The science is clear, and so is our imperative. What can we learn from nature as we design solutions for mitigating, adapting to, and reversing climate change?

Earth has always been a changing planet, but the climate and ecological changes humans have set in motion in the last century are like nothing we’ve experienced before. Hungry for energy, food, and other resources, our growing populations are pushing Earth’s systems toward a frightening and well-documented tipping point. The science is clear, and so is our imperative. To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, the human community must find ways to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change—and ideally reverse its dangerous course altogether.

The solutions we need will address a myriad of challenges, from energy to water to carbon. This collection highlights some of the ways that living systems manage these resources as they survive and thrive on this dynamic planet.