The Not-So Cold Open

Pullin Out the Big Guns (Again)

COP’s Coming Up, and it’s Looking 3x Rated

Here’s the rundown:

• The US and the European Union are leading a global effort to have the United Nations' COP28 climate talks endorse a commitment to triple renewables and double energy savings by the end of the decade.
• Over 60 countries, including Australia, Zambia, South Africa, Japan, and Singapore, are supporting the targets, aimed at keeping global warming from exceeding 1.5°C, a critical threshold.
• The coalition emphasizes the need for increased financing, improved power grids, streamlined permitting processes, and market rules favoring investment to achieve the renewable energy and energy efficiency goals.
• The pledge, to be discussed during the COP28 talks in Dubai, is endorsed by the United Arab Emirates, the host nation. However, support from major players like China and India are still missing.

Can we all say it in unison? - POLI-TICKIN’

My Take: It seems as though each year’s COP continues to drastically increase the efforts required to evade a 2 degree warming point with new negotiations and agreements. However, where is the progress? Where are the tangible consequences? Who’s in charge of monitoring any implementation?

The unfortunate truth is that many of these questions will continue to go unanswered as politicians and dignitaries will gather for yet another COP. The need for course-correction is absolutely imminent, and if it wasn’t clear already - this is a GLOBAL issue. There will be no political winners in a system that is consumed in right vs left, China vs US, or citizens that continue to live like there is not a global crisis on the line. Who wants to join me with #QuitPoli-Tickin signs in Abu Dhabi later this month, any takers?

Read more here: Bloomberg

Other Hot Headlines:

• Biden Administration announces $2 billion for green construction projects: GSA
• Alaska Judge Sides with ConocoPhillips on New $7.5 Billion Oil Project: Bloomberg

Climate Culture

Zero Carbon Sports

Climate Pledge Arena becomes the World’s First Zero Carbon Certification

Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle has become the world's first net-zero carbon facility, as certified by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). Originally planned as a new arena in downtown Seattle, the focus on sustainability intensified when Amazon became a venue sponsor, resulting in significant changes to the building's design.

The facility is fully electric, eliminating natural gas use, and achieved net-zero carbon status through the purchase of renewable energy credits and a commitment to transition to solar and wind energy. The arena also incorporates a public transit subsidy, sustainability goals such as net-zero waste, and plans for a comprehensive carbon accounting exercise covering both the construction and its operations.

Still not a Kraken fan but hey, not bad at all - we love to see sustainability expanding its reach into every industry including entertainment & hospitality.

Read more about the certification here: Forbes

Better Living

Re-use Reaches Peak Hype with Clase Azul Olive Oil Bottle

It’s truly the little things…

Yes, you’re looking at that correctly. That is indeed a Clase Azul bottle turned cooking-ready olive oil bottle. I saw this on Instagram recently and thought this may be a great opportunity to talk about re-use together.

Here’s 3 key ways re-use, much like the solution above, can help you fight climate change:

• Habit forming and Community Engagement - Finding creative ways to re-use items in your daily lives helps build and enforce climate-friendly habits that can subconsciously influence other aspects of your lifestyle as well. It may not seem like much, but with a community of people shifting their thinking to more climate-friendly habits, the impact becomes recognizable.
• Reduces impact of overall emissions - Every product has a “carbon footprint” which estimates the amount of emissions associated to produce a given item. The more you use a certain item, the more its carbon footprint decreases, as the emissions used to produce the product get spread out over each use- getting smaller and smaller.
• Reducing waste and extending product lifespan - By utilizing products and packaging in different ways, you’re prohibiting them from reaching their end-of-life and ending up in landfill or recycling (which require more emissions). Extending a product’s lifespan promotes you to find new ways of using it and prevents you from over-shopping and encouraging these companies to mass-produce goods.

Look, it doesn’t sound like much but trust me when I say the little things make a difference. Not to mention, it would be a great conversation starter to have a Clase Azul bottle with a spout sitting on your kitchen counter (maybe even alarm some guests), and be able to tell them you got the idea from Chris’s Climate Log ;)

Link in Bio..I mean click the image above to watch the video

A note from Chris:

Thanks for reading this week's issue of my newsletter, please feel free to comment any news, topics, or discussions you'd like to hear in upcoming emails. As well, please let me know how you're liking it, if it helps you, entertains you, or how I can improve! Any feedback helps.

Sincerely,

Chris