Bad Monkey, A Brave Meteorologist, Gains In Renewables, and More!

Hey climate heroes! Welcome to The Climate Roundup, where we round up the change, er the news about climate and the environment. As part of the Gen E community, we thank you for making climate action part of everyday life. (Reading this newsletter counts!)

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In Pop Culture:

🐵 Bad Monkey, a dark comedy about crime and greed in the Florida Keys and Bahamas, just wrapped its first season on Apple TV. It’s entertaining if you can handle Vince Vaughn doing a whole lot of Vince Vaughning, but what kept me hooked was its subtle focus on nature. Aside from being shot in beautiful tropical locations, the show consistently offers us solo shots of wildlife. We see sea birds, reptiles, manatee, and the endangered Key deer. Some of the characters are spiritually connected to the nature and wildlife that surrounds them, and it’s a theme throughout the season. Personally, I think Bad Monkey nails this concept of weaving the natural world into a popular show in a way that feels natural, while hopefully reminding the viewer that while humans are consumed by the nonsense and drama we whip up on a daily basis, there’s also this whole beautiful world of nature and wildlife doing their thing right under our noses. It might just give us some enlightened perspective if we stopped to notice.

📚 Carl Hiaasen is the author of “Bad Monkey”, the novel, which the show was adapted from. He’s a lifelong Florida resident and I’d venture to say he’s also an environmentalist, because it’s his rage for the development of Florida and resulting destruction of natural habitats that drives his work as a novelist and previously as a journalist. The New York Times interviewed him briefly regarding the two recent hurricanes that ripped through the state, and he laments over how no part of his home state is safe in our climate-fueled reality.

In Enviro News:

🧘‍♀️ Here’s a wonderfully creative article that touts several mental health benefits of spending time in nature, citing the latest scientific research and studies, as the author hikes an ideal trail while describing the sights, smells, and sounds that calm our minds.

☀️ The International Energy Agency’s latest report projects that renewable energy output will exceed that of coal in 2025, and that renewables could provide half the world’s electricity by 2030, led by solar and wind power. Of note is their projection of hydrogen (a fossil fuel industry darling) making up just 1% of the growth through the end of the decade.

🚫 California has become the first state to ban all plastic bags from grocery stores. You may think plastic bags were already banned in CA, but it was only thin plastic bags that were banned. This created a loophole where stores were allowed to use thicker plastic bags and claim they were reusable or recyclable. As a result of this fallacy, plastic bag waste increased from 8 lbs to 11 lbs per person in the state over a 17 year period.

🏠 Zillow has added a climate risk threat score to its home sale listings. Home buyers would be wise to incorporate this risk into their decision-making, as climate change is increasingly making more properties susceptible to flood, wildfire, wind, heat, and air quality risks.

🔋 GM launched a battery-powered home-energy storage system, starting at $10,999, and eligible for tax incentives. It can charge your EV and your home. “You can store power from compatible solar panels or pull energy from the grid during off-peak hours for use at peak times.”

💪 Former climate envoy to the Biden Administration, John Kerry has joined Tom Steyer’s (ex-hedge fund manager-former Democratic presidential nominee- turned climate investor) $1B investment firm that’s focused on climate solutions. Proves you can still get hired at 80.

Climate Hero Of The Week

🙏 I applaud John Morales, the Florida meteorologist who went viral for getting emotional about the fossil fuel-driven strength of Hurricane Milton. What courage he showed in sharing his vulnerability with the world as a means to communicate the catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis. And John, no need ever to apologize for your climate tears. Nobody should feel the need to apologize for getting emotional, period. When it comes to climate change, the only people who should be apologizing are the ones who are knowingly responsible and continue to perpetuate it. Big Oil, obviously, among others.