Alarming
This section explores the current and future effects of climate change that we need to know about and work towards solving. It also examines society’s current status of where we stand in our efforts to solve the problem.
The following content is from the “Alarming” section of the What on EARTH?! sustainability newsletter:
Tipping points 🧊 , US democracy 🇺🇸, and a better future 😍🌍
The assault on democracy in the US continues. "The GOP’s national push to enact hundreds of new election restrictions could strain every available method of voting for tens of millions of Americans, potentially amounting to the most sweeping contraction of ballot...
$25,000 prizes for climate projects & help debunking deniers
I don't know about you, but I got another wave of deep relief this week. Possibly the most powerful person in the world has just changed from someone who was actively making the climate crisis worse, to someone who is working to rapidly accelerate climate solutions....
What on EARTH?! 🌍
We're mixing it up and going back to the original "What on EARTH?!" structure for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter this week! For those who don't know, this was my way of using an acronym to balance the newsletter when I first started writing it in 2018 -...
Wisdom from Carl Sagan
Two quick things for you this week. First - Hallelujah! Seriously, what a relief. I hope you have celebrated and found some moments of peace 🙂 More than 78 million Americans stood up and voted to get Trump out of power. (Of course, Trump is still...
Climate action helps improve *every other issue at the same time*
I hope all is well with you in these trying times. Living in 2020 is a lot, isn't it? I'm just coming back from a brief, much-needed break from work (I swear, time has never moved as fast as it did last week). Today, as promised, I'll be connecting the dots between...
The *Most Important* Action of the Year
I hope you are well or coping to the best of your abilities in these trying times. As Benjamin Franklin walked out of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Elizabeth Powel asked him, "Well Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarch?" He replied: "A...
100,000 readers 🏟️, our new podcast 🎧…and my deep concerns 🇺🇸
Guess what? 100,000 people now read Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletters Kind of crazy, right? That's more than two-and-a-half Fenway Parks full of people! Surprisingly, to me at least, LinkedIn has been where these newsletters really took off: (I have three...
Democracy itself is on the ballot this November
I would regret keeping my mouth shut on this...part of me already regrets keeping it shut for this long. The United States of America I am terrified of what's happening in the US right now - of the road we're on and continue to head down. My country is...
Latest climate crisis fueled disasters
Wildfires send California into a state of emergency "It’s been an apocalyptic few days, even by California standards." - Julia Wick As if the historic heatwave, rolling blackouts for hundreds of thousands (because of the heatwave), and the ongoing pandemic weren't...
Pollution, power, propaganda…and some promising actions to take
Pollution is killing us at an insane rate. We're talking 7 million people are dying prematurely from air pollution every year. That's 19,178 people dying prematurely every day. One person every five seconds. A whopping 91% of people "breathe air containing high...
Coronavirus: Staying home = Saving lives
I typically write to help reverse global warming. I do this because I believe informing and inspiring people to act is the best way I can help to save and improve lives. But I'm going to step out of my lane slightly for a second because we're facing a global pandemic...
Latest Effects Of Global Warming & Some Very Good News
So...yeah. Things are really bad. Global warming is ramping up everywhere. 1. Antarctica had T-shirt weather In February of 2020 it was 69.35°F (20.75°C)...in Antarctica. That's T-shirt weather. Context: it usually doesn't get above 50°F (10°C). This smashes the old...
You are not crazy. You are not alone.
You are not alone. You are not crazy. What's happening is insane. This is a passage from journalist Wen Stephenson's "What We're Fighting for Now is Each Other": "The window in which to prevent the worst scenarios is closing before our eyes. And the fossil-fuel...
Greta’s speech, climate strikes, and the UN
I hope you've had a great week so far! If you read nothing else in this newsletter, please do watch... Greta's speech to the United Nations It is powerful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAJsdgTPJpU This is raw emotion from a 16-year-old's rational,...
This is the Best Article I’ve Read in Months
There aren't many people who have been following, writing, and thinking about climate change longer than Bill McKibben. He nails this article. Here's how it starts: "Let’s imagine for a moment that we’ve reached the middle of the century. It’s 2050, and we have...
Land is warming nearly *twice as fast* as the global average
I just discovered this in the IPCC's latest report on land and agriculture and was shocked I'd never heard it before. I did understand that the ocean takes longer to heat up (like how it takes time to boil a pot of water). But I didn't realize just how different land...
Plastic vs trees, Greenland melting, and debate highlights
Hope you're having a great week so far! And staying cool! Did you know that June was the hottest June on record? And July was the hottest month ever recorded? I was on a family vacation for part of this week and haven't had much time to work. When I did, it...
Air pollution is in our hearts
Billions of air pollution particles were just found in the hearts of city dwellers my age. This makes my blood boil. The climate crisis aside for a second - this is so basic. We should not allow dangerous pollutants into our hearts. You know, those things that keep us...
The Carbon Bubble
Today I’ll share two stories (that are absolutely terrifying) because I believe they’re so important that they’ll ultimately accelerate the time it takes for the planetary crisis to become the central concern of our society. I’ll also mention an enormous disruption to...
Loss of Biodiversity and Jay Inslee’s Climate Plan
Two things for you today. A dose of despair/reality-check followed by a genuinely exciting development: A look at just how dramatically our current system has been annihilating life on Earth. US Presidential candidate Jay Inslee is slowly unveiling an amazing...
Top 5 Actions to Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A few weeks ago I told you what you need to know about our sea level rise situation. I just added an analogy to it because I like putting things in perspective - so these monumental numbers actually mean something to us. I wanted to start this week by sharing...
Kindergarteners and Climate Migrants
Hope you've had a great week so far! Okay, hmmm. Let's start with... Kindergarteners and Climate Migrants Last week I spoke at my neighbor's kindergarten class (the same room I was in 21 years ago actually - kind of surreal). They were adorable, engaged, and...
Climate change wreaking havoc and climate action wisdom
I hope you've had a great week so far! Just a couple of things today. Climate change wreaking havoc As I'm writing this, my thoughts and wishes go out to the millions of people who are suffering in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe after...
Juliana vs US, healthcare industry pollution kills, Ecosia, and Jay Inslee
This week I'm going back to the original structure with a slight twist - it's a bit shorter and I'm tying in or building on the ~90 articles I've written in the last 10 months. Exciting The most important federal court case in the US gets some recognition Last...
“The Man in the Arena,” PG&E bankruptcy, and economists encourage carbon pricing
Just a few things for you today: One of my favorite inspirational quotes. Did you hear climate change caused a major bankruptcy?? (3-minute video on corporations and climate risk). Exciting: 40 of the best economists in the US wrote a joint op-ed telling everyone to...
More Americans waking up to climate crisis
Three things this week: For those who want to wrap their heads around the Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Ed Markey's Green New Deal resolution, David Robert's article is excellent (I am very excited about the GND and will be covering it again in the future...my...
Magnitude and pace of climate change
For those who don't know, I live just outside of Boston, MA in the US. We've had a bit of freezing cold this week, but it was nothing compared to the cold felt in the upper Midwest. If you didn't catch it the first time, here's my quick article on why climate change...
World Economic Forum, Greta Thunberg, and Nobel Prize for climate action
Here's some of the most notable climate and sustainability news, the story of an activist working to bring a Nobel Prize for climate action to life, and an easy action you can take to help. Climate Change DOMINATES World Economic Forum's 2019 Global Risk Report...
Where we stand in 2019
Welcome to the Crowdsourcing Sustainability community! I hope you're 2019 is off to a great start. I thought this would be a good time to do a brief summary of the big picture and where we stand today (it's not pretty), then share some highly encouraging news, and end...
Big picture of where we stand
Watch out, comin' in hot! Quick high-level reminder and update. We have warmed the world by at least 1°C (1.8°F) so far. We are on pace to reach 3°C to 3.5°C (5.4°F to 6.3°F). The Paris Agreement is our attempt to limit global warming to 1.5°C because of how much...
Why So Many Americans Are Silent About the Climate Crisis
Last weekend I had the pleasure of presenting to a class of confirmation students and their parents. As always, I did my best to toe the line of telling the hard truth about the climate crisis while also inspiring action and hope - showing how we're each far more...
Sea Level Rise: It’s Probably Worse Than You Think
As you know, this newsletter is usually fairly inspiring. But this one is not (overall). And that's because we really need to talk about sea level rise again. Sorry, but the stakes are insanely high and everyone needs to know about this stuff! That being said, I do...
Air Pollution from Fossil Fuels is Killing Way More People Than You Realize
Air Pollution from Fossil Fuels is Killing Way More People Than You Realize You don't usually see it or hear about it much, but air pollution is killing US citizens at a horrific rate - like having 9/11 happen every single week horrific. 155,000 people die prematurely...
IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C: What You Need to Know
The IPCC's Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C You may have seen some headlines about a big climate change report recently from the IPCC. It's important enough that I read through the 30-page summary and combed over a ton of reactions to it. Below you’ll find...
Cape Town’s Water Crisis
Putting Cape Town's Water Crisis into Perspective A look at the effect on Cape Tonian's day to day lives and the pre-climate change odds of this happening Can you imagine waking up, brushing your teeth, hopping in the shower, and then running out of water for the rest...
Record-Breaking Heat is the New Normal
Record-Breaking Heat is the New Normal 17 of the 18 hottest years on record have occurred since 2001. The 18th was just a few years earlier in 1998. The last four years are the hottest of the bunch. 2018 looks like it will make our last five years the hottest five...
A Climate Poem for 2019: Big Oil’s Lies and How to Respond
I've got something a little different for you this week. On occasion, I dabble with poetry. This one sort of just started pouring out of me the other night when I couldn't fall asleep. The next day I decided some of you may actually enjoy it, so I spent several...
Climate Change in 2019: Where Do We Stand?
Climate Change in 2019: Where Do We Stand? A brief check-up on the biggest issue facing humanity. I thought this would be a good time to do a brief summary of the big picture and where we stand today. Buckle up because it's not pretty and I refuse to sugar-coat it....
2°C put in Perspective: A Useful Analogy, Where We Are Now, and Climate Lag
Putting 2°C in Perspective A useful analogy, a look at where we are now, where we're headed, and climate lag 2°C (3.6°F) is the amount of warming above pre-industrial levels at which experts say the consequences will become “catastrophic” for humans. We have already...
CO2 Levels and Sea Level Rise
CO2 Levels and Sea Level Rise A brief look at where we have been, where we are now, and where we're going The last time there was this much CO2 in the atmosphere (>400ppm) was 3 million years ago. Back then, temperatures were 2°C to 3°C (3.6°Fto 5.4°F) higher than...
Fossil Fuels Get an Insane Amount of Subsidies Compared to Renewables
Fossil Fuels Get Enormous Subsidies Compared to Renewables ...all time figures are even more staggering since fossil fuels have been receiving subsidies for over a century. (watch out - I've discovered a visualization tool!) Read other...
China’s Trash and Recycling Ban is Causing Chaos Around the World
China's Trash and Recycling Ban is Causing Chaos Around the World An overview of China's new ban, the effect it's having, and what it means moving forward China, which typically processes half of the world's exported waste paper, plastic, and metals is done being the...
Kiribati: 118,000 People on the Frontline of Climate Change and Mike Roman’s Mission to Help
Kiribati: 118,000 People on the Frontline of Climate Change and Mike Roman's Mission to Help Mike is an academic advisor at the University of Cincinnati by day, and a Pacific Climate Change Warrior by night. He has been working tirelessly for nearly 19 years to tell...
Permafrost: The Arctic’s Ticking Time Bomb
Our Thawing Permafrost and Why it Matters The Permafrost is thawing decades ahead of schedule. That is a huge deal. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. In 2016, the average temperature was 3.5°C (6.2°F) warmer than it was in 1900....
US White House Acknowledges but Fails to Lead on Climate Change
US White House Acknowledges but Fails to Lead on Climate Change They basically say "there's nothing we can do...so screw it!" The White House is working to roll back efficiency standards for vehicles. The EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s...
Co2 Emissions Per Capita Put in Perspective
CO2 Emissions Per Capita Put in Perspective The average US citizen is responsible for 19 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year. That’s roughly equivalent to the weight of 12 cars. To break it down further that’s 115 pounds (51kg) of greenhouse gas...
The Climate Silence…and What You Can Do About it
The Climate Silence and What You Can Do About it People aren’t talking about climate change enough. 65% of people in the US “rarely” or “never” talk about climate change. Only 20% say they hear people they know talk about climate change at least once a month. Nearly 2...
Yes, Global Warming May Be to Blame for Winter Extremes
Yes, Global Warming May Be to Blame for These Winter Extremes Although counter-intuitive, global warming is likely the reason why parts of the Northern hemisphere have been experiencing more extreme cold-snaps and heavy snowstorms. I know the Midwest got crushed this...
Climate Change Inaction: Is the Optimism Bias to Blame?
Is the Optimism Bias to Blame for Inaction on Climate Change? The strong support for sustainable policies is impressive considering we still haven’t fully grasped the severity of our situation, or what it means for us personally. The maps below highlight a key...
UN’s António Guterres Reminds us That Climate Change is Most Systemic Threat to Humankind
António Guterres' Reminder: Climate Change is Most Systemic Threat to Humankind Below are a couple of alarming, but accurate and important quotes from UN Secretary-General, António Guterres's, recent speech. You can watch it in full here. “The headlines are naturally...
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