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:
Rihanna tweeted at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Bank President Ajay Banga to provide support to communities hit hardest by climate change, plus a link to Global Citizen’s Power Our Planet initiative. Can’t believe she tweeted about debt relief but didn’t say Janet Yellen better have my money.
GETTING DOWN TO CLIMATE BUSINESS:
🇫🇷️ Over 50 heads of state, ministers, and high-level representatives are meeting in Paris to talk about reforming public finance and climate change. This includes mandatory proposals for loss and damage funds, which have failed to materialize since they were the hot talking point of COP27. In fact, the group, called the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, has already made some progress, including the World Bank suspending debt payments for countries severely impacted by climate change. Even though it’s still early, there’s reason to be optimistic about the progress the group will make in Paris. They’re gonna have to workshop names for whatever they come up with, though, because The Paris Agreement is already taken. The Paris Agreement 2: Judgment Day? The Paris Agreement: The Squeakquel? I’ll keep workshopping it.
💰️ One point the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact hasn’t agreed on is an international taxation agreement to provide funds for addressing climate change. French economists are pushing for a national wealth tax, which created rumblings in the French government. French President Emmanuel Macron sidestepped the issue, proclaiming that France has proposed taxes on plane tickets and financial transactions, which will “make others follow us and mobilize.” Honestly, Macron should consider himself lucky – taxes are the nicest thing the French have ever proposed doing to rich people.
🗑️️ Several environmental groups have joined together to demand the Biden administration “crack down on methane emissions from landfills.” Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas capable of retaining much more heat than CO2, and landfills are the third largest source of American methane. Although the EPA does have rules related to landfill methane emissions, these groups argue they don’t go far enough to prevent the gas from escaping into the atmosphere. You might even say the EPA’s landfill regulations are…. trash.
🌩️ Iowa meteorologist Chris Gloninger has resigned due to threats he has received over his climate change coverage. After 18 years working at his station, Gloninger began receiving threatening emails, including a death threat, last year, and the resulting PTSD prompted his resignation. There was a time when being a meteorologist was safer than being a war correspondent, but I guess things change.
👶 The EPA is forming a National Environmental Youth Advisory Council to advise the agency on climate and environmental policies that will impact future generations. The council will be composed of 16 members aged 18-29, and applications are open from June 30 through August 7. This would be a great opportunity for any teenagers who had SO much fun applying for college that they want to fill out even more forms and essays!
🌡️ Texas and parts of Mexico are experiencing a brutal heat wave right now, which experts say was made five times more likely by climate change. You might remember the term “heat dome” from the Pacific Northwest in 2021, and we’re seeing it again here – a condition that occurs when “a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area.” It’s likely that this heat wave will continue through the 4th of July. Maybe this year we’ll be celebrating independence from the British AND from 120 degree temperatures.
SOME STATS:
$50B: THE AMOUNT AT STAKE IN A NEW U.S. CLIMATE LAWSUIT OVER THE 2021 HEAT WAVES (REUTERS)
32K: POUNDS OF GARBAGE ONE INCREDIBLE WOMAN HAS REMOVED FROM NEW YORK BEACHES (ICN)
Working For That Sweet, Sweet Green
Although our transition to green energy and climate mitigation and adaptation are ultimately job creators, sometimes the sustainability job market can feel a little volatile. There are many reasons for this — many climate tech firms are startups whose futures are hard to predict, sustainability roles at large firms might not be viewed as “mission-critical,” and any developing field goes through fluctuations — but it can be daunting for professionals who want to devote their professional lives to making the world a better place. If that sounds like you, here are some tips for getting hired in a sustainability role in what feels like a “Jekyll and Hyde” job market. Personally, I prefer a Frankenstein or maybe even a Dracula job market, but hey, take what you can get.
