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Articles by Branching Together Founders

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Climate Change Rundown
Scientific studies conclude that adverse effects of climate change are wreaking havoc on our planet. Due to this, climate change is an important topic to understand as it is the largest root issue that impacts our world and its inhabitants today. This article gives a rundown of some primary causes and effects of climate change to help provide a general understanding of the subject. It also offers actions that can help reduce the damage that is occurring through making changes in our daily lives.

Click here to read Climate Change Rundown, by Susie George & Cheyenne Whisenhunt

How to Shop Responsibly
There are seemingly endless options for every purchase, yet there is little known about a product's supply chain. It has become increasingly difficult to choose products that are responsibly produced and environmentally sustainable. Because of this, being a responsible consumer requires some extra research and mindfulness. How to Shop Responsibly explains how to embrace your power as a consumer for environmental change.
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Click here to read How to Shop Responsibly, by Susie George

The Importance of Bees, Beekeeping, and Bee Friendly Landscapes
This article explains colony collapse, the impact of bees within the food system, and provides methods to support the bee population. Additionally, read about current case studies of practical and successful beekeeping.

Click here to read The Importance of Bees, Beekeeping, and Bee Friendly Landscapes, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt & Clair Mallen

Why Every Business Should Embrace Sustainability
Business is a main contributor of climate change and often encourages unsustainable practices of consumers. For a company that is succeeding through use of harmful tactics, it may not make sense at first to shift to sustainable practices and embrace a new strategy. However, the evidence is clear that consumers and industry overall are pushing for a sustainable future. Read about evidence in support of businesses embracing sustainability.

Click here to read Why Every Business Should Embrace Sustainability, by Susie George

Impacts of Climate Change on Crop Yields
The food system is in a delicate state that continues to be increasingly impacted by climate change, among other factors. Agriculture is a large contributor to climate change, but is simultaneously impacted by its effects. There are certain thresholds that cannot be crossed for many crops to continue producing at their current rates which are further explored in this article, along with potential mitigation strategies.

Click here to read Impacts of Climate Change on Crop Yields, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt

Take Back the Alleys: Turning Unused Alleyway Space into Gardens
There is a great need for communities to embrace locally grown and sustainably produced food in today's world. This article gives insight into the benefits of growing your own food as well as how to empower local communities by planting gardens for food production in unused alleyways.

Click here read to Take back the Alleys: Turning Unused Alleyway Space into Gardens, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt & Deion Jones

An Inside Look at Bees: Interviews with the Experts
This article is composed of three interviews with bee experts in order to further understand the importance of bees and how to support pollinators. Get inside tips about bees, how to beekeep, colony collapse, bees favorite kinds of plants and more.

​Click here to read An Inside Look at Bees: Interviews with the Experts, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt

Forcing Factors of Climate
Understanding all of the diverse factors that impact the climate can be challenging. This article examines internal and external forcing factors of the climate by highlighting some of the primary processes that influence the climate.

​Click here to read Forcing Factors of Climate, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt

A Deconstruction of the Terms “Local" and “Organic”
When it comes to food, while the terms "local" and "organic" can infer a sustainable choice, there are important aspects to consider when striving to purchase truly sustainably produced food. Navigating food amidst marketing and endless choices has become extremely difficult for consumers. This article makes clear the best ways to ensure that your eating habits are sustainable.

Click here to read A Deconstruction of the Terms “Local" and “Organic", by Cheyenne Whisenhunt

The Importance of Place-based and Bioregional Education in the School System
As students have become increasingly disconnected from the land, it is vital to re-introduce them to the natural world in order for them to create life-long relationships with the environment. The educational system provides an optimal starting point for students to begin this process. The importance of integrating place-based and bioregional education into the school system is explored in this article.

Click here to read The Importance of Place-based and Bioregional Education in the School Systems, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt

The History of Urbanization and Transportation in Relation to the Food System
Two of the most significant drivers of the industrial food system were urbanization and transportation. This article provides a brief summary of the history of urbanization and transportation in the U.S. and how these aspects impacted the current food system.

​Click here to read The History of Urbanization and Transportation in Relation to the Food System, by Cheyenne Whisenhunt​

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Other Recommended Articles

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The three-minute story of 800,000 years of climate change with a sting in the tail
This article and accompanying short video describe the relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change over the last 800,000 years. While the earth's greenhouse effect is a natural and important phenomenon, carbon dioxide levels have reached unparalleled levels beginning with and following the industrial revolution. These scientific facts are the foundation of present action that must be taken in order for Earth to remain habitable.
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Click here to read The three-minute story of 800,000 years of climate change with a sting in the tail, by Ben Henley & Nerilie Abram

Urban Apartment Gardening: Gardening Tips for Apartment Dwellers
With fewer people living in houses and a rise in apartment dwellers, it is increasingly challenging to find land and resources to grow one's own food. However, apartment gardening is not only possible, it is a simple and reasonable option. This article describes plant options and methods that succeed in apartment gardening.
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Click here to read Urban Apartment Gardening: Gardening Tips for Apartment Dwellers, by Bonnie L. Grant

If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef
The new phenomenon of ecoanxiety, defined in the article, has people seeking out methods within their control to deal with the environmental crisis, though it requires far more than individual action. Studies show that the simple substitution of beans for beef would result in significant climate mitigation, as meat production is one of the largest producers of carbon emissions. This article explains the “why” behind this idea, and while you don’t have to give up meat completely, this article elaborates on the importance of reducing your meat consumption.

Click here to read If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef, by James Hamblin

Reducing Your Transportation Footprint
Transportation is the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the U.S. Cleaner methods of transportation and public transportation are simple and cost effective solutions to this issue. This article simplifies the problem and provides a path to trading old habits for new environmentally conscious ones.

Click here to read Reducing Your Transportation Footprint from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

 Palm Oil Production Poses Problems for the Climate 
Palm Oil is a common addition to many products such as makeup, peanut butter, and candy. However, years of unsustainable farming of oil palms has depleted habitats for many animals, increased carbon dioxide emissions, and resulted in more wildfires due to deforestation. This article explains the problem with palm oil, and provides alternatives and solutions.
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​Click here to read Palm Oil Production Poses Problems for the Climate, by Michael Kodas

Climate Change is Complex. We've Got Answers to Your Questions
This article from the New York Times tackles some of the most common questions about Climate Change. With so much conflicting information about this occurrence, it is important to center scientific fact to address the issue at hand. This article provides a simple format to help viewers develop a better understanding of the complex environmental issue that is climate change. (Make sure to scroll to the bottom to get answers to the most common questions about climate change!)

Click here to read Climate Change is Complex. We've Got Answers to Your Questions, by Justin Gillis

Why Reducing Meat Consumption Is the Easiest Step Everyone Can Take to Fix Our Broken Food System
Meat production and consumption has been a main contributor to creating the current broken food system. Additionally, unsustainable meat production negatively contributes to climate change, drains freshwater supplies, and leaves 850 million people without enough food. This article covers the basics of animal agriculture, how it affects our food system and easy changes that consumers can make to support a more sustainable food system.

Click here to read Why Reducing Meat Consumption Is the Easiest Step Everyone Can Take to Fix Our Broken Food System, by Sara Farr

The Land Ethic
This is an article that has been around for decades, but the importance of the topic remains just as relevant today. According to Aldo Leopold, the idea of a "land ethic" is rooted in caring, more specifically, caring about people and land, and strengthening the relationships between them. These connections are intertwined, as the term "community" includes humans as well as the physical aspects, such as soils, waters, plants, and animals. This call to action emphasizes the importance of establishing a "land ethic" that can last for generations, and sheds light on how to develop a sustainable mindset.

Click here to read The Land Ethic, by Aldo Leopold

Marine Plastics
Plastics have become one of the greatest contributors to waste in the world, especially impacting ocean life. This report chronicles the origins of plastics and their often destructive impact on the environment. Solutions for plastics management are examined and can help provide a guide for how to live more sustainably through reduced use of plastic.

​Click here to read Marine Plastics, by the Ocean Portal Team

5 Tech Innovations That Could Save Us From Climate Change
This article describes five industries that are harmful to the environment, and provides tech solutions for the issues presented. Tech is a far reaching sector with significant influence in the world. Read about how sustainably minded individuals are utilizing their technological skills to confront climate change in effective ways.

Click here to read 5 Tech Innovations That Could Save Us From Climate Change, by Alex Gray

Keeping an Eye on Our Changing Planet
​Climate has a direct relationship with carbon in the atmosphere, which has been an important topic of study for over a century. This resource introduction page is a research guidebook to the past, present, and future of our changing planet. Check out information pertaining to the atmosphere, oceans and water, ice, land, and living systems, and what is ahead in relation to climate change.

Click here to read Keeping an Eye on Our Changing Planet, from Exploratorium

Avoiding the Local Trap: Scale and Food Systems in Planning Research
Local food is often assumed to be sustainable and supportive of its respective community. However, the "local" label is not a guarantee that agricultural practices are "inherently good." This article examines the unfavorable aspects of "local" that are often overlooked and offers a holistic solution to the food system as well as methods to ensure that consumers purchase sustainably produced food.
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Click here to read Avoiding the Local Trap: Scale and Food Systems in Planning Research, by Branden Born & Mark Purcell

Rethinking Sustainability; Food as a Metaphor
This article is a bit on the lengthy side, but it provides valuable information pertaining to the term sustainability. Ikerd makes dynamic connections in regards to economic and social aspects as they relate to food systems, and beautifully illustrates the difference between sustainable farms and industrial farms. The article provides great insight into the unsustainable future we are heading toward unless change occurs on a large-scale.
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​Click here to read and download Rethinking Sustainability; Food as a Metaphor, by John Ikerd