This Outer Banks Resort Centered the Environment From the Start, and It Paid Off

Communities in the Sundarbans have adopted shrimp farming as a sustainable livelihood strategy; the approach has proven successful, with environmental benefits and many farmers earning a good income.

A social enterprise that started in the Netherlands and is spreading to countries around the Celtic Sea is training young people to work in marine industries while restoring ocean biodiversity. The young trainees work on projects like marine mammal observation and planting seagrass.

The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that encourages planners to develop neighborhoods that are easily accessible within a 15-minute walk, bike or public transit ride. The 15-minute city idea promotes health and wellness by encouraging residents to walk and bike more, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fosters a sense of community among locals.

The SeaStore Seagrass Restoration Project in Kiel, Germany, is teaching locals to harvest and replant the underwater grasses. The project is restoring areas these plants used to inhabit because they store large amounts of carbon.

Hempcrete, a combination of hemp, water, and lime, can be used as a more sustainable insulation option for buildings. The material improves energy efficiency, produces less carbon than options like fiberglass and foam, and will continue to capture carbon while used as insulation.

The Denver-based Triple Bottom Line Foundation funds projects to retrofit low-income, multi-family properties that house underserved groups. The projects include energy-efficiency upgrades, solar power installations, and weatherization upgrades among others.

In Maine, Atlantic Sea Farms is harvesting kelp while helping lobster farmers diversify their income in preparation for climate change effects. The farm provides free kelp seed to its farmers and promises a buyback guarantee for everything they grow. At the same time, the kelp removes carbon and nitrogen to help mitigate climate change effects warming the water.

Green Means Go identifies central parts of cities called “Green Zones” and then makes efforts to increase infill housing where services already exist for residents and improve access to alternative, more “green" modes of transportation, and reduce commute times. Less vehicle commuting means fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Out of 28 local jurisdictions, 23 have already adopted Green Zones.

Stuttgart is using a “nature-based response” to climate change by leveraging earth-cooling tools already available in the natural world. The city has created a vast network of ventilation channels – green parkways and corridors of water and trees – designed to funnel cooler breezes into the city at night and naturally lower air temperatures.

Scientists are testing if adding alkaline substances to seawater can allow oceans to absorb more carbon dioxide emissions. Early tests suggest this could be a potential way to combat climate change, but there are still many questions about how this can scale, how it impacts the natural ecosystem, and if it’s cost effective to implement.