28 College Teams to Compete in Sustainable Home Design Challenge
It's time for college students in the U.S. and Canada to show their sustainable homebuilding skills.
Twenty-eight teams are embarking on Golden, CO this weekend to take part in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Challenge Home Student Design Competition. Before a panel of industry experts gathered at the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the teams will present zero-energy ready home designs for the chance to win an award and recognition around North America.
The idea is for the DOE and NREL to help breed architects and engineers that focus on sustainability. Teams will be judged on design and construction packages, project plans and energy-saving strategies, according to an NREL statement.
A look inside the 960-square-foot, one-bedroom house a team from Rutgers University helped design for the Solar Decathlon in 2011. Rutgers is sending a team to Colorado this year for the Challenge Home Student Design Competition. Photo credit: Team NJ
"The competition will provide the next generation of architects, engineers, construction managers and entrepreneurs with skills and experience that can support careers in the expanding field of energy efficiency and renewable energy," the statement reads.
Teams from the following colleges and universities will be participating in the competition:
- Auburn University (Auburn, AL) – two teams
- California State University - Fresno
- California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo)
- University of Colorado – Denver – two teams
- Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta)
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago)
- Illinois State University (Normal)
- University of Kansas (Lawrence)
- Lake Superior College (Duluth, MN)
- University of Massachusetts – Lowell
- University of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
- University of Nevada – Las Vegas
- Onondaga Community College (Syracuse, NY)
- Pennsylvania College of Technology (Williamsport) – two teams
- Pennsylvania State University (State College)
- University of Pittsburgh
- Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI)
- Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)Ryerson University (Toronto, ON) – two teams
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse, NY)
- Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)
- University of Toronto
- University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
- University of Wyoming (Laramie)
Over the course of the three-day event, the students will also get to hear from industry leaders like Gene Myers, New Town Builders and John McLinden, StreetScape Development LLC.
Since the DOE also operates the Solar Decathlon, that events off year serves as the award-year for the Challenge Home competition.
Since 2008, the Builders Challenge program has recognized hundreds of leading builders for their achievements in energy efficiency, resulting in more than 14,000 energy efficient homes and millions of dollars in energy savings, according to the DOE.
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This fall brings three new environmental movies. David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet | Official Trailer
This week marks the official start of fall, but longer nights and colder days can make it harder to spend time outdoors. Luckily, there are several inspiring environmental films that can be streamed at home.
1. Kiss the Ground
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccc5f0c92a5603e68aec39e56b0db02a"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K3-V1j-zMZw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Streaming On: Netflix</strong></p><p><strong>Premiere Date: Sept. 22</strong></p><p>Between <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/wildfires-california-washington-oregon-photos-2647585008.html" target="_self">wildfires devastating the U.S. West Coast</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tropical-storm-beta-landfall-2647760268.html" target="_self">storms battering the Gulf</a>, the impacts of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> can feel overwhelming right now. <em><a href="https://kissthegroundmovie.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kiss the Ground</a> </em>offers an alternative to all of the bad news by focusing on solutions.</p><p>The film, directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell and narrated by Woody Harrelson, explains how we can heal the Earth through "regenerative agriculture," farming practices that draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and into soil as a way to restore soil health, which in turn boosts ecosystems and food supplies.</p><p>"<em>Kiss the Ground </em>shows how feasible it is to make these changes at a grassroots level immediately and make a truly substantive impact with low cost and easy to implement solutions," Executive Producer RJ Jain said in an email. "This is why I got involved."</p>2. Public Trust: The Fight for America's Public Lands
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5338f7a2931e356910026e5fd76fac56"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jsKMTAaj_wQ?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Streaming On: YouTube</strong></p><p><strong>Premiere Date: Sept. 25, 2 p.m. EDT </strong></p><p>This <a href="https://www.patagonia.com/films/public-trust/" target="_blank">award-winning documentary</a> tells the stories of Indigenous activists, journalists, whistleblowers and historians working to protect America's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-lands" target="_self">public lands</a>. The film focuses on three political struggles: the shrinking of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bears-ears" target="_self">Bears Ears</a> National Monument in Utah, the mining of Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota and the opening of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/Arctic-National-Wildlife-Refuge" target="_self">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a> to fossil fuel exploration.</p><p><em>Public Trust</em> was directed by David Garrett Byars and produced by Jeremy Rubingh. Patagonia Films, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and actor Robert Redford are executive producers. It will be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGjnIG7puzY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">released</a> on YouTube in time for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-public-lands-day-2640656776.html" target="_self">National Public Lands Day</a>.</p><p>"Our country is fortunate to have millions of acres of public lands, including National Parks, Monuments, Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness set aside for future generations," Redford said. "Sadly, these lands that belong to you and me are under unprecedented threats from the greed of big corporations, eager to weaken restrictions in the pursuit of profits. Many of our current politicians are also to blame. <em>Public Trust</em> tells the story of citizens who are fighting back. It's a much-needed wake-up call for all of us who want to preserve our unique and wild cultural heritage."</p>3. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="156438a30836a765d7a92982545fc334"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B_OFZvAd05Y?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><strong>Streaming On: Netflix</strong></p><p><strong>Premiere Date: Oct. 4</strong></p><p>Beloved nature broadcaster <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/David-Attenborough" target="_self">David Attenborough</a> has spent his career introducing viewers to the wonders of our planet. In recent years, his footage of albatrosses swallowing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a> in <em>Blue Planet II</em> has been credited with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/2018-fighting-plastic-waste-2624606566.html" target="_self">helping to ramp up</a> the global fight against plastic pollution. Now, in this <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF)-produced <a href="https://www.attenborough.film/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">documentary</a>, he reflects on the defining moments of his career and the devastating changes he has witnessed.</p><p><em>David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet,</em> which was also produced by Silverback Films and directed by Alastair Fothergill, Jonnie Hughes and Keith Scholey, features an intimate conversation between Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin as the broadcaster reflects on his life and a career that took him to every continent on Earth. In addition to streaming on Netflix, the movie will be available in select theaters starting Sept. 28.</p><p>"For decades, David has brought the natural world to the homes of audiences worldwide, but there has never been a more significant moment for him to share his own story and reflections," WWF executive producer Colin Butfield said in a <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/david-attenborough-life-our-planet" target="_blank">statement</a>. "This film coincides with a monumental year for environmental action as world leaders make critical decisions on nature and climate. It sends a powerful message from the most inspiring and celebrated naturalist of our time."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Amazon Employees for Climate Justice walk out and rally at the company's headquarters to demand that leaders take action on climate change in Seattle, Washington on Sept. 20, 2019. JASON REDMOND / AFP via Getty Images
The world's largest online retailer is making it slightly easier for customer to make eco-conscious choices.
<p>Amazon announced Wednesday that approximately 25,000 products will receive a "Climate Pledge Friendly" designation to guide customers toward products that are helping the retail giant meet its commitment to be carbon neutral in 20 years, as <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-climatechange/amazon-launches-climate-friendly-program-to-help-shop-for-sustainable-products-idUKKCN26E0TB" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>Amazon noted that the label will apply to a broad range of products. In a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200923005297/en/Amazon-Launches-%E2%80%98Climate-Pledge-Friendly%E2%80%99-to-Make-It-Easier-for-Customers-to-Discover-and-Shop-for-Sustainable-Products" target="_blank">press release</a>, the company said, "Climate Pledge Friendly selection includes grocery, household, fashion, beauty, and personal electronics products, as well as items from a range of other categories — from brands including Seventh Generation, Burt's Bees Baby, and HP Inc. Climate Pledge Friendly products are clearly labeled in shopping results, have additional sustainability information on the product page, and are featured in a dedicated section of our store."</p>
<p>Amazon has been under increasing pressure from its own employees who have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-for-climate-justice-risk-2644930204.html" target="_self">risked their own careers to speak out</a> against the company's climate policies. The Seattle-based company has an enormous carbon footprint due to its commitment to speedy deliveries, its transportation emissions and its data centers, as Reuters reported.</p><p>A paper in <em>Environmental Science & Technology</em>, a scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society, found that going to a physical store actually has a lower carbon footprint than shopping on Amazon. That's due to the fact that people tend to buy just a few items online. When they go to a store, they are more likely to stock up and reduce the need for further trips. Also, the demand for faster shipping leads to inefficient packing and delivery routes, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/23/business/amazon-climate-friendly-products/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p>
<p>Environmental activists and people working to make delivery systems more environmentally friendly gave a lukewarm reception to Amazon's announcement and expressed concern that the label was a bit of "green washing."</p><p>"Some of the language is a little bit deceiving," said Alexis Bateman, director of the <a href="https://ctl.mit.edu/research/current-projects/sustainable-supply-chains" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT Sustainable Supply Chains Initiative</a>, as <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-tries-to-make-it-easier-to-identify-green-products-with-new-climate-pledge-friendly-label/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Seattle Times</a> reported. "Not to minimize the value of animal welfare, fair trade or fair wages." He added that just because a company offers fair wages does not mean it is eco-conscious or reducing its carbon footprint.</p><p>"That said, the fact that Amazon is doing anything in this space is just awesome, because when Amazon acts, then the pressure will be diffused across every actor that sells on their platform and is in competition with them, the biggest retailers and e-tailers of the world," Bateman added.</p>
<p>Other activists echoed the sentiment, viewing the label as a burden passed on to the consumer when the company could share the environmental impact of all its products or cut ties with companies that are not eco-conscious.</p><p>"While Amazon's sustainable shopping site is a good first step, it's not the level of ambition needed," said Jenny Ahlen, director of EDF+Business, a branch of the Environmental Defense Fund, in a <a href="https://business.edf.org/insights/amazon-takes-long-overdue-first-step-in-driving-sustainable-shopping" target="_blank">blog post</a>, as The Seattle Times reported. "Shoppers might be able to look through products with certifications, but what about the hundreds of thousands of other products sold on Amazon that don't have certifications. How will shoppers know what their impacts are?"</p>
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Moms Clean Air Force members attend a press conference hosted by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announcing legislation to ban chlorpyrifos on July 25, 2017. Moms Clean Air Force
The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a risk assessment for toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos Tuesday that downplayed its effects on children's brains and may be the first indication of how the administration's "secret science" policy could impact public health.
<p>Several studies have found that babies exposed to chlorpyrifos in the womb can suffer from lower birth weights, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, lower IQ and limited working memory, <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/epa-ignores-evidence-chlorpyrifos-causes-permanent-damage-to-childrens-brains" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earthjustice pointed out</a>. But the EPA on Tuesday discounted those findings, ruling instead that the science on chlorpyrifos' brain-damaging effects "remains unresolved." In doing so, it reversed the findings of EPA scientists from previous administrations.</p>
<p>"This shows that E.P.A. has completely abandoned any commitment to protecting children from this extremely toxic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals" target="_self">chemical</a> when their own scientists recommended twice to ban it," <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> senior director for health Erik D. Olson told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/climate/epa-pesticide-chlorpyrifos-children.html?fbclid=IwAR1oVHFXSRiLg7sx1wgirelbWGK5jBoZ6b_NO0diW0o-RBfJRUTDU4itq6w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "The science is being overridden by politics."</p>
<p>In Tuesday's conclusion, the EPA discounted several epidemiological studies, including a prominent one conducted by Columbia University that found a connection between chlorpyrifos exposure in utero and developmental disorders in toddlers. This suggests the agency is moving forward with its proposed "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-limits-science-public-health-2645395622.html" target="_self">secret science</a>" policy that would reject or at least give less weight to the conclusions of studies that do not make their underlying data public. However, several long-term health studies do not publish such data in order to preserve their subjects' privacy. The "secret science" policy has not yet been made an official EPA rule, but the agency already seems to be applying it in the case of the chlorpyrifos assessment. EPA spokesperson James Hewitt said the agency had not been able to confirm the conclusions of the Columbia study.</p><p>"The EPA is ignoring decades of science by leading universities and in doing so, it's neglecting its duty to protect children from pesticides," Earthjustice managing attorney Patti Goldman said in a statement. "Ignoring the demonstrated harm to children doesn't make chlorpyrifos safe, it just shows a commitment to keep a toxic pesticide in the market and in our food at all cost."</p>
<p>EPA scientists sounded the alarm on chlorpyrifos in 2014 and 2016, recommending it be banned from use on food, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/517654-epa-questions-science-linking-widely-used-pesticide-to-brain-damage" target="_blank">according to The Hill</a>. (It was already banned for household use in 2000). But in 2017, the EPA under Trump <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-pesticide-ban-chlorpyrifos-2338511186.html" target="_self">halted</a> the process of banning the chemical. This <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pesticide-chlorpyrifos-2458558122.html" target="_self">triggered a round of lawsuits</a>, leading eventually to Tuesday's risk assessment.</p><p>"They kicked the decision back to scientists and said they're reanalyzing it so that's how they got around the courts telling them to decide whether to ban it or not," <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> senior scientist Nathan Donley told The Hill.</p><p>He said Tuesday's assessment suggests it is unlikely that the agency will ultimately decide to ban the pesticide.</p><p>Meanwhile, states including <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-chlorpyrifos-ban-2636704080.html" target="_self">California</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/chlorpyrifos-ban-hawaii-2578016885.html" target="_self">Hawaii</a> have taken matters into their own hands and banned the chemical. Corteva, the pesticide's No. 1 maker, has said it will stop producing it by the end of 2020, according to The New York Times. Despite this, Earthjustice pointed to <a href="https://beta.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0850-0938" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EPA documents</a> showing that Corteva has been lobbying the agency.</p>
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Evacuees wait to board a bus as they are evacuated by local and state government officials before the arrival of Hurricane Laura on August 26, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By Maria Trimarchi and Sarah Gleim
If all the glaciers and ice caps on the planet melted, global sea level would rise by about 230 feet. That amount of water would flood nearly every coastal city around the world [source: U.S. Geological Survey]. Rising temperatures, melting arctic ice, drought, desertification and other catastrophic effects of climate change are not examples of future troubles — they are reality today. Climate change isn't just about the environment; its effects touch every part of our lives, from the stability of our governments and economies to our health and where we live.
<p>Where would you go if, say, a flood devastated the city you live in? Millions of people around the world have been forced to answer this question. In 2017, 68.5 million people were displaced — more than at any point in human history, according to the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-climate-crisis-migration-and-refugees" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brookings Institute</a>. More than one-third of those were uprooted by sudden weather events, including floods, forest fires and intense storms. A <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29461" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018 report from the World Bank</a>, which focused on three regions — Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America — found that without tangible climate action, more than 143 million people in just these three areas will be forced to move to escape the impacts of climate change by 2050.</p><p>But more than <a href="http://visionofhumanity.org/indexes/ecological-threat-register/" target="_blank">1 billion people worldwide</a> will live in countries with insufficient infrastructure to withstand climate change by 2050. The Pacific Islands are expected to be affected especially hard. Sea level there is already rising at almost 0.5 inches per year. Eight islands have already been submerged and two more are close to vanishing. By the year 2100, experts fear <a href="https://qrius.com/disappearing-island-nations-are-the-sinking-reality-of-climate-change/" target="_blank">48 more islands</a> in the Pacific will be completely underwater.</p><p>So what about the people who live there? What do we call these people who will be displaced? It's actually complicated. It's difficult to determine what category these migrants should fall under because no global definition exists. Why does that matter? Without a standard method of classification, there's no way to track how many people are affected or displaced by an environmental or climate event. So the most commonly used term is "environmental refugee."</p>
<p>Experts credit the term and its definition to UN Environment Program (UNEP) researcher Essam El-Hinnawi, who in 1985 wrote the United Nations report titled "<a href="http://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/2651?show=full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Environmental Refugees</a>." El-Hinnawi defined environmental refugees as:</p><p><em>... those people who have been forced to leave their traditional habitat, temporarily or permanently, because of a marked environmental disruption (natural and/or triggered by people) that jeopardized their existence and/or seriously affected the quality of their life.</em></p><p>This working definition has been the baseline for current debate.</p><p>But according to the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, a refugee "is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion" [source: <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/3b66c2aa10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees</a>]. Environmental refugees do not legally fall under this status.</p>
<p>Why environmental refugees flee their homes is a complicated mixture of environmental degradation and desperate socioeconomic conditions. People leave their homes when their livelihoods and safety are jeopardized. What effects of climate change put them in jeopardy? Climate change triggers, among other problems, desertification and drought, <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/deforestation.htm" target="_blank">deforestation</a>, land degradation, rising sea levels, <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/flood.htm" target="_blank">floods</a>, more frequent and more extreme storms, <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/earthquake.htm" target="_blank">earthquakes</a>, <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/volcano.htm" target="_blank">volcanoes</a>, food insecurity and famine.</p><p>The September <a href="http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2020/09/ETR_2020_web-1.pdf" target="_blank">2020 Ecological Threat Register Report</a>, by the Institute for Economics & Peace, predicts the hardest hit populations will be:</p><ul><li>Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa</li><li>Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Chad, India and Pakistan (which are among the world's least peaceful countries)</li><li>Pakistan, Ethiopia and Iran are most at risk for mass displacements</li><li>Haiti faces the highest risk of all countries in Central America and the Caribbean</li><li>India and China will be among countries experiencing high or extreme water stress</li></ul>
<p>The <a href="http://visionofhumanity.org/indexes/ecological-threat-register/" target="_blank">report also suggests</a> that developed countries like the United States and regions like Europe are not immune. "The European refugee crisis in the wake of wars in Syria and Iraq in 2015 saw 2 million people flee to Europe and highlights the link between rapid population shifts with political turbulence and social unrest." Developed countries including Sweden, Norway, Ireland face little to no threat, the report found.</p><p>Climate change does not impact all people and all parts of the world in the same way. While floods ravage some areas, deserts are spreading in others. Desertification and depleted resources, including shortages of water and fertile land, are long-term consequences of climate change. But one of the biggest threats will be <a href="https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/all-wasted-food-in-u-s-could-feed-84-population.htm" target="_blank">food insecurity</a>.</p><p>"Ecological threats and climate change pose serious challenges to global peacefulness," Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace <a href="http://visionofhumanity.org/indexes/ecological-threat-register/" target="_blank">said in the in the 2020 Ecological Threat Report</a>. "Over the next 30 years, lack of access to food and water will only increase without urgent global cooperation. In the absence of action civil unrest, riots and conflict will most likely increase. COVID-19 is already exposing gaps in the global food chain."</p>
<p>The report suggests global demand for food will increase by <a href="http://visionofhumanity.org/indexes/ecological-threat-register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">50 percent by 2050</a>. That means if there's no increase in food supply, many people could starve or be forced to flee in search of food. Currently, more than 2 billion people around the world are already food insecure.</p><p>When faced with the decision to flee, most people want to stay in their own country or region. Leaving a country requires money and could mean leaving behind family; simply relocating from a rural to urban area in search of work and resources may be easier. Plus, the chance to return and resettle back home is unlikely if a family leaves their country entirely. In instances when an area is temporarily inhabitable, like after a destructive <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/hurricane.htm" target="_blank">hurricane</a>, returning home may be an option. But when coastlines — or entire islands — are underwater, the possibility of going home is out of the question.</p><p>The future impacts of climate change will disproportionately affect the world's poorest but will also pressure countries around the globe through mass migration of refugees. Adaptation and resilience will be the key to reducing displacement risk — both temporary and permanent — in the forms of early warning systems and flood-defense infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and drought-resistant crops, as well as other protections.</p>
<p><em>This story originally appeared in</em> <u><em><a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/" target="_blank">HowStuffWorks</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2647788456#/" target="_self"></a> </em></u> <em>and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.</em><a href="https://www.howstuffworks.com/about-sarah-gleim.htm" target="_blank"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
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In 'My Octopus Teacher,' Craig Foster becomes fascinated with an octopus and visits her for hundreds of days in a row. Netflix
In his latest documentary, My Octopus Teacher, free diver and filmmaker Craig Foster tells a unique story about his friendship and bond with an octopus in a kelp forest in Cape Town, South Africa. It's been labeled "the love story that we need right now" by The Cut.
<p>As noted by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/my-octopus-teacher-craig-foster/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a>, the film follows Foster as he battles career exhaustion and depression by going for daily swims in the frigid South African coast.</p><p>He becomes fixated upon a common octopus, freediving daily to visit and observe her in her natural habitat. He's amazed by her ability to find clever ways to evade predators and adapt to her environment.</p>
<p>"Before the viewer's eyes, the octopus adapts her crab-hunting strategy for lobster, evades a pyjama shark by climbing onto its back, shape-shifts to resemble seaweed and rocks, and otherwise applies her intelligence and creativity to survive," the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253789-my-octopus-teacher-review-the-strange-lives-of-cephalopods-up-close/" target="_blank">NewScientist</a> observed.</p><p>Foster's fascination and curiosity with her are matched by hers with him, according to a review by <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/09/my-octopus-teacher-netflix-doc-just-how-horny-is-it.html" target="_blank">Vulture</a>. The unlikely relationship between them is a mentorship on the fragility of life and man's connection to nature, reported The Cut. Their interaction culminates when the octopus swims up to Foster and lands on his chest, in a display of inter-species connection, the review said.</p>
<p>Throughout the film, Foster tracks the octopus' movements and thereby transports viewers into the octopus' natural world and point of view in a way that has rarely been done before, reported <a href="https://www.biznews.com/good-hope-project/2020/09/21/my-octopus-teacher" target="_blank">BizNews</a>. It brings a "level of consciousness few have experienced before him" to the life of the cephalopod, and some celebrities have vowed never to eat octopus again after watching it, according to the news report and <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/09/22/my-octopus-teacher-netflix-documentary-unexpected-tearjerker/5860006002/" target="_blank">USA Today</a>.</p><p>"If you gain the trust of that animal over a period of months, it will actually ignore you to a certain degree and carry on with its normal life, and allow you to step inside its secret world," Foster told CNN. "The octopus showed me many behaviors that were completely new to science because this animal trusted me."</p><p>Foster told CNN that the greatest lesson the octopus taught him is that humans are part of the natural world and not simply visitors.</p>
<p>The film was backed by the Sea Change Project, an NGO Foster co-founded to create awareness about the South African sea forest. The ecosystem stretches for 800 miles along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa, according to <a href="https://www.voanews.com/arts-culture/octopus-teacher-lets-filmmaker-secret-world#:~:text=It%20has%20received%20eight%20award,film%20and%20best%20ecosystem%20film." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VOA News</a>.</p><p>"Our group, our whole idea is to try and get this great African sea forest, kind of the home of the octopus teacher, recognized as a global icon, like the Serengeti or the Great barrier reef, because nobody really knows about it and no one realizes just how important this ecosystem is in terms of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a>, in terms of how important it is for the planet," Foster said, reported BizNews. "People have sort of forgotten that the biodiversity of nature is our life support system."</p><p>Several international publications have listed <em>M</em><em>y Octopus Teacher</em> as a must-see, including The Washington Post, Hollywood reviews, and even scientific articles, according to BizNews. It has already won several prestigious awards, including best feature at the <a href="https://earthx.org/film/" target="_blank">EarthX Film Festival</a>.</p>
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