Our Blog
Sharp opinion and analysis on issues that are critical to sustainable development.
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December 7
We Must Study Marijuana's Impact on the Environment Before It's Too Late
How could marijuana impact freshwater supplies? The focus on human health with Canada’s legalization has highlighted the lack of discussion on the potential environmental effects.
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December 3
Freshwater Lakes’ Pollution Problems Go Beyond Plastics
Focusing solely on plastic pollution ignores the myriad problems — from algae to pollution — that plague our lakes
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November 28
Contract Farming: Challenges and a new tool for success
IISD and FAO have developed a Model Agreement for Responsible Contract Farming to help farmers and responsible buyers address the shortcomings of contract farming.
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November 27
Ten Years of G20 Summits: Hopes and failures
Does the G20 have anything to offer in a world of conflict and confusion?
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November 27
What's Stalling the G20's Move to Clean Energy?
Next year will mark a decade since G20 leaders met in Pittsburgh and promised to identify and eliminate subsidies to fossil fuels. In that time, trillions of dollars in government budgets have been spent to subsidize fossil fuel production and consumption.
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November 27
The End of Coal? What to Watch for at the Upcoming UN Climate Conference (COP24)
While COP24 was always intended to be a "technical" conference—with parties focused on finalizing the details required to operationalize the Paris Agreement—there is potential for a strong political element to the discussion.
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November 27
To Think Local and Act Local You Need Local Data
Data is no exception to the trend of localizing our consumption, charitable giving and development efforts.
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November 19
Citizen Science Fills Critical Gap in Monitoring Freshwater Resources
Most of us lack baseline data about our ecosystems, which makes it difficult to recognize changes and detect early warning signs. Enter citizen science.
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November 16
Not a Case of Either/Or: How government and mines in Zambia can save money through energy efficiency
For years, Zambia’s large hydroelectric dams were able to meet the power needs of its mines, but facing rising electricity demands the country opted to increase generation using coal, diesel and heavy fuel oil.
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November 15
What Do Bears and Smartphones Have in Common?
The challenge that electronics hibernation poses to the circular economy.
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