Focus on Arts and Ecology

 An important environmental story from China, synthesised from local and international media, November 23, 2025

China has taken a more prominent role in business and diplomacy at COP30 amid the absence of the US. Beijing’s diplomats have been active in behind-the-scenes roles previously typically filled by Washington, while green industry activity has had a “highly visible” role in China’s engagement.

The country’s pavilion this year also occupies a prime spot beside that of host country Brazil.

At COP30, Chinese companies in the clean energy, digital technology and electric mobility sectors have launched products and delivered presentations at side events, or featured prominently in other ways. Alibaba’s global research institute announced an upgrade to its AI-based long-term weather prediction model, for instance, while BYD provided a fleet of plug-in hybrid vehicles to ferry delegates around in,

Reuters reported. The State Grid Corporation of China and CATL also held events, while solar company LONGi released its latest climate action white paper.

Amid the absence of a high-profile US delegation, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in attendance, warned that the US risked losing out in renewables and EVs unless it addressed China’s dominance in manufacturing and supply chains, Reuters noted.

Chinese diplomats were also reportedly active in informal consultations, with one Brazilian official telling the outlet that China played a central role in helping reach an agreement regarding the COP30 agenda before negotiations began.

Yet more publicly, Beijing reiterated calls for developed countries to “take the lead” on emissions reduction and financial commitments. China also failed to make a monetary contribution to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) – which provides financial incentives for countries to protect their tropical forests – even as it expressed support for the initiative.

China’s updated NDC in September drew mixed reactions, with an emissions-reduction target of 7-10% from peak levels by 2035. Kate Logan and Li Shuo of the Asia Society described it as a “conservative pledge” that “misses a chance at leadership”.

Still, China was keen to emphasise its role among emerging markets. Discussions on South-South cooperation, green finance and the building of a “Green Silk Road” – via the greening of Belt and Road Initiative projects – featured prominently at the China Pavilion during the first week of COP30.

China’s latest white paper on its actions to achieve carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, released days before COP30, notes that it has mobilised about RMB 177 billion (USD 24.9 billion) in climate-related South-South cooperation project funds since 2016, having signed memoranda of understanding with 43 countries.

(Sources: Dialogue Earth)

Backed by policy and Chinese imports, Chile is a leader in Latin America’s shift to electric, but faces hurdles to reach its zero-emissions targets. 

By John Bartlett, November 13, 2025

Chile is at the vanguard of an electric vehicle revolution in Latin America.

Today, a significant proportion of the population in the capital, Santiago, commutes using electric-powered public transport, thanks largely to a state-led drive towards decarbonisation, aided by private technology and capital that is often sourced from abroad.

“Chile is an electromobility leader in Latin America, and growth has accelerated in the sector,” says María Isabel González, the general manager of Energética, a Chilean energy consultancy. She tells Dialogue Earth that in 2024 the electric vehicle sector grew 183% on the previous year, while in the first quarter of 2025, there was a further 126% growth compared to the same period last year.

Chile is aiming to electrify its public transport network and make it emissions-free by 2040. More broadly, the country is committed to being carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest.

“Chile has made a serious commitment to environmental sustainability, which, among other actions, is realised through the development of public policies that promote both energy sustainability and electromobility,” says Jorge Daza, the undersecretary of the country’s transport ministry.

As part of Chile’s efforts to hit these ambitious targets, it launched its national electromobility strategy in 2021. By 2035, it aims for all light and medium-sized vehicle sales to be zero-emissions models, as well as 100% of all new urban public transport additions, including taxis.

The strategy also targets industry, aiming for all sales of mining, forestry, construction and agricultural machinery to be zero-emissions models by 2040; the goal for large-scale freight vehicles and intercity buses is 2045.

The government is pushing ahead with tax incentives and zero-emission zones as part of a policy portfolio. Electric vehicles are already exempt from Chile’s “green tax”, which penalises emissions. Drivers of electric or hybrid vehicles, or any vehicle deemed “zero-emissions” by the government, currently enjoy heavily discounted vehicle registration fees; the discount will gradually decrease as the 2020s progress. And Chile’s senate recently approved a bill that will enable the conversion of internal combustion engines to electric, including vehicle certification and garage licensing provisions.

Daza is optimistic that Chile will hit its targets. “To achieve these goals, it is essential to continue pursuing public policies that promote sustainable mobility in Chile,” he adds. “Electromobility presents us with an opportunity to advance the development of more efficient, safe and sustainable transportation systems, generating wellbeing for people and development for their communities.”

Chinese makers drive electric shift

With 10 years to go to hit its public transport and light-to-medium private vehicle goals, Chile is making progress. And Chinese carmakers are right at the heart of this ambitious transition.

The fleet in Santiago, where about 40% of Chile’s population is concentrated, is the largest electric bus fleet in any city outside of China. Over 3,000 of those in circulation are supplied by the Chinese manufacturers BYD, Foton, Zhongtong and Yutong, according to transport ministry figures.

BYD has also supplied electric double-decker buses – the continent’s first – that are equipped with wifi, USB charging ports and air conditioning.

By the time the current government leaves office in March 2026, Daza says there will be 4,400 electric buses on Santiago’s roads – equating to 68% of the fleet.

But there is room for improvement, too.

“It is essential to advance the electrification of mining, too, which accounts for a large part of national energy consumption,” says Javier Pereda, an associate professor in the electrical engineering department at Santiago’s Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUCC).

“In open-pit mining, nearly 50% of the energy [supply] comes from the diesel used by CAEX [Cargo Expreso, a haulage firm] trucks, while in underground mining, high consumption is associated with the ventilation systems required to mitigate pollution from diesel equipment,” adds Pereda. “These sectors represent a significant opportunity to expand industrial electromobility.” Since 2023, the mining company SQM has had a fully electric truck running loads from its lithium plant in Antofagasta, northern Chile, to the port of Tocopilla. The company hopes to add more EVs to its operational fleet in future.

Chile’s electromobility progress is closely tied to Chinese involvement in the sector. Zhongtong, for example, recently won a public tender to provide 895 zero-emissions buses – Chile’s largest order yet.

In addition, several of Santiago’s metro lines are also electrified. But beyond the capital, progress is slower. Several electrified intercity train routes have been launched, one of which covers the 85 kilometres between Santiago and the city of Rancagua to its south. As for electric buses, the northern border city of Arica, and the cities of Concepción, Temuco and Puerto Montt in the south, have 216 between them, according to transport ministry figures.

That total will reach 360 before the end of the year, with electric buses hitting the streets in Ovalle, Villarrica, Lota and Osorno, according to Daza. He says the cost of electric buses has decreased 40% in the past five years.

In October, the northern city of Copiapó became the first in South America to operate a fully electric public transport system following the addition of 121 Chinese-manufactured electric buses.

Replicating progress in personal EVs

Alongside this push to electrify public transit, the adoption of private electric vehicles (EVs) has been steadily moving towards the country’s ambitious uptake targets.

According to Chile’s national automotive association (ANAC), in September 2025, zero- or low-emission models accounted for 10.5% of new light- and medium-sized private vehicles sales in the country.

“I foresee it is possible for Chile to reach its [EV] targets, given that consumers are already considering the environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles,” says González. ANAC disagrees: in its September report, the association argues that Chile’s EV adoption targets will not be achievable unless it further develops electrical infrastructure and reviews related tax policies.

Since the beginning of 2024 up to May 2025, the transport ministry reports that 35% of all new electric and hybrid models it has approved for sale in Chile have been Chinese. BYD dominates the plug-in vehicles market – ANAC says its Shark GS was Chile’s top selling plug-in hybrid vehicle as of September this year.

González says higher prices are “undoubtedly” the biggest barrier to adoption, allowing competitively priced Chinese technology to penetrate the market. Daza is also keen to stress the importance of Chinese manufacturers.

“Rather than absolute dominance, Chinese brands have achieved an increasingly competitive presence thanks to their ability to offer electric vehicles with good range, equipment and lower prices than European, Asian or North American brands,” adds Pereda.

The road ahead

Another issue is a lack of charging stations up and down Chile’s long sliver of territory, sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. There are currently 1,749 public charging points in the country, according to the transport ministry, but most of these charging points are concentrated in and around Santiago.

There has been a concerted effort to increase the power available from these chargers – which has nearly doubled since last year – to enable faster charging. Meanwhile, the energy ministry has developed an app, EcoCarga, which provides information on the locations and capacities of public charging points.

Chile’s position as a producer and exporter of lithium – a vital component in battery technology at the heart of the global electromobility transition – has also sparked discussions about opportunities and challenges in its electrification. In 2021, it was estimated that the country sits on approximately 44% of the planet’s known lithium reserves. And new studies shared by the state mining body ENAMI in April suggest Chile possesses substantially more. Yet, even as the International Energy Agency forecasts that global lithium demand could increase by more than fortyfold by 2040, Chile is currently able to add very little value to the raw material it exports.

China is Chile’s biggest lithium client – 71% of lithium exports went to China in 2024 – and the source of the vast majority of electric vehicles it imports.

González believes it is “technically possible” for Chile to manufacture its own electric vehicles, but the size of the domestic market would ultimately make it hard for Chilean-built vehicles to compete. The country has never had a significant auto manufacturing sector, with most vehicles imported from Asia, Europe and the US, and the region’s automaking giants, Brazil and Mexico.

There are signs, however, that domestic manufacturing could have a potentially productive future. A public-private partnership resulted in last year’s launch of a Chilean-made hydrogen-powered bus. Hydrogen does not release greenhouse gas emissions when burned, so these buses could aid Chile’s push to achieve its emissions goals – even if this domestic industry may not be able to compete with China economically.

“From the private sector’s perspective, the challenge is to continue increasing and diversifying the supply of private electric vehicles, along with charging infrastructure,” says Daza.

Pereda believes this is possible: “Although it is a complex challenge, adding value locally is feasible, and Chile already has concrete examples.”

He continues: “The most emblematic case is Reborn Electric Motors, the first electric bus factory in Latin America, with a production capacity of nearly 200 units per year. The company recently signed an agreement with Marcopolo [a large, Brazilian manufacturer of bus and coach bodies], which represents a milestone in the national and regional industry.

“Rather than competing in mass manufacturing, the country can position itself as a developer of technological solutions that integrate power electronics, storage, control and intelligent energy management.”

The future appears bright for Chilean electromobility – and Chinese suppliers are positioned to remain at the epicentre of this nascent evolution.

John Bartlett

Chinese cities have more waste incinerators than they need, while rural areas go short. Change is needed, writes Xu Nan. 

By Xu Nan, November 13, 2025

Possibly China’s most unexpected hot topic of the summer was the “waste shortage”.

Six years since Shanghai sparked nationwide debate by making it compulsory to sort household waste, the “shortage” suggested to many that Chinese cities no longer risk being surrounded by landfill sites. All waste problems had been resolved, went the thinking. Reality is, of course, less simple.

The shortage is better understood as an oversupply of waste-incineration capacity, created by a mismatch between policy and market demand. The mistaken belief that the waste-disposal issue has been solved makes it harder to actually solve.

What the waste-to-power sector must do is ensure waste supply reaches existing incinerators. It can do this by improving transportation of household waste, by bringing more dumped waste into the system, and by diversifying from household to industrial waste. People also need to pay more attention to what they throw away.

Great work, when you could get it

In the early 2000s, Chinese cities were running out of sites to use as landfills, while concerns over leachate and methane emissions were on the rise. So industrial policy shifted to boost waste-to-power incineration. This approach was higher tech and less land intensive. It could eliminate all waste and, when managed properly, create fewer environmental concerns.

It was profitable too. Though building an incinerator facility costs about four times as much as a landfill site per tonne of processing capacity, incinerators earned higher fees for dealing with waste and could operate for longer. Plus, local governments used public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ease the financial pressures of construction. Most incinerators were funded by bonds, meaning cheaper financing for the companies and guaranteed incomes from subsidies and disposal fees. Cash flowed in.

The PPP model helped drive a rapid expansion of waste incineration. By 2018, China could incinerate 102 million tonnes of waste a year – that is, 45% of urban household waste. By 2024, that had shot up to 206 million tonnes, equivalent to 79% of such waste. In less than a decade, China had shifted from burying to burning most of its waste.

The number of incinerators has jumped from 104 in 2010 to around 1,000 today. China is now home to two-thirds of global waste-to-power generation capacity.

But the sector is facing big challenges, notably sources of income are shrinking and waste is “leaking” from the system into the environment. When the environment and human health are considered, the answer to the issue must not be for China’s urban waste production to continue to grow to the level of certain advanced countries, as some have implied.

Reducing subsidies

Alongside fees for disposing of waste, the incinerators’ three main sources of cash were government subsides, selling generated electricity and carbon trading. All three are facing challenges.

In 2019, the Ministry of Finance made clear that the percentage of new facilities eligible for subsidies would be gradually decreased over time. Incinerators would have to support themselves via the market, for example through waste-disposal fees.

This situation was the result of central-government policy, local-government budget constraints, and regulatory standards.

Waste-to-power is classed in China as a form of biopower, making it eligible for subsidies. Prior to 2020, those were paid by central government. But if a facility was connected to the grid after that year, local governments have to contribute. Rates varied; in eastern China, local governments paid the lion’s share, with central government chipping in only 20%.

A 2021 document on biopower construction made clear that central-government subsidies would be reduced every year. Waste-to-power plants which came online from 2023 no longer get any central-government subsidy, with the financial burden falling squarely on local-government shoulders. Reduction of subsidies is also used as a regulatory sanction. Since 2020, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has cut subsidies for plants with non-compliant emissions or poor management practices.

With local governments already strapped for cash, filling the gap left by these subsidies has become harder. This year the China Environment Chamber of Commerce gave an example of a company whose three biopower projects were owed a total of more than CNY 400 million (USD 56 million) as of October 2024. Smaller plants, with less than 500 tonnes of daily incineration capacity, tend to be in less affluent areas and are more likely to find payments delayed.

In the first half of 2024, listed firms in the environmental sector – mainly companies in solid waste or sewage treatment – were owed CNY 350 billion (USD 49 billion), or 114% of operational income. In 2025, one big company even organised a conference on the recovering of these debts. The problem is, clearly, systemic.

Meanwhile, income from carbon trading, via China Certified Emission Reductions (CCER) credits, has been reduced to zero since waste incineration became ineligible in 2024. This was both because the new methodology reduced the emissions reductions attributable to incineration, and due to concerns about pollution.

What are CCER credits?

China Certified Emission Reductions are government-certified carbon credits pegged to activities to reduce or avoid emissions, such as renewable-power generation or tree planting. Each credit corresponds to a tonne of CO2 reduction, and can be traded by companies on the national carbon market to help meet their obligations. The CCER scheme relaunched in January 2024 after being suspended in 2017 due to low transaction volumes and data quality. It was originally launched in 2012.

In 2012-2017, waste-to-power incinerators could make CNY 7.60 per tonne of waste burned by selling CCER credits, adding 3-7% to their incomes. That is according to Investment Strategy Research, a product of China Merchants Securities. GEP Research, an environmental consultancy based in Beijing, calculated that in this way, high-performing firms (with relatively high technical and management levels) used to be able to add as much as 8-10%.

Then there’s electricity generation. In the past, incinerators benefited from a benchmark tariff and subsidised prices. The first 280 kilowatt-hours generated from a tonne of waste were sold to the grid at a nationally set tariff of CNY 0.65 each. The remainder went at the price paid locally for coal power – generally CNY 0.25 to CNY 0.40.

Now, the environmental attributes of that power are paid for through the sale of Green Electricity Certificates, which track and verify renewable-power generation. Supply-and-demand issues with those certificates, though, are still being worked out; there was a sudden uptick in supply in 2024 and demand didn’t keep up. The certificates generally sell for only several fen per kilowatt-hour.

All these factors combine to make life much harder for the sector than it was 10 years ago. As of June 2024, China had the capacity to burn 1 million tonnes of waste per day – 34% over the target for the 2021-2025 five-year plan period. More than 40% of that capacity, though, was going unused and the sector’s profits were on the slide.

Missing waste

China has geographical and urban-rural imbalances in waste incineration. The cities have a glut of incinerators, while less densely populated areas have a shortage.

In 1935, geographer Hu Huanyong drew a diagonal line across China, running from the north-east border in Heilongjiang to the south-west border in Yunnan. The Hu line divides the country by population density and also by socioeconomic development. Less than half of China’s land lies to the right of it, but as of 2015 that area was home to 94% of the population and was much more urbanised. The vast majority of China’s incinerators are in that eastern section.

To the left of the line, in the west and parts of the north-east, less than 30% of household waste from towns is properly handled, far below the 2016-2020 five-year plan’s national target of 70%.

Lower population density in towns and villages means waste is more widely distributed and so more expensive to collect. Investors, therefore, prefer to build incinerators in cities. Many remote villages still use uncovered dumps or crude incinerators, giving rise to environmental concerns.

Most lightly populated areas are within ten western provinces, and this is where waste collecting and transportation is more difficult, wrote Xu Haiyun, deputy chair of the urban environment and hygiene committee at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development’s technology commission, in 2024. The total population of those ten provinces is 300 million. Waste-to-power plants already built or under construction can cope with the waste from only about 210 million people.

Moreover, the statistics only cover waste that makes it into the system, missing what is quietly dumped. Rural dumping can lead to leachate and bits of plastics flowing into waterways and spreading through the environment.

Levels of microplastics in sediment from the Huai River are lower in Beijing than the average for other tested sections of the river, including rural sections, according to research by Tsinghua University’s School of Environment in 2021. Most of those microplastics stem from household waste and agricultural sources, such as membranes.

In the cities, levels are lower as water-treatment plants filter out some pollutants. A separate study by Sun Yat-sen University, also from 2021, found much higher levels of microplastics in the mouth of the Pearl River in the rainy season – mainly because of rural waste being washed into the river.

An action plan for tackling plastic pollution during the period of the 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) identifies the key rural issues as agricultural membranes and the burying and open-air dumping of plastic waste.

Avoiding overproduction of waste

As consumerism reaches China’s villages, the amount of waste ending up outside of collection systems and statistical coverage has increased.

Meanwhile, a mistaken belief that waste disposal is no longer a problem makes reducing waste quantities harder. In 2016, China’s cities collected over 200 million tonnes of household waste. In 2024, that had risen to 262 million – an increase of 30% in seven years. The more people think the country has solved its waste disposal problems, the less attention they pay to what they throw away and the less likely they are to reduce waste. And so the problem grows.

“The idea that China does not have enough waste to burn is back-to-front,” Hubei Daily commentator Zhang Shuangshuang rightly notes in a comment piece. “The problem is not a lack of waste, it is a surplus of incinerators.”

If we set out to increase the amount of waste we produce to the level of some advanced economies, using more disposable products, to fill our incinerators, we will only harm ourselves.

If more kitchen waste is being sent for composting, and if more waste is recycled rather than buried or burned – then waste sorting is a success. Our approach to waste disposal should be first to reduce, then reuse, and only then dispose. What needs to change is the distribution of waste-disposal capacity. We should not produce more waste simply to feed the incinerators.

In short, China cannot burn its way to a solution for waste disposal.

Everbright Environment, one of the leading firms in the sector, said in its 2024 annual report that it must shift its orientation to cope with the mismatch between waste supply and demand. It would look to diversify from household to industrial waste, and broaden its customer base from governments to include other businesses and consumers. This move is quite representative of the industry approach.

The old days have gone. The incineration sector needs to work out where there is demand for waste disposal and the complementary electricity-generation, recycling and heat-provision businesses. It also needs to play a key role in improving the transportation of waste and to help cover the rural gap. Only then can the industry emerge from crisis.

Xu Nan

A step-by-step guide to transforming your yard into a thriving habitat for bees and butterflies.

Text and photographs by Anne Readel, April 1, 2025

With climate change accelerating and biodiversity declining, it’s easy to feel powerless. However, just beyond your doorstep lies an opportunity to make a real difference—your yard. Even a small patch of native habitat can provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators while helping you reconnect with nature. 

To help you get started, we spoke with two experts—Judy Cardin, an educator with the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade, and Heather Holm, a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author. Together, they offer practical advice for creating a pollinator garden, and their insights shape every step of this guide.

1. Start small

Creating a pollinator garden doesn’t require tearing up your entire yard. “Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself,” advises Cardin, who has been transforming her yard one patch at a time​. “You can still have turfgrass areas for tossing a ball for your dog or kids to play,” adds Holm. 

A five-by-five-foot space is enough to make a difference—and easy to manage for a beginner. When choosing a site, look for areas that are easy to convert, such as foundation beds, fence lines, or even a single strip of lawn.

2. Smother the site

Next, prepare your planting area by sheet mulching with cardboard. It’s affordable, effective, gentle on the soil—and best of all, it requires no digging (your back will thank you!).

Here’s how Cardin does it: Mow the grass short, then lay down a single layer of nonglossy cardboard with all tape removed. Overlap the edges so no grass can sneak through, cover the cardboard with three to four inches of undyed wood chips, weigh it down with rocks or bricks, and water occasionally to aid decomposition.

If you lay cardboard in spring, the site will be ready for planting in fall. If you prepare the site in fall, it’ll be ready to plant in spring.

3. Pick the plants

Now for the fun part: choosing what to plant! 

Focus on species that are native to your region and suited to your site’s light and soil conditions—whether it’s clay, sand, or loam. “You're going to have much better success if you're matching the plants that you buy to suit those conditions,” says Holm​.

Aim for a mix that bloom from spring through fall to support pollinators throughout the growing season. Plugs (small starter plants) are a great choice for beginners. They establish quickly and outcompete weeds. Seeds work too, but take more time and care. 

Feeling overwhelmed? Try a pollinator kit from a native plant nursery or your local Wild Ones chapter. These kits usually include a curated mix of species tailored to your region and site conditions, often with staggered bloom times for season-long support. For design inspirations using native plants, check out the book Prairie Up by Benjamin Vogt.

4. Plant densely

In nature, plants grow close together—and the plants in your pollinator garden should too. Dense planting helps shade out weeds, keeps soil moist, and builds a resilient plant community. “The more densely you plant them, the fewer problems you’ll have with weeds,” says Cardin​.

When planting, don’t remove the cardboard—just punch holes through it and tuck your plugs into the soil below. Make each hole a few inches wide so the plant has room to grow. The cardboard will continue to suppress weeds as it naturally breaks down.

5. Skip the sprays

Pesticides—including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and rodenticides—harm pollinators. That includes mosquito sprays, which can kill pollinators along with mosquitoes!

The good news? Native plants don’t need sprays. As your garden matures, it will attract birds and predatory insects that keep pests in check. 

When buying plants, ask whether they’ve been treated with pesticides. Chemicals like neonicotinoids are sometimes applied to nursery stock and can linger in plant tissues for years, harming pollinators long after being applied.

6. Provide shelter, not just food

Pollinators need more than pollen and nectar—they also need safe places to nest and overwinter. Many bees, butterflies, and moths make their homes in the soil, inside hollow stems, or under fallen leaves. “The flowering plants are providing the restaurant … the food,” says Holm, “but we also have to think about where they live.”

That means letting your garden stay a little wild. Skip the fall (and even spring) cleanup, leave stems standing, let the leaves lie, and resist the urge to tidy every corner of your garden. “We have to readjust our views of what is aesthetically pleasing,” says Cardin. “Mother Nature doesn’t have a vacuum and a dust cloth.”

7. Install a sign

Because native gardens often look different from traditional ones, a simple sign can go a long way in keeping things friendly with neighbors. Even a small “Pollinator Habitat” sign signals that your planting is intentional—not neglected—and can help prevent misunderstandings. It might also spark curiosity, start conversations, or even inspire someone on your block to plant their own pollinator garden.

8. Be patient

Don’t expect instant results—native plant gardens take time. It usually takes about three years for them to fully mature and fill in. In the meantime, enjoy watching your garden evolve, with each season bringing new growth and new pollinator visitors.

9. Support science

Even a small garden can contribute to a larger network of pollinator habitat—and to scientific research. “There are all of these extra opportunities to share the cool things that you're finding in your pollinator planting,” says Holm​. National programs like iNaturalist, Bumble Bee Watch, Monarch Watch, and regional programs like Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade let you log sightings and help researchers track pollinator populations.

While you're helping pollinators, you’re also creating something meaningful for yourself. “There’s nothing that makes me happier than going out into my gorgeous flower garden, full of native plants, full of pollinators and wildlife,” says Cardin. “It provides me with peace and satisfaction that I’ve made a difference.”​

Author:

Anne Readel is a photographer, writer, and lawyer with a Ph.D. in conservation biology. Her work has been published by the New York Times, Audubon, and Better Homes & Gardens, among others.  She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

(Sources: Sierra Club)