Surfing Sea Otters, Climate Tech Collab, Right Whale Babies, 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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Pop Culture:

🦦 How great are stories about animals showing us they’ve had enough of humans in their spaces?! With no party getting hurt, of course. The latest is from endangered California sea otters in Santa Cruz, where there’s been instances of a sea otter or otters commandeering surfboards away from surfers. Nothing against surfers, especially since as a group they are respectful to nature. But apparently the surf is very crowded in Santa Cruz, leaving sea otters with little space to be sea otters. Nobody knows why they are targeting surfers, but it’s fun to guess. Apparently the case of a sea otter stealing surfboards isn’t new and became a sensation a couple years ago. I love that this widely beloved species, known for its off the charts cuteness is showing us its edgy side.e issues.

Philanthropy At Work:

🪾 The National Forest Foundation and Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico have launched a 10-year, $55 million partnership to restore fire-damaged lands in the park. Early efforts will stabilize burned areas, improve watershed health, and reopen recreation spaces, as part of a long-term plan to rebuild ecosystems and protect local communities. A classic example of why we need nonprofits to fill in the many structural gaps in our society, areas that lack funding and resources.pacts.”

Environmental News:

📈 The most important news from the past week or so didn’t appear to get much coverage, which is a tragedy in itself. The World Meteorological Organization reported that global carbon emissions rose to record levels last year. Additionally, it was the largest annual increase since modern measurement of atmospheric carbon levels began in the 1950’s. This news should be enraging to all humans because after all this time (decades!) of knowing that greenhouse gas emissions trap heat and warm our planet, causing extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and extinctions, our species is still willingly doing the stupidest of activities – burning fossil fuels, which is the main driver of said warming. And we’re doing it at record levels! I often think about how alien species would observe our behavior as nothing short of suicidal. The WMO report also found that not only have human-caused emissions increased, but so have emissions from wildfires, which only adds to the problem with something we can’t quite control. Furthermore, our planet’s natural ability to absorb carbon via oceans and plantlife has been overloaded, meaning less carbon is being absorbed as part of Earth’s inherently genius design, and more remains in our atmosphere, further increasing temperatures. That’s three separate sources right there (and there are more) contributing to the climate crisis, with one very major one being in our full control, yet we choose to accelerate it. Not only this, but looking at a more granular level at humanity’s stupid behavior, 2024 saw record levels of coal being burned. Coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels, and there is a global agreement to wean off of it. But clearly global agreements, including the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5°C, do not work. Friends, the climate crisis demands to be the number one priority for our species right now, yet it’s not even close to that. So for those of us who are wide awake, let this news of the biggest increase in atmospheric carbon in modern history be a reminder that WE must be the ones keeping this topic in the conversation. It can be as simple as that – just keep it in the conversation within your circle of influence. It is our calling, as the ones who know, the ones who see the truth to carry this message in our own personal ways and try to help. Our planet’s perfect balance of life and livable weather conditions, at the least, are on the line. Now breathe, and let’s review what else is happening in this space.

👷 The UK government announced a plan to create 400K new jobs across various clean energy sectors by training people with the necessary skills. They aim to focus on training people transitioning from fossil fuel jobs, new grads, and the unemployed, among others.

🐋 The endangered North Atlantic right whale numbers are slowly increasing, which is a positive sign that conservation measures are working. The total number of these animals left is 384, so they are still a very fragile species threatened by ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and depleting food sources due to ocean warming. But 8 new calves were born in the past year, so we’ll take that win.

💰 Climate investors, including Bill Gates, came together last month in Half Moon Bay, CA at an event titled ‘All Aboard’ to launch a fund of the same name. Their aim is to align their collective focus to fund a small number of climate tech startups they believe can reach commercial scale. The vibe is good returns and good intentions.

📊 There have been so many cuts to governmental programs, staff, and funding that it’s hard to keep track. If you recall, one of the programs that got cut was NOAA’s tracking of billion dollar disasters, which have been increasing due to climate change’s amplification of extreme weather and wildfires. Thankfully, a nonprofit has brought this data back to life, and is doing it the same way as before, helmed by a former NOAA scientist. This is a reminder of why nonprofit organizations are important – they fill the gaps left by government and commercial markets. Through June of this year, there’s been $101 billion in losses from storms and fires in the US, and that’s even without a major hurricane. It’s also a record.

♻ California is cracking down on plastic bag makers and their misleading use of the recycle symbol on their bags. Plastic bags are largely not recyclable, and in fact, cause problems for recycling equipment as they get stuck in the machinery. Four companies will pay the state $1.7M for deceiving the public, and three more plastic bag companies who refused accountability will be taken to court. Die, plastic, die!

🚢 The US has strong-armed the world into delaying a carbon tax on the shipping industry. It would have been the first global carbon tax, and was heralded as a true victory set to go into action. But US officials spent months influencing and threatening countries with tariffs and visa restrictions if they voted for the climate measure. It’s deeply disappointing to see Trump not only setting our own country back, but setting the world back on smart progress as well.

⚠️ Trump has opened up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling. This means the government will hold a lease sale for companies to bid on drilling in this pristine and ecologically important area of land. We’ll be watching this space, hoping there are no bidders.

O Canada:

🐦 Not a Blue Jay, but a Canada Jay! Happy World Series. I took this photo last week in a breathtaking Canadian national park, where winter is beginning to creep in, and some bird species are lingering around before migrating south (not this one, these Jays stay put in the cold). Either way, it’s a peaceful time of year to be in the mountains and forests, preparing for the new season ahead.