Mongabay launches 'Solutions Desk,' sharing good news about what works for the planet

Mongabay has launched a new "Solutions Desk." This desk will focus on how people and groups are solving environmental problems. Instead of just reporting on issues, it will highlight what works.

This move is part of a shift towards solutions journalism. This type of reporting uses evidence to show the results, trade-offs, and lessons learned from real-world efforts.

Why Solutions Journalism Matters

Environmental news often focuses on bad news like extinctions and habitat loss. This can make people feel hopeless. Mongabay's new desk aims to change that by showing that solutions are possible.

Many people, from local communities to governments, are working to fix environmental challenges. But it's often hard to know if these efforts are truly effective. The Solutions Desk will explore these responses and share insights into what works in different situations.

Rhett Ayers Butler, Mongabay's founder and CEO, noted that constant bad news can make people disengage. He believes that by documenting successful conservation and climate efforts, Mongabay can offer readers hope and a sense of agency.

Willie Shubert, Mongabay’s executive editor, added that the desk will bring attention to "doers" in the world. He said Mongabay's audience needs inspiration and insights from successful actions to address environmental problems. They also need to learn from both triumphs and mistakes.

Reporting on solutions requires careful checking of claims and evidence. The Solutions Desk has a core team of six staff and many journalists in regional offices. In 2024, Marina Martinez joined as a dedicated solutions researcher. She helps with scientific evidence and fact-checking before stories are published.

Mongabay has a history of this type of journalism. This includes a special issue on conservation effectiveness and ongoing projects about climate solutions, reforestation, and fisheries.

Butler emphasized that even with long odds, real progress is happening in the environmental field. He said the Solutions Desk will cover these gains with the same scrutiny as all of Mongabay's journalism. This ensures that any hope offered is earned, not made up.

Real-World Impact of Solutions Journalism

Mongabay's solutions reporting has already led to significant outcomes.

Microsoft Invests in Agroforestry

Mongabay's series on agroforestry explores how this practice helps with food insecurity, deforestation, and climate change. Erik Hoffner, a senior editor, shared articles from this series with Microsoft's leaders.

After this, Microsoft decided to include agroforestry in its requests for proposals for carbon investments. In 2021, Microsoft invested in two agroforestry projects in Peru, Brazil, and Colombia. Mongabay's reporting helped one of the world's largest companies make informed, socially responsible investments.

Indigenous Women's Wildcat Conservation Program Gains Support

In August 2024, Mongabay reported on "Mujeres Quechua por la Conservación" (Quechua Women for Conservation). This project in Peru is led by women who use citizen science to help conserve wildcats like the Andean cat. They also make wildcat handicrafts to fund their work.

After the story, the conservation group Panthera ordered 20 stuffed Andean cats from the women and provided financial support. Jim Sanderson, director of the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation, funded a workshop to help the women improve their craft production. This created a new income source for them.

The women told Mongabay that the increased visibility boosted their confidence and opened new opportunities. The group then secured another year of funding, which they partly credited to Mongabay's reporting.

Increased Accountability in the Biomass Industry

Mongabay's reporting on the biomass energy industry has helped improve business practices and hold companies accountable. In December 2022, Mongabay published a whistleblower's account exposing false claims by Enviva, the world's largest producer of wood pellets.

Enviva had promoted its green credentials, but Mongabay's report showed its practices did not match its claims. This report and a video led to government action. The Netherlands decided to stop subsidies for any biomass company found to be untruthful about its wood pellet production.

The motion approved by the Dutch parliament specifically cited Mongabay's article. Representatives for a class-action lawsuit against Enviva also contacted the whistleblower after reading Mongabay's report.