Season for change
We have news about last week's climate wins. Plus, some opportunities for new grads.
New York’s senate passed climate change superfund act. The bill would create a 25-year dedicated fund of $3 billion annually, financed by big fossil fuel corporations, to pay for costs associated with the climate crisis. Source: Food and Water Watch
Students in DC are planting native flowers. Wild Visions invited university students in the DMV area to design gardens and then bring them to life this spring with native seedlings provided by the organization. Source: Grist
A new direct air capture plant is officially live. Climeworks newest plant is fully powered by geothermal energy and will capture and store up to 36,000 metric tons of carbon per year once it reaches full operating capacity. Source: Heat Map
Indigenous peoples in Maine may soon be able to gather sweetgrass at Acadia. Under a new co-management plan, tribal citizens would be allowed to harvest up to 2,700 grams of sweet grass per season. This traditional practice had ended with the creation of the park in 1916. Source: E&E News
Florida plans to ban balloon releases. Released balloons often end up in oceans and waterways, where they’re 32 times more likely to kill seabirds than other types of plastic debris. If passed, it will take effect July 1st. Source: New York Times
Tide released a plastic free detergent line. Tide evo is a solid square of dry detergent fibers that dissolve in water and are packaged in simple cardboard. The product will be available nationally later this year. Source: The Cool Down
Countries are proposing a billionaire tax to help the climate. A 2% tax on global billionaires wealth would cover around half of annual loss and damage costs from climate disasters. Source: Euro News
Waitrose will support British farmers shift to regenerative practices. The supermarket chain aims to help more than 2,000 of its supplier farmers in the UK adopt regenerative farming practices, through the provision of practical and financial support. Source: Edie
California groundwater levels rose in 2023 for the first time in 4 years. The increase is thanks to more rain and snowfall during the winter, and extracting significantly less water in 2023 than the previous year. Source: The Hill
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
Emerson
This spring we’re thinking about Gen-Z, a generation that grew up witnessing the climate crisis, in real time. The oldest of that generation is graduating from high school and college. We desperately need climate action and we believe this graduating class will help us turn the tide on climate change.
If you’re looking for a job…
The American Climate Corps is a jobs training program launched by the White House to ensure young people have access to good-paying jobs in clean energy and climate resilience. There are 2,000 + jobs listed across the United States with rolling application deadlines.
Green Jobs Board is Linkedin for people looking for impactful work fighting the climate crisis. Their platform is more transparent than the average job site and has a variety of work opportunities for different pathways.
If you already have a job…
Every job is a climate job! Project Drawdown is a great resource if you’re looking to make a difference at your job. We have a post you can reference too.
As always, everyone is welcome and all our sources are cited. Please forward this email to your friends who love free, accessible climate content.