Agriculture
George Washington University
On a Planet Forward storytelling trip this fall to Nebraska, I was inspired by the women we met — women not all in roles you'd expect to find on family farms and in the agriculture industry.
A hilltop on the McPheeters farm in Gothenburg, Nebraska, offers a great vantage point to survey the family's land. (Planet Forward staff)
Arizona State University
“I know that we (farmers) are an integral part of the ecosystem of the Earth,” Nebraska farmer Scott McPheeters said. “We need to make it sustainable for everybody. We have to do it well and do it right.”
The McPheeters family primarily farms corn, which is sold to Frito-Lay and used to make ethanol. (Laura Whaling/GWU)
Planet Forward Podcast
On this podcast, follow me on my journey to southwestern Nebraska to the McPheeters family farm to learn about their relationship with their land.
Our first stop in Nebraska is in Lincoln: NET Nebraska, the headquarters for the state's network of public radio and television stations. Here the group met with experienced storytellers to learn more about environmental challenges that have been covered and the people the reporters met. From left: Dan Reed, Chad Davis, Eleanor Hasenbeck, Ilana Creinin, Laura Waxman, Topanga McBride, Diana Marcum, Laura Whaling, Will Lennon, Sydney Greene, Zack Smith and Kim Ossi.
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
In mid-September, nine students from universities across the country met in one of America's agricultural epicenters: Nebraska. We were here to tell some of the environmental stories found in our country's heartland.
A protein dense, carbon friendly lunch. (Photo by Katherine Baker)
Planet Forward Senior Correspondent | Cornell University
A comparison between 5 meals shows that carbon emissions per calorie varies greatly for certain types of food. Not surprisingly, meat recipes hold the highest carbon-to-calorie ratio.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi live in symbiosis with plant roots and are able to store up to 70 percent of organic carbon from leaf litter. (Mark Perkins/Flickr)
George Washington University
In many cases microbes are already helping the planet in underrated ways. Technological developments and advanced genetic engineering make microbiological innovation a major player in climate change mitigation.
Tilling loosens soil to enable roots to sprout more easily, however it also exposes pockets of 'uneaten' carbon to hungry microbes. (Allan Murray-Rust/Wikimedia)
Northwestern - Medill
From breaking down escaping methane from melting ice caps to storing carbon in non-tilled soils, microbes are already mitigating climate change.
A farmer works to transplant rice. (International Rice Research Institute)
Eco-Business
A pioneering, crowdfunding platform is bringing individual investors and farmers together for a shared stake in Philippines' agriculture.
Tanzania. (Hailey Smalley/SUNY-ESF)
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
Anthropogenic climate change is currently influencing rainfall and temperature patterns in East Africa. Here's everything you need to know about how East Africans are confronting these challenges.
Crop-raiding by migrating African elephants is a pressing issue for many farmers who border protected land. Bees provide an simple, ecologically friendly way to maintain harmony between elephant migrations and the farmers' livelihoods. (Hailey Smalley/SUNY-ESF)
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
Farmers in East Africa are using bees to deter crop raiding elephants and increase food security in the area.