Earth Intelligence

Food System Economics Commission—Why now?

By: Joseph Robertson June 22, 2020June 24, 2020

Food System Transformationclimate resilience, food economics, food system economics, FSEC, hunger, regenerative farming, SDGs, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food systems

Dear Friends, I recently took on the role of Commission Director for the Food System Economics Commission—an independent, interdisciplinary academic commission working to deliver a state-of-the-art scientific assessment on the economics of the transition to healthy, inclusive and sustainable food systems. Food systems at all levels suffer from flawed design, supply chain vulnerabilities, and compounding…

Energy Must be Adaptive, Agile, Accessible & Pollution-Free

By: Liberate Energy May 9, 2020May 16, 2020

Future Visioningbuild back better, clean energy, clean finance, green recovery, net-zero, post-COVID, SDGs, zero emissions

The future of energy is being shaped by many converging forces, among them: Fast-moving multifaceted innovation; The geophysical and human health need for clean energy; Sustained and expanding growth-potential for low-carbon investments; Urban planning, energy-efficient building, and utility reform; Financial innovation, including integration of Earth science insights; The COVID-19 pandemic disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic emergency…

Integrative Geopolitics: An Earth Day Event

By: Earth Intelligence April 22, 2020June 29, 2020

Resilience Imperativeagriculture, carbon emissions, climate-smart farming, climate-smart finance, COVID-19, Earth Day, ecosystem services, events, natural capital, ocean, science, watershed, zero emissions

An Earth Day 2020 talk, delivered to Lehigh University by Joseph Robertson, on the 50th annual Earth Day—April 22, 2020. Integrative Geopolitics: Climate Resilience in a Post-COVID World This online event is the keynote for Lehigh’s Earth Week 2020 Celebration, with support from the Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with the Environmental Initiative, Environmental Studies…

Macrocritical Resilience is the Fast Track to Shared Prosperity

By: Joseph Robertson April 15, 2020May 20, 2020

Resilience Imperativeclimate finance, climate-smart finance, ecosystem services, green finance, natural capital, SDGs

We are entering a new age for the Earth’s climate and for the way we conceive of finance. “Macrocritical resilience” is a wonky way of talking about reducing risk and achieving health in areas of activity that affect everything you live and strive for. It is a common sense idea: the underlying foundations of value…

Time for Co-Creating a Resilient Future

By: Engage4Climate April 10, 2020April 10, 2020

Resilience ImperativeCOP25, COP26, COVID-19, NDCs, pandemic, Paris Agreement, UNFCCC

Postponement of COP26 provides opportunity for deep collaborative work to achieve a more resilient & prosperous future. On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, the UN Climate Change secretariat and the UK Government—which holds the COP26 Presidency—announced the annual UN climate negotiations will be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. The conference—which will be the largest…

Wild Mercy is in Our Hands

By: Joseph Robertson April 5, 2020April 10, 2020

Resilience Imperative

To slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and save lives, much of the world is under mandatory stay-at-home orders, including more than 300 million people in the United States. The everyday economy is shut down to the point the world around us feels a little like cropland in deep winter. Working together, we can,…

Call for Collaborative Action to Address Planetary-scale Emergencies

By: Geoversiv March 28, 2020March 28, 2020

Resilience Imperative

A message from Geoversiv: On March 26, we signed an Open Letter to Global Leaders to show support for a Call to Action from the Planetary Emergency Partnership. Geoversiv was created to foster collaborative investigation and innovation, to address and transcend the global unsustainability crisis. We are now facing multiple overlapping planetary-scale emergencies—each of which…

COVID-19: Stay Home, Save Lives

By: Geoversiv March 27, 2020April 16, 2020

Resilience ImperativeCDC, coronavirus, COVID-19, IMF, pandemic, WHO

Please note: Geoversiv is not a public health institution and should not be treated as the definitive authority on pandemic-related information. This page is provided as a public service, to connect readers to basic background information and to useful expert guidance and the latest reporting. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center images are being updated…

Biodiversity is a Measure of Our Actual & Potential Wellbeing

By: Joseph Robertson March 18, 2020March 20, 2020

Resilience Imperativebiodiversity, ecology, ecosystem science, ecosystem services, natural capital, resilience

What is Biodiversity? And why should it matter to you? Biological diversity is a vital sign for nature’s complex life-support systems. If you have too few species in a given environment, the complex ecosystem that makes life work in that environment is more vulnerable to serious disruption. To put it bluntly, a less biodiverse ecosystem…

Amazon Rainforest Feared to Be ‘Past Point of No-Return’

By: Earth Intelligence March 17, 2020March 18, 2020

Resilience ImperativeAmazon, carbon emissions, carbon sink, climate disruption, conservation, forestry, global heating, Nature-Based Solutions, rainforest

In a shocking, but not entirely surprising development, Antonio Donato Nobre—a leading Amazon rainforest conservation expert—says the actions of the Bolsonaro government in Brazil may have put the viability of the complex Amazon rainforest ecosystem beyond the point of no-return. This is because of a convergence of two major destructive forces—deforestation and climate disruption. The…

Public Participation to Improve Global Outcomes

By: Engage4Climate February 25, 2020March 19, 2020

Climate Geopoliticsclimate negotiations, climate rights, COP25, COP26, SB52, UNFCCC

CCE Submission for the Next Phase of ACE Implementation This submission is offered in response to mandate: Decision 15/CP.25, paragraph 3—by Citizens’ Climate Education, on behalf of the Engage4Climate Network and local volunteer chapters of Citizens’ Climate Lobby in 55 countries—and offers “recommendations and views on future work to enhance the implementation of Article 6…

Central Banks’ Climate Resilience will Affect You Personally

By: Joseph Robertson February 17, 2020February 17, 2020

Resilience Imperativecarbon emissions, climate resilience, climate-smart farming, climate-smart finance, ecosystem services, finance ministers, fiscal resilience, food, food price shocks, global heating, green finance, natural capital, resilience value, sustainable food systems, watershed, World Economic Forum

We are living through historic—and perilous—separation of high finance from everyday experience. Accelerating climate disruption is a symptom of the unaccountability that comes with such disconnections. And yet, central banks’ efforts to mitigate climate risk and build resilience will affect you personally. When food is scarce, prices rise; this is one of the most significant…

Earth Intelligence

Biodiversity is a Measure of Our Actual & Potential Wellbeing

Shift Incentives to Transform the Food System

2020 Vision: Deciding to Be Free

UK is Stress-Testing Banks for Climate Risk; All Nations Should

Food System Economics Commission—Why now?

Energy Must be Adaptive, Agile, Accessible & Pollution-Free

Integrative Geopolitics: An Earth Day Event

Macrocritical Resilience is the Fast Track to Shared Prosperity

Time for Co-Creating a Resilient Future

Wild Mercy is in Our Hands

Call for Collaborative Action to Address Planetary-scale Emergencies

COVID-19: Stay Home, Save Lives

Biodiversity is a Measure of Our Actual & Potential Wellbeing

Amazon Rainforest Feared to Be ‘Past Point of No-Return’

Public Participation to Improve Global Outcomes

Central Banks’ Climate Resilience will Affect You Personally