The war in Iran is exposing critical vulnerabilities in our global energy, food and water systems.
Explore three articles from WRI experts that unpack the impact on these systems and what it will take to bolster them at link in bio🔗👇
➡️Amid the Iran Conflict, Resilience Must Be the Top Priority by @AniDasguptawri :
➡️As Iran War Strains Fuel Supplies, Clean Energy Is Secure Energy By:
Craig Hanson & Jessica Isaacs
➡️Iran War Could Worsen Middle East’s Water Woes by featuring Liz Saccoccia
🥛When it comes to environmental impact, not all milks are equal. Look at this chart, for example: Data shows cow’s milk produces roughly 3 times more emissions than plant-based options.
🌎The good news is that we don't need to choose between protein and the planet. Options like pea milk and soy milk provide a protein-rich alternative while reducing our impact.
Read more on plant proteins at link in bio.
#plantbased #protein #plantprotein #dietaryrecommendations #sustainability
It’s #AsthmaAwarenessMonth, and with it we’re celebrating Electric School Buses (#ESBs)! ESBs mean cleaner air for kids, quieter streets for neighborhoods, and a healthier ride to school every day.
Join NYLCV and the American Lung Association on May 21st for the webinar Breathe Easy: Health, Money, & Clean School Buses: /9nkvnhpv
@NYLPI@mothersoutfrontny@american.nurses.association.ny
#ElectrifyNY
#ElectrifyNewYork
#CleanTransportation
#CleanTransit
#CleanAir
The world’s housing and climate crises are deeply intertwined 🪢, wreaking havoc and reshaping life in #cities around the globe.
“The pathway to climate action that delivers for people and the planet runs through our cities. Countries must prioritize decent, secure housing for the communities who keep urban economies running,” 💬 WRI Africa & Global Partnerships Managing Director Wanjira Mathai.
Next week, the World Urban Forum (WUF) will focus on this intersection.
Under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” #WUF13 will shine a global spotlight 🔦 on practical solutions that connect homes to broader urban systems. By addressing the housing and climate crises together, cities can drive inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development.
Stay tuned for more content on WUF13 and how to address the world’s housing crisis.
Learn more at the 🔗 in our bio.
🌳😌🌇The cooling power of trees starts with shade.
When surfaces like pavement, rooftops and buildings are exposed to direct sunlight, they absorb and store heat, releasing it back into the air long after the sun goes down. Trees interrupt that process. They shade sidewalks, streets and people, preventing surfaces from heating up in the first place. They also cool the surrounding air through evapotranspiration, the release of water vapor from leaves.
A global study of 806 cities found that increases in tree canopy are associated with midday reductions in land surface temperature of around 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) — demonstrating how shade limits the amount of heat that is absorbed and re-radiated by urban surfaces. A global meta-analysis found that increasing tree cover also cools the air itself, with each 10% increase in canopy lowering ambient air temperatures by about 0.3 degrees C (0.54 degrees F).
But ambient and land temperatures aren’t the only factors that determine how hot it feels. The way we experience heat — quantified by “thermal comfort indices,” various measures of how hot an average person feels — is also shaped by factors like humidity, wind and direct solar radiation. Trees make it feel dramatically cooler by blocking direct sunlight. Data from WRI’s Cool Cities Lab shows that trees can improve thermal comfort by 2-8 degrees C (3.6-14.4 degrees F).
Together, shade and evapotranspiration allow trees to provide cooling at multiple scales at once — from lowering neighborhood air temperatures to reducing surface heating to easing hyperlocal thermal stress. This all makes outdoor conditions more bearable during the hottest months of the year and reduces heat-induced illness and mortality.
Learn more about the cooling potential of urban trees at link in bio🔗
In Nairobi, 🇰🇪, 2025–2026 WRI Ross Center #PrizeforCities finalist 🏆 Book Bunk is reclaiming the #city’s neglected libraries as “Palaces for the People” 🏛️ — free, trusted civic spaces at the heart of community life.
“I’ve seen firsthand what it means for people to not have access to knowledge and resources. It’s very important that public libraries become civic hubs, where all sorts of people can walk in and access knowledge, services, technical skills and opportunity,” 💬 Book Bunk Co-Founder Angela Wachuka.
In NYC 🗽? Catch “How to Build a Library,” a documentary spotlighting Book Bunk's work, at @NYPL on May 18 or @BAM_Brooklyn on May 23.
Read more at the 🔗 in our bio.
🪵Between 2003 and 2014, illegal logging cost Indonesia an estimated $6.5 billion to $9 billion in lost government revenue from timber royalties alone.
Indonesia is, in many ways, the best-case version of this challenge, as it has the world’s most developed timber legality frameworks and years of investment from researchers and civil society.
What is missing isn’t the technology.
It's the investment to build out the reference databases, get the labs accredited and wire the results into the systems that actually decide what timber reaches market.
Learn more from link in bio🔗
As we prepare for both #HeatSafety Awareness Week and #WUF13: “Housing the World” next week, we’re looking at the intersection of urban heat 🔥 and the housing crisis 🏘️.
In #cities like Atlanta, 🇺🇸, loans were historically denied for homes in minority areas through a process called redlining, leading to decades of structural underinvestment in these communities.
“The areas that have this history of redlining are often the hottest. They’ve got the lowest tree canopy and the highest asphalt, concrete, impervious surface coverage, which contributes to urban heat,” 💬 Georgia Tech climate researcher Evan Mallen.
Now, thanks to data from WRI's #CoolCitiesLab, Atlanta is addressing this heat inequity by adding reflective materials to all new and replacement roofs. These cool 🆒 roofs can lower temperatures by 1.4°C (2.4°F) across the city, with redlined neighborhoods experiencing up to 3.5°C (6.3°F) of relief.
Explore Cool Cities Lab now 🔎 coolcities.wri.org (🔗 in bio)
Cool Cities Lab was developed with support from #GoogleOrg.
Protecting our planet starts with better data 🌎📊
Elizabeth Goldman is Co-Director of WRI’s Global Forest Watch. As she explains, data is the foundation of good decision making – especially when it comes to solving urgent problems.
WRI is a global research organisation focused on three key areas: people, nature and climate. Working with partners ranging from governments to NGOs, they gather data that informs critical solutions.
Elizabeth points out that measuring the world is just part of the equation; it’s also important to share that information with the public.
Global Forest Watch collects the best available data about the world’s forests and makes it available online for free.
Global greenhouse gas emissions grew by 50% from 1990 to 2023, driving rapid warming and fueling increasingly severe storms, floods, fires, and heatwaves across the globe.
But where exactly are these emissions coming from?
Today, most greenhouse gas emissions can be traced to five key sectors:
⚡Energy
🌽 Agriculture
🏭 Industrial processes
🗑️ Waste
🌲 Land use, land-use change and forestry
#ClimateWatch breaks down what's causing the most GHG emissions globally at link in bio🔗
🎒When it comes to carbon emissions, electric school buses have a clear advantage over its diesel- and propane-burning counterparts.
They produce less than half of the emissions, even when accounting for the production of the electricity used to charge the bus.
But that's not the only benefit they bring. They can help communities with:
🍃Cleaner air
🌟Better test scores
💰Lower utility bills
🔦Emergency backup power
Learn how from link in bio.
2025–2026 WRI Ross Center #PrizeforCities finalist 🏆 Revitalizing Informal Settlements and Environments (RISE) is improving environmental health in Makassar, 🇮🇩’s, informal settlements through water 🚰 and sanitation 🚽 infrastructure.
While the technologies behind the project are innovative, Monash University’s Kerrie Burge and Tony Wong share that what truly sets RISE apart is its collaborative nature.
“We spent a lot of time listening. Residents understand their neighborhoods better than anyone — where water flows, where people walk and what spaces matter most to the community,” 💬 RISE engagement team member Intan Putri.
The results of that collaboration 🤝 are visible: raised pathways connect homes to main city roads, wetlands are carefully positioned with sensitivity to cultural practices and gathering areas have been included at residents’ request.
Read more at the 🔗 in our bio.
