Trump and Biden: Presidential Endorsements

Trump is the most consistently unpopular president in the history of the republic. The most recent polls show the Biden leads trump by an average of 8.8 points nationally. This is the largest deficit by an incumbent president in decades. Biden has the support of Blacks, Latinos, women, seniors, independents and educated voters while Trump has Christian evangelicals, rural voters, older uneducated white men and police associations. Trump has also been endorsed by the Taliban and the Proud Boys. as well as authoritarian leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin,, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Pilipino President Rodrigo Duterte, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Anatomy of a Failed Presidency

US president Donald Trump is a failure. He has consistently foundered throughout his life but the presidency has exponentially amplified the scale of his failings. Despite repeated warnings Trump chose to playdown the Coronavirus and this may prove to be his apex of evil. More than 228,000 Americans have died due to this pandemic and an additional 200,000 are expected to die by the end of the year.  Trump's corruption may be legendary but it is eclipsed by his epic mismanagement of the pandemic.  His inactions will go down in history as one of the most callous failures of any president in the history of the republic. It is not only that he is not doing enough, Trump is a superspreader of both the virus and disinformation. He has actively undermined efforts to manage the pandemic derided his own government’s guidance and mocked those who follow the rules.  These actions are directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. According to research out of Columbia University Trump could have saved between 130,000 - 210,000 lives had he listened to the science and acted responsibly. 

The Sustainable Jersey for Schools Program

Schools across the country and around the world are working on being more sustainable. Schools are ideal locations for sustainability initiatives because such efforts provide a healthier environment for students, reduces costs and offers a powerful learning opportunity. There is evidence to support the idea that healthier physical spaces benefit students academically and contribute to cost reductions. Exposing students to working sustainability programs offers practical insights into the logistics of such programs. It is one thing to learn about sustainability but quite another to see it in action. 

Georgia Schools' Renewable Energy Leadership

Innovative financing is allowing schools in Georgia to go green. Renewable energy is commonly associated with blue states but Georgia makes the point that this is changing. Since 1996 the state of Georgia has consistently voted red and yet schools in the state are turning to renewable energy to reduce costs. According to a recent report several Georgia universities are taking the lead in clean energy.  A growing number of cities are also following the lead of Atlanta, Augusta, Athens and Clarkston in adopting 100% clean energy goals. 

Event - DISTIBUTECH International 2021

DISTRIBUTECH International 2021 will take place on MARCH 30 -  APRIL 1, 2021 in Orlando Florida. It will occur side by side with POWERGEN International 2021.

This conference will feature 12 hand-selected, timely and relevant topical tracks designed to keep your experience organized and productive.

The Sierra Club's Top 20 Cool Schools

Sierra has been ranking the environmental performance of colleges since 2006. Despite the additional complications posed by the coronavirus pandemic a record 312 institutions participated in Sierra's annual Cool Schools rankings in 2020.  Many schools including the schools on this list have demonstrated that they are both resourcefulness innovative in their efforts to achieve their sustainability objectives.  They are model schools that are leading the way not only for academia but for governments and businesses. 

Biden and Trump's Climate Related Remarks in the Final Presidential Debate

Here is a full transcript of the climate related questions and commentary from the second and final debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. The debate took place on Thursday October 22 at Belmont University in Tennessee and was moderated by Kristen Welker.

Kristen Welker: (12:41) Gentlemen, we’re running out of time so we got to get onto climate change, please. You both have very different visions on climate change. President Trump, you say that environmental regulations have hurt jobs in the energy sector, Vice President Biden, you have said you see addressing climate change as an opportunity to create new jobs. For each of you, how would you both combat climate change and support job growth at the same time? Starting with you, President Trump, you have two minutes uninterrupted.

Obama Lays Out the Case Against Trump at a Rally in Pennsylvania

Former President Barack Obama delivered a scathing speech on the campaign trail on Wednesday, October 21, rebuking President Donald Trump.

Read the full speech here:

Dire Scientific Warnings from the Study of Fossilized Shells

A slew of recent studies corroborate the scientific consensus on climate change. It is both a current day reality and a serious threat to life on Earth. In recent decades we have witnessed a sharp increases in the number of floods, storms, heat waves, droughts, hurricanes and wildfires. This is corroborated by the daily news which shows wildfires in the West and storms in the East. Thus far in 2020 we have seen 25 named storms in the Atlantic, making this only the second time that the the World Meteorological Organization has run out of human for storms in the Atlantic. While individual weather events help to raise awareness, it is the long-term trends that reveal that we are in a climate emergency and on the cusp of the collapse of civilization. 

Online Event - Web Summit: Technology at a Crossroads

This event will take place on December 2-4, 2020. Society has reached a crossroads, and we’re facing some critical decisions. Join world leaders, policymakers, activists and innovators online as they sketch out the future we want to see, and discuss the best way to get there. This is the world's fastest-growing technology event and it will bring together top decision-makers from the tech industry, including founders, CEOs and leading innovators. More than 100,000 attendees, 800 speakers, 2,000 journalists,  2,500 startups, from 150 countries will come together. at this event organised by the people behind RISE and Collision.  Subjects include:

Two Town Halls One Clear Leader

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden participated in head-to-head town halls on Thursday October 15th. The bellicose disposition that defined Trump's comportment in the first presidential debate carried over into his town hall. By comparison Biden's town hall included a series of sober exchanges on a wide range of topics from covid to climate. Obfuscation was the name of Trump's game in the first presidential debate and he stayed the course.

Prestigious Medical Journal Condemns Trump and Urges Voters to Reject Him

The usually nonpartisan New England Journal of Medicine has come out against Donald Trump's bid for a second term. This is the first time in its 208-year history that the world's leading medical journal has come out against a sitting president. In a blunt statement editors at the journal said the Trump administration is "dangerously incompetent."  They cite the fact that this administration "took a crisis and turned it into a tragedy." Without referring to Democratic challenger Joe Biden by name they are urging people to replace President Trump.

Canadian Thanksgiving and Columbus Day

Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving are celebrated on the second Monday in October. In 2020 they are taking place on Monday October 12th.  In many respects these two holidays are diametrically opposed to each other. While Canadian Thanksgiving is a harvest festival, Columbus Day marks the beginning of our systematic destruction of the new world. It is hard to reconcile the start of our exploitation of the Americas with the expression of gratitude for nature's bounty. 

Online Event - The International Economic Forum of the Americas

This online event will take place on October 26-28, 2020. Plenaries, forums and fireside chats will focus on a wide variety of issues including macro issues like shaping the global recovery to the need for meaning and advice on how to run a purpose driven business.   It will also feature segments on trailblazing women in 2020 and prioritizing health to rebuild the economy. Building on the success of the IEFA Online Conversation Series launched in April 2020, the International Economic Forum of the Americas continues its pursuit of bringing together the world’s leaders, legislators, economists, Fortune 500 CEOs and world-class experts, to an active and impactful platform for dialogue, corporate insight and collaboration. 

Virtual Event - The Future of Sustainable Buildings Conference

The Future of Sustainable Buildings Conference will take place on October 27, 2020 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (EDT). This free live virtual conference is subtitled "How Timber Will Define the Skylines of Our Future". Climate change will impact how we live and design in the future. To slow the rate of climate change we need to rethink the way we build. Sustainable design has many meanings, but  it starts with the recipe of building and the choice of healthy ingredients. 

Virtual Event - 2020 Zero Waste Conference

The 2020 Zero Waste virtual conference will take place on November 13, 2020.  This is one of the world’s foremost conferences on the circular economy and zero waste it will focus on a future without waste that contribute to resiliency, prosperity, and carbon neutrality.  For 10 years, the Zero Waste Conference has been at the forefront of Canada’s circular economy journey.

Sustainable Finance Online Short Course from the Univeristy of Cambridge

Fact Checking Climate and Environmental Statements in the Vice Presidential Debate

Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris participated in the 2020 vice presidential debate on October 7, moderated by Susan Page of USA Today. The debate took place at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. This is the first and only vice presidential debate of 2020, it was sponsored by the nonpartisan commission on presidential debates. 

The candidates were seated 12 feed apart and separated by a plexiglass barrier because of a coronavirus outbreak in the White House that has seen more than 30 people infected including U.S. president Donald Trump. 

Trump is a Superspreader of Both the Coronavirus and Disinformation

U.S. President Donald Trump is a superspreader of both disinformation and COVID-19.  It is now widely understood that the event nominating Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court was a superspreader event that has infected dozens of people including members of the white house and the Senate. Polls show that with a month to go before the election Trump trails Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden by 16 points. Biden leads trump in every category except mendacity. Research out of Cornell University indicates that Trump is the leading superspreader of misinformation.

Announcing the Launch of the Short Film "The Seed"

"The Seed" is six-and-a-half-minute film that takes us on an allegorical journey through a fallen world. This simple yet authentic parable reflects the serious reality of the climate crisis and environmental degradation without succumbing to futility or despair. This simple yet authentic parable was produced by NorthSky Films and directed by Sundance Ignite Fellow, Aziz Zoromba, who has produced and directed award-winning films that have screened at TIFF, SXSW, IDFA, Festival du Nouveau Cinema, RIDM, and more. The Seed was narrated by voiceover artists Ruth Capri and Lileina Joy, whose commercial work was recently nominated for an Emmy. The film's editor and co-producer, Ashley Gilmour, was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award and is a fellow of the Doc Accelerator Program at Hot Docs, as well as an upcoming resident at the Canadian Film Centre. The colourist and co-producer, Max Machado, was the recipient of the Jean-François Bourassa Memorial Award and was nominated for a Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award. The writer, Alexander MacKenzie, has likewise worked on award-winning narrative films, documentaries, and music videos. Richard Matthews is the film's executive producer, and he is a sustainability advocate and the chair of the SEC. He collaborated on the film The Search for Greta Thunberg.

Click here to see the film.

Webinar - Canada’s Clean Energy Landscape

This webinar will take place on Wed, October 21, 2020 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT it will look at Canada’s current wind, solar and energy storage portfolio and project pipeline. The Canadian Renewable Energy Association will leverage its newly aggregated data to provide key insights into renewable energy and storage in Canada. The webinar will feature expert opinion on the rapidly accelerating energy transition, and industry leading guest speakers will shine a light on the true state of the industry in Q4 2020.