Reduced Emissions from Megafires
Wildfires in California are a serious and growing threat. SIG and the Climate and Wildfire Institute were chosen by the CA Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Taskforce to work in the Million Acres Strategy
Approved: SIG’s Methodology For Estimating Reduced Emissions From Megaffires
In March, the Climate Action Reserve’s Climate Forward program approved SIG’s Reduced Emissions from Megafires (REM) forecasting methodology. This methodology provides a novel mechanism for funding essential forest health projects by generating Forecasted Mitigation Units (FMUs) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided by reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Such funding will pave the way for reducing fuels and increasing forest resilience.
Mapping Forest Degradation In Nepal With Remote Sensing
Under international climate change agreements, countries must estimate greenhouse gas emissions related to deforestation and forest degradation.
In cases of deforestation—when trees are cut and replaced by annual crops, for instance—the change in land cover is clearly visible. Forest degradation, by contrast, is more subtle. Trees are lost but the land remains forested and often recovers quickly—making the changes hard to detect.
With Biomass Energy, The Carbon Savings Are In the Details
Biomass energy, Michael Moore’s new documentary Planet of the Humans faces criticism from environmentalists for using outdated data and simplistic analyses on renewables.
Forest Carbon Markets: Native People Quantify The Growing Value Of Native Lands
Carbon markets are based on the premise that sources (greenhouse gas-emitting power plants, vehicles, farm animal waste) and sinks (greenhouse gas-absorbing forests, biogas digesters, healthy soil) can be “traded” between states, regions and countries to help each other offset and reduce overall carbon emissions. While carbon markets are not a perfect solution to atmospheric carbon reduction, they have benefits…not least of which is getting communities to take stock of their natural resources and find ways to better manage, protect, and restore them.
Hot But Not Bothered: Urban Green Space Leads To Better Health, Social Benefits
Decades of scientific research have been suggesting that humans accrue many positive benefits from nature, whether that nature be in an isolated preserve, in urban green space within the confines of a city, or simply with a look at a painting of a forest.
For Indonesia’s Wildfires, There Are No Easy Solutions
This week, we’re blogging about SIG’s work on reducing wildfire impacts in Indonesia and California. Fires in both regions have similar financial and health impacts, but differ in behavior. In Indonesia, even the ground itself can burn, requiring unique management approaches. Lessons learned in each place can inform solutions in the other.
Implementing Low Emission Development
SIG attended the 4th LEDS GP meeting in the Dominican Republic, focusing on financing low-emission development and climate resilience strategies.
