Solutions
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Growing Smarter: How Crops Can Thrive in a Hotter World
The world’s major farming regions—places like the California and the Midwest in the U.S. and parts of Asia and Africa—are heating up. These areas grow the foods we depend on most, like wheat, corn, and rice. But climate change is making it harder for these crops to survive. In fact, scientists say we’re already seeing smaller harvests in some places. And if temperatures keep rising, food shortages could get worse. Can scientists help them grow smarter to beat the heat? But there’s hope. Scientists around the world are working on ways to help crops survive in hotter conditions. This issue feels personal. My own county grows over $1.1 billion in…
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After the Fire: Building Better Battery Storage
Can we build better battery storage? In January 2025, a large fire broke out at the Moss Landing battery storage site in California—one of the biggest in the world. Even though the site started running in 2020, it was built before today’s stronger safety rules for large battery systems were in place. What Happened at Moss Landing? The fire started in the Vistra Energy part of the battery storage facility, where numerous lithium-ion batteries were used to store extra energy from renewables like solar and wind. These batteries are extremely important, because they help provide power when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. But lithium-ion batteries can…
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Your Guide to Affordable, Sustainable, and Ethical Engagement Rings
By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer I Said Yes — to Love and the Planet My partner of 10 years recently popped the question, and of course I said “Hell yeah!” Because I care a lot about the environment, he knew I’d want engagement and wedding bands that were made in a way that’s kind to people and the planet. So, he chose rings made with recycled gold and lab-grown jewels — and saved a lot of money too! Are lab-made and recycled metals the only way to go? Let’s first look at the dark side of traditionally mined jewelry, and then we’ll check out some eco-friendly choices. 💎 What’s Wrong…
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Breeze to the Rescue: Offshore Wind for a Healthier Ocean
I live on the Central Coast of California and am up to my eyeballs in offshore wind. I moved here about three years ago after retiring from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2024. I thought I was done working—but surprise! I’m busier now than I was when I had a full-time job! Why? We have three offshore wind lease areas covering about 376 square miles of ocean waters located roughly 22 miles off the coast of San Luis Obispo County, near Cambria and San Simeon. I got involved in offshore wind after reading opinion pieces and social media posts saying that wind farms were killing whales and birds. Since I…
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Smooth Sailing into the Future with Electric Ferries
Electric ferries are here! A new article from CleanTechnica shows a big change in how ferries are being made. Around 70% of new ferries being built around the world now run on electricity instead of gas. This is happening to cut down on pollution and help fight climate change. Why Electric Ferries Are a Big Win Most ferries today use diesel fuel, which gives off harmful gases that pollute the air and contribute to air pollution. Electric ferries, powered by batteries, produce no emissions during operation, making them cleaner for the environment and healthier for people, especially in coastal communities where ferries often operate. From Norway to Uruguay: The Ferry…
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8 Simple Ways to Travel More Sustainably in 2025
Summer’s almost here! If you’re getting ready to pack your bags and head out on vacation, you’re probably super excited. But have you ever thought about how your travel choices can affect the planet and the people who live in the places you visit? The good news is, you can still have an awesome trip and be kind to the Earth! Here are eight simple ways to travel more sustainably—helping both the planet and the people you meet along the way. Choose More Eco-Friendly Airlines Some airlines are better than others when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of the aviation industry. This includes having a newer fleet, using…
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Good News For A Change: Hope Is On The Horizon
Hope is on the horizon! Amid the challenges, there’s good news: people everywhere are stepping up to protect our planet. From coral reef restoration and reforestation projects to massive clean energy expansions and some wildlife making a comeback, change is happening. Some endangered sea turtles are recovering. Countries are phasing out coal. Kids are leading climate marches. Nature is resilient—and so are we. A Bright New Record for U.S. Power In March 2025, something big happened—clean energy made more electricity than fossil fuels in the U.S. for the very first time! That month, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower provided 51% of the country’s electricity, while fossil fuels…
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Big Ship Pollution: A New Deal to Clean Up the Seas
A New Deal to Clean Up the Seas Have you ever wondered how stuff from across the world ends up at your local store? Giant ships carry nearly everything we buy—clothes, toys, electronics, even food. But there’s a big problem: big ship pollution. Those gigantic ships burn dirty fuel, and that pollutes our air and warms our planet. Now, there’s a new plan to help change that. What’s The Big News? Countries around the world are working on a new agreement that would require ships to cut their pollution—or pay a fee if they don’t. This deal is being talked about by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is kind…
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Rot On: How to Compost at Home
By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer In early 2019, I was looking for ways to save money at home. One day, I thought, “Hmm, maybe I can get rid of my trash bill!” I looked at my kitchen garbage and noticed how much plastic and food waste was in there. “What am I doing?!” I asked myself. I felt like a hypocrite — at the time, I was working in climate change communications, but I wasn’t living an eco-friendly life. I knew it was time for a change. That’s when I started reducing my waste and composting, which means turning things such as leaves and food scraps into fertilizer. Let’s talk…
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Turn Your Yard Into a Certified Wildlife Habitat
By Holly Shaftel, contributing writer Imagine: Butterflies dance over wildflowers, bees hum at lavender, and a hummingbird sips from honeysuckle. A rabbit nibbles clover as a fox slips through tall grass at dusk. Birds call from the hedgerow, completing the lively scene. At the garden’s edge, a “Certified Wildlife Habitat” sign stands — this thriving haven is your backyard! A certified wildlife habitat is a yard or garden that provides food, water, shelter, and space for wildlife to raise their young. Through the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), anyone can create one — at home, a school, a business, or even a place of worship. Why certify? Many wild animals have…
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“Food Waste Fix: Smart Hacks to Save Food & Save the Planet!” 🍎♻️
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What Is Permaculture? Joshua Tree Course Provides Overview and Community
By Holly Shaftel, EarthRise LLC Editor’s note: This piece was updated on April 15, 2025, to reflect a date change for a two-week permaculture design certification course. Earth’s problems are increasingly complex, but the solutions can be incredibly simple. That’s according to Warren Brush, a global resilience design consultant, educator, lecturer, and storyteller who helped lead an “Intro to Permaculture” weekend workshop at the Joshua Tree Foundation for Arts and Ecology in Joshua Tree, Calif., on Dec. 6–8, 2024. The event provides a taste of a two-week permaculture design certification course (postponed to late September 2025) in the same location. According to Brush, permaculture (a word combining “permanent” and “culture”…
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Fueling the Future: Why EVs Are Better for the Environment
Guest Post by Holly Shaftel Introduction When I was on Facebook (maybe five years ago), I once debated an old high school classmate about electric vehicles. I can’t remember the details, but this person replied to my post about electric trucks, spewing all the falsehoods she likely picked up from her social circle, including those about battery production. As a proud EV owner and former NASA climate website editor, I’m used to “science bombing” online trolls, bots, and deniers who work for Big Oil and other bad actors. So, it might not surprise you that misinformation (unintentionally false information) and disinformation (intentionally false information) around electric cars often came up in…
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How I Try to be Eco-Friendly
Being eco-friendly is really important to me, and I’ve been working to make choices that help the environment and reduce my carbon footprint. I started by driving hybrid cars, like the Honda Insight and then the Prius Prime. These small cars were great for getting around town. A few years ago, I upgraded to a fully electric car, and I’m really happy with it! I bought my current home about two and a half years ago. Although it’s been a financial stretch, my boyfriend and I invested in solar panels, a heat pump system (for heating, cooling, and hot water), and an induction stove. We’re thrilled with these upgrades, even…
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Solutions to Climate Change
Finding solutions to climate change isn’t easy, but it can be done! Some are easy, some are hard, some are expensive, and some are cheap. And, believe it or not, you can have fun doing it! One of my biggest frustrations working on NASA’s Climate website was our inability to discuss solutions to climate change. That wasthe most asked question that came through our “Feedback” section (which no longer exists). Climate change is one of the biggest challenges our world faces today. It means that Earth’s average temperature is rising. It also means that ice sheets and glaciers are melting, and extreme weather is getting worse. Fortunately, people around the…
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Renewable energy is an important solution to climate change
Renewable energy is a critical solution to climate change. Renewable energy is energy from sources we can’t run out of. Some types of renewable energy, like wind and solar, come from sources that are not depleted when used. Others, like biomass, come from sources that can be replenished. Common types of renewable energy are wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and geothermal. Renewable energy has two advantages over the fossil fuels that provide most of our energy today. First, there is a limited amount of fossil fuel resources (like coal, oil and natural gas) in the world, and if we use them all we cannot get any more in our lifetimes. Second, renewable energy produces…
