The Courts have Stymied the Trump Administration's Agenda

Private organizations and state governments have successfully leveraged the courts to check the Trump administration's anti-environment, pro-fossil fuel agenda. Many environmental groups and state attorney Generals are suing the Trump administration over environmental rollbacks. The New York state attorney general has launched 17 lawsuits against the Trump administration's agenda, and Washington state’s attorney general has launched 19 similar lawsuits, California leads the pack having sued Trump more than 50 times.

More Record Breaking Heat (January - June 2020)

Month after month, year after year temperature records keep being broken. Last July was the hottest month ever recorded and 2019 was the second hottest year on record. The five last years have been the hottest on record, as was the decade from 2010-2019. The five warmest decades on record have all occurred in the last 50 years and each successive decade was warmer than any preceding decade. We have seen 425 consecutive months of above average surface temperature and 43 consecutive years with above average global land and ocean temperatures. Since the 1970s global temperatures have risen an average of 0.2 °C per decade due mostly to carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning fossil fuels. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are now at their highest level in at least 800,000 years.

Event - Sustainability Virtual Summits: Smart ICT

This free on-demand series is the first virtual conference an tradeshow to present a case for a future-oriented ICT industry, to respond quickly to the challenge of sustainability. This series summarizes the cutting-edge information and best practices that you need to support you in your sustainability journey.

The End is Nigh for Trump

With a bit more than four months until election day President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers appear to be on the wrong side of many of the major issues of the day. According to a recent New York Times and Siena College poll Democratic challenger Joe Biden leads the incumbent by 14 points. Only a bit more than a third of Americans say they will vote for Trump. Biden's commanding lead is not just in coastal cities, it extends to 6 key battleground states. The most concerning poll for GOP is the generic ballot which as of the end of June shows Democrats as being 9 points ahead of Republicans (49 percent favor a Democrat controlled Congress versus 40 percent who favor a Congress under Republican control).

The Power of Protest: A Summary of the Achievements of the BLM Movement

In recent weeks we have seen how mass protest produces results. In response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police we have seen wave after wave of protest.  This mostly peaceful assembly has prompted concrete actions aimed at arresting police violence and racial injustice. Floyd's murder by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was the catalyst. His murder was the most recent in a seemingly endless succession of African Americans killed by police. Chauvin murdered Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes. "I can't breathe" said Floyd, crying out for his mother before he died. Floyd's experience is not unique, others face the same kinds of deadly abuse by police and not just in America. "Je ne peux pas respirer" ("I can't breathe") were also the last words of Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black man who was killed four years ago by French police in Paris.

Livestream - USMCA and the Environment / Clean Technologies for Resilient Communities

Their will be a live streaming of a virtual meeting between the environment ministers of Canada, Mexico and the United States on June 26, 2020. This live event will also include leading environmental experts to discuss the future of regional environmental collaboration and the important role of clean technology in making our communities more resilient. This event is organized by The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and it is open to the public.

COVID-19 Inspires Renewed Interest in Facts and Science

In the era of COVID-19 people want facts and this is driving a shift towards a renewed interest in science and away from partisan sources of information. For a time disinformation succeeded in hijacking the popular narrative. Led by organizations like Fox, some media outlets declared war on reality.The use of targeted disinformation on social media succeeded in gaming the system.

Celebrating the Achievements of Wind Power on Global Wind Day

June 15th is Global Wind Day, an opportunity to explore the power of wind energy to help reshape our energy systems, decarbonise our economies and boost jobs and growth. Wind is key to our energy mix because it reduces fossil fuel use which combats climate change and contributes to cleaner air.

There is now more than 591GW of wind power capacity installed globally in 91 countries, with continued growth predicted.

Webinar: The Coronavirus and the Future of Air Travel

A webinar titled The Future of Air Travel will take place on June 23, 2020, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. Panelists will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the airline industry and if it is possible to view this as an opportunity for reinventing air travel.
Could the pandemic present an opportunity to think innovatively to address the immediate crisis facing the industry and accelerate the switch to newer and greener technology? Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, airlines have been forced to cut jobs in the face of a steep decline in passenger demand and companies have had to halt the production and delivery of orders.

Electric Planes are the Future of Aviation

Six years ago a sun-powered emissions free aircraft called Solar Impulse, captivated our imagination by crossing the Pacific Ocean. That same year Airbus Group and its partners, unveiled the electric E-Fan training aircraft. However, it would take another five years for a test flight of an electric commercial carrier. In 2019, Canadian company Harbour Air and electric motor startup Magnix made history with their all electric converted 6 passenger de Havilland DHC-2 beaver seaplane. Recently MagniX conducted a successful test flight of a larger plane in Washington state.

Will We Learn from COVID-19 or Will We Go Back to Business-as-Usual?

It does appear as though we have learned a few things from this modern day plague. Although it is not yet known whether this deadly virus will be the catalyst that helps us to alter our perilous trajectory, there is reason to believe that we will see lasting change. This virus has killed more than 400,000 people, but it has also augured a range of positive environmental benefits.

Many are cautiously optimistic that at least some of the benefits will outlast the pandemic. As explained in a Yale360 article, those changes that are likely to stick are those that were already underway before the outbreak. This is the view of Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Largest Ever Arctic Oil Spill and Climate Feedback Loops

The largest ever Arctic oil spill has drawn attention to warming related feedback loops. The recent Siberian oil spill was caused by thawing permafrost which caused ground subsidence under a storage tank.  This is a pervasive problem in Russia as 65 percent of the country is covered by permafrost. Fires and melting sea ice are two additional feedback loops that exacerbate Arctic warming.

Webinar - Impact of COVID-19 on the Renewable Energy Sector (IRENA Youth Talk)

This webinar will take place on June 8, 2020 from 11.00 AM to 1:30 PM EST.  Following the first IRENA Youth Forum held on 10 January 2020 at the margins of the Agency’s tenth Assembly, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is launching IRENA Youth Talk — a series of webinars aimed at strengthening the Agency’s engagement with the youth, amplifying their voice and actions in supporting renewables, achieving climate stability, and advancing the sustainable development agenda. Through this webinar series, young people from around the world will have the opportunity to exchange ideas amongst themselves and other stakeholders.

World Environment Day Activities and Events

Happy World Environment Day! Today is the big day and there is a packed agenda spread across multiple time zones and languages. Today we will be celebrating with more than 150 virtual events including live concerts, speakers like Jane Goodall, film screenings, virtual journeys, expert panels. and so much more. Some additional highlights include the Global Landscape Forum (GLF) Bonn Digital Conference (see details below) and Unlocking Human Potential for Biodiversity Online Event.

The host country for this year's World Environment Day is Columbia Events featuring experts on biodiversity issues from across the globe. Here is a quick look at the agenda (all times local to Bogota¡ which is GMT-5) To convert to your local time click here. 09:00 AM - 4:00 PM Content focusing on conservation of the Amazon, sustainable use of biodiversity, green business and the COVID-19 pandemic, the close relation between cities and environment, climate change, the circular economy and more.

Decarbonization Through Electrification Creates Jobs

There is a positive vision emerging of decarbonization through electrification. This would not only substantially reduce climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions, it would buoy the economy and provide jobs.

This pandemic can be a turning point. The coronavirus has already augured a 4-7 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions along with other environmental benefits. Although COVID-19 has decimated the energy sector it will disproportionately enfeeble the fossil fuel industry and embolden renewable energy. The pandemic has already changed the way we work and green stimulus spending could revolutionize our economies.

Systemic Racism and Environmental Injustice in Trump's America

People in cities across the U.S. are taking to the streets to decry systemic injustice. Racial inequality is one of the most pernicious and enduring forms of injustice in the United States and the callous insensitivity of the GOP and the ruling administration leads many to believe that protest is the only way to make their voices heard. The evidence indicates that overt racism has worsened under this president as have other less obvious forms of racial injustice.

Online Event - Unlocking Human Potential for Biodiversity Virtual Conference

This virtual event will take place on June 5, 2020 from 9 a.m. to noon as part of World Environment Day (WED). Montréal is the North American host city for WED. This event is being organized by Space for Life and the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.  It imagines the future of our planet, our cities, and our spaces as well as the cohabitation between species on Earth, humans included.

The Deadly Implications of Trump's Cuts to Environmental Protections

President Donald Trump's cuts to environmental protections are even more deadly in the era of COVID-19. The United States has reached the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths, that is more than 33 times the number of people that died in 9/11 and more than the number of US troops killed in the Korean and Vietnam wars combined.

Online Event - Electrifying the Economy: Reducing Carbon While Creating Jobs

This online event will take place on Thursday May 28, 2020, 1 PM – 2 PM. The climate change debate is often dominated by doom and gloom headlines. The idea of electrifying our economy offers a positive vision of the future. Widespread electrification of energy, industry and transportation could create huge numbers of new jobs and dramatically reduce climate changing emissions.

The Coronavirus has Improved the Way We Work

The coronavirus is a turning point that has changed the way we work. Remote working was already trending before the pandemic hit. However, the number of people working from home increased from 3.6 percent to 66 percent during the pandemic. The work from home trend has been facilitated by the proliferation of technologies related to telecommuting and videoconferencing.

Virtual Conference - Advances in Electric Drives, Process Control and Automation (VCADPCA2020)

This virtual global scientific forum will take place online on June 9, 2020. VCADPCA2020 is a platform for researchers, academicians as well as professionals from all over the world to present, discuss and promote advances in knowledge, research and practice in the field of electric drives, process control, automation and energy engineering (for a full summary of the areas of interest see the list below). This conference is focused on delivering and analyzing industrial and academic advancements.

COVID-19 can be a Paradigm Changing Social Tipping Point for Climate Action

The coronavirus may facilitate fundamental changes that help us to combat climate change. This pandemic has captured global attention and there is reason to believe that it may augur an unprecedented shift in our attitudes and behaviors.  At the very least it sets the stage for a reorganization of our lives and our behaviors.  If these changes are sufficiently widespread they would give us a good chance of keeping temperatures from surpassing upper threshold limits that represent an existential threat to life on Earth.

Republicans Controlled by the Fossil Fuel Industry are Killing Climate Action

Despite a plethora of scientific warnings and the overwhelming economic logic of climate action, the alliance between Republicans and the fossil fuel industry is keeping climate denial and dirty energy alive. Republicans have systematically undermined democracy through protracted campaigns of disinformation that distort the facts and muddies public confidence in science so that they can manipulate the American public, hold on to power and line their pockets.

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.