WRI Insights

Insights is WRI’s flagship publication dedicated to telling stories about the intersection of people, nature and the climate. Through analysis, commentary and data-driven articles, WRI's researchers share expertise and highlight solutions for securing a sustainable future.

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water sprinkler on lawn
Commentary

Domestic Water Use Grew 600% Over the Past 50 Years

While agriculture and industry withdraw the majority of the world’s freshwater (70% and 19%, respectively), demand from households is rising precipitously.

Commentary
The Pesalat Reforestation Project in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, works to restore forest within a national park degraded by fire and logging. As of 2013, 450 hectares are under restoration, with over 4,000 seedlings planted. Photo by Aaron Minnick/WRI
Commentary

Want to Grow Trees? Consider These 5 Lessons

Whether you're planting one tree or one trillion, it helps to pick the right species for the right location, monitor its growth and understand the social landscape.

Commentary
Green city
Commentary

For People to Live and Thrive in a Changing Climate, Cities Need to Change – But How?

Future cities will need a near-zero-carbon footprint, an end to dependence on fossil fuels and an ability to manage weather extremes while finding ways to lift up already vulnerable and marginalized groups. To envision these cities of the future, we have to demand more of our collective imagination.

Commentary
illegal fishing
Commentary

Fast-tracking Law-abiding Ships at Ports Could Help End Illegal Fishing

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) accounts for nearly 20% of the world's fish catch. A "trusted traveller" border control-like system for the seas could help curb illicit fishing.

Commentary
A plum orchid planted in dry soil as a result of drought.
Commentary

The Causes and Effects of Soil Erosion, and How to Prevent It

Soil is eroding more quickly than it is being formed. Sustainable land management can help control soil erosion, protect watersheds and reduce carbon emissions.

Commentary
Hukou Waterfall
Commentary

From Coal to Renewables in China: Solving the Water Stress-Power Plant Mismatch

On the road from coal to renewable energy, China has a complex challenge to face: it must satisfy rising energy demand while reducing carbon emissions and sustainably managing water use without hobbling the power and agriculture sectors or the overall economy. Water stress adds to the challenge, because 66.5% of China's coal-fired power plants are in areas where water is scarce.

Commentary
Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska
Commentary

Runways Underwater: Maps Show Where Rising Seas Threaten 80 Airports Around the World

Research shows that 80 airports around the world could be underwater with one meter of sea level rise, which scientists predict is likely to occur by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions aren't reduced.

Commentary
Avocado
Commentary

Will Mexico’s Growing Avocado Industry Harm Its Forests?

As the avocado industry continues to grow in Mexico, particularly in Michoacán and Jalisco, deforestation, water stress and social challenges compound.

Commentary
carbon engineering direct air capture facility
Commentary

5 Ways the US Government Can Kickstart a CarbonShot to Remove Carbon from the Atmosphere

To prevent the most dangerous impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions will have to reach net zero by 2050. That will require both deep cuts in emissions and the removal of remaining emissions directly from the atmosphere. Making that happen will take concerted U.S. innovation akin to a moonshot. In this case, it's a CarbonShot.

Commentary
Zoleka Mandela speaking out at Global Road Safety Week. Photo by makeroadssafe/Flickr
Commentary

PODCAST: A Mother for Road Safety with Zoleka Mandela

Zoleka Mandela draws on her grandfather's legacy in speaking out against the injustice of the hidden epidemic that threatens children, especially in the developing world. In this podcast, she is joined by Claudia Adriazola-Steil, director for health & road safety at the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, as they discuss the unimaginable toll—emotional and economic—taken by road deaths, and what we can do to turn this loss into action.

Commentary

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