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18th Mar 2021

One Earth, Many Solutions



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Every September, leaders from around the world gather in New York for the UN General Assembly - a high-level meeting focused on global issues related to the United Nations. During the same week, NYC Climate Week gathers thousands of people working together to find solutions for the global climate crisis.

Last year things were slightly different due to the pandemic, so we decided to host a virtual conversation inside of Emerald City as part of our Chronicle Discussions podcast series. Stan Stalnaker was joined by the fantastic Karl Burkart, Managing Director of One Earth, where they explored how we can collectively solve various climate change issues.

One Earth is a philanthropic initiative that is dedicated to achieving the 1.5-degree target - a goal to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, to prevent catastrophic consequences. To achieve this, it has been estimated that we have to reduce our global emissions by 10% per year. It's quite a sobering thought to think that the pandemic has reduced our emissions by around 13% - so not far off what we need to achieve! 

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During the conversation, Karl talked about 'The Global Safety Net' where biologists and computer scientists are teaming up to map a global 'safety net' for the planet that would protect and connect 50% of the world’s land area. Announced at the ‘Nature for Development’ Data Summit, the 'safety net' map will utilize advanced computer modeling techniques to examine the world’s 125 million square kilometers of habitable land area, ranking each square kilometer ‘pixel’ for its importance in preserving natural biodiversity and sustaining agricultural production.

Find out more about this amazing initiative and other solutions in the Chronicle Discussions episode via Soundcloud, iTunes and Anchor.

“Modern society has undervalued the vital role that nature plays in providing humanity with clean air and water, healthy food, and a stable climate - elements that are essential to sustaining life. By creating a ‘safety net’ of protected and connected ecosystems around the planet we could avert a climate crisis and create a world where both nature and humanity co-exist and thrive.”

Justin Winters, Co-Founder and Executive Director of One Earth