, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s fishery was stable and sustainable. Where other populations would have shown a drop in salmon abundance with shifts of human population or continued overfishing, the consistent abundance of chum salmon remains found at təmtəmíxʷtən over the period investigated reflected a stable fishery. The Tsleil-Waututh people selectively fished male chum salmon during spawning months, which are easily recognizable by their drastic change in color when sexually mature. Males change from a silvery color to dark green, striped with reddish purple waves. This sex-specific harvest pattern contributed to the resilience and abundance of chum salmon populations.

By primarily fishing for salmon during spawning season, the Tsleil-Waututh people could easily select male salmon. This practice was beneficial to the overall salmon population for thousands of years. In modern fisheries management, sex-selective harvest can allow for females of the species to remain in larger population numbers and reproduce while still allowing fishing of a species. Current practices of commercial and recreational fishing focusing solely on catch limits have been devastating to the salmon population in the Burrard Inlet; sex-selective fishing practices could revitalize the chum salmon fishery in these waters.

Salmon on the Pacific Northwest Coast face many problems, from climate change to development and over fishing. As shown in this study, the Tsleil-Waututh people sustainably managed the chum salmon fishery for thousands of years. The sustainability of fisheries should not be managed by the colonial practices of over-consumption that continue to weaken them; adherence to the practices of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, their ancestors, and other First Nations is the first step to reduce population decline of chum salmon and return a vital food source back to its former glory.