World Wildlife Fund Nature Breaking

Last month a series of wildfires spread across communities in Los Angeles and left a trail of destruction in their wake. Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their neighborhoods. Over 15,000 homes and other structures were burned. And at least two dozen people were killed. It’s well documented that climate change contributes to making fires like these worse. And it also exacerbates other hazards like droughts, floods, and storms. So what can local leaders in LA and in other communities in the US and around the world do in the wake of these extreme events to address systemic risks and proactively reduce catastrophic disasters?

The link between travel and conservation goes back at least to the 1860s, when President Lincoln signed the Yosemite Act, setting aside a large area in California for “public use, resort, and recreation.” But are travel and conservation still compatible? Joining the show to help answer that question is Jim Sano, WWF’s Vice President for Travel, Tourism, and Conservation. 

To mark International Women’s Day, this week’s episode focuses on an exciting new initiative that WWF is involved with to advance women- and community-led solutions to climate challenges. It’s an outgrowth of an alliance that WWF has with CARE, the global development organization that works to address poverty and hunger, with a focus on gender equality. 

Three-quarters of the infrastructure expected to exist by 2050 hasn’t even been built yet. That means that the way we build infrastructure – where it goes, what it’s made of, and which energy sources it facilitates – will have a huge impact on the world’s ability to meet global climate and biodiversity goals.

Whether it’s wild elephants consuming a village’s crops, or a raccoon getting into a household’s trash, human-wildlife conflict is present everywhere and can lead to significant challenges.