WRI Insights

In the [Strategic Plan](http://www.wri.org/about/strategic-plan) we present WRI’s strategy for the coming four years. We will focus our activities on six global problems that must be addressed urgently this decade. We will do fewer projects at greater depth and scale, seeking tipping points and, together with partners, moving beyond them. And we will invest in creating open-source data, research, and visual information that are suited to today’s fast-paced and networked world. We look forward to working with our partners to tackle today’s urgent challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous world for all people.

Kebakaran terakhir di Indonesia kemungkinan besar berakar dari pembukaan lahan untuk pertanian, perkebunan, dan produksi kayu. Menurut data dari [Global Forest Watch] (http://www.globalforestwatch.org/)-sistem online baru yang melacak perubahan tutupan pohon, dan informasi lainnya secara nyaris seketika ** setengah dari peringatan titik api terjadi di lahan yang dikelola oleh perusahaan kelapa sawit, kayu, dan pulpwood**-meskipun secara hukum masyarakat dan perusahaan dilarang menggunakan api untuk membuka lahan.

Population growth and rapid urbanization are combining to create huge challenges for Indian cities. Overcoming these hurdles and creating sustainable cities in India is the main topic of discussion at [CONNECTKaro](http://connectkaro.org/), a conference co-organized by [EMBARQ India](http://www.embarqindia.org/) and the Directorate of Urban Land Transport ([DULT](http://www.urbantransport.kar.gov.in/)), Government of Karnataka, India that took place from March 10-11, 2014. The second annual conference—named for the idea of “Karo,” which means “make it happen”—explores sustainable transport opportunities as ways of addressing the challenges associated with India’s urban growth.

It’s one thing to make data available, but it’s quite another to make it accessible. That’s why today, WRI is launching a fully mobile-accessible version of its Climate Analysis Indicators Tool, or [CAIT 2.0](http://cait.wri.org/). The tool allows users everywhere to access, visualize, and compare greenhouse gas emissions data from 186 countries and 50 U.S. states, as well as other comprehensive, global climate data.

Updated maps of forest damage can take years to produce, making it difficult to know where to focus limited enforcement efforts. But it doesn't have to be this way, thanks to advances in technology. [Global Forest Watch](http://www.globalforestwatch.org/), the near-real time forest monitoring application released by WRI and partners last week, is powered in part by FORMA, a monitoring system that issues monthly forest loss alerts for the [humid tropics](http://worldwildlife.org/biomes/tropical-and-subtropical-moist-broadleaf-forests) in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. FORMA (FORest Monitoring for Action) is designed to help people managing forests respond more quickly to unwanted forest loss. Learn more about the system through our new [issue brief](http://www.wri.org/publication/satellite-based-forest-clearing-detection-brazilian-amazon).

Clearing land for timber and agriculture is likely to blame for Indonesia's latest bout of fires. According to data from [Global Forest Watch](http://www.globalforestwatch.org/)—a new online system that tracks tree cover change, fires, and other information in near-real time—**roughly half of these fires are burning on land managed by oil palm, timber, and logging companies**—despite the fact that using fire to clear land is illegal in Indonesia.

In the world of forestry, bamboo doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Dismissed as a weed or marginalized in traditional forest management, bamboo could actually play an important role in [forest and landscape restoration](http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/forest-and-landscape-restoration). With adequate attention, investment, and the right standards in place, it could become a major renewable and sustainable crop—if we can update our outmoded view of it.

Last week, President Obama [directed](http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/18/remarks-president-fuel-efficiency-standards-medium-and-heavy-duty-vehicl) his administration to set new fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including large pick-up trucks, school buses, and tractors. Improving fuel efficiency standards from these vehicles—which make up 20 percent of U.S. transport emissions—can not only rein in emissions, it can help consumers save money at the gas pump.

U.S. [manufacturing](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-02/u-s-ism-manufacturing-index-fell-to-57-in-december-from-57-3.html)—and the jobs that go with it—have been steadily increasing since 2010. The future of U.S. manufacturing jobs is not set in stone—it will be highly influenced by company investments and new policies. As policymakers, private companies, and industry stakeholders turn their attention to the ongoing resurgence of U.S. manufacturing, policy and private sector programs are available to generate the [Good Jobs, Green Jobs](http://www.greenjobsconference.org/program/workshops/monday/capturing-opportunities-in-u-s-clean-energy-manufacturing) needed to sustain American prosperity.

With [Global Forest Watch](http://globalforestwatch.org), everyone from business executives to policymakers to indigenous groups can find out what’s happening in forests around the world—and use this information to take action. Now that we have the ability to peer into forests around the globe, a number of telling stories are beginning to emerge. Learn more about how you can make your own map, [here](/resources/videos/global-forest-watch-tutorial-overview).