Elements of Sustainability
Food
Energy
Water
Climate
in the 21st Century
EcoResource Consulting and Coaching is an environmental and sustainable development business that provides consulting
and coaching services around the world. EcoResource engages organizations and individuals to innovate through action and world
change.
Learn more at: www.ecoresourceconsulting.com
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Corrina working at a farmers' market in New Orleans, LA. |
Message from Corrina Steward
Happy Earth Day! Welcome to the first
issue of Elements of Sustainability: Food, Energy, Water and Climate in the 21st Century.
I’ve crafted this monthly newsletter to capture
today’s most pressing environmental concerns from a development perspective. Every month, you will find: a guest
commentator, news and analysis, innovations from the field, and the latest trends in environmental markets. It is my hope that my
newsletter is informative, educational and stimulating.
The main question I seek to answer is:
What are the truly sustainable global food, energy and
water development solutions?
What matters most to me is not how well our communities
and institutions do on a greenhouse gas emissions calculation, but how well we, as humanity, are living. While hunger, poverty and
out-of-control consumption remain, we must continue to ask ourselves what we can do and how can we do it with integrity and purpose.
Thank you for reading! Send your
thoughts to csteward@ecoresourceconsulting.com, and
we’ll post them in the next newsletter.
Be well,
Corrina Steward
Founding Principal
EcoResource Consulting and Coaching
Read Full Message |
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Commentary
Science and
Sustainability
By Jake Miller
At this year's American Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Boston (February 14-18), alongside talks on mind-blowing
advances in theoretical quantum physics, there were a host of discussions on the interconnected elements of sustainability: food, water, energy
and climate change.
But I couldn’t help wondering what we were missing my not hearing
from artisanal fishers and other traditional communities who have depended on local ecologies for centuries.
Read Full Article |
News and Analysis
New Study Finds Carbon Debt Linked to
Biofuels
Clearning rainforest and other critical habitats for biofuels contribute to greenhouse gas
emissions, according to a new study published in Science (February 2008). |
World
must reform agriculture now or face dire crisis: report
Agricultural development "should be targeted toward strategies that combine
productivity with protecting natural resources like soils, water, forests, and biodiversity", say the International Assessment for Agricultural Science and Technology Development (IAASTD) in a new report. |
World Food Shortages to Stay, Riots a Risk: FAO
The head of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Jacques
Diouf warned that high food prices and the crisis for food access are likely to remain for some time. His remarks come at a
time when food riots have been felt in Egypt, Cameroon, Haiti and Burkina Faso. Diouf said that more unrest could be seen
in countries where more than 50% of household income is going to food.
More on the Global Food Crisis
A Worsening Food Crisis, Washington Post
Fuel Choices, Food Crisis and Finger Pointing, NY Times
Pictures from Around the World, Guardian, UK
Sustainability Innovations
Mexican Community Leader
Wins Environmental Prize for Tackling Climate Change, Industrial Ag and Migration
I met Jesus Leon Santos at a conference in the U.S. on agroecology and food sovereignty 4 years
ago. His work as an environmental leader is inspirational and cutting-edge. It represents the kinds of sustainability solutions we
need today: place-based, community-focused, locally-driven and globally minded.
Congratulations, Jesus and CEDICAM for leading the way!
Read about his work here. |
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New Standards Launch for Carbon Markets
The Climate Action Reserve, a new set of standards meant to bring transparency and accuracy to the
U.S. voluntary carbon reduction market, launched Monday. Ken Newcombe, Managing Director and Head of U.S. Carbon Desk, Goldman Sachs,
said "We are enthusiastic about the work the Reserve is doing because it provides increased certainty about investing in this sector." |
The
Folly of Turning Water into Fuel
Most recent controversy over ethanol has focused on the its poor energy return, this article looks
at it's return on water use. |
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