Sustainability

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    Sun Going Down on Renewable Energy Tax Credits (30% ITC)

    Act Before the 30% ITC Sunset The 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar energy was once set to shine until 2037. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), that daylight is fading fast. What began as a decade-long runway has become a short sprint — especially for homeowners and businesses trying to lock in the full benefit of America’s renewable energy tax credits.For homeowners, the cutoff is clear: systems must be installed and operational…

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    The Peace Dividend of Science and Sustainability

    The peace dividend—once a term describing the economic benefits following the end of military conflict—now reflects a broader truth about how societies thrive. In today’s interconnected world, peace is measured not just by reduced armaments, but by the strength of scientific collaboration, environmental recovery, and innovation ecosystems that rebuild trust across borders. This month, the world recognizes two observances that underscore that transformation: the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War…

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    Rotary & Polio: A Service Legacy, A Future Challenge

    For over 40 years, Rotary has stood at the forefront of the global fight to end polio. With cases reduced by roughly 99.9% since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the journey is far from over. Today, as polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the push to finish this mission demands renewed focus and collective action (Global Polio Eradication Initiative [GPEI], 2025). World Polio Day (October 24) is a reminder…

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    Elias’s Future Farm: Building a Sustainable Legacy for 100 Years and Beyond

    From Choices to Legacy: the Future Sustainable Farm Elias, the Ohio farmer we met in recent scenario planning case studies, faces choices that mirror the world’s energy dilemmas: drilling for oil and gas, planting corn for ethanol, building solar and wind farms, or adopting regenerative agriculture. Each path offers rewards and risks, but as Elias looks beyond contracts and crop cycles, his thinking shifts to the future sustainable farm and a carbon-negative future. He is…

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    The Farmer’s Choice: Shell-Inspired Scenarios for a Carbon-Negative Future (1/2)

    The Farmer’s Dilemma Elias, a farmer in eastern Ohio, stands at the edge of his fields with competing futures before him. Is there a carbon-negative future ahead? His corn stretches toward the horizon, but beneath the soil lie the Utica and Marcellus Shale formations, some of the richest fossil reserves in North America. He could lease to an oil company tomorrow and receive an upfront check larger than any harvest he has ever sold. Yet…

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    From Farm to Future: Four Scenarios for a Carbon-Negative World (2/2)

    Revisiting the Farmer’s Choice In Part 1 of this series, we introduced Elias, a farmer in eastern Ohio whose land sits at the crossroads of energy and agriculture. Beneath his soil lie the Utica and Marcellus Shale formations, tempting him with oil and gas leases. Above his fields stretch skies fit for solar panels and wind turbines. On the ground itself, his soil could be managed regeneratively to store carbon while producing food. (See Part…