These success stories are a model for community-rooted conservation and population revival that could help other countries and regions rebuild their withering ecosystems.
East Asia
We have experiences, inherited knowledge, and approaches that escape the comprehension of the global north, and the more we hear each other’s stories, the better chances we have of surviving the climate crisis.
Communities living near mines often bear the brunt of pollution, environmental degradation, and the economic instability brought by boom-and-bust cycles, while end-users and proprietors enjoy the economic and environmental gains.
While China used to be the world's largest waste importer, Southeast Asia is now taking a significant portion of wealthy countries solid waste, leading to negative health outcomes and environmental pollution.
"The Cook Islands is small, and when you sign deals with economic giants like China, you have to question the long-term consequences."
"The public deserves to know if there are any debt obligations, resource access clauses, or strategic commitments involved."
China intervened in the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), insisting Pacific leaders remove any mention of Taiwan from their communique on the forum.
"Tight hugs, teary screams, holding my kids in the spring sunshine. Trees shimmy from the breeze. I can see the entirety of the sky now! Thank you Aussies."
"If it is safe, dump it in Tokyo! If it is safe, test it in Paris! If it is safe, store it in Washington! But keep our Pacific nuclear free!"
"I miss the sun. In my cell, sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year. ... Most of all, I miss my children."