The Best Argument For Solar, Modern Waldens, Levi’s Teaches Mending, & More

Welcome to The Climate Roundup newsletter. Your weekly edit of the climate and environmental stories shaping our planet and our culture and how the two are deeply connected. We live in a global ecosystem shaped by human decisions. Let’s make good ones.

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Get Schooled

☀️ The thing that got me most excited last week (nerd alert!) was this youtube video explaining why renewable energy technology, with a focus on solar plus battery storage, is the superior technology for creating electricity in modern times. This midwestern guy tells it in the most logical and compelling way I’ve ever heard. He should run for office or at least become head strategist and speech writer for the DNC (though the logic is not partisan, and he doesn’t even talk about emissions). I believe he can make anyone see the truth. The video’s an hour and a half long, but if you are at all intrigued or seeking talking points to convince any of your misinformed fossil fuel stan associates, then I highly recommend investing the time in watching at least some of this.

Philanthropy At Work:

🌊 GreenWave reflects on a decade of their work to build and grow a North America kelp industry in their new industry report. Since they began work, there’s been 248 permitted kelp farms along the coasts of the US and Canada, with capacity for tens of millions of pounds of kelp. They say that unfortunately, messaging and positioning of kelp as a climate solution hasn’t worked, so they are pivoting the strategy of growing the demand side of this climate and ocean-friendly product to fit in where there are gaps in existing product markets. This includes using kelp to create cheaper, better fertilizer for farmers (that yes, is much healthier for the environment), and as an ingredient in personal care products. To build on the latter, this month, GreenWave kicks off a new initiative in partnership with Unilever and several beauty companies to do R&D on using kelp as a key ingredient for consumer personal care products.

Environmental News:

🙌 All five of the East Coast offshore wind farms that Trump ordered to stop work back in December have been told by five different federal judges that they can proceed with their work. Take that.

👀️ In 2021, Texas passed an anti-ESG law that prevented state agencies from investing in companies that it deemed unfriendly to the fossil fuel industry. Texas literally has a blacklist for this. But a federal judge just struck down this Texas law on the grounds that it violates free speech and is unconstitutional. We’ll watch to see if this ruling encourages lawsuits in other states to reverse these ridiculous Republican mandates to block investment decisions based on real world environmental risks.

💰 This coming week, the UN is discussing a treaty that would place a global tax on fossil fuel companies for the climate damage they cause.

☀️ Solar energy capacity is projected to surpass coal in China this year. A big first and a big deal for global clean energy progress.

🏡 “Balcony solar” refers to small scale residential solar power systems, where homeowners and renters can plug-in a few solar panels to wall outlets to power their appliances, lights, and electronics – for free and off-grid. You can imagine that in the US, utility companies are not fans, and that plus a host of other red-tape has prevented this market from taking off here, yet. This is in contrast to Germany, for example, where millions of people have these plug-in solar systems on their balconies (hence the name “balcony solar”). Well, the rules, they are a changin’, as half the states in our country have proposed new legislation to allow for these accessible home solar kits without utility approval. Look out for it in your state.

👩‍🌾 A new design for community living is popping up in a few places in California. Dubbed “ agrihoods”, it’s when housing and commerce are built around a central farm that provides a portion of the food for the town, plus other benefits like environmental resilience by capturing storm water, attracting biodiversity, and even reducing local temperatures. It’s not without its issues, but an interesting concept nonetheless.

Climate Meets Culture:

🪵 Oh, the allure of “Walden”. The idea of Henry David Thoreau’s self-built cabin of simplicity in the woods continues to endure, as people now are building replicas of their own in the backwoods of America. Can you blame them? Finding moments of peace from all the man-made chaos of modern times is the greatest of luxuries, and where better to find it than in an undisturbed forest. Environmentalism lives on.

👖 Levi’s is on a mission to teach high schoolers the lost skill of mending and repairing clothing. They’ve launched the “Levi’s Wear Longer Project” with a digital hub of courses and resources that teachers can theoretically bring into their classrooms. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the idea of un-teaching today’s short-term, disposable mindset for most consumer goods sounds like a smart one. I don’t know the status of home economics classes in schools these days, but I’m guessing they’re mostly nonexistent. I was fortunate enough to have taken one way back in the day, and it’s one of the few secondary school classes I actually remember, fondly. And yes, we did learn how to sew.