It is with great sadness that we report that Dr. Tom Lovejoy, Solutions from the Land’s founding co-chair, passed away on Christmas Day. His groundbreaking work and legacy as the “godfather of biodiversity” helped to frame both the need and the urgency for collaboration and re-alignment of thinking and resources in stewarding the world’s dynamic landscapes and watersheds. As a legendary conservation biologist and one of the world’s foremost experts of the Amazon Basin he was witness and advocate for how humans and nature must find sustainable ways to live and thrive. Tom’s willingness to work across the spectrum of policy and politics brought him to the Solutions from the Land Dialogue in 2009. With his gentle manner and persuasive insights, he built bridges of understanding addressing the challenges of climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss. He helped generations, old and new, realize that we must embrace a willingness to see and design new solutions for age old problems of sustainably managing agricultural and environmental resources. Dr. Lovejoy’s induction into the National Academy of Sciences earlier this past year was tribute and acknowledgement of his lifelong contributions and impact on mankind’s tenuous path forward. We are heartbroken to have lost a friend, colleague, mentor and true thought leader.
Ethanol still makes sense for climate, rural communities
Ethanol makes a lot of sense. It’s a form of energy that harnesses sunshine and, in the process, can sequester carbon. It plays into a circular economy, enabling farmers, like Ray Gaesser, to work with neighbors to use and reuse resources, creating a ripple effect of economic and environmental...