Last week, Harlem residents held their noses as millions of gallons of untreated sewage water flowed straight into the Harlem and Hudson rivers because of a sewage plant fire. On the hottest day of the year, precious beaches and water areas were off ...
In cities all over the U.S., urban agriculture has joined the farmer’s market as an accessible, even trendy, way for city dwellers to assert their commitment to living sustainably. But despite the individual benefits from eating healthy, organic produce, it’s hard to see ...
Without imagination, humans would be incapable of innovating. So it’s no surprise, with over half the population worldwide living in overcrowded and resource-strapped cities, there are vibrant movements to re-imagine how a city of the future could be more sustainable and livable. For ...
In this series social entrepreneurs discuss the importance of reaching out. From transforming strangers into business partners to saving flooded headquarters, our contacts and future contacts routinely prove integral to every aspect of creating and running a social enterprise. Chris Clark is the ...
Michael Mwakilasa is not your typical Tanzanian entrepreneur, and Mafuta Sasa Ltd is not your typical African energy company. After spending a year experimenting with converting wasted vegetable oil (WVO) into usable biodiesel fuel in a New York City garage, Mwakilasa launched Mafuta ...
Each Earth Day, programs, events and tree-plantings try to galvanize public awareness about environmental concerns.
But sometimes, widespread problems--like climate change--can seem so massive that individuals and grassroots groups may find it difficult to conceptualize how they can really make a difference--or even where to start.
NYC-based Ioby (In Our Back Yards) aims to change that.
Average American homes today are using essentially the same amount of energy per year as they were in 1970s – which seems odd, given the improvement of heating systems and household appliances, and a heightened emphasis on energy conservation. So how are we ...
KOMAZA helps rural families in Africa plant and maintain small-scale, income-generating tree farms, a new concept they call microforestry. KOMAZA’s direct impact is threefold: First, KOMAZA workers hope to alleviate the deforestation of indigenous trees (only 2% of Kenya remains covered by forests), ...
In our risk-taking series, Tulane University and Ashoka U students Katie Smalley and Laura White shed light on the value of risk-taking. By interviewing social innovators about bold steps they’ve taken, they reveal that behavior that appears risky may be the most dependable ...
Urban Roots started four years ago to connect students in Austin, Texas to their environment and food; today the project grows more than 25,000 pounds of vegetables and herbs each year. "One of the most remarkable experiences I had while filming the video ...