In the very short time between now and 2030, emerging technologies will change our lives dramatically. It’s up to us, now, whether it’s for better or for worse. — By Felix Dodds, Caroline Duque Chopitea and Ranger Ruffins for Ensia | @ensiamedia | @felixdodds “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” –Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963 If New Years’ resolutions bring hope and challenge, new decade resolutions do even more so. And perhaps…

By Mary Hoff for Ensia | @ensiamedia | When it comes to advancing sustainable agriculture, customized, in-person guidance makes a difference. That’s the conclusion of a study on improving Brazilian cattle ranching published earlier this month in the scientific journal PNAS. Researchers from the U.S. and Brazil led by Arthur…

“Nature-Based Solutions” and “Natural Climate Solutions” leave too much room for greenwashing — By Daniel Zarin for Ensia | @ensiamedia | @theWCS Decades ago, the Welsh academic Raymond Williams wrote, “Nature is perhaps the most complex word in the language.” So perhaps it’s not surprising that organizations and individuals working at the interface of climate change and biodiversity conservation have wildly different opinions…

Warming temperatures, stronger storms and rising seas present a cascade of challenges that researchers are racing to understand. — By Tara Lohan for Ensia | @ensiamedia | @TaraLohan This story was originally published by The Revelator. Scientists have provided another reminder that, when it comes to climate change, we’re all in this together. A study published last October in Nature Climate Change concluded that at least 85% of the…

Important ways we can help minimize the risk of future disease by rethinking how we farm, eat, trade and interact with other species — By John Vidal for Ensia | @ensiamedia | @john_vidal Deadly human, plant and animal diseases have been sweeping the world, emerging and spreading faster than ever as we pollute, cut down forests and come into closer contact with animal pathogens. With Covid-19 having infected over 400 million people, killed 6…

A lack of diversity and inclusion are hobbling environmental researchers’ ability to solve societal ills. — By Gabby Ahmadia for Ensia | @ensiamedia | @GAhmadia Another International Women’s Month has come and gone, marked by celebrations of women’s contributions and evidence of progress toward gender equality. And yet true diversity, equity and inclusion — be it for women, people of color or other historically marginalized groups…

Evaluating radical new solutions based on whether they scale can be directly at odds with the very nature of these solutions. — By Philip Loring for Ensia | @ensiamedia | @ConserveChange Radically reimagining our food systems is a task that is critical to solving the world’s biggest social and ecological problems. It’s also one that garners substantial and often heated debate. But are we asking the right questions when it comes to…

By Mary Hoff for Ensia | @ensiamedia | Lobster claws and insect exoskeletons may seem like unlikely candidates for sustainable packaging feedstock. But researchers are hot on the trail of turning a molecule these structures contain into the basis of packaging for food and other products that’s not only made…

By Mary Hoff for Ensia | @ensiamedia | Would you alter the way you do things to help reduce the severity of climate change? If so, you’re not alone. A recent survey of individuals in 17 “advanced economies” found that 80% of respondents were willing to modify some aspects of…