The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow came to end on Saturday as nearly 200 countries signed the Glasgow Climate Pact. Negotiators agreed to increase global efforts to fight climate change by calling on world leaders to develop stronger plans to reduce carbon emissions and “at least double” climate finance to developing countries.
Continue readingThe Glasgow Climate Conference: What to Look For
Roy Wehrle, Senior Advisor to Greenleaf Communities, Emeritus Professor at University of Illinois Springfield, and former Presidential Advisor. It seems like only yesterday that 195 countries passed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, an historic turning point after decades of global talks on climate. Now six years later, the nations of the world assemble in […]
Continue readingJohn Andersen presents Lessons from Nature at Lake Bluff’s 125th Anniversary Celebration
John Andersen presented at Lake Bluff’s 125th anniversary celebration which honored the spirit of Lake Bluff’s popular Camp Meetings of the late 1800s by hosting a “Chautauqua.” The theme of the Camp Meeting was Let Nature Be Your Teacher. John shared lessons he learned from working across businesses, government, and scientific communities to conserve and […]
Continue readingAn open letter to Illinois leaders: We can solve the Chicago area’s water challenges – Crain’s Chicago Business OpEd
Chicagoland is well placed to become a sustainable metropolis and safe haven in an uncertain climate future. In a new op-ed, Greenleaf Communities and partners call on Illinois’ leaders to collaborate on a regional water plan that is resilient, just and economic, with Lake Michigan at the heart of the solution. Read the Op-Ed on Crain’s Chicago […]
Continue readingNew study co-authored by Greenleaf Water Lead highlights gaps in water research in Latin America
A new, peer-reviewed article co-authored by Greenleaf Communities’ Climate and Water Lead, Francine van den Brandeler, together with colleagues at UC-Davis, uses machine learning to explore bright spots and blind spots of water research in Latin America and the Caribbean. The region – home to more than 650 million people – is extremely vulnerable to […]
Continue readingIPCC and Climate Crisis Advisory Group underscore urgency that can be addressed at COP26
The existential threat of climate change has become increasingly evident as we experience its devastating impacts: wildfires burning in the Pacific Northwest, California, and Greece; torrential rains flooding China and Western Europe; droughts and storms damaging America’s food belt. The new IPCC report makes climate risks starkly clear: “human influence has warmed the climate at […]
Continue readingProposal for COP26 – Recommendations on a Climate Club and Carbon Surcharge Transfer
Climate scientists and policymakers warn of deep and irreversible damage to Earth if we do not take immediate global action on climate change. In this report, Dr. Roy Wehrle, Dr. Francine van den Brandeler, and Dr. Don Wuebbles make recommendations for successful negotiations at COP26 based on extensive research for domestic and global climate policy. COP26 […]
Continue readingCelebrating the Summer Solstice
The Summer solstice is the longest day of the year – a time when people celebrate journeying from darkness to light. It is the Midsummer national holiday in my ancestors’ home of Finland where I’ve joined family dances circling around bonfires that lit up the night skies and bathed in saunas that purified the body and soul. We […]
Continue readingG7 meeting in Cornwall – Progress & Takeaways for climate action
On June 11 to 13, global leaders met in Cornwall, England, uniting around climate action, leading up to the United Nations’ climate conference – COP26 – in November. Accounting for a quarter of global carbon emissions and 40% of the world economy, G7 countries (U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan, and European Union) play […]
Continue readingOn World Environment Day, we join in protecting and restoring our natural resources.
Reimagine. Recreate. Restore. Tomorrow is the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and there can be no greater aim than to protect that which supports all of life on Earth. Greenleaf recommits itself, as we do each and every day, to protecting and restoring environmental resources and systems that enable life to flourish. […]
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