Why these farmers are welcoming muskrats, birds, and snakes

At the Fujitsu factory in Japan, a significant decline in demand for semiconductor computer chips meant the company had large empty factory space sitting unused. A new business approach allowed them to dually address both the need to evolve their business model with a global decline of viable agricultural space needed to grow the world's food. Now, the factory houses indoor vegetable gardens, soil free and less resource-heavy than traditional farmland.

The rapid development of emerging economies across Asia and Africa is lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty - but there is much debate as to how to best structure this growth. If these economies evolve in the same way as in the West - with unchecked, excessive resource consumption and heavy pollution - the planet may be on the fast track to disaster. Earthrise explores how these nations can grow sustainably using improved, eco-conscious technologies like renewable energy and eco-friendly farming practices.

Since 1995, Pragnachaksu has paved a path to empowerment for blind women in India, offering academic and vocational classes in addition to braille instruction. The school provides free housing and tuition for girls looking for primary and secondary education, a service that is usually unavailable to the country's eight million blind citizens, and to visually impaired women in particular.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt, founder of the charity Parkrun, never set out to create a revolution. All he wanted was a low-pressure space to run. Now, his organization supports over 1,600 community running events around the globe, with an expected one million participants by 2023. This is part of a trend of “people’s innovation,” or the idea that innovation can come from users rather than just executives. Parkrun exemplifies the inclusive spirit of people’s innovation and the positive impacts it can spread all around the world.

The Kansas City school district and a group of local nonprofits are implementing a new software management system that will allow partners to access student data from a range of sources. The data-sharing agreement will paint a more holistic picture of students and, in the future, allow teachers and others to make informed interventions when appropriate.

For years, a rancher in Southern Oregon has been trying to keep a local pack of wolves from killing his livestock, and after many rounds of trial and error and collaborative efforts, a high-tech fence may be the solution. Although the fence isn't cheap, many came forward to help make this a possibility and show their support for a project that united people that historically have stood politically opposed.

Activists in Berkeley, California, are filling in what they say is a gap in homeless services during the coronavirus outbreak. Volunteers are safely delivering food and other supplies to those without shelter.

En Belgique, des éco-chèques sont distribués aux salariés pour les inciter à consommer des produits plus écologiques. Bien qu'inégalitaire, ce dispositif permet de réduire les émissions de CO2, permet aux salariés de faire des économies et d'inciter à une consommation plus responsable. En 2017 et 2018 leur utilisation a respectivement permis une économie estimée entre 216 665 tonnes de CO2 et 229 797 tonnes de CO2, soit environ 0,23 % des émissions totales annuelles de la Belgique.

Aus menschlichen Ausscheidungen lässt sich viel mehr machen als bisher. Zum Beispiel Dünger. Die Böden könnten so Nährstoffe zurückerhalten, die ihnen zuvor entnommen werden. Verschiedene Akteure arbeiten bereits daran.

El proyecto Una Lata de Agua es una inciativa que busca instalar en las comunidades de Caracas, Venezuela, sistemas de recolección de agua que permitan abastecer a las familias de agua potable, porque en el norte del país la escases del agua es crítica. Con el proyecto instalado en Barrio Nuevo se benefician más de 1600 familias.