International Conservation & Development

Editor's Note: The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation helped fund Jennifer O'Leary's early work with the Kenya Wildlife Service through a Leadership Grant. You can read more about this project in our Featured Fellow piece, "Translating Science Into Action: the Mombasa Marine Park, Kenya." From Jennifer:

General Mills has publicly committed to sourcing deforestation-free palm oil. This represents a major turnaround from just a month ago, when the company performed poorly in the Union of Concerned Scientists scorecard of palm oil sourcing commitments by 30 top companies. Sharon Smith, campaign manager with UCS's Tropical Forest & Climate Initiative, said: "Despite failing to make the grade on the scorecard, it seems General Mills is turning a new leaf.

Advances in technology mean the amount of digital information we collectively possess is growing exponentially. Estimates suggest that by 2020 there will be 300 times more information in the world than there was in 2005. Big data has the power to transform the way corporations understand the impact of their business on the environment, and prompt them to take action on sustainability. But storing and gathering this data is costly in itself, with large data servers located across the world consuming huge amounts of energy and adding to carbon emissions.

WWF has been elected to be the next northern country Civil Society Observer (CSO) at the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and will begin the two year term immediately. The coming years will be a critical time for the FCPF and its efforts to support forest countries to build their capacity to address the drivers of deforestation and degradation, create a portfolio of pilot pay-for-performance conservation programs, and test ways to enhance livelihoods of local communities and conserve biodiversity.

"Conservationists in low-cost countries have to spend more time and effort overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring their work does not have negative impacts on local people," said lead author Erin McCreless with the University of California Santa Cruz, who notes that a more holistic approach to conservation priorities would be beneficial. Read more Read the PLOS ONE article

As countries negotiate a new international climate agreement for the post-2020 period—including at this week’s intersessional meeting in Bonn, Germany—the key choices for putting the world on a secure pathway to a low-carbon future should be front-of-mind. The new agreement will be essential for putting in place the policies beyond 2020 that ensure a shift from high-carbon to low-carbon and climate-resilient investments. To do this, the agreement will have to send the right signals to governments and businesses about the trajectory we need to be on.

From Dean James Stavridis of The Fletcher School at Tufts University: This month I speak with alumna Kelly Sims Gallagher, associate professor of energy and environmental policy at The Fletcher School, about her latest research, her upcoming book, and several exciting developments at the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP), where she is the director.

A revolutionary University of Colorado Boulder toilet fueled by the sun that is being developed to help some of the 2.5 billion people around the world lacking safe and sustainable sanitation will be unveiled in India this month.

Surya Karki ’16 recently returned from London after attending the ceremony for the 2013 Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneur Awards, where he met His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. Karki was one of seven finalists for the award.