Heat dome hit these Vancouver neighbourhoods hardest — could planting more trees save lives?

Communities in Kathmandu are restoring centuries-old stone water spouts that now provide 2.4 million liters of clean drinking water daily to residents facing contaminated tap water and severe supply shortages. Some restored spouts have produced over 800,000 liters per day and served as community gathering spaces.

Caltrain's $2.4 billion electrification of 51 miles of track replaced diesel trains with faster electric ones, resulting in ridership increases (it doubled on weekends) and shorter trips. This also led to an 89% reduction in riders' exposure to toxic pollution and an estimated 250,000 metric tons of annual carbon emissions reductions.

The Wall of Trees initiative in Nigeria's Makoda village created a four-tiered barrier of windbreak, orchard, woodlot, and economic trees that tripled crop yields and provided income opportunities for 200 women, successfully reversing desertification on 15 hectares over two decades.

According to the WWF, 69 percent of the Northern Great Plains remains untilled, providing great opportunity for making sure that land remains untouched. Two conservation organizations, the Nature Conservancy and the American Prairie Reserve, are butting heads as they both try to preserve the land, albeit via different means. Although they both face opposition for their methods, this article lays out exactly how both have already managed to make great strides in conserving the land and increasing biodiversity.

Around the world, companies, especially those that depend on the production of plant-based products, are stepping up their sustainability efforts. In the face of climate change, producers of things like coffee and fragrances are realizing that biodiversity and conservation are crucial to the companies’ success and sustainability. Trusts like Germany’s Crop Trust are becoming key players in this, helping companies develop conservation strategies.

To address increased tidal flooding on its shoreline, Stonington, Connecticut, is sticking to a simple principle: "Where possible, work with nature not against it.” Volunteers plant native plants, helping to restore and expand the former salt marsh, which naturally absorbs water.

As a response to global climate change, many are turning to farming and agricultural practices as a response. Plants are able to bring carbon dioxide into soil, where some is stored, reducing the overall amount in the air. While initially seen as a silver bullet solution, scientists are now discovering limitations – like overestimating how much carbon can be stored. For small farms, in order to adopt more eco-conscious practices, they need more economic incentives to change their ways.

What was once the garbage dump of a clothing company in Sri Lanka is now the site of an urban butterfly garden. Dilmah Conservation and naturalist Rajika Gamage created the open air garden in 2011 to conserve endangered butterflies without actually keeping any species in captivity. Over 90 native plants were planted, and the garden now receives visits from over 50 different butterfly species. The sanctuary also serves as an educational resource to help stress the importance of the diversity of these insects as an indicator of the health of the habitat.

A coastal recovery project in Delaware Bay is using a technique that they call "engineering with nature" to bring back the 4,000 acres of wetlands from the disastrous effects of human interference and climate change. They use a multitude of strategies, such as stabilizing the dunes and replanting native grasses, and although they approach the project as a research study without progress yet, they have already begun to see a return of wildlife including birds, eels, and crabs. Similar efforts to restore wetlands are also taking off across the globe.

Freshwater springs are an indicator of the health and quality of our groundwater (drinking water), but their conservation is often overlooked in government funding. This article offers a few examples of ongoing efforts to protect them. One of those is the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico that has brought back several endangered species of snails and crustaceans in addition to native grasses as a result of their conservation.