Regenerative agriculture—practices that improve soil health by restoring organic carbon—is the new darling of politicians, food companies and farmers seeking win-win policies that reduce emissions. Think again, says Janet Ranganathan, WRI Vice President for Research, Data and Innovation. Though regenerative agriculture can yield environmental benefits, complex trade-offs mean that large-scale emissions reductions are not among them. Ranganathan and her co-authors instead point to a five-part menu that can reduce agricultural emissions by more than 70 percent. Read More.

Two top US energy experts, Susan Tierney, a former Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy and current Vice Chair of the WRI Global Board, and Lori Bird, Director of WRI’s US Energy Program and Polsky Chair For Renewable Energy, go after the misconceptions in Michael Moore’s controversial new documentary, Planet of the Humans. “We don’t normally write about films,” they write. “Sadly, [Planet of the Humans] includes so many misconceptions and so much dated information that we feel compelled to clarify the facts about renewable energy.” Read more.

WRI Vice President and Regional Director for Africa Wanjira Mathai says that locust swarms threatening food security in the Horn of Africa, made worse by unseasonal rains, are “another reminder of how climate change poses a clear and present danger,” worsening the impacts of COVID-19. Tina Huang presents new Resource Watch maps that provide near-real-time data on locust swarms, food price spikes, Global Hunger Index rankings and more, enabling government officials and relief agencies to quickly identify hotspots and minimize the impacts. Read more.