Energy Job Losses in the US Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 has caused massive energy job losses. Some sectors have been hit harder than others and while many energy jobs will return others may not. Our economies will be decimated by the coronavirus and millions of jobs have disappeared forever, however, there is an upside to this deadly pandemic that bodes well for employment opportunities in some sectors over the long term.

Webinar - A Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time

A free report release webinar titled "Vision for NSF Earth Sciences 2020-2030: Earth in Time," will take place on Tuesday, May 19th from 2-3pm EDT.  It will explore the contents of the NSF Earth Sciences report which identifies priority research questions as well as the initiatives and partnerships required to answer them. It will also provide recommendations to plan and support research over the next decade.

Trump Guts ESA as Part of his Ongoing War with Nature

The Trump administration is behind a steady barrage of environmental insults but the assaults on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are among the most heinous.  While this administration has amassed a track record of harming wildlife, the weakening of the ESA is the crowning achievement of their war on nature. This move is all the more egregious in light of a recent UN Biodiversity report which indicates that one million species are on the brink of extinction around the world.

How Supply Chain Resilience Mitigates Against Risks from Pandemics and Climate Change

Whether as a defense against global pandemics or as part of a wider climate strategy companies are exploring ways of improving their supply chain resilience. Now more than ever companies need to increase their efforts to build more resilience into their supply chains so that they can quickly respond to changing demands and disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to supply chain vulnerabilities and this article reviews many of the lessons that have been learned as well as their implications for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. 

How the Coronavirus Helps Renewable Energy and Hurts Fossil Fuels

Covid-19 is helping to drive a seismic shift in energy that will accelerate the rise of renewable energy and expedite the demise of dirty energy.  Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy is an absolutely essential part of keeping temperatures within acceptable limits. A report commissioned by the Guardian found that replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy could curb the rise in global temperatures and reduce CO2 emissions as much as 70 percent by 2050. Although it may be hard to see from where we are today, there is a hopeful upside to this deadly virus. There is little doubt that things will get far worse before they get better, however, the forthcoming economic collapse may prove to be the catalyst that forces us to alter our perilous trajectory.

Online Event - Collective Resilience Summit

The Collective Resilience Summit will take place May 12 - 17, 2020. This free, online and highly interactive summit will explore how to develop and sustain the individual and collective resilience we need to meet our increasingly complex global challenges with wisdom, skill and compassion. This entails a deep exploration of what it means to be human and how we can heal and repair our relationship with the earth, our fellow species and each other so that we can learn to thrive together as one human community in the face of adversity. Learn from more than 40 experts including leading neuroscientists.

Online Event - USA Virtual Impact Capitalism Summit: American Resilience and Recovery

Big Path Capital presents the USA Virtual Impact Capitalism Summit which will take place on June 2, 2020 from 10:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT.  This free virtual summit will shine the spotlight on American resilience and recovery. At the Summit, US leaders in impact will discuss and chart impact investing’s new role in the age of COVID-19. Participants will gain insight from a variety of perspectives including the impact ecosystem, LPs, institutional investors and the family office. They will see what impact in action looks like and learn about how foundations and endowments are responding to COVID-19. They will also take a look at the U.S. government's financial response to the pandemic.

Online Event - Global Summit of Conscious Leadership

The Global Summit of Conscious Leadership will take place on June 5th Live online. This live conference will be a catalyst for transformation that moves us toward a paradigm shift. It is time to do things differently by elevating the level of consciousness of our leadership and our organizations to capture the hearts and minds of our people and our clients.

World Environment Day and Covid-19: Making Time for Nature

World Environment Day (WED) takes place on June 5, 2020 and the theme this year is "Time for Nature". The biodiversity focus of this year's WED calls us reimagine our relationship with nature. This includes all the ways we rely on nature for our very survival (ie the foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink). Although public health protocols mean that this year's WED activities will take place online, we can still remain socially connected despite the physical distance. The coronavirus pandemic is an urgent call to appreciate all the ways that we are dependent on nature and to combat species loss and environmental degradation. We are called to remember that we are polluting the planet and destroying habitats upon which we all depend.

Canadian Provincial Governments Use Covid-19 to Give Polluters a Pass

At least two Canadian provinces have suspended environmental regulations in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Both Alberta and Ontario are at war with climate action. These provinces oppose a national carbon tax, despite strong evidence that demonstrates the utility of carbon pricing. Now it would appear that these two provincial governments are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to further erode environmental protections.

Cities, Academia and Investors Divesting from Fossil Fuels

The fossil fuel divestment movement has come a long way and this increasingly includes mainstream institutions. Banks, insurance companies and investors are all making the case that fossil fuels are dying.  Now we are seeing another wave of divestment from municipal governments and academic institution that make it even harder to ignore the impending demise of fossil fuels. The city of New York is divesting roughly $5 billion in city workers’ pension funds from fossil fuel companies. Recently lawmakers that city introduced a resolution that formally demands that the banks, asset managers and insurance giants with which the city government does business divest from oil, gas and coal. This move comes at a time when the oil crash of 2020 is provoking a record number of bankruptcies in the fossil fuel sectors and Banks like JPMorgan Chase, are preparing to seize their assets.

Support for a Green Deal Increasing in the Wake of Covid-19

Global support for climate action has increased in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. In a global poll almost three quarters of respondents indicated that they think climate change is as serious as the coronavirus.  In response to the economic collapse we are also seeing increasing interest in a targeted stimulus package that would promote a green recovery. The global poll suggests that almost two thirds of respondents support a green economic recovery.

Online Event - The Recovery Series, The Missing Link: Pollution, Health & COVID-19

The Recovery Series, The Missing Link: Pollution, Health & COVID-19 will take place on Thursday, May 7th, 2020, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. (EDT). In the Recovery Series tries to make sense of the COVID-19 crisis from an environmental perspective. Each week, they dig into the most pressing questions on current environmental issues.

Online Event - Reevaluating Philanthropy and Impact Investing

Reevaluating Philanthropy and Impact Investing is an online event that will take place on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM (EDT). This Live Webinar and Q&A is accessible from any web-enabled computer or mobile device. Like most aspects of society, impact investing and philanthropy have been profoundly unsettled by the coronavirus pandemic, requiring urgent responses and reevaluations of missions and priorities.

Polling Trends: A Growing Number of Americans Support Climate Action

According to recent U.S. polling there is a trend towards increased concern about climate change and evidence to suggest growing public support for environmental protections. Here is a summary of the results of 15 polls conducted in the last five years that survey American attitudes on climate change and the environment.  A 2018 poll by ecoAmerica and Lake Research Partners’ indicates that 88 percent of Americans believe we have a moral responsibility to create a safe and healthy climate for ourselves and our children.

Online Event - Virtual Impact Capitalism Summit: Smarter Money: Endowments, Foundations & Faith-Based Organizations

Virtual Impact Capitalism Summit Smarter Money Focusing on Endowments, Foundations, and Faith-Based Organizations will take place on June 9th, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT Impact Capitalism Smarter Money. At the Summit, world leaders in impact will discuss and chart impact investing’s new role in the age of COVID-19. We hope you are able to join the conversation. ICS is the longest-running series of convenings for investors focused on maximizing impact and maximizing return. All summits produced by Big Path Capital are curated and attendees must apply to attend. Big Path Capital works with more impact companies and funds exclusively than any other investment bank.

Webinar - Certified Impact Analyst Training

On May 4 and 5, 2020 there will be three free webinars that offer impact analyst training.  These certification webinars have been designed by industry experts. Learn about the current impact measurement space and takeaway key frameworks.  Participants will learn how to understand and correctly assess businesses impact on the planet & society. The tangible skills acquired can be used in most fields of work.

Flexible deadlines can conform to any busy schedule. Registrants will have access to a replay of the full webinar and they will also get a copy of the slides shared during the webinar. The only requirement is being passionate about sustainability.

The Revolutionary Upside of Covid-19

The coronavirus is a murderous plague that augurs economic ruin, yet this tragedy has also given birth to a host of long sought after environmental benefits. Public health restrictions have turned the tide in a number of critical ways. After decades of troubling data, some key environmental indices are showing signs of improvement. Covid-19 has reduced pollution, saved lives and changed our worldviews.

Less carbon emissions

The shutdown associated with Covid-19 is reducing demand for oil and gas. Fossil fuels are the primary source of climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions and airborne particulate matter so any reduction in the burning of hydrocarbons benefits the planet. Restrictions on industry, air travel and vehicular traffic have pushed nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a 70 year low. Compared to the same period in 2019 we have seen a 25 percent decline in CO2. In China, Europe and the US carbon emissions are expected to decline by at least 5 percent this year. That is five times the rate of decline we saw in the great recession of 2009.

The Forthcoming Economic Collapse Could Save Us From Ourselves

We are headed for a paradigm changing economic collapse.  COVID-19 is exacting a massive toll on human life and it will devastate our economies, but this tragic turn of events may also augur hope. It may very well prove to be the catalyst that helps us to avert even bigger crises.

Wildlife Conservation Society's Joe Walston explained it this way: "It actually, sadly, takes people to die on people's doorsteps, for people to die in people's families, for that wake-up call to happen, which is always inevitably later than it should be. But I believe that the world is realizing now that these are environmental problems, that they are going to happen again unless we take action."

COVID-19 is Driving Down Emissions and Buoying Hope for Climate Action

The coronavirus will result in one of the largest declines in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in history.  This is the biggest emission reduction in more than seventy years.  In a mere matter of weeks COVID-19 has done what we have been trying to do for decades. This modern day plague has also dealt a significant blow to the fossil fuel industry and thousands of extraction and production companies are expected to become insolvent due to the oil crash of 2020. Any decrement in fossil fuel infrastructure increases the likelihood that we can keep temperatures below critical thresholds.

The Oil Crash of 2020 Could Bankrupt Thousands of Fossil Fuel Companies

The oil crash of 2020 is driving down prices and contributing to the demise of the fossil fuel industry. This will drive hundreds and perhaps even thousands of companies into bankruptcy as part of a cascade of industry failures. In the face of oversupply and falling demand due to the cornavirus the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia agreed to cut oil output by 10 percent but this did not stop the free-fall.

The fossil fuel industry was in trouble long before the start of the price war between Russia and OPEC. Market realities have been signalling the end of fossil fuels for many years. In 2016 it was becoming apparent that diminishing oil returns were threatening the future of the industry. In 2019 we saw a wave of fossil fuel bankruptcies.

Online Event - Sustainatopia Virtual Conference Series 2020

Sustainatopia Virtual Conferences series 2020 will take place on May 20th, June 23rd, July 22nd and August 20th. This series is focused on accelerating business development and investment acquisition within social, financial and environmental sustainability. Founded in 2009, SUSTAINATOPIA remains one of the leading events in the world of its’ kind. Attendees have participated from more than 60 countries. Sustainatopia curates an expert global ecosystem of Investors/Fund Managers, Corporations, Foundations, Non-Profits, Social Entrepreneurs, Government, Think Tanks & Leading Intermediaries within a high engagement, heavy networking format- supplemented by outstanding, leading-edge content.

Online Event - Virtual Momentum Summit: Real Leaders & Resilience How to Lead Before, During, and After A Crisis

The Virtual Momentum Summit titled "Real Leaders & Resilience How to Lead Before, During, and After A Crisis" will take place on May 19, 2020 | 12 pm – 5 pm EDT.  At this summit more than 200 CEOs will gather virtually and explore how to build more resilient companies.  They will share their lessons, experience, and challenges as part of an effort to cope with an increasingly chaotic world in which companies will have to contend with outbreaks, climate disruption, and associated social unrest.

COVID-19 Exposes Supply Chain Vulnerabilities that Cause Food Insecurity

The cornavirus pandemic has highlighted supply chain weaknesses that are causing food shortages. As explained in an FAO report, the global pandemic is threatening supply lines leading to concerns about food insecurity. "A protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more," the report said. In a March paper the U.N. Committee on World Food Security (CFS) warned that Covid-19 will cause heightened instability in global food supply. The pandemic also prompted the Food and Land Use Coalition to issue a call to action for world leaders over what they describe as a humanitarian crisis requiring urgent coordinated action.

The Coronavirus is Killing Dirty Energy

The fossil fuel industry is dying and COVID-19 is expediting the demise of this climate destroying monster. This comes after years of volatility and poor returns which had already forced many investors to concede that the industry is approaching the end of its life cycle. We know that phasing out fossil fuels could go a long way towards arresting climate change and the current market realities are inviting us to do so. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications we have a 64 percent chance of staying below 1.5 C above preindustrial levels if we stop building new fossil fuel infrastructure (power plants, factories, vehicles, ships and planes) and replace them with zero-carbon alternatives when they reach the end of their lives. The longer we wait the more it will cost and the less likely we are to get there. If we wait until 2030 our chances of staying within the upper threshold limits fall by half.

The Road to Recovery - The Courage to Hope for a Better World

We must summon the courage to dream and find the resolve to strive to make those dreams a reality. It is easy to be overwhelmed by hopelessness. However, from within the womb of this dystopian nightmare a lofty hope is emerging. An inclusive narrative is being born in which we are all have a role.

SRI Call for Proposals

Submit your proposal for SRI2020 before May 12, 2020. SRI welcomes all timely, topical, and relevant suggestions with a clear connection to investing to drive change through SRI and ESG. SRI2020 will take place on November 8-11, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The theme this year is: “Designing Our Future with SRI and ESG."

Four Oil and Gas Spills that are Worse than we Thought

Fossil fuels are a leading cause of climate change and research shows that ubiquitous spills and leaks are often far worse than reported.  This is according to studies out of Stanford University,  the University of Miami, Florida State University, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the American Chemical Society (ACS) and North Dakota’s Department of Environmental Quality.

Online Event - World Bank and WWF Webinar: Sustainable Financing of Protected Areas

On April 23, 2020 | 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. PST, the World Bank and WWF are presenting a webinar titled Sustainable Financing of Protected Areas Conservation and Local Community Development in the Great Bear Rainforest.  Coast Funds will be featured in the webinar hosted by the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program.  Coast Funds' executive director, Brodie Guy, will share the innovative approaches and experience gained over 10 years of supporting First Nations’ businesses, economic development, and conservation management in one of the Earth’s largest remaining temperate rainforests, highlighting lessons that could inspire similar approaches for protected areas around the world.

Online Event - Global Virtual Impact Capitalism Summit

The Global Virtual Impact Capitalism Summit will take place on April 21st, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm EDT. This free summit is the world’s largest virtual impact investor summit. It brings together the world's impact investors. This event is brought to you by Big Path Capital, impact investing's investment bank.

ICS is the longest-running series of convenings for investors focused on maximizing impact and maximizing return. All summits produced by Big Path Capital are curated and attendees must apply to attend. Big Path Capital works with more impact companies and funds exclusively than any other investment bank. Top impact companies and funds engage Big Path Capital for company exits, capital raises, and founder liquidity.

Online Event - Harnessing Digital Solutions to Improve Product Sustainability and Supply Chain Transparency

Harnessing Digital Solutions to Improve Product Sustainability and Supply Chain Transparency will take place on Tuesday April 21, 2020. Online events brought to you by EL and EMT. Registered attendees receive exclusive access to slide decks and/or custom white papers (provided by most clients).

This webinar to understand how digital transformation can enable an organization to address these complexities through cross-functional collaboration, process optimization, and a management systems approach.

Trump Ignored COVID-19 Despite Repeated Warnings

Although U.S. President Donald Trump said said no one could have anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic, records show that he was repeatedly warned. He made light of the virus even after the first confirmed case in Washington state on January 22. At one of his rallies he even called it another "hoax" created by the Democrats. On numerous occasions he said it would go away. It hasn't. Over and over again he said he has a plan and the situation is under control. He does not have a plan and the pandemic is clearly not under control.

Like climate change and hate, viruses predate this president, but Trump has the dubious distinction of making all three worse.  To suggest that he could not have anticipated COVID-19 is not credible. Viruses are ubiquitous and humans have been periodically ravaged by virus-born diseases dating back to prehistory. There are many times more viruses on planet Earth than there are stars in the universe. They are everywhere but when these viruses hijack human hosts they can be devastating.

An Earth Day Like No Other

This is an Earth Day like no other that has gone before.  It is a terrifying time in which people are sick and dying while others are suffering from isolation due to social distancing. Although it may be hard to fathom from where we are today this virus may augur the change we so desperately need.

In 2020 we are celebrating the 50th Earth Day and the theme this year is climate action. This event, which is celebrated in more than 193 countries, has succeeded in raising awareness and increasing calls for both political action and civic participation.

Easter and the Environment: The Call for Spiritual and Cultural Transformation

The symbolism of Easter offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the natural world and the shift of consciousness required for the survival of life on this planet. If we are to find a way forward we urgently need to address climate change and environmental degradation.  To alter our perilous trajectory we need to assume responsibility for the state of our world. Science alone will not take us where we need to go. We need a transformation that will enable us to address the wide range of human activities that are adversely impacting the Earth's geology and ecosystems. Science alone cannot solve the crisis we face, to do that we will need a spiritual and cultural transformation.

Coronavirus Augurs Hope for Climate Action

The coronavirus will augur change and while it is far too early to say with any certainty, it may very well drive the kind of radical transformation that we need to address the climate crisis. People are coming together to face this modern day plague. We are seeing a return to multilateralism and perhaps even a reversal of the trend towards increasing polarization. In the first few weeks of the pandemic we also began to see a reduction in climate change causing emissions.

To be clear we have little reason to celebrate at present. Health care systems are being overwhelmed and people are sick and dying. To make matters worse this pandemic is unfolding against the backdrop of the Trump administration's tragic mishandling of the crisis and a global economic meltdown. The stock markets are experiencing unprecedented volatility and U.S. job losses have spiked to a record 3.3 million making recession a virtual certainty.

The Scourge of Ghost Planes in the Wake of the Coronavirus

Early in March as the coronavirus was breaking and air travel was declining airlines began flying empty planes so that they could keep their flight slots. According to European rules if airlines fail to fly their allocated flights they risk losing their right to fly these routes. These passenger-less flights are being called ghost planes. As a consequence they wasted thousands of gallons of jet fuel and generated emissions that we can ill afford given our dwindling carbon budgets.

Zombie Pathogens and 5 Other Climate Concerns Undermining Human Health

The world is preoccupied with coronavirus, however, our health is also being impacted by climate change in a number of ways. There are a host of serious diseases that are being unleashed as the world continues to warm. Melting ice and rising seas are expected to add to the number of pathogens that undermine human health.

The Fossil Fuel Industry is Increasing Climate Change Causing Emissions

It is important to acknowledge where most of the current greenhouse gas emissions come from. The world still gets about 80 percent of its energy from fossil fuels and this generates the lions share of emissions. According to the EIA, in 2017, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fossil fuels for energy were equal to about 76 percent of total U.S. anthropogenic GHG emissions (based on global warming potential) and about 93 percent of total U.S. anthropogenic CO2 emissions. As reported by MIT, as of 2011, the burning of fossil fuels were responsible for more than 36.6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution (MIT, 2012). We continue to burn fossil fuels at a prodigious rate.

Climate Related Excerpts from the March 15th Democratic Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders

Here are the climate related excerpts from the CNN Univision Democratic Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders that took place on March 15, 2020 in Washington DC. The debate was moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, and Univision’s Ilia Calderón.  Although the coronavirus was predominate theme in the debate, more than 12 minutes were devoted to climate change and fossil fuels. Here is the full summary:

Emission Reductions from the Coronavirus are Being Undermined by Government Subsidies

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 4,000 people and infected more than 120,000, but on the upside it is cutting global carbon emissions for the first time in more than a decade. In China we have seen emissions fall by 25 percent (200 megatonnes of CO2). We are seeing a tremendous decline in emissions intensive air travel (global air traffic decreased by 4.3% in February) and a looming recession could decrease fossil fuel consumption and resultant emissions just like we saw in the recession of 2008-2008.

Whether or not the coronavirus has long-term impacts depends on what we do. Subsidies, such as those that prop-up the fossil fuel industry will exacerbate the problem. The key question is will we go back to business as usual or will we take this opportunity to get serious about climate action. If the past is any indication of the future it is likely that we will ramp up carbon intensive activity once this crisis abates. If we do this then the future is grim. However, there is a small chance that this may give us pause for refection and perhaps even augur change.