The Not-So Cold Open

Kneeling at the Feet of Capitalism

While China looks to build one of the world’s largest renewables projects, New York readies itself for one of the world’s largest coal plants

Here’s the rundown:

Glencore, the world's top thermal coal shipper, plans to create a new coal supermajor on the New York market.

• The new company is expected to outperform the top 10 US coal miners combined in terms of profits, and become one of the largest coal businesses globally, producing almost 100 million tons of thermal coal annually.

Two major Chinese energy giants are forming a joint venture to build the Badain Jaran renewable energy project in Gansu province, outfitted with 11 gigawatts of clean energy capacity, along with backup energy storage and fossil fuel power plants

• The companies plan to invest a combined 3 billion yuan ($416 million) in the venture to support China's ambitious plan to build over 450 gigawatts of renewable capacity in desert areas.

My Take: It almost seems as though every time we see significant climate wins, they’re immediately followed by major climate-setbacks. What I want to highlight here is timing - Glencore’s news is imminent, it’s an acquisition of an already operating coal facility to EXPAND their coal portfolio deep into the US market. Glencore is making a statement that their coal facility will be here to stay and they see very little risk ahead. China on the other hand, will be developing this renewables project directly from scratch, and although the Chinese are known for their fast manufacturing prowess, I highly doubt it will spring up overnight - in fact, given it’s still awaiting government approval, there’s likelihood it may or may not even make into the next decade.

Maybe it’s too early to point our fingers at politics and what the US stems to do about a capitalist behemoth intruding on our climate progress, but something tells me there isn’t much to be done here. And as far as China goes, it’ll be interesting to see how serious the Chinese government takes this initiative, their response will likely make ripples in global renewables investment, if not at least in the Asia-Pacific region.

Read more here: Glencore’s Bet on US Coal ; Chinese Utility Plans One of World’s Largest Renewable Projects ;

Other Hot Headlines:

• Rich Nations Finally Hit $100B Climate Fund Goal from 2022
• The Atlantic is Having One of its Busiest Years of Storms

Climate Culture

Kiss the Ground - Netflix Documentary

The perfect movie to keep you educated and cozy on those cold holiday nights

Kiss the Ground came out in 2020, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually got around to watching it. At first glance I was skeptical, a Netflix documentary with Woody Harrelson about climate change- let’s just say there were a lot of ways this could’ve gone south. But after watching it last month, I can honestly say I was blown away and if I’m being totally honest, left in tears.

The movie serves as a powerful conversation around agriculture and climate change, and will help those new to climate deepen their understanding of how climate change actually manifests itself. It’s important to understand that climate change is about more than just solar power, electric cars and planting trees - its truly rooted in the lifestyles we currently enjoy. Below is a quick summary of what to expect in the film and the link to the trailer to check it out.

But first, a little quote from Chris -

For as long as time can tell, large banquets of food have always signified celebration amongst humans. Food has played a significant role, whether it be the pie you give your new neighbor, or the beer you share with a close friend. But, as we’ve moved to a society that highly prioritizes outcomes, we’ve neglected the very being that provides us with our nourishment- the ground we walk on. Food plays a major role not only in our nutrition, but also in climate change - both of which are more interrelated than you may think. I encourage each of you to watch Kiss the Ground at some point this holiday season, and open your eyes to how quickly our world is changing right beneath our feet.

Summary: A climate documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson arguing for and highlighting the healing power of soil, which could offer a solution to the climate crisis and give us all hope.

Run Time: 1h 24m

Watch the Trailer here: Kiss the Ground (Trailer)

And watch the full film on Netflix here: Kiss the Ground

Better Living

The Guilt Scale for Throwing out Food This Holiday Season

The US EPA gives their wasted food scale a new look ahead of Thanksgiving

So either the EPA decided to add some swagger to their diagrams or a McKinsey analyst somewhere said they’d had enough…

Whether you’re the one grocery shopping, cooking, helping, or even just eating, it’s important we be cognizant of our food waste footprint this holiday season. Food waste alone is estimated to account for nearly 8% of global emissions according to the FAO. Now look, I know many of the solutions above may seem like they’d really only be a fit at an industrial scale, but it still leaves plenty of room for solutions where you can play a part.

Here’s 3 examples:

• Donate any unused, unwanted, or likely to end up in the back of the pantry food products to your regional food banks to give it a second life
• Host a Holiday Supper Club where you re-purpose your leftovers into new dishes and share with friends and family
• Consider starting an at-home compost or visit a local farm that already has a food-waste composting operation- (bonus points if you sign up for organic-waste collection with your current waste hauler!)

If you can be creative with your recipes, you can be creative with your food waste. Whether it be a banana peel or a whole burnt turkey, fighting climate change begins with a crumb, and can snowball into something impactful.

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