Solar Decathlon: The Design Challenge Weekend

The Design Challenge Weekend will take place on April 12-14, 2019, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The Solar Decathlon is a little known green building event that has been held every two years since 2002. After years in Irvine, California and Denver, Colorado the 2020 event is coming back to its original home in Washington, D.C.

The DOE's Solar Decathlon® is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy.

This competition forces students to create homes with market potential that are an innovative blend of architecture and engineering. These highly efficient buildings all rely on clean energy.

The 2019 Design Challenge Finalist include 47 teams, representing 38 collegiate institutions,

The collegiate institutions are:

Appalachian State University (Boone, North Carolina)
Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana)
California State University, Fullerton (Fullerton, California)
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
CEPT University (Ahmedabad, India)
Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women (Pune, India)
Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia)
Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia)
Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, Illinois)
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Jefferson University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan)
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse, New York) Syracuse University (Syracuse, New York)
Technische Universität Berlin - EUREF Campus (Berlin, Germany)
Technological University of Panama (El Dorado, Panamá)
The Manchester School of Architecture (Manchester, England)
The Pennsylvania State University (Centre County, Pennsylvania)
The University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona)
The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas)
United States Military Academy at West Point (West Point, New York)
Universidade Federal do Paraná (Curitiba, Brazil)
University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign County, Illinois)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
University of Missouri-Columbia (Columbia, Missouri)
University of Portland (Portland, Oregon) University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, Wisconsin) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, Virginia)
Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)
West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia)
Western New England University (Springfield, Massachusetts)
Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut).

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Earth Hour 2019: Nature and Our Connection to Earth

Earth Hour is an annual global event. It is a call to act on climate change and a broad range of environmental issues. This worldwide grassroots movement unites people to protect the planet. Organized by WWF, this event is celebrated by hundreds of millions of people around the world making it the largest environmental action in history.  People in more than 180 countries and thousands of cities and towns around the world will take part.

Earth Hour is held every year around the Spring and Autumn equinoxes in the northern and southern hemispheres respectively. This allows for near coincidental sunset times in both hemispheres, thereby ensuring the greatest visual impact for a global ‘lights out’ event.

In 2019 the event takes place on Saturday March 30th between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm in your local time zone. During that time citizens, business people, kids, parents and educators all across the globe will switch off the lights of their homes, schools, landmarks and businesses.

Earth Hour is more than a symbolic act or an opportunity to minimize our ecological footprint, it is a call to action.  

Theme

This year's theme is nature, specifically speaking up about why nature matters. As explained on the WWF Earth Hour site, "Our connection to Earth and nature is undeniable: our planet's gain is everyone’s gain. Nature not only provides us with all the things we need to live - from the air we breathe to the water we drink, and from the shelter we need to the economy we rely on - but also makes our lives better. However, its growing loss puts this all under threat.This Earth Hour."

History

When Earth Hour started in 2007 it was focused on climate change, since then it has expanded to include a healthy planet. Earth Hour was born at a time when many people were skeptical about anthropogenic climate change. A dozen years later we are still grappling with people who refuse to accept the overwhelming body of evidence that conclusively proves the existence of man made global warming.

Urgency

As explained on the Earth Hour website, "People around the world are calling for urgent action to protect our only home." This year Earth Hour takes place against the backdrop of expanding fossil fuel extraction and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. We have been warned by a number of studies that we are rapidly running out of time. The latest UN Emissions Gap report suggests we have a little over a decade to act.

Criticism

Earth Hour has been criticized for being a one hour event, however, the message is meant to resonate throughout the year. This is about more than just reducing our consumption of electricity, it is a call to responsible stewardship all year round.

Action

Earth Hour has helped to galvanize public opinion it has also been a catalyst for action. Earth Hour 2019 asks us to make pledges including things like supporting renewable energy, making more sustainable food choices and conserving water.  Over the years people, governments and organizations all around the world have launched a broad array of Earth Hour activities. Uganda started the world's first Earth Hour forest, a 3.4 million-hectare marine protected area was created in Argentina and efforts were made to protect parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Earth Hour has also spawned actions the help people. This includes actions like building a sustainable fishing community in typhoon ravaged Philippines, supporting local communities in the Amazon and installing solar-arrays in Indian villages without electricity. .

Together

This worldwide event invites people to unite around a common purpose. This is about coming together and working together for change. The scope of the problems we face are a threat to us all and as such all of us need to get involved. This is a global crisis that requires global solutions.  The millions who participate in this event send a strong message calling for action from governments.

"By going dark for Earth Hour, we can show steadfast commitment to protecting our families, our communities and our planet from the dangerous effects of a warming world," said Lou Leonard of WWF in a recent public statement. "The impacts of climate change are already all around us. The rising demand for energy, food and water means this problem is only going to worsen—unless we act now."

Business

Earth Hour is an opportunity for businesses to connect by showing that they care about addressing the serious environmental threats we face. A wide assortment of businesses have publicly celebrated Earth Hour including, CBRE, The Body Shop and Ikea. As explained in a Triple Pundit article: "For businesses, this is an opportunity to show a commitment to climate action, remind stakeholders that renewables have a role in powering our future, and engage with communities on issues including environmental stewardship."




To make a pledge click here
To see activities click here

Related
Earth Hour 2016: A Global Celebration and Call to Climate Action
Video - Earth Hour: Watch the Lights Go Out Around the World
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Video - Highlights from Earth Hour 2015
Earth Hour 2014 - Focus on Business
Video - Earth Hour 2014 (2 Minutes)
The Business of Earth Hour and the Power of Social Media
The Business of Earth Day
Video - Business supporting Earth Hour
WWF's Earth Hour Playbook for Business
What Organizations Did in Support of Earth Hour 2012
Canadian Businesses Supporting Earth Hour
Silencing Earth Day Critics

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What Would Happen if Fossil Fuel Subsidies Were Redirected Towards Renewable Energy?

Subsidies are at the heart of energy issues. Clean power receives a tiny fraction of this money while the fossil fuel industry continues to reap the lion's share.  Fossil fuel subsidies are four to ten times larger than those given to renewable energy.

Governments around the world gave about $490 billion in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry in 2014 and only $112 billion in subsidies for renewable power generation.  Governments are planning on continuing their preferential allocation of resources to fossil fuels. According to the IEA, over the next 25 years, only 15 percent of the G20's investment in energy will be devoted to renewables.

Two recent studies support the contention that ending our use of oil gas and coal could solve the climate crisis. The transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy is already underway. However, we need to expedite the process. One of the fastest ways we can do this is by ending fossil fuel subsidies and redirecting these subsidies to renewable energy. This would allow carbon pricing schemes to work better, reduce health hazards from air pollution and promote job growth.

Simply removing subsidies for fossil fuels would benefit renewables as dirty energy subsidies are inversely correlated with the growth of clean energy. Redirecting subsidies from fossil fuels to clean energy and efficiency would provide immense environmental and social benefits.  Redirecting such subsidies would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A recent study shows that if we immediately phased out fossil fuels, we have a 64-66 percent chance of keeping temperatures from increasing more than 1.5 C. We have known that we need to end fossil fuel subsidies for many years. As explained a decade ago in the Leader’s Statement from the G20 Pittsburgh Summit, fossil fuel subsidies are inefficient, they "encourage wasteful consumption, reduce our energy security, impede investment in clean energy and undermine efforts to deal with the threat of climate change".

Christina Figueres, the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was instrumental in bringing about the positive outcome at COP21. She has repeatedly spoken out against fossil fuel subsidies. "These subsidies contribute to the inefficient use of fossil fuels, undermine the development of energy efficient technologies, act as a drag on clean, green energy deployment and in many developing countries do little to assist the poorest of the poor in the first place,"  Figueres is quoting as saying in a book called "Making the Switch".

Right now fossil fuel prices are artificially low because they include subsidies and do not reflect environmental and health impacts. If we were to end fossil fuel subsidies it would allow increasingly cost competitive renewable sources of energy to out compete dirty energy.

While IEA figures show that government subsidies for fossil fuels are around 10 times greater than those for renewable energy, when we factor climate and environmental costs, then the fossil fuel subsides increased another 10 times to nearly $5 trillion a year according to the IMF. The IMF in partnership with the World bank has said:

"Subsidies distort resource allocation by encouraging excessive energy consumption, artificially promoting capital-intensive industries, reducing incentives for investment in renewable energy, and accelerating the depletion of natural resources."

What would happen if we diverted subsides away from fossil fuels and towards renewables?  We would be well on our way to addressing the climate crisis while at the same time we would improve air quality.

Related
Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies is a Crucial First Step
The Rise of Renewables and the Fall of Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Renewable Energy Post COP21
Time to Reduce the Subsidy Gap Between Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy
Infographic - Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Curbing Fossil Fuels - Carbon Pricing and an End to Subsidies (WEF Summaries)
Infographic - Climate Finance vs Fossil Fuel Subsidies: National Comparisons
Infographic - Fossil Fuel Subsidies and the US Congress
Problems and Solutions to the Climate Crisis from the World Economic Forum in Davos
A Large and Growing Chorus is Calling for an End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Scientists Urge Government Action on Climate Including Removing Oil Subsidies

Read More»

Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies is a Crucial First Step

Ending fossil fuel subsidies is the first step towards addressing climate change. We know that the climate crisis is a genuine emergency and we also know that fossil fuels are the leading cause, hence transitioning away from them is central to addressing the crisis we face.

"The first step towards that is to stop supporting the industry with our public dollars," Stephen Kretzmann, the executive director of Oil Change International is quoted as saying in a Center for Biological Diversity press release. "These subsidies are a raw deal for American taxpayers, and a disaster for our climate."

Fossil fuel subsidies are antithetical to carbon reduction efforts by governments, businesses, cities and communities worldwide. They are harmful to the environment and economic development. As Jake Schmidt, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote in a blog: "Given tight budget times and the need to address global warming, subsidizing activities that are heating the planet just doesn't make sense. The only beneficiaries of fossil fuel subsidies are oil, gas and coal companies that are raking in record profits at the expense of the rest of us."

As explained on the Price of Oil website, a fossil fuel subsidy is any government action that lowers the cost of fossil fuel energy production, raises the price received by energy producers or lowers the price paid by energy consumers. There are a lot of activities under this simple definition—tax breaks and giveaways, but also loans at favorable rates, price controls, purchase requirements and a whole lot of other things.

Fossil fuel subsidies have been around since 1926, despite the fact that it is the most profitable industries in the world. As explained by Denmark’s Minister of Trade and Development Cooperation, Mogens Jensen, "Fossil-fuel subsidy reform are a key climate change mitigation policy with clear economic, social and environmental benefits."

Globally, the combination of production and consumption subsidies for the fossil fuel industry amount to more $600 billion annually.

According to the OECD production subsidies are estimated to be between $45 billion and $75 billion (budgetary support and tax expenditures) by the 24 richest OECD countries. Fossil fuel subsidies distort energy markets and each OECD country averages between $160-200bn each year. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), consumption subsidies in 37 developing countries were worth $557bn annually.

According to a 2015 IMF publication when we factor the cost of damage from pollution and climate change, fossil fuel companies are getting $5.3tn a year in subsidies. To put this number into context that is equivalent to $10m a minute every day, that is more than the total health spending of all the world’s governments. Let that sink in, we spend more on energy that is killing people and the planet than we do on helping people to be well.

As reported by BBC News phasing out fossil fuel subsidies could reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent by 2030. In combination with the right carbon pricing scheme a 40 percent reduction in emissions is possible in some countries.

In 2015 a coalition of eight national governments (Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland), with the support of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), called for the "phase-out of subsidies to fossil fuels in the lead-up" to COP21. :

"The International Energy Agency (IEA) highlights fossil-fuel subsidy reform as a key component of a set of energy measures to combat climate change and estimates that even a partial phase-out of fossil-fuel subsidies would generate 12 percent of the total abatement needed by 2020 to keep the door open to the 2°C target. Accelerating the reform of fossil-fuel subsidies is therefore an urgent priority," the coalition known as "the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform" wrote In a communiqué. "The International Monetary Fund views that fossil fuel prices should reflect not only supply costs but also environmental impacts like climate change and the health costs of local air pollution. The majority of fossil-fuel subsidies are also socially regressive, with benefits disproportionately skewed toward middle- and upper-middle income households..."[removing subsidies would also] free up financing for sustainable development and support both national and international environmental priorities. At the same time, accelerated subsidy reform needs to be undertaken alongside measures that protect the poor and vulnerable groups from the impact of higher energy prices."

France has joined in calling on governments to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. Despite a G7 pledge to end subsidies by 2025 and a 2013 commitment from the US and China to eliminate and consolidate fossil fuel subsidies we are not seeing much action on this front.

According to the IEA, the estimated value of global fossil-fuel consumption subsidies decreased by 15 percent to $260 billion in 2016, the lowest level in a decade. However, we are not seeing major reductions and in countries like the US and Canada these subsidies are actually increasing.

Related
Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Renewable Energy Post COP21
Time to Reduce the Subsidy Gap Between Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy
Infographic - Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Curbing Fossil Fuels - Carbon Pricing and an End to Subsidies (WEF Summaries)
Infographic - Climate Finance vs Fossil Fuel Subsidies: National Comparisons
Infographic - Fossil Fuel Subsidies and the US Congress
Problems and Solutions to the Climate Crisis from the World Economic Forum in Davos
A Large and Growing Chorus is Calling for an End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Scientists Urge Government Action on Climate Including Removing Oil Subsidies

Read More»

Trump's Department of the Interior is at War with Science

Trump's Department of the Interior (DOI) has a pattern of killing science especially studies that cast aspersions on its support for industry. This includes burying research on coal strip mining, offshore oil & gas development, sulfide ore mining and pesticides. It is not only existing research that is being buried, proposals for new studies are being quashed alongside the findings of completed research.

Under Trump DOI has accommodated the fossil fuel industry at every turn. Both former secretary Ryan Zinke and his replacement, nominee David Bernhardt lend credence to the observation that the Trump administration is full of fossil fuel lobbyists.  Environmental protections are being ignored as the DOI is granting expanded access to the fossil fuel industry both on land and offshore. They even support oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

As explained by the LA Times, a report from The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) explores how Zinke, "turned Interior from a steward of public lands and natural resources into a front for the mining and oil and gas industries...The UCS report shows that his ignorance isn’t limited to this one topic, nor is it accidental. His goal is to turn Interior from a steward of America’s natural patrimony into an agent of plunder, and he’s well on his way to victory."

The reports lead author Jacob Carter indicated Zinke's actions were part of a systemic attempt to kill science at the department.  "The intent in rolling back the consideration of science in decision-making is always to progress the development of fossil fuel interests." Carter said. "[Interior has been] freezing out advice from science advisory committees; restricting DOI scientists from communicating about their work; removing, reassigning, or intimidating scientists; and creating a climate of fear and intimidation." 

Zinke was forced to resign due to ethics violation, but his replacement continues to kill scientific research conducted by Interior scientists. As reported in the New York Times, Bernhardt has recently blocked the release of pesticide research at the behest of industry. It would appear that the Trump administration does not feel the public has the right to know that these chemicals put thousands of endangered species at risk.

Like Zinke before him, Bernhardt has a soft spot for the fossil fuel industry. He has allowed oil and gas extraction on public lands and waters and he has killed the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s methane waste prevention rule.

Bernhardt has a long history of dismissing science. He has previously revoked directives on integrating climate science and employed other devious techniques to undermine science in the department including censoring scientists.  He vets scientific grant proposals and contravenes scientific integrity policies by reviewing data and draft reports. He removed references to climate change in a draft National Parks Service report on sea level rise.

Bernhardt is also responsible for Secretarial Order 3360 which removes climate change from policy manual directives and Secretarial Order 3369, which limits scientific input and policy advice.

He has effectively ended the work of hundreds of advisory boards and committees, including scientific boards focused on climate change. He has muzzled scientists and reassigned senior executives. 

With Bernhardt at the helm DOI's war with science is sure to continue.

Related
How Trump's Contempt for Climate Science Harms the National Interest
Trump's Budget Cuts Target Climate Science and Environmental Programs  
Trump Hides New US Climate Report to Conceal the Costs
The Implications of Trump's Reprehensible Rejection of Climate Science 
Pruitt's War Against Science

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Republicans Will Embrace the Facts about Climate Change

Climate denial is a cynical political strategy with no future. Although it may be hard to envision from where we are today, the truth will eventually win the day. The facts about climate change can only be denied for so long and the time will come when climate denial will be political suicide.

While polls indicate there is increasing acceptance of climate change, these polls also reveal that Republicans continue to deny reality.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll indicates that almost two-thirds of Americans think the Republican Party’s position on climate change is "outside the mainstream".

As President Barack Obama said in a 2015 Vice interview:

"I guarantee you that the Republican party will have to change its approach to climate change because voters will insist upon it. The challenge on something like climate change is there comes a point of no return and you do have to make sure we get at this thing quick enough and with enough force to be able make a difference. On climate change, 90 percent of Democrats agree with me, and 90 percent of Republicans oppose any action on it and a sizable proportion of their party denies it even exists. It’s not both sides arguing and ceasing gridlock, you’ve got one side that is denying the facts."

However, sophisticated climate denial campaigns continue to undermine the facts and the Trump administration continues to resist science and roll-back action on climate change.

The road ahead of us is daunting and our time is running short. People of all political stripes will one day accept anthropogenic climate change, however, by the time Republicans do so it may be too late. 

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Maria Caffrey: Trump Administration Censoring Science

Censorship is a central pillar of the Trump administration's efforts to hide climate science. The Trump White House was in the news late last year for its attempt to bury a government report that squarely refuted the administration's climate denial and government scientists who resist the Trump administration's censorship are being let go by the federal government. Maria Caffrey is a 37 year old scientist who is a model of scientific integrity. She worked under contract for the National Park Service and produced a report outlining the risks of rising seas at national parks.

As reported by Elizabeth Shogren in a Reveal article, she lost her job as a government scientist after she "resisted efforts by federal officials to remove all references to human causes of climate change" in her study. Caffreys report reviews the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions (mostly from the burning of fossil fuels) and sea level rise at 118 coastal parks.

After Democratic members of Congress called for an investigation, the park service released the report with all the references reinstated.

Caffrey said she was yelled at by her supervisors who also threatened to kill the report or remove her name unless she agreed to remove references to climate change. Her supervisors were under intense pressure some of whom told her they could "lose their jobs or be transferred if she didn’t capitulate".

As explained by Shogren, Caffrey's predicament exposes, "the difficult situation many scientists face as President Donald Trump’s administration tries to suppress research on topics that he doesn’t consider a priority."

This is not a unique case. According to a report from Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law there have been 194 examples of the federal government censoring, hindering, or sidelining climate change science since Trump was elected.

Early drafts of the report obtained by Reveal show some of the ways park services tried to censor the report. This includes removal of the word "anthropogenic" and "human activities" to try to obscure the fact that humans are the primary drivers of planetary warming and climate change.

Caffrey's website that helped people visualize sea level rise has been removed. Her attempts to secure other government science contracts have been rejected.

The Interior Department’s Inspector General and the park service’s scientific integrity officer have closed their investigations into whether the agency violated its scientific integrity policies. However, Congressional Democrats have requested a broader investigation.

As Caffrey explained in a Mother Jones article, she doesn’t regret her decision to stand up for her science saying, "I wouldn’t do anything different". However, her experience begs the question how many other scientists have quietly capitulated to censorship to keep their jobs.

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Event - Sustainable Brands '19 Detroit

Sustainable Brands '19 Detroit will take place at the Cobo Center on June, 3–6, 2019. Sustainable Brands hosts 12 conferences annually. SB'19 Detroit is the flagship event where global brand and sustainability leaders come together to shape the future of commerce worldwide. Since its inception, the SB community has worked to redefine the path to brand success by inspiring and enabling breakthrough innovation for environmental and social benefit.

Responding to Today’s Pressures

The market is hungry for meaningful purpose-led brands. SB’19 Detroit, will help you authentically leverage science, technology, storytelling and unlikely partnerships to win in the marketplace and deliver the good life in a changing world.

The Market is Changing

Within a landscape of economic and political volatility, many of the world’s largest businesses are being cast as irrelevant, insincere. Disruptors and D to C brands are redefining the marketplace while established brands are struggling to maintain growth. Market changing consumers are demanding more.

According to research conducted by both Sustainable Brands and Harris Poll, consumers are shifting away from the pursuit of money, status and personal achievement, focusing instead on balance, simplicity, along with greater connection to family, community and the environment as a foundation of a good life. Moreover, consumers are looking to brands to bring those elements into their daily lives and 80% of them say they will financially support brands who help them live a good life.

An Opportunity for Forward-thinking Brands

At SB’19 Detroit, brands can gain the tools they need to move from traditional marketing to mattering to people and learn how to incorporate the concepts of ‘balance,’ ‘simplicity’ and ‘moderation’ that consumers now crave. They can use science, technology, storytelling and unlikely partnerships to meet the underlying demand for the good life and ultimately win in the market.

Delivering the Community to Support Your Journey

Collaborate, co-create and enable successful systems innovation with our diverse community of brand and sustainability leaders and the ecosystem of enablers supporting them.

Who Attends

SB’19 Detroit will be the largest gathering of change makers representing many of the world’s largest global brands, disruptive social entrepreneurs, NGOs, investors, academia plus a multitude of other stakeholders that support them.

Some of those that will be present: Aldo | Manager, Community Engagement Aldo | Manager, Sustainability Aldo | Vice President, Communications, Culture & CSR Gap Foundation | Manager The Kroger Co. | Regional Director Corporate Affairs Causegear | Made by Free Women | Chief Marketing Officer Macy’s Inc | Procurement Sustainability Manager La Maison Simons | Director of Store Development Tommy Bahama | PM Women’s & Sustainability Tommy Bahama | EVP Sourcing & Production prAna Living | Director of Sustainability REI | VP Brand Stewardship & Impact REI | Director of Sustainability Target | Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility The TJX Companies, Inc.

“Sustainable Brands may be the premier global gathering of the best minds in Purpose, Sustainability and the Power of the Brand.” Dave Stangis Chief Sustainability Officer Vice President, Corporate Responsibility Campbell Soup Company Featured 2019 Speakers Danielle Azoulay

Click here for speakers lists
Click here for schedule overview
Click here to register 

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Climate Science can Bridge the Divides that Separate Us

Climate action is not only necessary to stave off a civilization altering threat, it can also build bridges between disparate groups of people by fostering ties around shared ecological values. Uniting around common goals helps us to move beyond tribal divisions.The first step is to acknowledge a common reality, and science is the best approach we have to do so.

Science helps us to expose and ultimately expunge lies but that is not to say that science is infallible. There are systemic weaknesses that need to be addressed. One of the most serious is industry influence which skews perceptions by introducing research that is motivated by commercial interests.

Perhaps the most destructive assault on science comes from politicians who undermine science with alternative facts. They not only deny science, they implement self-serving policies and they decry fact based news in an effort that frays the fabric of reality itself.  They do this because they know that facts challenge their false narratives and expose their policies and their efforts to manipulate public perceptions.  
According to a NBC/WSJ poll 80 percent of Americans think the US is divided. A PBS NewsHour, NPR and Maris poll indicated that around the same percentage of Americans think there is increasing incivility in politics. Regardless of which side of the political divide we find ourselves on, this division and incivility is destructive on a number of levels. It certainly does not lend itself to finding meaningful solutions to they myriad problems we face.

Whether on the left or the right most of us want a better life for ourselves and for our children. However, rigid ideological allegiances are preventing us from pursuing pragmatic solutions. Working together exponentially increases our capacity to respond to the challenges we face. So the question becomes how do we find our way back to each other? 

One of the first things we can do is scrutinize our politics and our politicians, especially those who use fear and division to gain and hold power. These politicians sew divisions to control the narrative and manipulate the public. This type of political rhetoric serves those who seek to be our political masters. If we reject self-serving politicians we can begin the process of working on solutions.

Ecological discussions can help us to delineate which policies and which parties are working towards the common good and which are not. That is not to say that we all need to walk in lock step, disagreement is good, as long as the goal is to allow the best ideas to win the day. This is about the competition of ideas not ideologies.

So many of us are rooted in dated political ideologies that no longer serve us today.  If we look around the world the most successful nation states have inculcated practical approaches to governance that transcend these facile divisions.

Bridging divides is both a national and and an international issue. The problems we face are global and require a multilateral approach. Many of the common threats are cultural issues that are not constrained by national boundaries. This includes things like rampant materialism, unbridled growth and over-consumption. These issues all feed inequality which is a cancer that spreads division and threatens our civilizations.  Finding common ground is crucial if we are to collectively address these issues.

There is reason to believe the scientific consensus on climate change is an overarching point of global agreement. Despite the rampant hyper-partisanship in the US we are seeing evidence to suggest that the climate divide is narrowing. The environment was an important issue in the US midterm elections in 2018 and climate change is expected to be a central issue in the presidential election in 2020.

The combination of toxic politics and digital media have pushed us into echo-chambers. If we can transcend the dated political divides of yesteryear we can break free of the silos of belief that imprison us. We can also make better use of depoliticized science to help us to find common points of agreement.

Once we embrace the facts, climate change can be a powerful catalyst that unites rather than divides us. Nothing is more unifying then coming together to face an existential threat.

Related
Climate Communications Strategy to Bridge the Political Divide 
The Art of Effective Science Based Communications

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UN Secretary General Amplifies the Urgent Message from the Climate Strikes

Unprecedented student climate strikes have earned the support of many senior officials including António Guterres the Secretary General of the United Nations. Adults don't seem to be able to grasp the seriousness of our situation, Guterres said in a Guardian article. "[W]e are in a race for our lives, and we are losing. The window of opportunity is closing – we no longer have the luxury of time, and climate delay is almost as dangerous as climate denial. My generation has failed to respond properly to the dramatic challenge of climate change. This is deeply felt by young people. No wonder they are angry."

Guterres said world leaders should be inspired by the student led climate strikes.  He said the urgency of the situation must translate to concrete actions when officials come together for the New York climate summit scheduled for September. His call to action also included a warning. "Without ambitious action, the Paris agreement is meaningless," Guterres said. He vowed to try to "build the future we need" by delivering "concrete, realistic plans to enhance their nationally determined contributions by 2020, in line with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over the next decade, and to net zero by 2050".

The summit will challenge a wide range of stakeholders to develop solutions in the following areas: Renewable energy, emission reductions, sustainable infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, management of forests and oceans, withstanding climate impacts, and investing in the green economy.

Guterres also said business is on our side citing the economic and employment benefits from climate action. He also spoke about the the need for "radical change" as we transition away from fossil fuels towards clean sources of energy and transportation.

"Momentum is building, people are listening and there is a new determination to unleash the promise of the Paris agreement. The climate summit must be the starting point to build the future we need," Guterres said adding a personal message for concerned students. "I know young people can and do change the world...Many of you are anxious and fearful for the future, and I understand your concerns and your anger. But I know humankind is capable of enormous achievements. Your voices give me hope. The more I see your commitment and activism, the more confident I am that we will win. Together, with your help and thanks to your efforts, we can and must beat this threat and create a cleaner, safer, greener world for everyone."

The climate strikes managed to breathe new life into the Paris agreement. The actions of Greta and the support she is getting from some high profile officials is a hopeful sign. 

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If We Want to Protect our Children from Gun Violence Shouldn’t We Also Want to Protect them from Deadly Pollution?
Climate Change is Already Killing 1000 Children Every Day
Youth Advocacy for Environmental Action
The Sprawling Diversity of the Climate Protest Movement

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Trump and his New Flame are Warming our Climate

The fledgling relationship between US president Donald Trump and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has deeply troubling international repercussions for both climate and the environment.

Brazil's newly elected far right president is a fitting paramour for a narcissist like Trump. Bolsonaro, (or Mini-Me as Trump calls him), was warmly received by the White House on March 19th. Trump's new love interest is entirely consistent with the procession of foreign leaders he has courted over the last two years. Trump's fondness for far right leaders was evident when he offered his support for France’s xenophobic presidential contender Marine Le Pen. However, Trump seems to reserve a special place for dictators and despots. He hasn't concealed his envy for leaders who are not constrained by the fetters of democracy. Trump cozied up to dictators like Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan and he covered for the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after he murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Another romance that started with immense promise was Trump's brief affair with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. That relationship soured after the two men spent a weekend together in Hanoi. However, no one has Trump's heart more then Vladimir Putin (it is unclear at present whether this love is genuine or inspired by Kompromat). Whatever the reason may be it is clear that Trump shares Putin's fossil fuel agenda and the Russian strongman's contempt for climate action. 

However, few leaders have more in common than Trump and Bolsonaro. They hold contemptuous views of women and they both have a penchant for prostitutes. The parallels between these two men go on an on. In USA Today Steve Bannon, Trump's former political adviser, called the two heads of state the vanguard of a movement to promote nationalism. "They're very similar," Bannon, said.

Hatred

Trump campaigned with the slogan, "Make America Great Again," while Bolsonaro's catchline was, "Brazil before everything, and God above all." Both men sew divisions by conjuring fears and propagating hate. Bolsonaro was once charged with hate speech and Trump's hate speech is a matter of public record including his support for white supremacists and neo-Nazis. 

Both Trump and Bolsonaro hold anti-immigrant views. While Trump directs much of his vitriol towards Mexicans, Bolsonaro's contempt is directed against Brazil's Indigenous People. The Brazilian president has made no secret of the fact that he admires the genocidal rants of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964–1985. An ongoing civil suit in Brazil accuses the state of genocide associated with the deaths of hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Waimiri-Atroari tribe members between 1968 and 1977.

Bolsonaro said that he wants to "integrate" the 900,000 Indigenous People who now live in legally designated land much of which is located in the Amazon. Some have called this cultural genocide or ethnocide. Trump has also shown contempt for native people by rolling back policies that protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and failing to respect legal obligations to Tribal Nations.

Industry

Native American lands are under threat from the Trump administration because tribal lands hold about 20 percent of US fossil fuel reserves. Bolsonaro wants access to the lands of Indigenous People for farming, ranching and mining.

Trump allowed access to national monuments including lands of great importance to Native Americans. Bolsonaro has indicated that he wants to open up access to indigenous lands.

Both men serve industry. While Trump is focused on fossil fuels, Bolsonaro is interested in expanding agricultural and mining activities. Just as the Trump administration has removed regulations and opened public lands to exploitation, Bolsonaro is expanding commercial access to the Amazon rainforest.

Both Trump and Bolsonaro have assembled cabinets that favor industry over the environment. In the US the fossil fuel industry buys politicians and political outcomes. In Brazil it is the agricultural lobby that wields power. Just as fossil fuel lobbyists were given key positions in the Trump administration (eg Andrew Wheeler, Ryan Zinke, David Bernhardt, etc) agricultural lobbyist were given key positions in Bolsonaro's government. For example, Bolsonaro's new minister of agriculture is Tereza Cristina and she led the agricultural lobby in the Brazilian congress. Bolsonaro signed an executive order giving Cristina responsibility for certifying indigenous lands as protected territories. Scott Pruitt, Trump's former Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave industry free reign.

Brazil's Foreign Minister, Ernesto Araújo is a climate denier who has called efforts to combat climate change a conspiratorial power grab by the global left. Pruitt is also a climate denier who has called climate science "speculative guesswork". He succeeded in dismantling a raft of environmental regulations before being forced to resign in disgrace. His successor Andrew Wheeler continues to advocate for industry. Like Pruitt and now Wheeler, Brazil's new agricultural minister has indicated she does not want to penalize companies for environmental infractions.

Trump tapped Ryan Zinke to head the Department of the Interior. Before he was forced to resign over ethics violations Zinke redrew maps to favor natural resource extraction. Zinke shares this in common with Bolsonaro's environment minister Ricardo Salles who was found guilty of altering maps to benefit mining companies while he was environment secretary for Sao Paulo state, in 2016. Zinke expanded fossil fuel extraction across the US and his replacement David Bernhardt continues to advance the interests of industry at the expense of the environment.

Authoritarianism

Both men have shown their propensity to invoke executive powers, flout democratic checks and balances and ignore constitutional limitations. Like Trump's use of Executive Orders, Bolsonaro will rule by presidential decree. He is expected to issue orders that would allow agribusiness and mining companies to access land belonging to Indigenous People.

Both men want to keep a lid on information and control access to the facts. Bolsanaro has fired his communication chief and instructed members of his cabinet to ignore media requests for environmental information. Trump has also fired a slew of communications secretaries and he endlessly tries to seize control of the narrative.

As a sure sign of their authoritarian tendencies both men love to attack the press and dismiss unfavorable reporting as "fake news". They are both resistant to science. Trump's rejection of science is now well known and Bolsanaro has given scientists reason to worry.  Bolsonaro's early moves have Brazilian scientists concerned that, like Trump, he will abandon climate and environmental science. Some researchers have warned that Brazil is heading for a very dark period.

Climate and the environment

Both Brazil and the US were once leaders in climate change policy and environmental diplomacy. But no more. Trump's most recent budget is a reiteration of his climate denial and blatant disregard for the environment. During more than two years in office Trump has laid waste to the climate action his predecessor Barack Obama and the almost 50 year history of the EPA. In the short amount of time Bolsonaro has been in power he has already undermined environmental protections in Brazil reversing 30 years of progress. Both men have worked to weaken or defund government agencies that oversee environmental protections and they have given those responsibilities to industry.

Both men are averse to climate action. This is evidenced by their resistance to UN action on climate change, specifically the Paris Climate Agreement. Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Accord and it is not clear at this point if Brazil will follow suit, however, Bolsanaro has withdrawn his country's offer to host the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference.

The actions of both men have serious consequences for global efforts to address climate change. The Trump administration is a climate threat because of their support for fossil fuels. The Bolsanaro government is a climate threat because of the impact they will have on the Amazon.

The importance of the Amazon cannot be overstated. It is an ecological wonder of unparalleled diversity, a rich ecosystem that comprises around 10 percent of all the world's species. The Amazon is also described as the lungs of the planet, that is because the trees release oxygen and absorb CO2, mitigating the effects of climate change. As reported by CNN a University of Leeds study estimated that since 1980, the Amazon has absorbed roughly 430 million tonnes of CO2 per year. The Amazon is also important because it regulates global temperatures.

If Bolsonaro has his way vast swaths of Amazonian rainforest will be cut down. This has catastrophic global implications as it will release stored carbon and decrease the amount of carbon that is removed from the atmosphere.

With Trump as the leader of the free world and Bolsonaro as the custodian of the Amazon the already Herculean struggle to save the planet from climate change has been made that much more difficult.

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A Response to Elon Musk's Detractors

Elon Musk is battling a number of obstacles, including production problems and legal hurdles. Musk is the genius behind Tesla Motors, Tesla Energy, SpaceX, and the Hyperloop. The list of his accomplishments is impressive. He has innovated online payments, shown EV leadership, pioneered commercial space exploration, revolutionized power storage and brought residential solar to the home energy market.

Nonetheless, Musk has his share of detractors. A recent Forbes article proclaimed Musk is ruining his own reputation pointing to what they call "unnecessary and distracting fights with government regulators". He got into hot water for his tweets last August when he said he was going to take Tesla private. After the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) failed in its bid to remove him as CEO of Tesla Motors, they struck a deal whereby there would be oversight of Musk's social media activity. In February the SEC claimed he broke that agreement and they filed a motion to hold Musk in contempt for his statements about the number of vehicles he was going to produce.

Musk claims the SEC is trying to unfairly silence him. Tweets aside, Musk is bringing sustainable technologies to the world and his philanthropic pursuits are making a difference. He was among the first to came to Puerto Rico's aid after the island territory was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Tesla batteries brought power to important infrastructure like hospitals when the island territory was in the dark.

Tesla's highly cost effective battery systems are revolutionizing renewables. According to wind power operators Neoen, their $66 million Tesla 100MW/129MWh Powerpack battery system in South Australia saved the company about $40 million in 2018. It is estimated that Tesla’s giant battery in Australia reduced the grid service cost by 90 percent. At the end of the day this radical efficiency translates to a reduction in wholesale price of energy all without emissions.

Musk is also revolutionizing the electric vehicle market including truck transportation. Although Tesla Motors has had trouble keeping up with demand for its Model 3 it is important that we understand Musk's strategy. He used the proceeds from the higher end Tesla S, to finance the Model 3 which Musk is intent on pricing at $35,000 US to make it accessible to consumers. As an illustration of his dedication Musk slept on the factory floor while he worked on the car's production problems.

Production problems have forced Tesla Motors to make changes. The electric car company has closed 10 percent of its retail outlets worldwide but they avoided more closures by increasing vehicle prices by around 3 percent. 

In one of his boldest acts of public good to date - and this may be the cause of some acrimony - Musk announced that he is giving away the secrets of his EV supremacy. Early this year Musk said he had released all of Tesla's patents, as part of an effort to fight climate change.

Musk is doing this because electric vehicles are not scaling fast enough to replace the internal combustion engine. He knows that if we are going to have a shot at keeping climate change within the upper threshold limit we will need to radical reduce car emissions in the short term.

As reported by ABS-CBN, Musk announced that he "will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology."

"Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport." Musk said. "If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal."

Musk was also making a statement against patents which he said serves corporations and lawyers rather than inventors. "We believe that applying the open-source philosophy to our patents will strengthen rather than diminish Tesla's position," and he added the company will benefit by attracting talented engineers.

Despite his detractors and legal challenges from the SEC, Musk is a pioneer who has earned a place as a titan of sustainability.

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Who is the Greenest of them All? Ireland or Norway?

The governments of Norway and Ireland are leading the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy. Four years ago Norway announced that it was divesting its assets from coal and now Ireland has decided to fully divest from all fossil fuels. Earlier this month Norway announced that they would begin withdrawing their investments from 134 international fossil fuel companies.

In 2015 Norway decided to divest 8 billion in coal holdings from their sovereign wealth funds.  Recently the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), which manages roughly $1 trillion worth of the nation’s assets announced it was withdrawing its investments from 134 international fossil fuel companies. In 2017 the Irish parliament voted to divest $361 million of public money from fossil fuels to became the first country to fully divest from coal, oil and gas. The Irish Parliament passed the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill in January which gives the National Treasury Management Agency five years to withdraw $8.5 billion of the fossil fuels assets from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.

Ireland has been motivated to act by a spate of extreme weather events. In 2017 the northwest of the country suffered through two hours of torrential rain that laid waste to significant amounts of infrastructure. Then there was Hurricane Ophelia which is considered to be the worst storm in half a century. In 2018, Ireland was hit by a Anticyclone Hartmut, a cold wave that became known as the Beast from the East. It brought widespread unusually low temperatures and heavy snowfall to large areas. More recently the country has suffered from heat and drought.

The fact that normally temperate Ireland is suffering from anomalous heat waves is noteworthy.
This heat and a 75 percent reduction in rainfall has contributed to unprecedented wildfires. Norway has also seen extreme heat including some record breaking temperatures in recent years and like Ireland they have also been impacted by uncharacteristic wildfires.

As reported by Slate, Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, has averaged 10 degrees C (18 degrees F) above normal winter. Temperatures rose above the freezing mark on dozens of days and this contributed to record-setting low maximum in Arctic sea ice. Warmer land and sea temperatures are creating conditions that are hastening the melting of Arctic ice. 

Both countries have populations that understand climate change. Norway has the 5th highest level of climate awareness while Ireland is the 14th most climate aware country in the world. Although Ireland has reaped benefits from going green Norway is one of the world leaders in the global transition towards an inclusive green economy. 

Ireland has a long way to go to realize its green dreams while Norway has already started a review process to ratchet-up their greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments. They are leaders in electric vehicles and they are the first country to ban biofuels made from palm oil. Almost all of Norway's energy comes from renewables and the country taxes its internal consumption of fuels at the highest rate among oil exports. However, there is a caveat to Norway's green leadership, they are the world's third largest exporter of natural gas. 

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Sustainability in the City and Beyond Conference by Loyola College for Diversity & Sustainability

This conference will take place on March 19-21, 2019 in Montreal and it will cover research being done on sustainability in general and urban sustainability in particular at Concordia University and beyond. Presented by the Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability and the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre this year's edition of the annual Sustainability Across Disciplines conference has an urban theme and a new partnership with the Institute for Urban Futures.

This conference will provide students, researchers, and the general public with the opportunity to participate in cross-disciplinary discussions and activities addressing sustainability research in relation to pressing urban and global issues, as well as the role that art plays in shaping more socially and environmentally just urban futures.

All registration is free and open to the public but you must register for each day you plan to attend. 

Click here for the agenda
Click here to register

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Unprecedented Global School Strikes for Climate Action

On Friday March 15th millions of students in 2,000 cities around the world came together to peacefully demand climate action. Young people in at least 123 countries protested the inaction of government officials and called for immediate climate action. The students are asking governments to declare a climate emergency, and they also want to see more education about climate change and the environmental crisis. The movement know as "Fridays for Future" was launched by Greta Thunberg. Although her efforts have been rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination she remains focused on the only metric that matters, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of the slogans brandished by protestors included, "Youth vs. Apocalypse," "Denial is not policy," "We're missing lessons to teach you one," "The clock is ticking and time is against us," "We are the last generation that can fix this," and "The oceans are rising, so are we.”

Protests took place in London, Paris, Lisbon, Milan, Rome, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Elmshorn, Prague, Warsaw, Sydney, Wellington, Seoul, Hong Kong, and hundreds of other cites around the world. In Canada there were protests in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina and Vancouver. Protests also took place across the US from New York to San Francisco.

Twelve year-old Haven Coleman from Colorado, brought Greta’s movement to the US along with 13-year-old Alexandria Villaseñor and 16-year-old Isra Hirsi. As reported by The Verge, Coleman calls out older people for their failure to act. "I am going to use every second," she says. "I’m going to try to get every voice and every person to act."

American protestors are calling for support for the Green New Deal. NBC quoted John Barry, a professor of green political economy at Queen's University Belfast who lauded student efforts saying they are in it for the long haul. "In criticizing the Trump administration and backing a Democrat-led proposal that may alienate some youth, the movement has showed that it is politically adept," Barry said. He also said young people's facility with digital media has contributed to an unprecedented global movement.

Scientists have challenged Trump and the GOP's climate denial and they have marched in support of climate action. In a Scientific American article  they offered their support for the Climate Strike saying the actions of these students are backed by the best available science while noting that world leaders are not doing enough to address the climate crisis.

"We, the March for Science, an international community of scientists, science advocates, teachers, and parents, emphatically support the Global Youth Climate Strike. We commit to doing whatever we can to lift up the voices of young people and encourage their leadership. Their generation will be greatly impacted by the effects of climate change. It is critical that their voices are heard."

The article characterizes the activism of young people as a "wonderful asset" saying they are doing "exactly what is needed" and tens of thousands of scientists have signed letters expressing their solidarity with the Climate Strike.  Scientists, academics and teachers organizations have all expressed support for the student protests.

"We strike for our future," Greta tweeted."And we will continue to do so for as long as it takes. Adults are welcomed to join us."

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Greta's Strikes for Climate Action and Her Game-Changing Global Movement

Greta Thunberg is the 16 year old Swedish environmental activist behind the climate strikes that are sweeping the globe. Last year Greta decided to protest the governments inaction on climate change by sitting on the steps of the Parliament building in Stockholm. What started in Sweden soon spread throughout Scandinavia, then to Europe, Britain and Australia. Now it seems as though the whole world is taking part including countries like China, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Cuba, and Pakistan.

The climate strike scheduled for March 15th is expected to be the biggest yet with events planned around the world including in the US and Canada. Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to take part in 1325 strikes in 98 countries. Just ahead of the event Greta tweeted, "Everyone is needed. Everyone is welcome. Please spread the word!"

"We are striking because our world leaders have yet to acknowledge, prioritize, or properly address our climate crisis," reads a mission statement from the U.S. organizers. They support the Green New Deal and they want government to declare a national emergency to deal with the crisis. They point to the recent UN Emissions Gap Report that says we have 11 years to avoid catastrophic warming. 

In an LA Times opinion piece Haven Coleman and Bill McKibben call the strikes "a truancy everyone should applaud". They explain that the climate strikes have been necessitated by the failure of the adults to heed the science and stop burning fossil fuels. They point out that we have known about the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change for decades and yet we did nothing.

The youth campaigner grabbed headlines when she chastised adults for their inaction at COP24 in Poland and the WEF in Switzerland. Greta has been recognized as GMOs Person of the Year, TIME’s Most Influential Teens of 2018 and she was recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The climate strike is supported by major environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Extinction Rebellion, the Sunrise Movement, Greenpeace, March for Science, Sierra Club, and 350.org.

Ever the realist, Greta is focused on what matters. "I am not more hopeful than when I started. The emissions are increasing and that is the only thing that matters. I think that needs to be our focus. We cannot talk about anything else," Greta told The Guardian. 

"I think we are only seeing the beginning. I think that change is on the horizon and the people will stand up for their future," Thunberg said. "It's going to be very, very big internationally, with hundreds of thousands of children going to strike from school to say that we aren't going to accept this any more."

Adults must own the disturbing reality that they have failed future generation. However, the frank talk and powerful actions of this 16 year old climate leader gives us hope that we may still have a chance.

Visit FridaysForFuture.org for more information.

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