24 Green Projects to Tackle Now

Commune with nature, get productive in the kitchen, occupy cooped-up kids, or connect with other environmentalists—all while staying home.

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Inspirational messages scattered in a sidewalk garden in Glen Ridge, New Jersey

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If you’re one of those people cooped up safely at home, with creative energy and free time to spare—count yourself lucky. Here, we’ve rounded up a list of two dozen environmental projects that can make your time indoors, or right outside, a little brighter. Whether you’re ready to start rescuing more of your kitchen scraps, sewing your own cloth napkins, or documenting those backyard butterflies, we hope these simple green ideas will provide a calming means of coping during these unprecedented times. Have fun and stay safe.

Experiment in the Kitchen

Spice up mealtime with recipes from Save the Food that will also help prevent your food from going to waste. Make a fromage fort to spread on your crackers, or “scraps falafel” to use up wrinkly onions and wilted herbs. And for dessert, how about some leftover mashed potato apple cider donuts ?

Rescue wilting herbs. Make herb oil ice cubes by packing diced herbs into an ice cube tray, covering with olive oil, and freezing. Thaw for ready-made flavor in your next dish. You can also transform less-than-fresh herbs into sauces, like chimichurri or pesto, or roast them and mix with salt to create longer-lasting seasonings.

Start a windowsill herb garden. You’ll need some seeds or a small plant, an upcycled container like a coffee canister that leaves room for growth and drainage, and a sunny ledge. (The Herb Society of America can help you determine the right dose of light and water for each species .) In a few weeks’ time, you’ll be ready to add a sprig of fresh basil to your bowl of pasta or diced cilantro to your batch of guac.

Arrange a plant-based recipe swap with friends and family, which will reduce your diet’s climate impacts while creating some virtual community. (Remember: If every American cut just one hamburger or about a quarter pound of beef out of their diet each week, we could reduce emissions by as much as taking about 10 million cars off the road each year.)

Simmer your veggie scraps into a flavorful stock , the foundation of your next meal. To get started, keep a clean, half-gallon carton in the freezer, and add trimmings as you prep meals. When you have enough, put the veggies in a pot, cover with water, and crank up the heat.

Plan a dough swap by freezing half of the dough from your latest baked good and suggesting friends, family, and coworkers do the same. When you’re reunited, you can organize a trade and enjoy someone else’s baking for a change.

Start an indoor compost bin. It shouldn’t smell when you follow this list of what is and isn’t compost-friendly . To build your worm bin, find two plastic tubs and drill holes in one of them to provide proper aeration. Layer in moist bedding—made of things like shredded newspaper, leaves, or coconut husk—and then add some red wigglers, which you can order online. Kept well fed with scraps, your worms will soon be producing “black gold” compost to use in your garden and helping you curb greenhouse gases.

Enjoy a Dose of Nature

Make your own basic bird feeder using pine cones, twine, nut butter, and birdseed. This video from the Feminist Bird Club shows you one way to do it. Hang it on a nearby tree you can spot through your window, then grab a pair of binoculars and do some armchair birding!

Create an herbarium —a scrapbook of pressed, dried flowers or other plants. To prepare your samples, press the plant matter in a large book or between sheets of newspaper and place a weight on top. When the leaves are dry, mount them on acid-free paper to preserve them, and label each specimen on the page. You can also include illustrations, photographs, seed packets, and notes.

Sharpen your naturalist ID skills . Try to identify every species of plant in your backyard or on a neighborhood walk. You can do the same for wildlife—and share your findings through Project Noah , a citizen science platform to discover, share, and identify wildlife.

Grow new indoor plants with the use of stems and leaves, rather than seeds. Though it depends on your individual plant species, propagating houseplants is often as easy as cutting off a stem or leaf from an existing plant and sticking it in soil or fresh water. If it takes, a new root system should form within a few weeks—leaving you with a hearty second plant within a few more months. (Pro tip: This works for green onions too! Nearly submerge their sliced-off roots, end down, into a glass of water that you change every few days. Voilà: a nearly endless supply of scallions.)

Observe monarch butterflies in your backyard and share your findings with Monarch Watch, an organization devoted to their conservation . Each year, monarchs make a remarkable 3,000-mile trek from as far north as the southern parts of Canada to the mountains of Mexico and back—but these pollinators are in danger . Register as one of Monarch Watch’s citizen scientists to help track the population’s health .

Boost your backyard biodiversity . Plant some milkweed—the main food source for monarch caterpillars and egg-laying habitat for the butterflies. Hang a bee nesting box somewhere it can get sunlight and warmth. Add a barn owl box or attach a simple roosting perch to a pole. For reptile enthusiasts, set up a small wood pile, using brush or old logs as shelter for lizards and snakes (plus fungi).

Do Some Handiwork and Art Projects

Make face masks for your friends, family, and workers on the frontlines. This Center for Disease Control guide breaks down different techniques. If you’re comfortable sewing, you’ll just need two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of fabric, two pieces of elastic, and a needle and thread for each mask. The no-sew option only requires a T-shirt and scissors. Remember: Cloth masks should be cleaned regularly (the CDC says a washing machine is sufficient) in order to remain effective.

Get your crayons out and do some therapeutic coloring. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and as part of a collaboration with NRDC, Studio Number One and its creative director, artist Shepard Fairey, have converted some of its archival activist artwork into black-and-white printouts for at-home coloring.

Tackle your plastic bag stash , especially if your city or town is among those that recently banned the bag. Since current conditions may eliminate collection and recycling programs for plastic bags in your area, consider upcycling them instead. There are plenty of online tutorials for how to make outdoor pillow cushions stuffed with plastic bags, weave bags into sturdy baskets , or wind them into jump ropes.

Cut down on textile waste , which exacts a heavy toll on the environment and public health , by giving old clothes a second life. Alter out-of-style garments by embroidering, reshaping, or using nontoxic dye to give them a new look. Take inspiration from fashion designers like Daniel Silverstein , who makes colorful, collaged clothing out of fabric scraps, or turn old fabric into a work of art, like weaver Consuelo Jimenez Underwoo d.

Turn old beach towels or T-shirts into a set of cloth napkins , a perfect beginner-level sewing project. By ditching single-use paper towels and napkins, you’ll be helping to protect our forests, like the boreal of Canada that is the source of the virgin wood pulp used for much of the tissue paper products sold in the United States. Instead, switch to more sustainable, washable rags or cloths for cleaning up around the house and at the dining table.

Get crafty with your recycling efforts to encourage kids to be more aware of our disposable culture . For example, you could transform empty jars into vases, penholders, and votive candle holders. Or make a fresh notebook from scrap paper with the help of a hole punch and scissors, some ribbon, and an old cereal box (for making sturdy covers).

Build Your Community

Start an environmental movie club. Various apps let you host movie nights with friends online, so you can chat while you watch. You can find our recs for standout environmental films on Instagram —including Poisoning Paradise , Virunga , and The Biggest Little Farm —with short summaries and tips on where you can find them online.

Document the environmental changes in your community , as they relate to climate change, through the Earth Challenge 2020’s online portal . The project will collect billions of observations in air quality, plastic pollution, and insect populations, and your insights will help promote policy change to address our warming world.

Tune in to a new podcast. We recommend Hot Take , featuring NRDC’s own Mary Heglar and her cohost Amy Westervelt, which takes a critical but constructive, intersectional look at how climates issues are being covered in the media. And despite the weighty content of the podcast, laughter is one of its defining sounds.

Connect with climate justice activists by following along with Zero Hour’s Getting to the Roots digital series . ⁣Each week, it focuses on a different theme that is a root cause of the climate crisis as well as ways to solve it—through digital leadership training, webinars, virtual open mics on Instagram and Twitter, art competitions, and podcast releases.⁣

Write a letter to the editor that tackles one of the environmental issues facing your community that’s close to your heart. The letter can be written in response to a piece that’s already been published by a given media outlet, or it can be a proactive statement of support for or opposition against a particular issue that affects fellow readers. It’s the perfect way to reach thousands of individuals and still remain publicly engaged without having to leave the comfort of your home.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.

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About 1 million animal and plant species worldwide are at risk of extinction, many within the next few decades, according to a report the UN released last May . Around three-quarters of land-based environments and two-thirds of marine environments have been "significantly altered" and degraded by human activity, the report found. To make matters worse, the world consumes more than 100 billion metric tons of materials through resource extraction every year, a rate that vastly exceeds the planet’s ability to regenerate.

Some organizations have stepped up to address this destruction and reverse the loss of natural habitats. The Bonn Challenge has called on countries throughout the world to restore 350 million hectares of forests by 2030, and environmental groups — including the World Resources Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Fund, and 350.org — are calling on countries to change their approaches to the environment, prioritizing the sustainable management of ecosystems.

But a recovered ecosystem is not guaranteed to stay that way. Half the forests that have regrown in Costa Rica have vanished within two decades , and in Brazil and Peru, regenerated forests are often re-cleared after just a few years, according to the Conversation .

Ultimately, facilitating the recovery of a natural ecosystem is just one step in an ongoing process. Recovered and intact ecosystems alike must also be conserved and managed properly for the planet’s biodiversity to recover.

Here are eight examples of ecological projects that are beginning to heal the planet.

1. The Great Green Wall

The Great Green Wall is an African-led project that aims to create the largest living structure on the planet, a new natural wonder that will span the width of the Sahel region, which has become increasingly dry and barren . The initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification . It will, in turn, provide fertile land, food security, and strengthen the region’s resilience to climate change.

Since the initiative launched in 2007, Ethiopia and Nigeria have each restored millions of hectares of land, and Senegal has planted more than 10 million trees.

2. Pakistan’s Tree Tsunami

Launched in 2014, Pakistan’s “Billion Tree Tsunami” saw the government of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa successfully plant a billion trees by 2017, months ahead of schedule, according to the World Economic Forum . The project added 350,000 hectares of trees through planting and natural regeneration, and was so successful that in 2018, the federal government launched a plan to plant 10 billion trees over five years . 

Forest restoration projects like this can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere  and provide jobs and drinking water for nearby communities .

3. Peruvian Amazon

The Peruvian Amazon has been devastated by land degradation and deforestation over the past century. Land in the Ucayali region of Peru had been largely abandoned in the 1990s, according to  Initiative 20x20 , until 2008, when the Peruvian company Bosques Amazonicos SAC began training farmers in the area on how to sustainably grow food. In the process, it created a model for sustainable restoration that led to hundreds of new jobs and hundreds of hectares of regenerated forest.

In the region of Madre de Dios, near the Tambopata National Reserve, the local non-governmental organization AIDER has worked with farmers to get rid of industrial papaya plantations and cultivate a variety of crops such as cacao or bananas that are better for the soil, a process that falls under the umbrella of agroforestry, according to the World Resources Institute.

4. Belize Barrier Reef System

Consisting of seven marine protected areas, the Belize Barrier Reef System was once described by Charles Darwin as “the most remarkable reef in the West Indies,” according to UNESCO , and it “is unique in the world for its array of reef types contained in a relatively small area.”

In 2009 it was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, but has since been removed, according to National Geographic . Its recovery is due in large part to the actions of the Belize government, which has instituted a moratorium on offshore oil drilling and exploration, banned single-use plastic and styrofoam products, and established “no-take” fishing zones, according to National Geographic.

5. Maiden Island Reef

The reefs around Maiden Island in the Caribbean were the subject of what the Society for Ecological Restoration refers to as the “the world’s largest total marine ecosystem restoration, which included both coral reef and mangrove habitats.” Part of the reef had been destroyed by Hurricane Luis in 1995, and the reef had also been degraded by urbanization and industrialization. The restoration used thousands of Reef Balls , an “artificial reef module which mimics the structure and function of a natural reef.” Corals were attached to the reef balls, ultimately resulting in 5,000 new coral colonies consisting of more than 30 species.

6. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

This wetlands restoration project in Delaware aims to restore 4,000 acres, in what YaleEnvironment360 calls “one of the largest and most complex wetlands restoration projects ever mounted.” Coastal wetlands are valuable because they sequester carbon, and, according to YaleEnvironment360 , “[they] reduce flooding and erosion better than hard infrastructure like seawalls and levees.” Workers have built new dunes that now stand nearly 10 feet high, and planted new grasses that are now thriving. Bird and sea life such as bass, flounder, and other fish have reportedly started to return to the area.

7. Mexico’s National Forestry Commission

Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) successfully restored 1 million hectares of forest land throughout the country, between 2014 and 2018, according to Initiative20x20 . CONAFOR worked with local landowners and communities to help them implement restoration projects, and the plant survival rate in the region has nearly doubled. The World Resources Institute has praised CONAFOR’s work, calling it “exactly the right way to show leadership on restoration in Latin America.” The program remains active, and is continuing to work with residents on planting trees that will provide economic benefits as well as improving the country’s resilience to climate change.

8. Aberdares Rehabilitation Project

The Aberdares National Park holds one of Kenya’s last remaining primary forests, and is a crucial source of water for Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city,  according to the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). But over the years it has been degraded by human activity such as logging, charcoal production, and housing construction.

In 2006, the Green Belt Movement , a Kenya-based nonprofit that plants trees to restore watersheds and empower local communities, with support from the AFD, started the Aberdares Rehabilitation Project. The project has worked “to restore the degraded areas of the Aberdares forest ecosystem that provides essential services like water, rainfall, and biodiversity,” the Green Belt Movement said . “This would in turn improve the livelihoods of communities adjacent to the area.” Thanks to the project, 4.1 million trees have been planted on 2,000 hectares of forest and 1,900 hectares of public sites or community areas, according to the AFD.

Defend the Planet

These 8 Ambitious Ecological Projects Are Helping to Heal the World

April 30, 2020

Scarlett ibis at Caroni Swamp, Trinidad and Tobago.

Small solutions, big impacts: 5 community-based projects tackling climate change

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There are thousands of small-scale, community driven initiatives making a huge difference in people’s lives and contributing to efforts to curb global warming.

In early April, 29 countries pledged more than $5 billion to the UN-backed Global Environment Facility ( GEF ). The Fund said this was “record support, providing a major boost to international efforts to protect biodiversity and curb threats to climate change, plastics and toxic chemicals ”.

But why such a major boost? Well, the GEF is a multilateral fund that serves as a financial mechanism for several environmental conventions including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

It has its own Small Grants Program (SGP) which grants of up to $50,000 directly to local communities including indigenous peoples, community-based organizations and other non-governmental groups investing in projects related to healing our planet.

The initiative is implemented in 127 countries by the UN Development Program ( UNDP ) which provides technical support to these selected local projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people’s wellbeing and livelihoods.

Here at UN News, we want to highlight just five of the over 25,000 projects implemented since 1992, the year the GEF started working. Though the Fund’s projects span the globe, this list features a few initiatives currently improving the future of humankind and wildlife in Latin-America and the Caribbean.

 1. Indigenous women solar engineers bringing light to rural Belize

The three Mayan solar engineers who are bringing electricity to rural villages in Belize.

For people living in cities is sometimes hard to believe that in 2022 there are still communities that don’t have electricity, but more than 500 million people worldwide don’t have access to this kind of service that many consider ‘basic’.

This is the reality for people in the District of Toledo, in Belize, where several rural villages lie far away from the national electricity grid making it hard – and costly – to electrify their communities.

However, thanks to a partnership funded by the GEF’s Small Grants Program (SGP), three Mayan women solar engineers are installing solar energy systems and contributing to sustainable development in small indigenous communities in Southern Belize.

Florentina Choco, Miriam Choc and Cristina Choc, were trained by the Barefoot College in India to build and repair small household solar systems as part of a South-South cooperation exchange (Countries from the Global South sharing technical knowledge with their counterparts, without a developed country involved).

“ These women are shattering the glass ceiling! They have installed solar systems to four indigenous communities impacting over 1000 residents,” says Leonel Requena, SGP Belize National Coordinator.

In 2021, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these solar engineers, along with national authorities and partners installed these solar energy systems to two of Belize’s most remote communities.

With the work in just one of these villages, Graham Creek , they powered 25 homes benefiting over 150 residents, as well as a primary school with 30 children.

The best of all, UNDP estimates they have helped avoid 6.5 tonnes of carbon emissions.

“Women are outstanding leaders in Belize driving the sustainable development agenda fostering harmony between nature and people for the benefit of both,” adds Mr. Requena.

2. Turning Barbados into a champion of Hawksbill turtles’ conservation

Sea turtle slowly swiming in blue water through sunlight.

Did you know that extreme temperatures during heatwaves fuelled by climate change are literally cooking baby turtles in their nest ?

Hawksbill sea turtles are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered as their population is decreasing around the world.

For ages, they have been hunted for their eggs and meat and now they are also at risk from coastal development and our changing climate, among other threats.

But a small grant 20 years ago turned into a big opportunity for this species to thrive in the Caribbean Island of Barbados.

The Barbados Sea Turtle Project , based at the University of the West Indies’ Campus, is the home of the regional Marine Turtle Tagging Centre and the wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network.

Tagging turtles helps scientists and conservationists to track their movements, calculate their growth rates, survival and reproductive output.

Barbados is currently home to the second-largest Hawksbill turtle nesting population in the wider Caribbean, with up to 500 females nesting per year. Turtle nesting occurs on most of the beaches around the island, which, like many in the region, is heavily developed with tourism infrastructure.

The Barbados Sea Turtle Project tags these creatures, measures them and archives and analyses the data for over 30 coordinated projects in the region. These research projects inform their conservation activities.

Each August when the baby turtles hatch, the project runners are on call seven days a week to respond to emergencies that might include hatchlings wandering off in the wrong direction or preparing for swells that can wash away nests during hurricane season.

The project runners also help communities promote ecotourism based on best practices, which provides a source of income for local communities.

Barbados is now well known for the success of its sea turtle conservation activities. The degree to which the Hawksbill population has recovered thus far allows trainees to work with large numbers of turtles and experience the challenges posed by extensive coastal development.

The widely renowned project recently received a new small grant from the GEF of $46,310.

“Thanks to this grant [this project has] been able to offer persons from other sea turtle projects in the region the opportunity to be trained alongside BSTP volunteers in a South-to-South Exchange… The ongoing work of the Project is integral to the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered sea turtles, their terrestrial and marine habitats,” said Karen Harper, Programme Assistant of SGP in Barbados.

3. Helping Venezuelan indigenous families mitigate the degradation of the Amazon Forest

Indigenous displaced families in Venezuela are learning to restore native forests while using their products to improve their livelihoods.

Puerto Ayacucho is the capital and largest city of the State of Amazonas in the south of Venezuela, its inhabitants include a number of local indigenous tribes, including the Yanomami, the Panare, the Bari, Piaroa and Guajibo (also known as Jibis).

Many of these populations have been displaced from their lands due to the socioeconomic crisis in the country, as well as the presence of armed groups and illegal mining activities.

The project Amazonas Originaria is currently training a group of indigenous displaced families to sustainably use and care for the tropical forests in the vicinity of Puerto Ayacucho. They are learning how to manage crops of cocoa, cupuaçu, manaca and túpiro (all amazon native plants) as well as how to transform their fruits into pulp, chocolates, baskets and other products.

“This project, in particular, is interesting and inspiring, as it is led by women… it supports the fight against climate change, since its purpose is to conserve the Amazon Forest as the main carbon sink in southern Venezuela, working hand in hand with native communities, valuing their traditions and protecting their ancestral habitat,” explains national SGP coordinator Alexis Bermúdez.

According to the UN Environment Programme, or UNEP , in the Amazon, the world’s largest remaining tropical rainforest, deforestation is reducing carbon stocks and altering the regional climate. The effects of climate change, forest degradation and more forest fires could result in 60 per cent of the Amazon rainforest disappearing by 2050.

The SGP-supported initiative not only trains members of the community to make Amazon-derived products and ecological packaging helping them to diversify their livelihoods, but at the same time it works to restore parts of the degraded tropical forest by re-planting native trees and other species.

“When families pass on this knowledge, we make indigenous communities gain the necessary strength and confidence to face the conservation of their culture and their environment, organize the community for the production and marketing of their products in more select markets and contribute directly to creating a sustainable economy,” Kenia Martinez from Amazonas Originaria notes.

4. Exchanging ideas to make tourism more eco-friendly and sustainable

Leaders of community tourism in Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica got together to exchange good practices.

Clearly, climate change and environmental degradation can´t be tackled by a single community, instead, unity is strength when we talk about exchanging ideas that have already proven successful.

The project Dialogue of Latin American Knowledge around Community Tourism has brought together community tourism ventures from Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Mexico to exchange experiences and good practices.

Tourism is the backbone of some economies and the source of livelihood for many people, especially those living in developing countries, but if mismanaged, it often puts pressure on natural resources through overconsumption, induces stress on local land use, as well as increases pollution and natural habitat loss.

Community tourism, on the other hand, is an economic alternative that allows local communities to generate complementary income to their main productive activities and at the same time protect and value the natural and cultural wealth of their territories.

“Alone we go faster, but together we go further,” Beatriz Schmitt, SGP Panama National Coordinator highlights.

The SGP-supported dialogues consisted of virtual trainings and good practices exchanges with 23 rural organizations focusing on local development, collaborative working networks, marketing, institutional perspective and biosafety protocols.

At the end of the virtual training, participants visited community tourism experiences in Costa Rica where the programme has been promoting rural tourism for 20 years and has established a robust institutional framework.

“Community tourism is a local strategy that brings income to rural communities. This project is important because tourism is not approached only as a business but instead, it is derived from experiences of land conservation where these communities live,” Viviana Rodriguez, SGP Programme Assistant in Panama tells UN News.

She adds that by conserving these areas for tourism and reducing other activities such as large-scale agriculture, small communities are also contributing to the fight against climate change.

5. Saving the water-rich Colombian Paramos, with a gender twist

Páramo is a type of alpine moorland—cold, wet and windy—concentrated in the northern Andes above the treeline from Venezuela through Northern Peru.

Colombia's paramos, tundra ecosystems in the Andes mountains that are above the forest line but below the snowline, occupy just 1.7 per cent of the national territory, yet they produce 85 per cent of its drinking water.

Guardianas de los Páramos  (Paramos Women Guardians) is an Alliance between the GEF Small Grants Program and two other organizations that are supporting a variety of community projects focused on conservation and climate change adaptation in the Paramos Pisba and TotaBijagual-Mamapacha, about 280 km to the northeast of Bogotá.

The alliance puts special emphasis on women’s participation since historically, the intervention of women in environmental management has been diminished because of discrimination and inequitable access to resources.

A total of 37 projects were selected benefiting 2,400 families who had been working since 2020 to restore native plants, thus strengthening biological corridors and maintaining protected areas.

The initiatives also include aqueduct adaptation, as well as the implementation of homemade agroecological gardens to reduce the use of traditional productive systems that are harmful to the environment.

“It is necessary to implement actions aimed at controlling or reducing pressures on the paramo and to mitigate negative actions by extractive activities in the area, establishing conservation areas and measures to reduce risks associated with climate change”, says Catalina Avella, the alliance field coordinator.

Paramos are a unique Andean ecosystem, only found in high mountains of the north of South America, they are strategic not only due to their plant and animal biodiversity but also of their ecosystem services, including carbon sequestrations in the soil and water regulation.

The increase in temperatures and changes in rain patterns due to climate change poses a threat to these ecosystems, as well as mining and infrastructure projects.

Young climate activists take part in demonstrations at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Great projects, right? So, how can you get involved?

If you have a project related to climate change mitigation, reversing land degradation, sustainable forest management, or protecting biodiversity, visit the Small Grants Program website where you can find out how to apply depending on your country.

SGP grants are made directly to community-based organizations and non-governmental organizations in recognition of the key role they play as a resource and constituency for environment and development concerns. The maximum grant amount per project is $50,000 but averages around $25,000.

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  • climate action
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14 innovations led by young ecopreneurs that are protecting and restoring our planet

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Investing in the next generation of ecopreneurs is key to securing the future of our planet. Image:  jcomp/Freepick

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Stay up to date:, entrepreneurship.

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  • 1t.org and UpLink, the World Economic Forum's platform for sourcing and scaling solutions that protect people and planet, unveils its first winning cohort of youth innovators.
  • The solutions address a range of ecosystem challenges, including deforestation and forest degradation and decline in pollinators, and the lack of conservation training and opportunities for young people to become equipped with the tools to protect nature.
  • Investing in the next generation of ecopreneurs is key to securing the future of our planet.

Young people and future generations will be the worst affected by climate change. Already, nearly all of the world’s 2.2 billion children have been exposed to at least one climate-related risk – from toxic air pollution to wildfires or droughts.

Critical to helping fight climate change and building resilience are Earth’s ecosystems. Forests, grasslands and wetlands are natural climate solutions in that they capture and sequester carbon. They also offer a broad range of other benefits – from cleaning our air, controlling temperatures, preventing floods, creating jobs and protecting our mental health.

But Earth’s ecosystems are at risk, and there has never been a more urgent need to protect and revive them.

Sparked by a formidable sense of responsibility, young people worldwide are leading by example. Their actions and innovative solutions indicate the power of an environmentally and technology-savvy generation to bring about real, concrete change.

To support young ecopreneurs, 1t.org and UpLink launched the #GenerationRestoration Youth Challenge in collaboration with funding partner Salesforce and supporting partner UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

We received over 170 submissions worldwide, which speaks to the magnitude of growing youth advocacy and leadership to help protect our planet. The top 14 ecopreneurs have been selected to join the UpLink Innovator Network, a growing community of innovators.

Throughout the year ahead, we will work with the cohort to help them scale their solutions through capacity building workshops, visibility and mentoring opportunities, as well as connections to experts and potential investors.

Here is the full list of our Top UpLink Innovators from the #GenerationRestoration Youth Challenge:

AkoFresh aims to solve post-harvest losses faced by smallholder farmers with an off-grid cold storage preservation unit.

Cábula Initiative aims to transform desertified land into a Mediterranean forest that was once the natural ecosystem.

CoalitionWILD offers free training and mentorship programmes designed to create a network of young global change agents equipped and empowered to lead the protection of biodiversity, culture, species and the seas.

CERIOPS Research Organization are on a mission to train local communities affected by impacts of mangroves degradation on best practices for ecosystem restoration while empowering actual restoration at a larger scale.

Green Generation Initiative nurtures young people to love nature and be environmentally conscious at a young age through education, greening schools, creating food forest establishments, and tree growing.

environment development project

Millennium Kids Inc are creating green spaces, titled Green Labs, adopted by schools or local governments to use as outdoor classrooms and at the same time monitor, grow and protect the area adopted.

Mvutu is a technology platform providing end-to-end digital agricultural services to farmers, including pest diagnosis, weather insurance, agronomic advice, and crop monitoring.

Ecological Food Caterpillars Company is restoring biodiversity by planting and managing indigenous forest trees that are hosts for edible caterpillars, contributing to the environment, alleviating food insecurity, and creating a source of income for youth and indigenous people.

The Research Education for Sustainable Actions is establishing pollinator gardens in rural communities with intensive farming. Farmers provide pieces of land that they are not farming, and they provide the trees, shrubs, and herbs, alongside the training.

P.I.B Global Limited is restoring forests by taking an environmental hazard, water hyacinths, and making biochar seed balls thrown into the environment.

Saving the Amazon works towards the conservation of the Amazon Rainforest by collaborating with the indigenous inhabitants. Through their technology, any person or organization in the world can adopt a tree or a forest in the Amazon. This tree is planted and managed by the local communities to help reverse climate change and generate economic opportunities for the local communities.

Seawater Solutions is a multi-award winning start-up based in Glasgow, Scotland, that helps communities worldwide build integrated wetland farms in which coastal wetlands are constructed for climate adaptation and seawater agriculture.

The Urban Garden Initiative (TUGI) is a non-profit organization that aims to inspire and empower young people to achieve urban sustainability in their communities through an interactive and holistic gardening-based experience.

Treeconomy is on a mission to combat climate change, restore biodiversity, and improve rural livelihoods by revolutionizing forestry-based carbon offsetting. They are pioneering an integrated suite of remote sensing, data science, and green finance tools to address the fundamental financial barriers that prevent reforestation at the landowner level.

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23 Environmental Service Project Ideas

environment development project

Our environment is more than a background: it’s our home. Lions and Leos are committed to caring for it. Here are some environmental service project ideas* that you and your club can do to help sustainably protect and restore our environment and improve the well-being of all communities.

Beginner Environmental Projects Ideas

  • Plant trees. Consult your local environment authorities to determine the type and number of trees needed, as well as the location for planting. Download our Tree Planting Project Planner .
  • Meet on a monthly basis and clean up a beach, community space or roadside area as a club.* Video: Keeping Greenland Clean
  • Hold an environment-themed photo contest at a local school. Reward the winner with a tree planted in their honor or another green form of recognition.
  • Using a reusable water bottle or coffee mug rather than disposable products.
  • Changing to energy-saving lightbulbs.
  • Setting a time limit for your shower to reduce water consumption.
  • Develop a Green Living Tip Sheet and share it electronically with members of your community or network.
  • Recognize a local organization or community leader for their efforts in environmental conservation.
  • Volunteer with your local park service to maintain trails . You will help more people access and enjoy nature! Blog: Jarvis Lions Walking Trail
  • Commit to “Meatless Mondays” , or to not eating meat one day each week.
  • Collect used cellphones and donate them to individuals in need.

Intermediate Environmental Projects Ideas

  • Lead an after-school nature walk* for young students. Encourage them to make observations and ask questions, then have them draw a picture of their experience afterwards. LION Magazine: Outdoor Learning with Tucson Lions
  • Host a virtual watch party of an environmental film or documentary.
  • Work with city officials to paint “no dumping” signs near road drainage areas.
  • Identify where to recycle toxic items and share/advertise its schedule of collection campaigns.
  • Organize an environmental mural competition . Paint the winner’s artwork in an appropriate area to beautify your community and promote environmental awareness. LION Magazine: Mural Increases Visibility of Lions
  • Host a community recycling drive where people donate gently used items or trash to support local charity organizations. LION Magazine: Cans for Kids with Cancer
  • Organize a Lunch and Learn meeting* with students at your school. Afterward, teach them how to sort their recyclables and trash.

Advanced Environmental Projects Ideas

  • Develop a demonstration garden or landscaping plot using native plant species to encourage restoration of the local natural habitat and water conservation.
  • Sponsor a training program for small farmers on how to make and use organic fertilizers and pesticides .
  • Produce a monthly nature program on the local public radio station. Feature environmental topics of interest, interview environmental activists in your community and promote Lions environmental projects.
  • Host a public debate* on controversial environmental issues in your community. Share the results with government officials.
  • Partner with a local carpenter (or DIY tutorial) to build a rain barrel . Then, hold a training with community members to promote using barrels for watering and irrigation. Video: Rain Barrels Conserve Water
  • Organize an alternative transportation incentive program in your community to encourage walking, biking, public transportation and carpooling.
  • Work with local schools to develop school gardens and composting programs to improve the quality of school meals and reduce waste. Videos: Lions Build School Gardens in Uruguay and Montana

Download Service Project Ideas List: Environment

Learn more about the Lions Global Cause: Environment

*Serve safely. Adhere to local COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, wear a mask and organize virtual gatherings and trainings where possible.

Jacqui MacKenzie is the social media and community manager for Lions Clubs International.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted communities around the world in different ways. To ensure we’re serving safely wherever we live, Lions should follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization or local health authorities. Visit our Serving Safely page for resources that can help you safely serve your community.

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Environmental Development Project

save mother earth

“We live in a culture where people are more offended by ‘swear’ words and middle fingers than they are by famine, warfare and the destruction of our environment.”  

-Unknown  [1]

Outline of this page:

The problem Environmental degradation is the single biggest threat to future generations, with disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations.

Our strategy Providing rural communities with the knowledge and resources to build more environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyles.

Our work Community-led agriculture and water projects for local populations, solar-cooker provision, biodegradable bag production, tree-planting, and conservation.

Last updated: September 2020

Keep reading to learn about the reasons for our policy interventions, and to see a breakdown of our policy methodology and costs.

environment development project

Wider Context

The environment: a neglected human resource : Our environment has historically been taken for granted. Economic development and industrial production saw the exploitation of natural resources and emission of wastes at unsustainable rates, using methods which degrade the environment, making it increasingly difficult to maintain the practices which support us. Moreover, our planet is finding it challenging to sustain many forms of life, with current rates of species extinction up to 1,000 times the rates typical of Earth’s past [2] . Biodiversity loss is not only a moral issue, but a substantial threat to the delicate ecosystems essential for human survival. The fact is that the human species must work to protect the environment, conserve natural resources, adapt to the predicted impacts of climate change, and mitigate further impacts in order to survive.

We’ve already seen the effects of an unprotected environment on economic development and human health

1. Crop failures cost low-income countries highly dependent on agriculture millions/year, making their economies increasingly insecure due to progressively unpredictable weather patterns [3] .

2. Losses and damages due to climate change costs vulnerable nations billions/year [3] .

3. Air pollution from unsustainable fuel-use and waste disposal kills an estimated 7 million people every year, with even more affected by a vast array of cardiovascular diseases which are both difficult and expensive to treat [4] .

4. The adverse effects of air pollution, decreased access to clean water due to climate change, and greater food insecurity due to crop failures and droughts strike vulnerable groups more brutally as a result of COVID-19 [5] .

Protecting the environment is essential to securing human health, peace, livelihoods, homes, and the economy.

India: The country already deals with a number of socioeconomic disadvantages which make the nation particularly sensitive to environmental degradation.

In terms of climate change, 2020 is predicted (more than 99.9%) to be ranked among the five warmest years on record [6] , with weather events increasing in severity and magnitude. India is afflicted harder than the other countries because

1. India houses a high number of agricultural workers, particularly in rural areas like Tamil Nadu. This means the livelihoods of a large proportion of India’s population, specifically that of women, depend on the agricultural sector, an insecure job market with high exposure to the climatic impacts of floods and droughts and the negative medical effects associated with pesticides [7] .

2. High proportions of Indians live in poverty, are subject to food insecurity, lack the financial capital to migrate, are susceptible to disease, and have limited access to clean water.India already struggles to ensure agricultural production can meet the needs of its population: in 2016, 195 million Indians were reported chronically undernourished [7] . This only intensifies with accelerating climate change.

In regard to air pollution, it was disclosed to be the 5 th leading risk to death worldwide in 2017 [8] . India is hit harder than the other countries and reported to be the 5 th most polluted country in the world [9] because

> When it comes to air pollution, studies show that poorer nations are more at risk [4] . As a result of the widespread impoverishment in India, rudimentary stoves are used for cooking purposes [10] . Further, as the 2018 UN General Secretary remarks, “women and girls, in particular, will pay the price … because, in times of disaster, women and girls always suffer disproportionately” [3] . Respectively, it is obvious that women and children are the most exposed to such polluting stoves and fuels in their homes, thus bearing the brunt of the burden of air pollution.

Concerning water contamination and soil degradation, the disposal of wastes in landfills is reported to pollute bodies of water and lead to soil degradation, a process that threatens agriculture. India is struck harder than the other countries because

> Poor areas in India with few hopes for economic development are paid by richer nations to dispose of their waste. In fact, India is ranked the 6 th top country being used as a dumping ground of worldwide waste [11] .

environment development project

Sustainable development must be a global goal in order to meet our present needs without compromising the future needs of our progeny.

Prioritising the environment in development projects : Any further human development cannot come at the expense of the environment. Global carbon dioxide emissions per year from fossil fuels have been drastically increasing with industrial production associated with economic development. Policy approaches must therefore focus on decreasing the emission of toxic wastes into the environment that are a result of large-scale development projects targeted at economic advancement.

Conserving what we still have : Another policy point emphasizes the importance of conservation efforts. Our existing natural resources are limited and under great threat from unsustainable industrial production practices, as well as climate change. It is necessary to make active and strong efforts to protect existing ecosystems, water supplies, air quality, and soil. Natural resources cannot be taken for granted and require active protection before they reach an ecological ‘tipping point’, at which point retrieving these resources will be significantly more challenging, and in some cases, out of reach [12] .

Adaptation – prepare for the unavoidable : Globally, 95% of our food supplies rely on soil quality [13] .Soil degradation from mismanaged waste disposal, climatic changes, poor irrigation systems, and the over-use of pesticides therefore poses a substantial threat to global food supplies. Thus, local farmers in disadvantaged areas must be supported by giving them access to information about sustainable farming practices, as well as by providing the resources to perform adaptive measures in preparation for climate change [14] .

Mitigation – soften the blows of climate change : The impacts of climate change will be catastrophic if mitigating measures are not taken. It is necessary to actively reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and create greener spaces. Further, it is necessary to ensure future generations are informed and involved in this process to ensure that they are able to continue the essential work started by their ancestors.

Our approach

environment development project

1. Resource Management

Through our Green Initiative, we work to conserve natural resources that are vital for ecological systems and human survival: water, clean air, and soil.

In collaboration with the Central Government of India, we work towards the CLEAN INDIA scheme to reduce plastic use by encouraging women in our vocational training centers to manufacture more sustainable cotton bags as an alternative to plastic bags.

2. Local community support

We work to support local farmers in maintaining their lands through our irrigation and organic farming schemes.

We provide local farmers with guidance to avert them from having to sell their land to real-estate developers.

3. Solar cookers

We provide solar cookers, instruments that have been presented as a particularly promising policy response. They are cheap, help reduce food insecurity, and offer a non-polluting and renewable source of energy to the groups most vulnerable to the effects of traditional, solid-fuel cookers: poor women and children in rural areas.

4. Protect the vulnerable

Our projects aim to help the already vulnerable to reduce their vulnerability to climate change and environmental degradation in the future. Caste, gender, age, health, and social class make a significant difference in one’s vulnerability to climate change [15] .Financial and social constraints can make the difference between survival and death in a changing climate. Thus, through our female development, child protection, and human rights projects, we fight to protect the vulnerable.

Our current projects

1. Green initiative 2. CLEAN INDIA scheme 3. Tiruvannamalai – Annamalai reserve forest area protection 4. Tree planting 5. Solar cookers

environment development project

[1]Source – Reddit

[2] Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2006) Global Biodiversity Outlook 2. Montreal, 81 + vii pages. https://www.cbd.int/doc/gbo/gbo2/cbd-gbo2-en.pdf .

[3] United Nations Secretary-General. “Secretary-General’s remarks on Climate Change [as delivered].” (2018). https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2018-09-10/secretary-generals-remarks-climate-change-delivered .

[4] World Health Organisation. “9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air, but more countries are taking action.” (2018). https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action .

[5] McDonald, A.J. et al. “Indian Agriculture, Air Pollution, and Public Health in the Age of COVID.” World Development Vol. 135 (November 1, 2020). Doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105064.

[6] World Meteorological Organisation. “Show Your Stripes: heat continues in 2020.” (June 2020). https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/show-your-stripes-heat-continues-2020 .

[7] Pritchard, Bill. “Walking a Tightrope: India’s Challenges in Meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda with Specific Reference to Climate Change.” Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law Vol. 19 (2016) pp. 139-147. http://0-heinonline.org.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/apjel19&div=10 .

[8] Narain, Urvashi. “Air Pollution: Locked Down by COVID-19 but not Arrested.” The World Bank ,2 July 2020, https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2020/07/01/air-pollution-locked-down-by-covid-19-but-not-arrested

[9] IQ Air. “World’s most polluted countries 2019 (PM2.5).” https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-countries , 2019.

[10] Anenberg, Susan C. et al. “Cleaner Cooking Solutions to Achieve Health, Climate, and Economic Cobenefits.” Environmental Science & Technology  Vol 47, no. 9 (2013 ) pp . 3944-3952. DOI: 10.1021/es304942e.

[11] Dwyer, Cameron. “20 Countries that Are Used as Dumping Grounds for your Waste.” When On Earth , When on Earth Magazine, https://whenonearth.net/20-countries-that-are-used-as-dumping-grounds-for-your-waste/

[12] National Geographic. “Climate change driving entire planet to dangerous ‘tipping point’.” (Nov 2018). https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2019/11/climate-change-driving-entire-planet-to-dangerous-tipping .

[13] The University of Sheffield. “Soil loss: an unfolding global disaster.” (Dec 2015). https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/soil-loss-climate-change-food-security-sheffield-university-1.530115 .

[14] Ramborun, V., Facknath, S., and Lalljee, B. “Moving toward Sustainable Agriculture through a Better Understanding of Farmer Perceptions and Attitudes to Cope with Climate Change.” Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension Vol. 26, No. 1. (2020) pp. 37-57. http://0-dx.doi.org.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/10.1080/1389224X.2019.1690012 .

[15] Gupta, Joyeeta. “The Paris Climate Change Agreement: China and India.” Climate Law Vol. 6, No. 1-2. (2016) pp. 171-181. https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/climatla6&i=179 .

Beating the Heat Sustainably: Cooling Down India’s Concretized Dangerously Hot Cities

Beating the Heat Sustainably: Cooling Down India’s Concretized Dangerously Hot Cities

India’s Relationship with Renewable Energy

India’s Relationship with Renewable Energy

The Catastrophic Impact of Pakistan’s Floods and the Cost of Global Apathy

The Catastrophic Impact of Pakistan’s Floods and the Cost of Global Apathy

The Great Indian Heatwave

The Great Indian Heatwave

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC IN INDIA. WHAT IS BEING DONE? 

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC IN INDIA. WHAT IS BEING DONE? 

Green Impact of COVID-19

Green Impact of COVID-19

Keep Fossils buried! A Nuclear or Renewable Energy future?

Keep Fossils buried! A Nuclear or Renewable Energy future?

Individuals vs Climate Change: Can we make a difference?

Individuals vs Climate Change: Can we make a difference?

Subsidized electric appliances for Indians?

Subsidized electric appliances for Indians?

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Raw sewage in tijuana river at mexico-u.s. border a ‘public health crisis’, world whale day celebrates humpbacks and raises awareness of threats, plastics producers lied to the public about recycling being feasible, report reveals, solar energy and battery storage to comprise 81% of new electricity generation in u.s. for 2024: eia, bangkok city workers ordered to work from home to avoid toxic smog, oil spill off the coast of trinidad and tobago drifts into caribbean, threatening marine life and coral reefs, new documentary explores climate breakdown and 'protectors' fighting to adapt, 4 must-read graphic nonfiction books about the environment, birding 101: everything you need to know, how to get your garden winter-ready, 4 of the most picturesque car-free towns in the u.s., 5 vibrant plants that thrive in shade and cloudy climates, fashion companies show progress in lowering carbon impact, but increased production makes it a wash, band walks 870 miles on tour to promote more sustainability in the music industry, learn about deregulated energy, learn about windows.

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24 Creative Green Projects to Tackle Now

environment development project

Woman building a diy insect hotel outdoor. Guido Mieth / DigitalVision / Getty Images

By Courtney Lindwall

If you’re one of those people cooped up safely at home, with creative energy and free time to spare—count yourself lucky. Here, we’ve rounded up a list of two dozen environmental projects that can make your time indoors, or right outside, a little brighter. Whether you’re ready to start rescuing more of your kitchen scraps, sewing your own cloth napkins, or documenting those backyard butterflies, we hope these simple green ideas will provide a calming means of coping during these unprecedented times. Have fun and stay safe.

Experiment in the Kitchen

Spice up mealtime with recipes from Save the Food that will also help prevent your food from going to waste. Make a fromage fort to spread on your crackers, or “scraps falafel” to use up wrinkly onions and wilted herbs. And for dessert, how about some leftover mashed potato apple cider donuts ?

Rescue wilting herbs. Make herb oil ice cubes by packing diced herbs into an ice cube tray, covering with olive oil, and freezing. Thaw for ready-made flavor in your next dish. You can also transform less-than-fresh herbs into sauces, like chimichurri or pesto, or roast them and mix with salt to create longer-lasting seasonings.

Start a windowsill herb garden. You’ll need some seeds or a small plant, an upcycled container like a coffee canister that leaves room for growth and drainage, and a sunny ledge. (The Herb Society of America can help you determine the right dose of light and water for each species .) In a few weeks’ time, you’ll be ready to add a sprig of fresh basil to your bowl of pasta or diced cilantro to your batch of guac.

Arrange a plant-based recipe swap with friends and family, which will reduce your diet’s climate impacts while creating some virtual community. (Remember: If every American cut just one hamburger or about a quarter pound of beef out of their diet each week, we could reduce emissions by as much as taking about 10 million cars off the road each year.)

Simmer your veggie scraps into a flavorful stock , the foundation of your next meal. To get started, keep a clean, half-gallon carton in the freezer, and add trimmings as you prep meals. When you have enough, put the veggies in a pot, cover with water, and crank up the heat.

Plan a dough swap by freezing half of the dough from your latest baked good and suggesting friends, family, and coworkers do the same. When you’re reunited, you can organize a trade and enjoy someone else’s baking for a change.

Start an indoor compost bin. It shouldn’t smell when you follow this list of what is and isn’t compost-friendly . To build your worm bin, find two plastic tubs and drill holes in one of them to provide proper aeration. Layer in moist bedding—made of things like shredded newspaper, leaves, or coconut husk—and then add some red wigglers, which you can order online. Kept well fed with scraps, your worms will soon be producing “black gold” compost to use in your garden and helping you curb greenhouse gases.

Enjoy a Dose of Nature 

Make your own basic bird feeder using pine cones, twine, nut butter, and birdseed. This video from the Feminist Bird Club shows you one way to do it. Hang it on a nearby tree you can spot through your window, then grab a pair of binoculars and do some armchair birding!

Create an herbarium —a scrapbook of pressed, dried flowers or other plants. To prepare your samples, press the plant matter in a large book or between sheets of newspaper and place a weight on top. When the leaves are dry, mount them on acid-free paper to preserve them, and label each specimen on the page. You can also include illustrations, photographs, seed packets, and notes.

Sharpen your naturalist ID skills. Try to identify every species of plant in your backyard or on a neighborhood walk. You can do the same for wildlife—and share your findings through Project Noah , a citizen science platform to discover, share, and identify wildlife.

Grow new indoor plants with the use of stems and leaves, rather than seeds. Though it depends on your individual plant species, propagating houseplants is often as easy as cutting off a stem or leaf from an existing plant and sticking it in soil or fresh water. If it takes, a new root system should form within a few weeks—leaving you with a hearty second plant within a few more months. (Pro tip: This works for green onions too! Nearly submerge their sliced-off roots, end down, into a glass of water that you change every few days. Voilà: a nearly endless supply of scallions.)

Observe monarch butterflies in your backyard and share your findings with Monarch Watch, an organization devoted to their conservation . Each year, monarchs make a remarkable 3,000-mile trek from as far north as the southern parts of Canada to the mountains of Mexico and back—but these pollinators are in danger . Register as one of Monarch Watch’s citizen scientists to help track the population’s health .

Boost your backyard biodiversity . Plant some milkweed—the main food source for monarch caterpillars and egg-laying habitat for the butterflies. Hang a bee nesting box somewhere it can get sunlight and warmth. Add a barn owl box or attach a simple roosting perch to a pole. For reptile enthusiasts, set up a small wood pile, using brush or old logs as shelter for lizards and snakes (plus fungi).

Do Some Handiwork and Art Projects

Make face masks for your friends, family, and workers on the frontlines. This Center for Disease Control guide breaks down different techniques. If you’re comfortable sewing, you’ll just need two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of fabric, two pieces of elastic, and a needle and thread for each mask. The no-sew option only requires a T-shirt and scissors. Remember: Cloth masks should be cleaned regularly (the CDC says a washing machine is sufficient) in order to remain effective.

Get your crayons out and do some therapeutic coloring. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and as part of a collaboration with NRDC, Studio Number One and its creative director, artist Shepard Fairey, have converted some of its archival activist artwork into black-and-white printouts for at-home coloring.

Tackle your plastic bag stash , especially if your city or town is among those that recently banned the bag. Since current conditions may eliminate collection and recycling programs for plastic bags in your area, consider upcycling them instead. There are plenty of online tutorials for how to make outdoor pillow cushions stuffed with plastic bags, weave bags into sturdy baskets , or wind them into jump ropes.

Cut down on textile waste , which exacts a heavy toll on the environment and public health , by giving old clothes a second life. Alter out-of-style garments by embroidering, reshaping, or using nontoxic dye to give them a new look. Take inspiration from fashion designers like Daniel Silverstein , who makes colorful, collaged clothing out of fabric scraps, or turn old fabric into a work of art, like weaver Consuelo Jimenez Underwoo d.

Turn old beach towels or T-shirts into a set of cloth napkins , a perfect beginner-level sewing project. By ditching single-use paper towels and napkins, you’ll be helping to protect our forests, like the boreal of Canada that is the source of the virgin wood pulp used for much of the tissue paper products sold in the United States. Instead, switch to more sustainable, washable rags or cloths for cleaning up around the house and at the dining table.

Get crafty with your recycling efforts to encourage kids to be more aware of our disposable culture . For example, you could transform empty jars into vases, penholders, and votive candle holders. Or make a fresh notebook from scrap paper with the help of a hole punch and scissors, some ribbon, and an old cereal box (for making sturdy covers).

Build Your Community

Start an environmental movie club. Various apps let you host movie nights with friends online, so you can chat while you watch. You can find our recs for standout environmental films on Instagram —including Poisoning Paradise , Virunga , and The Biggest Little Farm —with short summaries and tips on where you can find them online.

Document the environmental changes in your community , as they relate to climate change, through the Earth Challenge 2020’s online portal . The project will collect billions of observations in air quality, plastic pollution, and insect populations, and your insights will help promote policy change to address our warming world.

Tune in to a new podcast . We recommend Hot Take , featuring NRDC’s own Mary Heglar and her cohost Amy Westervelt, which takes a critical but constructive, intersectional look at how climates issues are being covered in the media. And despite the weighty content of the podcast, laughter is one of its defining sounds.

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​what is environmental development.

Environmental development is the direct result of investment in infrastructure, scenic surroundings, green areas, and public spaces. The planning of green areas takes into account water conservation issues, as well as how best to adapt vegetation to the local climate, while all new facilities are constructed in line with the specific needs of the local community. Due to these extensive investments in infrastructure and facility construction, environmental development results in the preservation of property value, whether for investment or residential purposes. Purchasing an apartment in an area undergoing environmental development is therefore a preferred, more secure investment.

Among the services provided to the local community through environmental development are:

  • Commercial Centers
  • Public Services
  • Kindergartens
  • Swimming Pools

Environmental Development Benefits

Environmental development offers many attractive benefits, especially for apartment buyers, including:

  • Contributing to improving the neighborhood’s appearance as well as residents’ lives
  • Providing economic and social stimulus by boosting the quality of life in the neighborhood and surrounding area
  • Helping to maintain and even enhance property value
  • Attracting discerning new residents to the area

Investing in real estate in areas undergoing environmental development is more attractive, more desirable, and more secure. Let's discover Africa Israel Residences’ Savyonim neighborhoods – environmental development at its best.

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Sustainable Neighborhood Development Prioritizes Walkability, Healthy Food Access

Sketch of a courtyard in The Phoenix development

(Credit: Human Nature)

by Sydney Leimbach | Feb 21, 2024

Air & Emissions , Buildings , Cities & Infrastructure , Energy Management , Environmental Management

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The Food Foundation and Human Nature Places have received permission to proceed with a new development in Lewes, East Sussex, which is expected to be the most sustainable neighborhood in the United Kingdom.

The new development, called The Phoenix , will be walkable and encourage shared living, and aims to create a neighborhood built around community, health, and food.

The multi-use development plans to include 685 homes, with 30% of homes designated as affordable housing. It is also expected to deliver a significant biodiversity net gain and aims to prioritize positive social impact. The Phoenix aims to be a blueprint for future sustainable development — will be built on a nearly 20-acre brownfield, or a former industrial site, and it will reportedly be the largest timber-structure neighborhood in the U.K.

Project Emphasizes Access to Healthy Food Within Urban Environment

The Food Foundation helps cities implement programs that allow for access to healthy diets and improve urban food systems, both of which will be reflected in the new project. The neighborhood is set to include opportunities to grow food across the site in courtyards, near community buildings, and along its river walkway. On-site recycling and composting facilities will also support the development’s urban-farming and community-gardening strategy.

“Our broken food system makes it very hard for people to make healthy and sustainable food choices,” said Jo Ralling, head of campaigns and development for the Food Foundation. “Working with Human Nature on their visionary plans for The Phoenix will enable us to build a positive food culture into the fabric of an entire neighborhood.”

The development also plans to include a community canteen, which will offer locally sourced, affordable meals to the neighborhood and Lewes at large.

Development Reflects Trend of Sustainable, Community-Centric Urban Planning

Human Nature Places is a sustainable urban planning company founded by former Greenpeace directors. The company implements practices to reduce emissions associated with the built environment, such as focusing on walkability, including abundant green spaces, and using less energy-intensive construction strategies.

In a study from 2021, Deloitte identified a number of trends that indicate a general global shift towards more sustainable urban planning , including increased emphasis on the 15-minute city , green public spaces, smart buildings, and human-centered design meant to foster community.

The Phoenix development responds directly to these trends and further emphasizes the ability of neighborhoods to provide local, fresh food to improve human health while reducing emissions associated with large-scale agriculture.

“Too often urban environments prevent people making the choices they want to feed themselves or cook for their children,” said Ralling. “We are seeing obesity, food poverty, and diet-related disease at record levels with the current cost of living crisis making it even harder for people to afford fruit and vegetables. We aim to work with Human Nature to create a toolkit to enable all urban development to put food systems central to their thinking and give the future generation better long-term outcomes.”

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  • 21 February 2024

Why citizen scientists are gathering DNA from hundreds of lakes — on the same day

  • Lydia Larsen

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

A citizen scientist wears protective gloves and takes samples from a fresh water lake.

The LeDNA project will disperse hundreds of volunteers to sample environmental DNA from the world’s lakes. Credit: K. Deiner

In a first-of-its-kind project, researchers are tapping into the power of citizen science to collect DNA samples from hundreds of lakes worldwide. Not only will the resulting cache of environmental DNA (eDNA) be the largest ever gathered from an aquatic setting in a single day — it could yield a fuller picture of the state of biodiversity around the globe and improve scientists’ understanding of how species move about over time.

environment development project

Rare bird’s detection highlights promise of ‘environmental DNA’

Scientists are increasingly using eDNA — which is shed by all organisms — to evaluate the presence of species in a given environment. Researchers have shown that it can be cheaply and efficiently extracted from water 1 , soil 2 , ice cores 3 and filters from air-monitoring stations 4 . It has even been used to detect endangered species that haven’t been spotted for years, including a Brazilian frog species (putatively assigned to Megaelosia bocainensis ) that researchers thought went extinct in the 1960s 5 .

Kristy Deiner, an environmental scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich who leads the massive lake project, says that eDNA represents a “paradigm shift” in how scientists monitor biodiversity. Deiner’s research group has already received applications from more than 500 people across 101 countries to participate in collecting eDNA from their local lakes and shipping the samples to ETH Zurich.

These global-scale projects are “really what the eDNA community needs”, says Philip Francis Thomsen, an environmental scientist at Aarhus University in Denmark and a volunteer for the lake project.

“By involving citizens, we not only increase the geographical scope of our sampling but also foster a sense of public ownership and awareness regarding global biodiversity issues,” says Cátia Lúcio Pereira, the project’s coordinator, who works with Deiner at ETH Zurich.

A boon for biodiversity

Although eDNA is generally considered to be a boon for biodiversity monitoring, researchers recognize that it’s not perfect. For instance, DNA from a particular site might come from a species that just briefly passed through the region, rather than living there. And researchers don’t have a clear understanding of how factors such as microbial ingestion of the DNA, high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation degrade the genetic material once it has been shed, or how those factors might alter the list of species detected.

Deiner acknowledges the limitations, but says that eDNA-monitoring technology has come a long way since it was first used decades ago. She and her team have a plan to carefully handle the samples they receive, extract their genetic material and amplify the plant and animal DNA to detect the presence of species.

“We’re more fine-tuning things now,” Deiner says.

Sampling sites: World map showing the locations of potential sampling lakes for the LeDNA project.

Source: LeDNA.

Deiner also doesn’t necessarily see the transfer of eDNA from one region to another as a negative thing — it could even be used to her advantage. She began studying how eDNA moves in rivers about ten years ago. The genetic material, she suggests, could flow from soil, down rivers and into lakes, making these watery pools the ideal location to sample from to get an idea of the species diversity of an entire region, or catchment.

Her project — called LeDNA, which stands for lake eDNA — aims to prove that the eDNA from a lake represents not just lake-dwelling species, but also terrestrial animals that live along the rivers that feed into the lake and around the lake itself. It will also examine the differences in species richness between geographical regions, and try to decipher how species in various habitats might be interacting with one another.

Local sampling

Deiner’s research group recruited volunteers for LeDNA through a combination of social media, networking with other eDNA researchers and reaching out to citizen-science groups. The recruits will be assigned a lake near them from a curated list of 5,000 around the globe.

“We really worked hard to try and reach a lot of these areas so that the sample is truly a global effort,” Deiner says.

environment development project

Accidental DNA collection by air sensors could revolutionize wildlife tracking

Although the team hasn’t finalized the lakes that it will sample, it hopes to include about 800, says Lúcio Pereira (see ‘Sampling sites’). The researchers also say that they have mostly finished their recruiting phase, although they still want more volunteers in Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

Once assigned a lake, volunteers will receive instructions and a water-sampling filter. They will all aim to gather their samples on the same day — 22 May, which is the International Day for Biological Diversity — although there is a flexible two-week window for collection if they need it.

Francis Thomsen points out that hundreds of people taking samples might lead to issues with data quality, depending on how closely they each follow the set protocols sent to them. Sampling eDNA, however, is easier to standardize than other biodiversity-monitoring methods, in which surveyors typically have to locate and identify individual species in person, he says.

Lúcio Pereira says that the team recognizes the possible threat to data quality, but that the volunteers will all have identical sampling kits and in-depth training on the sampling protocol.

A perk of participating in the project, particularly for eDNA scientists, is that local partners will be able to use their data in their own research, as well as contribute to LeDNA publications. “What’s cool about this is it’s participatory,” says Rachel Meyer, director of the California eDNA programme, which is run by University of California researchers and matches volunteers with scientists to collect eDNA samples across the state. The data is there “if people want it”, she says, “and there’s plenty of incentive to want it”.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00520-y

Goldberg, C. S. et al. Methods Ecol. Evol. 7 , 1299–1307 (2016).

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Allen, M. C. et al. Sci. Rep. 13 , 180 (2023).

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Littlefair, J. E. et al. Curr. Biol. 33 , R426–R428 (2023).

Lopes, C. M. et al. Mol. Ecol. 30 , 3289–3298 (2021).

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8 Projects that Exemplify Moscow's Urban Movement

environment development project

  • Written by Marie Chatel
  • Published on July 27, 2016

When it comes to urbanism these days, people’s attention is increasingly turning to Moscow . The city clearly intends to become one of the world’s leading megacities in the near future and is employing all necessary means to achieve its goal, with the city government showing itself to be very willing to invest in important urban developments (though not without some criticism ).

A key player in this plan has been the Moscow Urban Forum . Although the forum’s stated goal is to find adequate designs for future megacities, a major positive side-effect is that it enables the city to organize the best competitions, select the best designers, and build the best urban spaces to promote the city of Moscow. The Forum also publishes research and academic documents to inform Moscow’s future endeavors; for example, Archaeology of the Periphery , a publication inspired by the 2013 forum and released in 2014, notably influenced the urban development on the outskirts of Moscow, but also highlighted the importance of combining urban development with the existing landscape.

environment development project

Concluding earlier this month, the 2016 edition of the Moscow Urban Forum focused on smart cities and the impact of technology on the ways we interact with people and use public infrastructure and civic spaces. The 2016 Forum invited city officials, urbanists, and architectural practitioners – including Yuri Grigoryan from Project MEGANOM ; Pei Zhu from Studio Pei Zhu ; Hani Rashid from Asymptote ; Reinier de Graaf from OMA ; Yosuke Hayano from MAD Architects ; and Kengo Kuma from Kengo Kuma Architects – to share about their knowledge and experiences in urban design. With the city looking forward to the built results of the latest Forum, we take a look back at some of the major developments in Moscow that have emerged in the past five years.

1) Gorky Park and Garage Museum

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In 2010 the city government decided to improve Muscovites’ urban environment and create public spaces, and Gorky Park was the first project of note. The Russian equivalent of Central Park, it used to attract masses of tourists to its amusement park, but no residents would spend time there. Its reconstruction began in 2011 and featured infrastructure for strolling, sport, work, culture and leisure.

Inside the park lies the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art , a landmark building from the Brezhnev communist era which was renovated and transformed by OMA in 2015. The Dutch firm kept the original structure “as found,” only repairing elements from its prefabricated concrete walls – often clad with brick and decorative green tiles. Instead, the redesign focused on a double-skin facade of polycarbonate plastic that enclosed the original structure and preserved it from decay.

environment development project

2) Zaryadye Park, Diller Scofidio + Renfro

environment development project

Due to open in 2018, Zaryadye Park designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro is probably one of Moscow ’s most cutting-edge projects. Located next to the Kremlin, the Red Square, and St Basil’s Cathedral, the project embodies what the architects calls “Wild Urbanism.” The project notably includes four artificial microclimates that mimic Russian landscape typologies: the steppe, the forest, the wetland and tundra. “It is a park for Russia made from Russia,” as Charles Renfro explains , in that “it samples the natures of Russia and merges them with the city, to become a design that could only happen here. It embodies a wild urbanism, a place where architecture and landscape are one.”

environment development project

3) Moscow Riverfront, Project Meganom

environment development project

Russian firm Project Meganom has also designed an ambitious project for Moscow ’s riverfront. Their masterplan also aims for a dialogue between the built and natural environment. A series of linear green spaces follow the river, and lines for pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and public transport are clearly delineated, improving the use of the public squares. River embankments are also transformed to function as areas for activities, communication, education and creativity nodes for public gathering.

environment development project

4) Krymskaya Embankment, Wowhaus Architecture Bureau

environment development project

Wowhaus Architecture Bureau recently transformed the 4-lane road at Krymskaya Embankment into a landscape park that connects Gorky Park with Krymsky bridge. The area used to be deserted, but is now reactivated with distinct transit and sport zones, as well as pavilions for artists’ exhibitions. Wave-shaped bicycle ramps, paths, and benches feature on the artificial landscape, which is also used for sledding, skiing, and skating in the winter.

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5) Hermitage Museum and ZiL Tower in Moscow, Asymptote Architecture

environment development project

New York architectural firm Asymptote Architecture are currently building two projects, a 150-meter residential tower and a satellite facility for St Petersburg’s well-known Hermitage Museum , where modern and contemporary art collections will be displayed. Situated in one of Moscow ’s oldest industrial areas, Asymptote’s buildings will lie in place of a Constructivist factory – which explains why the museum was reportedly inspired by El Lissitzky's "Proun" painting, as the terrace interior clearly shows.

environment development project

6) “My Street”

environment development project

“My Street” is the largest-scale program led by Moscow ’s government. The project aims to create about 50 kilometers of new pedestrian zones within the city center and periphery. The extensive program aims to solve parking issues, renovate street facades, and repair sidewalks and walkways with delimited areas for public transports, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. “My Street” also requires a strong governance strategy and coordination; led by the Strelka Institute’s consultation arm KB Strelka , the project also involves 17 Russian and foreign architecture practices that were all individually in charge of one street, square or group of streets. Notable architects include the German firm Topotek 1 , the Dutch group West 8 , and the Russian firm Tsimailo , Lyashenko and Partners.

environment development project

7) Moscow Metro

environment development project

Moscow Metro is an architectural masterpiece that has been elaborated on since the 1920s. Its stations from the Stalin era are known for their unique designs with high ceilings, elaborate chandeliers and fine granite and marble cladding. To ensure that Moscow Metro remains an emblem of the city’s urban culture and powerful transportation system, the city’s government organized various competitions for the renovation of some Metro stations. Russian-based practice Nefa Architects was chosen to redesign Moscow’s Solntsevo Metro Station, while Latvian firm U-R-A will transform Novoperedelkino Subway Station . New stations are also being built, including two stations by Russian firms Timur Bashkayev Architectural Bureau and Buromoscow which should be completed by the end of 2018.

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8) Luzhniki Stadium

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Luzhniki Stadium is Moscow ’s main venue for sporting and cultural events. With Russia hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup , the stadium should reflect Moscow’s intent to become a leading megacity, which is why $540 million has been spent on construction works. Its renovation mainly focuses on the roof and seating areas, and the capacity is planned to increase up to 81,000 seats. Works will be completed by 2017.

Find out more information and talks on Moscow’s urban development and the future of megacities on Moscow Urban Forum’s YouTube channel .

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Moscow major projects

Since launching modern Russia’s largest construction program in 2011, Moscow has more than doubled its territory. To catalyze the full potential of this rapidly-growing metropolitan area of 19.5 million people, the City of Moscow’s government pays significant attention to infrastructure as one of the key pillars of urban development—with a current focus on projects that create livable and comfortable urban spaces for both citizens and tourists.

Following its first five years of projects, Moscow was given special recognition for “demonstrating outstanding strategic commitment and ambition” by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). That period saw 50 million square meters of real estate developed, 370 social infrastructure objects built, and the metro expanded by 30 percent—including 101 kilometers of metro lines and 55 new stations. Innovative finance solutions, necessitated by the city government’s debt-free approach to development, enabled all this whilst maintaining a budget surplus and remaining a net donor region within Russia.

On 30-31 May 2018, the City of Moscow and Mosinzhproekt—a large Russian engineering, construction and project management company—hosted an Innovation Site Visit to showcase Moscow’s major projects to the Global Infrastructure Initiative (GII) community. Through roundtable discussions and site visits with project executives, participants explored where innovation and technology have enabled the step-changes that have allowed Moscow to deliver major projects on a short timeline—and how to apply these lessons to other cities and major projects.

The following insights emerged during GII’s Innovation Site Visit in Moscow:

  • Establish a structure for citizen involvement. Major urban infrastructure projects are an extremely visible expenditure of taxpayer funds while also often being large disruptors of daily life. A foundation of citizen support is essential for success and requires a thoughtful engagement program. In Moscow, citizens are encouraged to participate in the planning process by steering major initiatives through the “Active Citizen” application—a portal for online referendums on topics appropriate for democratic decision-making. To date, almost 2 million citizens have cast more than 90 million votes on over 3,000 issues through the platform. The purpose of this structure is to increase the opportunity for citizen engagement and involvement with their city’s major investments.
  • Manage the disruption ‘cost’. Major urban projects cannot be delivered without disrupting daily life. While citizens can be enrolled to accept the disruption as a necessary investment for a better outcome, equal attention needs to be given to managing the disruption ‘cost’ as to managing real expenditures. For example, MyStreets, a project to upgrade and enhance Moscow’s urban environment through reconstruction of streets and building façades, was disruptive to many citizens and commuters. However, through staging and swift execution, the disruption was minimized and the intended lifestyle improvements were quickly delivered to Muscovites and tourists who traverse newly styled pedestrian streets every day.
  • Invest in technology to optimize sequencing. Moscow’s cohesive vision for urban transformation has allowed early investments in technology to assist future delivery. One of the first projects completed was the centrally-controlled traffic management system which can monitor traffic conditions and urban movement through more than 2,000 traffic cameras and 160,000 CCTV cameras installed across the city. Data collected on current conditions, and knowledge of planned activities, allows real-time rerouting of traffic through the city’s dynamic signage. It also allowed identification and analysis of permanent traffic flow changes that could further ease disruptions like those created by the major construction projects.
Moscow traffic speed increased over 13% in 201.
  • Maximize utility of brownfield sites. A key reason the Moscow Central Circle (MCC), a new light-rail system integrated into the Moscow Metro, was completed in a record four-year period was the repurposing of existing brownfield networks which allowed the installation of modern technology on existing rail transport routes. The MCC’s 31 new stations will revitalize formerly abandoned industrial areas when its next stage of development builds an expected 300,000+ square meters of hotels, 250,000+ square meters of retail, and 200,000+ square meters of offices. This will give districts with historically poor infrastructure access a chance to develop at the same pace as the rest of the city.
  • Leverage PPPs to enhance basic services. To manage public cost and investment while delivering world-class infrastructure, municipalities need access to additional financing tools. Based on a structure that took an act of federal legislation, the MCC is an example of enhancing publicly developed foundations with private services. The tracks and land are owned by the Moscow Metro, with the rolling stock subcontracted to Russian Railways under a life cycle contract with a guaranteed buyback. The innovation is that Moscow Metro is licensing the development rights of its individual stations to private investors. Though all stations will exist under the same covenants, individual investors will assume their station’s construction cost and operational risk and rewards.
  • Create citizen-centric spaces. In addition to serving as open spaces, today’s city residents expect their parks to provide for entertainment and consumer services too. Many modern parks offer architectural features, charismatic vistas, and social, educational, and artistic spaces for all ages. When Zaryadye Park, an area of prime real estate next to the Kremlin was converted to parkland, an international contest resulted in 10 hectares being densely designed for this multi-function purpose. The outcome was two concert venues, restaurants, a parking garage, an entertainment complex, and a biological education center, all neatly camouflaged into a natural landscape that represents Russia’s ecological diversity.
  • Innovate where needed but not excessively. Moscow’s planners and builders did not shy away from technological innovation. The MCC used weldless joint rails to create a smoother and quieter system that is easier on riders and less disruptive to residents living near the railway tracks. The retrofit designs for Luzhniki Stadium were fully modeled in building information management (BIM)—a step which identified more than 100,000 conflict points before they could escalate into project delays. However, the project teams were also careful not to force innovation where it could create unnecessary risk and complications. Instead, they delivered the massive project portfolio by tactically melding innovations with highly-proficient execution of well-known and proven methods.

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The Modesto Bee

Environmental review begins for major warehouse project in Modesto. 1,000 jobs estimated.

F eb. 16—A Stanislaus County notice released last week says an environmental impact report will evaluate the Scannell project, a major warehouse and industrial center proposed on the north side of Kiernan Avenue in north Modesto.

Scannell Properties LLC has proposed the 145-acre development at the northwest corner of Kiernan Avenue and Dale Road, in county territory north of the Kaiser Permanente hospital.

About 1,000 workers could be employed at the industrial center when fully developed, the county notice said. County officials have discussed the level of environmental work required for the development.

Details of the Scannell project will be shared at the Salida Municipal Advisory Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Salida Library community room, 4835 Sisk Road. A scoping meeting on the environmental process is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m. Those interested are asked to register for the virtual meeting.

Scannell, an international development firm, has proposed seven warehouse and industrial buildings with up to 2.5 million square feet of space. Two of the proposed buildings are well over 500,000 square feet with hundreds of parking spaces for employees and semi trailers. The other buildings would range in size from 103,000 to 455,000 square feet.

The plan also includes a 3-acre retail center at the corner of Kiernan and Dale, with a fuel station for passenger cars and heavy trucks and a convenience store.

The environmental study will consider how the 24/7 operations will impact agricultural, air quality, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, noise, land use and hazardous materials. The study also will evaluate the effects on population and housing, public services, transportation and utilities.

The EIR will include measures to minimize or mitigate the impacts, the notice said. The county's Feb. 7 notice asked responsible agencies and the public for input on issues that should be part of the environmental assessment, said Angela Freitas, county director of planning and community development.

Paul Starn, a representative for Scannell Properties, said that as as the lead agency, the county determines the level of the environmental review. He said an extensive EIR will be done for the Modesto project.

The landowner, Sandpoint Ranch Inc., includes directors with connections to E.&J. Gallo Winery, but a spokesperson for the Modesto wine company said last month it has no interest in the development.

Modesto is considering whether to extend water and sewer services across the city boundary to the Scannell project, which would involve a city-county tax-sharing agreement.

Project is part of much larger Salida growth plan

It's the first major development in the Salida Community Plan, a blueprint for 3,383 acres of development approved by the county amid controversy in 2007. The massive plan for expansion of the unincorporated community of Salida includes 1,259 acres of industrial development, 490 acres of business parks, 280 acres of commercial uses and 1,110 residential units.

Much of the industrial and business park development is plotted on both sides of Kiernan Avenue, between Sisk and Dale roads.

Salida's growth plan was put on hold by the national financial crisis and the Great Recession. An environmental study was never done on the overall development plan and it still isn't clear if the county will require an environmental study on the Salida Community Plan before the Scannell project can proceed.

"It seems like they are trying to work around that," said Brad Johnson, a Salida Municipal Advisory Council member. Johnson said he would like to see an EIR focused on the Salida plan and also a plan for roads and other infrastructure.

Freitas in an email Thursday said the county is evaluating the Scannell project and how it conforms to the Salida Community Plan. No determination has been made as to the full extent of environmental work for the project, her email said.

Johnson said he has questions about water service for the Scannell development and whether the developer would cover the full cost of extending a city line.

Salida residents and other voters never had a chance to vote on the Salida Community Plan. In summer 2007, proponents clad in "Salida Now" T-shirts were collecting signatures to put the plan on the ballot when the Board of Supervisors suddenly voted 3-2 to approve the initiative.

Johnson said the 17-year-old plan could be revised to put commercial development in the Kiernan corridor, giving Salida a retail tax base for possible incorporation as a city.

The Salida MAC expects to hear an informational presentation on the Scannell project Tuesday. Municipal advisory councils make recommendations to the county regarding development projects and policy matters.

The county's "notice of preparation" and other project materials can be viewed online.

(c)2024 The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Book cover

Making Green Cities pp 401–422 Cite as

Urban Greening as a Response to Societal Challenges. Toward Biophilic Megacities (Case Studies of Saint Petersburg and Moscow, Russia)

  • Diana Dushkova 8 ,
  • Maria Ignatieva 9 &
  • Irina Melnichuk 10  
  • First Online: 17 March 2023

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Part of the Cities and Nature book series (CITIES)

The population density in megacities is continuously increasing, resulting in a reduction of green spaces and a deterioration in the urban environment quality. Urban green is often being replaced by parking places, shopping centers, and service enterprises. This chapter examines the efforts of two megacities in Russia—Moscow and Saint Petersburg—to organize sustainable greening solutions for their residential areas using new achievements in landscape design theory and practice, such as the concept of the biophilic city. The chapter analyzes the history of greening strategies and discusses the concept of urban green infrastructure and its implementation in both Russian megacities. The chapter presents an assessment of the current state of urban green spaces and the most recent master plans and how these cities are facing and responding to modern societal challenges. The results of an analytical review of the most successful urban greening projects in Moscow and Saint Petersburg are presented as well. The economic and climatic features of the urban green areas and their architectural and planning features are considered, along with strategies for further development of the urban green spaces in both cities, aiming to address the new principles of biophilic cities.

  • Urban green spaces
  • Greening strategies
  • Biophilic cities
  • Societal challenges
  • Saint Petersburg

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) project “Mathematical-cartographic assessment of medico-ecological situation in cities of European Russia for their integrated ecological characteristics” (2018–2020) under Grant number No 18-05-406 00236/18 and by the Horizon 2020 Framework Program of the European Union project “Connecting Nature” under Grant Agreement No 730222.

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Diana Dushkova

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Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University, Institutskij pereulok 5, St.-Petersburg, 194021, Russia

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Dushkova, D., Ignatieva, M., Melnichuk, I. (2023). Urban Greening as a Response to Societal Challenges. Toward Biophilic Megacities (Case Studies of Saint Petersburg and Moscow, Russia). In: Breuste, J., Artmann, M., Ioja, C., Qureshi, S. (eds) Making Green Cities. Cities and Nature. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73089-5_25

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Sustainable Development Goals and Racial Justice Town Hall

Sustainable Development Goals and Racial Justice Town Hall

By Miami Law Staff Report 02-20-2024

The University of Miami School of Law's  Environmental Justice Clinic ,  Human Rights Clinic  and  Program , and community partners, are convening a  Town Hall  on Sustainable Development Goals and Racial Justice in Miami-Dade County March 2, 2024, at The Freedom Lab Miami.

A special symposium issue of the  University of Miami Race and Social Justice Law Review  will further capture lessons and reflections from the Town Hall and deepen the analysis of the problems raised. Additional sponsors of the Town Hall include the Miami Law Human Rights Society, Freedom Lab Miami, Black Audit Project, University of Miami Center for Global Black Studies, and Miami Law Office of Intellectual Life.

In 2015, the United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge that eradicating poverty is an "indispensable requirement for sustainable development." The goals and targets focus on health and well-being, housing, gender equality, and climate action and correspond with fundamental human rights.

However, according to a report by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Racism, despite the 2030 agenda's promising rhetoric, it largely fails to fulfill its pledge to 'leave no one behind' when it comes to the principles of racial equality and non-discrimination. As the Black Audit Project explains, "Systemic racism and racial oppression manifest in similar ways worldwide, including racial wealth gaps and economic inequity, stark health disparities, fewer educational opportunities, higher incidents of police violence, and decreased safety for Black people. Black communities often live under different conditions despite sharing the same geographical areas as other groups." In the United States, no state is even halfway to achieving the SDGs by 2030 for all racial groups.

By exposing these gaps, the SDGs can serve as an accountability framework guiding disaggregated data collection and highlighting racial inequalities. The Black Audit Project, a multi-city initiative across the U.S., assesses progress on the SDGs and human rights for Black residents. Key findings are then shared with the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, established in 2021 by the U.N. General Assembly to "improve the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent."

Opening remarks will be given by Professor Justin Hansford, member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, and Valencia Gunder, founder of The Smile Trust and Black Collective. The event will address critical issues to Miami-Dade's development, such as housing, food justice, criminal justice, maternal health, and gender-based violence.

The   Saturday, March 2, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. event at The Freedom Lab Miami at 4300 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33127, is free and open to the public with  registration .

Approved for Florida CLE Credits: 3.5 Please see the Town Hall  concept note , agenda, and speaker bios.

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Auburn center’s FHE reputation underscored with multiple winning additively manufactured electronics proposals

Published: Feb 19, 2024 10:30 AM

By Jeremy Henderson

If you're trying to gauge Auburn's preeminence in harsh environment electronics resiliency development and flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) research, look no further than the latest project call of the NextFlex National Manufacturing Institute.

In last year’s Project Call 7 competition, there were two winning Auburn proposals . In the current Project Call 8? Three, collectively funded at $2.5 million with 1:1 cost-share — all focused on additively manufactured (AM) FHE, all competitively won by teams led by Pradeep Lall, the MacFarlane Endowed Distinguished Professor and Alumni Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of Auburn University’s Center for Advanced Vehicle and Extreme Environment Electronics (CAVE3). Under Lall's 15-year leadership, CAVE3 has grown exponentially. In 2015, Lall led the Auburn team contributing to the winning proposal that resulted in the foundation of the NextFlex National Manufacturing Institute. Auburn is a tier-1 founding member of NextFlex, whose mission is to advance U.S. manufacturing of FHE; Lall serves on the NextFlex technical council and has previously served on the governing council of the institute.

The design of electronics for operation in harsh environments has long been an area of research for both Lall and CAVE3. While earning an international reputation for designing electronics for operation in harsh environments relative to automotive, military, defense, and downhole applications, CAVE3 also accelerated the growth of the flexible hybrid electronics industry itself. The topic of Lall's first winning Project Call 8 proposal is a perfect example. The $1 million Auburn-led project with 1:1 cost-share aims to use additive manufacturing in developing in-mold flexible electronics reliability for harsh automotive applications with parts and solutions suppliers including John Deere, Toyota Motors, BayFlex, and MacDermid Alpha as partners. “A large part of the weight of the automotive vehicle is in the form of wire harnesses," Lall said. "The harnesses carry signals from sensors, interfaces and modules to the control units located throughout the vehicles for the purpose of guidance, navigation and control. The wire harnesses alone may contribute almost 200 pounds to the weight of the passenger car. The transition to additive technologies for the replacement of wire harnesses with in-mold electronics will enable size reduction, weight reduction and, thus, reduction of the carbon footprint which has been a key metric for automotive design with increased emphasis on greater fuel efficiency." Once again, enter CAVE3. "Our center has a strong, established infrastructure for the additive fabrication of electronics using a number of methods," Lall said. "The current generation of electronics is largely planar.  However, greater integration of form and function can be achieved with additively manufactured flexible hybrid electronics through the manufacture of non-planar architectures. In terms of future potential applications of in-mold additive FHE, that's very exciting." Also exciting? Meeting the growing challenges of sustainability, a long-standing focus of Lall’s research across several technologies, including lead-free solders, low-temperature interconnects, and currently additively printed sustainable electronics — and the ultimate goal of Lall's second winning Project Call 8 project. Funded at $1 million with 1:1 cost-share, "Biodegradable Substrates Low-Temperature Cure Water-Based Inks Room Temperature Interconnects and Rework for Sustainable Electronics" partners Lall's Auburn-led team with industry partners TapeCon, BayFlex and NovaCentrix. "Conventional electronics uses plate-and-etch processes for manufacture," Lall said. "The waste streams may contain metals and dielectrics, in addition to other toxic chemicals. Additive manufacturing processes allow for the reduction in the amount of production waste, minimizing the impact on the environment. The earlier generation of additive methods still used volatile organic carrier fluids for the realization of manufactured circuits. The current generation of substrates is not biodegradable and thus contributes to the waste. In addition, the use of higher temperature processing requires high energy consumption for production processing."

In the third program, Lall's team of Auburn researchers will serve as a major subcontractor for Boeing. Titled "Additive Die Packaging for Cryogenic and High-Temperature Operations," the project is funded at a cost of $500,000, including 1:1 cost-share. “Electronics packaging has been identified as a critical technology for the continued progression through heterogeneous integration," Lall said. "A number of harsh environment applications often need a high mix and low volume of modules for specific applications. Traditional electronic packaging manufacturing techniques require expensive hard tooling that needs a high volume to allocate the upfront cost of installed infrastructure. The use of additive manufacturing methods allows accommodation for high-mix, low-volume designs and opens up new possibilities for launching new products that may not exist in the current state-of-the-art manufacturing methods." As for the application and broader impact of the program?

"Well, it aligns with the national emphasis of the packaging in the Chips Act with the establishment of the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP)," Lall said. "There is a dearth of high-volume packaging manufacturing capabilities in the United States. Access to additive manufacturing processes for packaging solutions will allow the re-entrenchment of a critical portion of the electronics manufacturing supply chain onshore”.   Lall expects the three programs to also benefit CAVE3's leading work toward developing FHE reliability standards. “We are honored and excited," he said, "to have an opportunity to work on these forward-looking programs that will be impactful on the future of electronics manufacturing."

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Minneapolis could save its 2040 plan with an environmental review. here's why it isn't interested..

Months after a judge threw out Minneapolis' 2040 Comprehensive Plan — prompting in-progress housing projects to grind to a halt — local developers are still hoping that the plan that made Minneapolis the first American city to end single-family zoning can be reinstated, and their projects resurrected .

One way that could happen? The city could comply with court orders and conduct an environmental study of the 2040 Plan. But though they have few other options, Minneapolis leaders have little interest in going that route.

The problem, said Mayor Jacob Frey, is that while 2040 is an environmentally conscious plan, it has been undermined by groups weaponizing environmental law to stall development patterns that are, ironically, designed to use energy more efficiently, reduce the need for cars and contain urban sprawl.

"Environmental laws, they were set up with benevolent intentions decades ago," Frey said. "More recently, we have seen them utilized in a way that has a negative impact on the environment."

The state Supreme Court ruled that the landmark Minnesota Environmental Rights Act gives residents the right to sue for environmental reviews of cities' comprehensive plans. But the mayor is adamant that such reviews only make sense for individual projects with concrete specifications because "the smartest minds in the world can't determine" the environmental impacts of a theoretical citywide build-out.

Yet there are examples of other cities — ones that pay special mind to their water resources — that do environmental studies of comprehensive plans.

Moorhead, on the banks of the Red River along Minnesota's western border, voluntarily evaluates the environmental tradeoffs of the full build-out scenarios envisioned for three large swathes of the city. Seattle has been required to conduct an environmental study with every comprehensive plan update since the 1990s; environmental organizations there say the review process can defuse controversy and ease delays for new projects.

Lawyer Jack Perry, who represents Smart Growth Minneapolis and Minnesota Citizens for the Protection of Migratory Birds, the groups suing for an environmental study of the 2040 Plan, suspects Minneapolis is worried its plan might not survive public scrutiny of its environmental tradeoffs.

He pointed to a 2018 podcast interview in which then-City Council President Lisa Bender said, "We probably would have been [prevented] from voting on our plan" if "we would have had to do an environmental impact assessment." Bender could not be reached to provide additional context for her statements.

Perry said he proposed a settlement deal that would allow stalled developments to proceed as long as the city committed to conducting an independent environmental study and paid the plaintiffs for the more than $1 million in attorney fees they've racked up over five years of litigation. He said he's gotten no response from the city, and called it "scandalous that they are continuing to say they're 'exploring every option.'"

The city felt that the offer wasn't "serious," city spokesperson Sarah McKenzie told the Star Tribune.

Moorhead and Seattle

Moorhead has conducted environmental studies on parts of the city since 2004. Community Development Director Kristie Leshovsky said the goal is to capture the holistic consequences of a city's planning decisions on nature.

"There's everything from storm water to tree canopies to climate adaptation and resilience, fish, wildlife and plant communities," she said. "It covers so many things that from my perspective as a planner, it's very beneficial so that you're not having to try and figure those things out on the fly, or individually, development by development."

Every five years, Moorhead pays about $55,000 to update its environmental studies. The city checks the health of its utilities and infrastructure and calculates the likely impact of increased density. In Leshovsky's experience, having detailed environmental impact documentation has helped the city respond credibly to residents who might be opposed to development.

Seattle, meanwhile, follows a Washington state environmental law that requires citywide environmental reviews of major land use changes. It's not a pass-fail test that can be used to argue against growth, said Seattle long range planning manager Michael Hubner. Rather, the process helps the city mitigate the potential problems of growth, including clogged roads, tree loss and displacement of the less privileged.

But the process is not without burden. Seattle is paying $700,000 for the consultants doing its 10-year comprehensive plan update. And once the final study is produced, concerned parties can appeal and potentially delay Seattle's housing construction goals.

Still, Hubner said, the process is worth it.

"We do a lot of talk in Washington state about reforming our State Environmental Policy Act to make it less burdensome, but still retain its core value," he said.

Tiernan Martin of Futurewise, a Washington sustainable growth organization, said that while environmental policy has been used in Seattle to thwart individual projects on less-than-sincere grounds, recent law changes have made it easier for cities to use comprehensive plan environmental findings to override some of those efforts.

"While an [environmental study] can be expensive and time-consuming to produce, we believe it provides real benefits to the public by requiring the city to collect and share information like the existing conditions, environmental impacts, and potential mitigation measures."

Remaining options

Minneapolis hired the engineering consulting firm Stantec last year to perform some kind of environmental analysis of the 2040 Plan but has declined requests for additional information about that process.

This year the city is prioritizing other strategies for saving the 2040 Plan.

First, it continues to litigate, with oral arguments in the Court of Appeals scheduled for Wednesday. City attorneys will argue that District Judge Joseph Klein imposed too tough an injunction when he told Minneapolis to conduct an environmental study or scrap 2040 for good. The Court of Appeals has already heard the case twice .

Second, the city hopes to change state law. Minneapolis' first policy goal for the new legislative session: tweaking the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act so that the comprehensive plans of metro cities are automatically considered conduct that wouldn't pollute natural resources.

Susan Du covers the city of Minneapolis for the Star Tribune.

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Housing | 6-story Studio City apartment development…

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Housing | 6-story Studio City apartment development challenged by environmental group

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ALHAMBRA — A nonprofit environmental group is asking a judge to set aside the City Council’s finding that a Studio City apartment project near the Los Angeles River can go forward with an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act.

The development includes a six-story building featuring nearly 130 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments above a two-level, 145-car underground parking garage on Arch Drive, just north of Ventura Boulevard and west of Vineland Avenue.

On Dec. 5, the Planning and Land Use Management Committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted to deny an appeal by the petitioner, the Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility, and upheld the Planning Commission’s determination that the project falls under a category of CEQA exemptions in which a development is determined to not have a significant environmental impact.

Eight days later, the City Council voted to uphold the PLUM Committee’s denial of the group’s appeal.

But according to the nonprofit’s Alhambra Superior Court petition filed Jan. 24, the project’s construction and operation would expose residential and commercial tenants to cancer-causing formaldehyde emissions. In addition, construction would produce diesel particulate matter emissions, a known human carcinogen, above applicable CEQA significance thresholds, the petition states.

The project’s height also would exceed limitations and would conflict with the Los Angeles River Master Plan’s goal to promote and encourage habitat corridors, including those of birds, the petition maintains.

A representative for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The petitioners want the project approval set aside until it is brought into compliance with CEQA guidelines. No hearing dates have yet been set by Judge Joel Lofton, who has been assigned the case.

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