agriculture

Mountain-Dwelling Species Losing Habitats Rapidly, Study Finds

Mountain-Dwelling Species Losing Habitats Rapidly, Study Finds

Mountain forests are important habitats for many species, but a new study has found that habitat loss in these areas has been rapidly accelerating since 2000. In that time, more than 78.1 million hectares (approximately 193 million acres) of mountain forests have been lost, equaling an area greater than the size of Texas. A team […]

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    ‘A Vicious Cycle’: How Pesticide Use and Climate Change Make Each Other Worse, and What We Can Do About It

    ‘A Vicious Cycle’: How Pesticide Use and Climate Change Make Each Other Worse, and What We Can Do About It

    The energy required to produce all of the glyphosate used worldwide in 2014 was as much as the yearly energy needed to power 6.25 million cars. That’s one of the striking findings from “Pesticides and Climate Change: A Vicious Cycle,” a first-of-its-kind report from the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) detailing how these two […]

    Nitrogen Fertilizers Are Major Greenhouse Gas Emitters, but Their Impact Can Be Cut With Available Solutions

    Nitrogen Fertilizers Are Major Greenhouse Gas Emitters, but Their Impact Can Be Cut With Available Solutions

    When we think of greenhouse gas emissions, we typically think of coal-burning power plants, vehicle exhaust or maybe forests being cleared to make way for methane-belching cows.  However, there is another important agricultural source of climate pollution: nitrogen-based fertilizers. A new study from University of Cambridge-based researchers has calculated these fertilizers’ total contribution to the […]

    Seed Saving 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Seed Saving 101: Everything You Need to Know

    During the pandemic, many turned to gardening as a refuge. According to a survey, while many did it because they were concerned about food access and food security, others also said it was mainly a way to feel less isolated and depressed, and as a way to grow food for the community.  So many people […]

    7 Colorado River States Miss Deadline for Water Reduction Plan

    7 Colorado River States Miss Deadline for Water Reduction Plan

    Seven states that depend on the drought-stricken Colorado River for water — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — failed to meet a January 31 deadline requested by the federal government to come up with a plan to reduce their water consumption. California, which has the largest share of water from the […]

    Agroforestry 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Agroforestry 101: Everything You Need to Know

    The practice of agroforestry, from a broad perspective, is farming with trees, but looking at it more closely, it’s a land management system that capitalizes on the biological interconnectedness of trees, crops and livestock to create thriving ecosystems.

    Food Waste 101: The Facts and Solutions

    Food Waste 101: The Facts and Solutions

    There is a global food waste revolution happening with many changemakers creating solutions to help feed the hungry, to feed the soil, to repurpose food waste into renewable energy, and find innovative ways to sell food that otherwise would never be out in the supermarkets.

    Solar Panels and Crops Can Coexist, But More Research Needed to Maximize Success

    Solar Panels and Crops Can Coexist, But More Research Needed to Maximize Success

    By Kari Lydersen A recent analysis reveals the daunting number of variables that need to be considered when attempting to pair agricultural production and solar generation.  Federal researchers know that solar panels and crops can coexist and provide mutual benefits in certain scenarios. A recent study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirms this but also […]