James Gerber, Ph.D.

Many people are trying to help halt climate change, but their efforts are sometimes too narrowly focused, making them less effective than they could be.The four simple charts below can help you expand your field of vision so you can see the full spectrum of solutions and pursue those that offer the greatest impact.

Southeast Asia is one of the most carbon-rich places on Earth. The region is home to dense tropical forests, as well as peatlands and mangroves, which together store massive amounts of carbon above and below ground. But when trees are cut down and peatlands are drained, these carbon stores are released into the atmosphere. 

When people think of climate solutions, they often focus on smokestacks, tailpipes, and other artifacts of our fossil-fueled economy. That’s fitting since roughly two-thirds of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from producing and burning oil, gas, coal, and other highly polluting fuels. But it overlooks other critical emissions sources – including deforestation – that are also accelerating the climate crisis.

The global food system isn’t broken, yet it needs fixing.