All entries by this author

Rights of Nature – The Planet’s Best Hope?

Jan 1st, 2018 | By
[photo: pixabay.com]

By Suzanne York. As the world rings in a new year, there are the ubiquitous feelings of desiring fresh starts and new beginnings. Yes, a fresh start is greatly needed, as the state of the global environment (and more) is extremely bleak. With so much on the line for the planet as a whole –
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A Second Chance to Get Paper Products Right

Nov 29th, 2017 | By
[photo: FAO]

By Candela Vázquez Asenjo, youth blogger, Transition Earth. What would happen if one day we did not have any more paper? Would technology be the only alternative and solution to this and other pressing problems? We live in a time where the Earth’s forest mass is fast disappearing due to the massive deforestation caused by human
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Cultivating Change for the Climate

Nov 28th, 2017 | By
Climate art outside the climate negotiation zones, Bonn [photo: Suzanne York]

By Suzanne York. The climate negotiations that took place earlier this month in Bonn, Germany (referred to as COP23) dealt with challenging issues, including the U.S. government sticking its head in the ground regarding the reality of climate change. Still, there are reasons to be somewhat hopeful that global society overall is moving in the
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Pollution: The Lasting Effect of the Anthropocene Era?

Oct 22nd, 2017 | By
[photo: UNEP]

By Suzanne York. It’s shocking news that impacts people the world over. A study by the Lancet medical journal has found environmental pollution is the largest cause of disease and death, killing more people each year than war and violence, accounting for 16 percent of all global deaths. The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health
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Letting Nature Speak for Us: What Borneo Taught Me

Oct 17th, 2017 | By
Rescued orangutan orphans [photo: International Animal Rescue]

By Candela Vázquez Asenjo, youth blogger, Transition Earth. When I decided to volunteer to work with orangutans in Indonesian Borneo, little did I know how much it would change my life. It all started with Jane Goodall. Her life and spirit of discovery has always been an inspiration to me since I was young. It
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Deforestation – The Problem that Affects Everyone

Sep 13th, 2017 | By
Deforestation in Indonesia [photo: un.org]

By Candela Vázquez Asenjo, youth blogger, Transition Earth. This past summer I volunteered with an orangutan sanctuary located in Borneo, Indonesia. The feeling of being just one more creature in the middle of the forest, no longer an intruder but a guest, is a beautiful gift that few people get to experience. However, there is a
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Water and the Connection to Women’s Empowerment

Aug 31st, 2017 | By
[photo: UN Women Watch]

By Suzanne York. Water. When it comes to Mother Nature, it often seems these days as if we either have too much of it or not enough of this most precious of resources. As World Water Week kicked off in Stockholm (a gathering of water experts and professionals from across many sectors), the World Bank
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What Does Family Planning Have To Do With Elephants?

Aug 11th, 2017 | By
Family

By Suzanne York. On this World Elephant Day, it’s well known to many people that elephants are on the path to extinction in the wild, if something isn’t done soon to change this narrative. Last year, the Great Elephant Census, based on aerial surveys, concluded there are just over 350,000 elephants in Africa. It is
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Earth Overshoot – Can Our Society Change Course?

Aug 1st, 2017 | By
In the fishing community of Wanseko, Uganda, fisherfolk face many threats to their livelihoods and community [photo: Suzanne York]

By Suzanne York. Another Earth Overshoot Day is upon us, this one coming August 2nd, even earlier than last year. This date, calculated by Global Footprint Network, arrives earlier with each passing year, as humanity uses up natural resources faster than the Earth can replenish in a year. Currently we are using the ecological resources
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Is a Growing Population an Asset or Challenge?

Jul 24th, 2017 | By
Ugandan kids in Buhoma, near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park [photo credit: Suzanne York]

By Suzanne York. In Uganda, home to incredible biodiversity and some of the world’s friendliest people, the idea of a growing population is viewed by some as a positive, when actually the 1.2 million people added to the population every year is putting enormous pressure on people, communities and the environment. The facts speak for
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