Crowdsourcing Sustainability

In line with Crowdsourcing Sustainability's monthly theme of organizing for climate action in your community, we recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jessyn Farrell!Jessyn brings a unique and helpful perspective to community climate action as she has been involved with it from several different angles - first as an advocate, directing a transportation-focused nonprofit, then as a lawmaker for the state of Washington’s House of Representatives, and now as the Director of Seattle’s Office of Environment and Sustainability.We covered a lot of ground in this interview including:The most effective ways for people to influence local politicians.How policy actually gets written (for better or worse).Advice for anyone running for office.The importance of meeting people where they are, listening, and addressing injustices.A story about the time she prevented fossil fuel lobbyists from destroying a multi-billion dollar bill by hiding in the bathroom…Crowdsourcing Sustainability links: - Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 - Join the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/- CS Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep educating, inspiring, and empowering more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch as always for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

This episode is thanks to the good people over at Brighter Future who recently reached out to interview me (hi, Ryan here 👋) for their Origin Story series which, in their words, is about "highlighting the path that planet-driven leaders walk on their journey to create a Brighter Future".So I had the tables turned on me in this one and had a fun convo with Sandra Gouveia!Figured I’d share it here for those of you who want to hear more about my story and some of the thinking behind Crowdsourcing Sustainability. Hope you enjoy - let me know what you think :)You can find the lightly edited text version of the interview here.Crowdsourcing Sustainability links: - Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 - Join the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/- CS Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep educating, inspiring, and empowering more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch as always for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this panel discussion, we talk about why equity is critical to decarbonization and ways to center it! If you'd like to learn more about the panelists and the great work they're doing you can find them/check out their work below:- Jamal Lewis - Director of Policy Partnerships and Equitable Electrification, Rewiring Americahttps://www.rewiringamerica.org/about#leadership - Johanna Bozuwa - Executive Director of the Climate + Community Projecthttps://www.climateandcommunity.org/- Carolina Paes - Geologist & Sustainability and Circular Economy Consultanthttps://www.systemiq.earth/paris-effect/- Dion Richardson - Founder & President of Community Dreams Foundationhttps://cdreams.org/Here are the resources that were discussed and shared throughout the panel:- EU Corporate Responsibility Reporting: https://finance.ec.europa.eu/capital-markets-union-and-financial-markets/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/corporate-sustainability-reporting_en- Climate + Community Project's report on Achieving Zero Emissions with Less Mining: https://www.climateandcommunity.org/more-mobility-less-mining- Rewiring America's IRA Calculator (figure out how much money you can get to electrify!): https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator- Report on coalition-led low-carbon economies in the Amazon: https://www.systemiq.earth/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Amazons-Report.pdf Crowdsourcing Sustainability links: - Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 - Join the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/- CS Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep educating, inspiring, and empowering more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch as always for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this episode, we cover the ins and outs of sustainable investing and the impact it has with James Regulinski. James is the Co-Founder of Carbon Collective which is helping people to align their investments with solving climate change!This was a fun one - James has quite the story and brings a refreshing, holistic perspective to investing and why it matters.As I mentioned at the end of the episode, Carbon Collective can help your company to offer sustainable investment options for you and your co-workers. After this recording, Crowdsourcing Sustainability partnered with Carbon Collective as we're aligned on addressing climate change and getting more people to switch to sustainable investing options. Because of this partnership, if your company ends up making the switch to having Carbon Collective as their advisor (and you let them know that you found them through CS!), our nonprofit will get a referral bonus. We see that as a mission-aligned win win win, and, quite frankly, every little bit helps our scrappy nonprofit!Relevant Links:Carbon Collective: https://www.carboncollective.co/CS Referral link: https://hubs.li/Q01JwLlY0Fossil Free Funds tool to see your investment's grades: https://fossilfreefunds.org/Invest Your Values: https://investyourvalues.org/Lots more on this topic in our latest newsletter which you can always find on our website! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org Additional Crowdsourcing Sustainability links: - Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 - Join the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep educating, inspiring, and empowering more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch as always for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

This episode features an all-star panel we spoke with recently about climate-positive banking and investing, and how you can make sure your money is supporting climate solutions rather than climate collapse. We specifically covered: - How your and/or your organization's money is currently supporting fossil fuels through the mainstream banking and investing industry.- What you and your organization can do to change your money's impact, and affect the financial industry overall.- Why it all matters  - the difference in impact between the status quo and climate-positive financial solutions so you feel clear about why making the switch is so important.Our panel for this event:Andrew Behar - CEO of As You SowVanessa Fajans-Turner - Executive Director of BankFWDRavi Mikkelsen - Cofounder & CEO of Atmos BankRelevant Links!- Find your banking climate footprint: https://bankfwd.org/toolkit/calculator/- Questions to ask your bank (for individuals and companies): https://bankfwd.org/questionsforbanks/- Find out where your 401K is invested: https://investyourvalues.org/- The Clean 200 - list of the cleanest global public companies to invest in: https://www.asyousow.org/clean200- Find values-aligned investment funds for issues including climate, weapons, prisons, and gender equity: https://www.asyousow.org/invest-your-values- Atmos Financial: https://www.joinatmos.com/invite/crowdsourcing-sustainabilityCrowdsourcing Sustainability links: - Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 - Join the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/- CS Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep educating, inspiring, and empowering more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch as always for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this episode, we got to chat with Saul Griffith about what it means to electrify everything, why it matters, and what people like you can do to help electrify your community!Saul is an inventor, engineer, MacArthur Genius award winner and much much more. He probably knows more about the US's energy system than anyone and helped shape the Inflation Reduction Act with his teammates at  Rewiring America . (The graph mentioned can be viewed here! https://youtu.be/TxeD1Y68tLM?t=1627)Timeline:0:00 Intro & Saul's climate journey.7:20 What electrification is and how much more efficient it is than fossil-fueled machines.15:45 Committed emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure would take us to 1.9°C or 2°C.18:20 IPCC's pathways to 1.5°C over-rely on negative emissions.21:25 What the mobilization we need right now looks like.23:35 Electrification is anti-inflationary.28:25 Community-level activism.35:30 Our laws were made for a fossil-fueled world. What regulations need to change? What should people invest their time and energy into to change these rules and laws?42:00 Why we need climate loans.47:45 Public vs. private infrastructure.51:20 Final message and call to action!Relevant Links:- Rewiring America: https://www.rewiringamerica.org/- Other Lab: https://www.otherlab.com/- Diagram of how US Energy flows through society: https://www.otherlab.com/blog-posts/us-energy-flow-super-sankey- 1 billion machines: https://saulgriffith.medium.com/one-billion-machines-48a7c3cf0694- Personalized Savings Calculator for the Inflation Reduction Act: https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculatorCrowdsourcing Sustainability links: - Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 - Join the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/- CS Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep educating, inspiring, and empowering more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch as always for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this episode of the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Podcast, Bill McKibben shares his 30,000-foot view with us on the past, present, and future - How did we get here? Where we are now? And what do we need to invest our time and energy in going forward to co-create the best possible future?Timeline0:00 Intro1:30 Bill's climate story6:29 Why "the choices we made in those years around 1980 will turn out to be more important than any choices any nation ever made."12:45 On the "non-trivial chance of civilizational collapse"17:00 The good news is...21:20 Bill's theory of change25:50 Third Act & the important role of people over the age of 6031:50 On threats to democracy33:40 Effective organizing35:40 The role of religious communities and how to shift the zeitgeist39:40 Final thoughtsRelevant links!Get Involved with Third Act! https://thirdact.org/get-involved/Banking on our Future Pledge: https://thirdact.org/act/bank-on-our-future-pledge/Check out Bill's latest book, "The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon": http://billmckibben.com/the-flag-the-cross-and-the-station-wagon.htmlCrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgCrowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep helping to educate and empower more people to act on climate where they live and work! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateAnd a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this webinar we were lucky to be joined by Mike Condon and Matt Schuler to walk us through how to go solar! Mike and Matt both work at EnergySage which really is second-to-none when it comes to making the solar process easier, more transparent, and much cheaper for homeowners and renters alike in the US thanks to their free online marketplace and free unbiased energy advisors who are there to help you every step of the way.See if solar is a good fit for you with the EnergySage calculator here and start getting free quotes! https://www.energysage.com/p/crowdsourcingsustainability/ Timeline0:00 Intro2:45 Where does the residential solar industry stand in the US?7:15 EnergySage: Mission & what they do to help people10:54 What it's like using EnergySage's online solar marketplace19:00 How does someone determine what the right solar option is for them?23:50 Community solar: what states it's available in & other useful info30:05 Best practices & key things to consider in going solar33:00 Vetting solar installers  36:25 Most common hurdles people face and how to overcome them39:45 Q&A on energy storage, range of panel options in quotes, solar roofing, do you still get power if grid goes down?, calculating future electricity needed for EVs52:35 Final thoughts & calls to actionCrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgCrowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider supporting us so we can keep helping to educate and empower more people on climate action! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateAnd a huge thank you to our volunteer, Diego Rentsch for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

For this Crowdsourcing Sustainability webinar, we were joined by Adrienne Greve and Michael Boswell to talk about how to create and implement local climate action plans.Michael Boswell and Adrienne Greve are Professors of City & Regional Planning at California Polytechnic State University and co-authors of the book: "Climate Action Planning: A Guide to Creating Low-Carbon, Resilient Communities". The book is “intended to be a practical guide, helping readers navigate the principal actions and critical considerations for managing a climate action planning process in their communities.” Michael and Adrienne have done climate action work internationally with the United Nations and the World Bank. They've also worked on dozens of climate action plans professionally in California. And they have researched extensively the state of climate action planning in the US, as well as published studies based on that research. (You can check out their excellent book here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42480484-climate-action-planning)Timeline:0:00 Intro1:33 Adrienne & Michael’s climate stories7:05 What is a climate action plan?10:07 Why they wrote the book & how they collected data from around the world15:30 Where local climate action planning stands in the US20:55 Towns and cities that are leading the way around the world36:55 The most important areas for citizens to focus on (building political will, building partnerships, education, and co-benefits) & messaging that works48:18 How to get started (local government perspective)53:50 Common problems and advice to avoid them58:05 Letting go of guilt and finding joy in the process1:05:30 Making the economic case for action1:11:00 How do you get money to do this stuff and allocate it effectively?1:14:15 Strategies to accelerate implementation and account for real results1:16:40 Adrienne and Michael's final thoughtsLinks from Adrienne:CA Adaptation Planning Guide: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/HazardMitigationSite/Documents/CA-Adaptation-Planning-Guide-FINAL-June-2020-Accessible.pdfGeorgetown Climate Center: https://www.georgetownclimate.org/EU taxonomy: https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/banking-and-finance/sustainable-finance/eu-taxonomy-sustainable-activities_enResilience Dividend (and Rockefeller): https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/valuing-resilience-dividend/ICLEI: https://iclei.org/City of Portland: https://www.portland.gov/bps/climate-action/history-and-key-documentsWorld Resources Institute: https://www.wri.org/climateCity of Boulder: https://www.bouldercounty.org/climate-action-2/City of San Luis Obispo: https://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/city-administration/sustainability/climate-action-pCrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgCrowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider investing in us so we can keep helping to educate and empower more people on climate action! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateLinktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to our volunteer, Diego Rentsch for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

For this Crowdsourcing Sustainability webinar, we are joined by Luis Aguirre-Torres & Rebecca Evans. Luis and Rebecca are in charge of designing and implementing the Ithaca Green New Deal, which focuses on two main areas: city-wide decarbonization by 2030 and climate justice. They are taking a unique, innovative approach to getting this done, leveraging public and philanthropic funds to unlock large amounts of private capital to decarbonize the city at low or no cost to citizens. Timeline:0:00 Intros1:57 Luis & Rebecca's climate stories.5:00 The story of how Ithaca passed its Green New Deal.11:28 Where should people getting started focus their time and energy? 18:30 Vision & goals of Ithaca's GND.24:50 Roadmap & elevating social capital.33:20 Determining your community's greenhouse gas emissions inventory.36:50 What types of organizations are needed for this to succeed?43:30 The innovative financial model created to fund the initiative.54:40 What this electrification & retrofitting initiative looks like from your average citizens' perspective.59:36 What do people need to do/understand to replicate Ithaca's ambition and successes to date?Q&A Section:1:04:05 How can the average person get involved?1:07:12 Challenges/strategies on securing buy-in from city staff.1:11:14 Cornell's energy tool.1:13:10 The transportation side of the plan.1:18:52 Embedded emissions from consumption.1:21:00 Building retrofit and electrification checklist.1:22:45 Luis & Rebecca's call to action.Crowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgWe're a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider investing in us so we can keep increasing our climate impact! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateLinktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to our volunteer, Diego Rentsch for editing!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

Per the suggestion of our podcast and video editor, Diego Rentsch, I'm excited to share our first team podcast!This is super informal, but we definitely had fun diving into some news stories as well as specific topics the team wanted to touch upon including the need to help and plan for climate migrants, the transition to clean energy, the lack of accountability from COP26 and politicians, and more.Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In today's episode with Mitzi Jonelle Tan we cover climate justice, climate change in the Philippines,  climate activism, and much more!Mitzi is a climate justice activist and organizer helping to lead the Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines which is the Fridays for Future chapter in the Philippines, as well as FFF MAPA (Most Affected Peoples and Areas), and FFF International.Timeline:0:00 Intro.0:40 Mitzi's climate journey.4:00 The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places for environmental defenders.9:40 What it's like being an activist in the Philippines.14:10 How the climate crisis is impacting the Philippines today. 17:50 What needs to be done to protect people most at risk.24:30 How people in the global north can be good partners.28:00 Takeaways from COP2633:30 Defining climate justice.36:45 What it means to be an activist.39:50 The importance of love.44:00 The best way for older folks to support youth activists.45:30 Favorite climate chants and signs.47:15 Ideas for better climate communication.50:05 Message for people considering activism.52:30 What's next for Mitzi.55:00 Book recommendations.56:20 Final message & call to action.Follow Mitzi, Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines, and Fridays For Future MAPA (Most Affected People and Areas) on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/mitzijonellehttps://twitter.com/yacaphilippineshttps://twitter.com/FFFMAPACrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgWe're a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider investing in us so we can keep increasing our climate impact! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateLinktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to our volunteer, Diego Rentsch for editing as always!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

The tables are turned in today's bonus episode! CS volunteer Macey Schondel interviews Ryan Hagen to learn more about his story and the origins of Crowdsourcing Sustainability.Timeline:0:00 Ryan's climate journey.5:20 Catalyst or "A-ha" moments along the way.8:30 What has this experience been like? Was it the path you imagined?10:15 What does the future of CS look like?12:45 Thoughts for people looking to find their place in the climate movement.15:08 What Ryan likes to do for fun.Big thanks as always to Diego Rentsch for editing!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In today's episode with Jamie Beck Alexander we cover what a company that's truly leading on climate actually looks like - and what employees can do to help them get there. As well as diving into climate migration, advice for parents, thoughts on net-zero, accelerators, and much more!Jamie is the Director of Drawdown Labs which is the arm of Project Drawdown that’s helping corporations to maximize their positive impact on the climate using every lever of influence that they have. Timeline:0:00 Intro1:15 Jamie's climate story6:25 Project Drawdown & Drawdown Labs9:35 Theory of change12:54 Where are companies today and where do they need to get to?21:05 Stories of companies taking effective climate action beyond direct emissions.26:40 How many companies actually are looking beyond emissions right now? 30: 25 Advice for employees to get their employers to lead? What steps should they take?34:35 Advice for people who are nervous to speak up at work.37:20 How do you get buy-in from leadership as an entry-level employee?41:30 How can Chief Sustainability Officers tap into help from motivated employees around the org?45:00 What should people understand about net-zero? 50:25 Climate is pro-life. Trying to connect with people on core values.54:38 Advice for parents raising kids and talking to kids when it comes to climate.59:00 Jamie's family deciding to leave California because of wildfires. And mass migration in the future.1:02:00 In a perfect world, what would we be doing to prepare for the coming mass migration?1:04:45 Climate solution accelerators - what are they and why do they matter?1:09:40 Favorite books.1:12:00 Jamie's final message to folks!Drawdown Labs links:Drawdown Labs: https://www.drawdown.org/programs/drawdown-labsClimate Solutions at Work: https://drawdown.org/publications/climate-solutions-at-work?_ga=2.152062330.296834754.1641235022-466128861.1629906324All We Can Save/Drawdown Labs Workplace Circles: https://www.allwecansave.earth/starting-a-circle-at-workCrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgWe're a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider investing in us so we can keep increasing our climate impact! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateLinktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to our volunteer, Diego Rentsch for editing as always!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

A student (Monique!) recently reached out to me, asking for advice on how to change her university. We decided to record our conversation in case anyone else (student or otherwise - it's broadly applicable to any institution or orgs) may find it helpful!As always, you can watch or listen - let me know what you think/if you'd like more of these or not.Timeline1:50 Ryan's story.6:15 Persisting in the face of pushback.13:35 How do you start? Where do you begin?18:50 Universities need to prepare students for the climate-changed future.24:10 How do you get leaders to act in siloed/hierarchical organizations?Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this episode with Nate Aden, we cover the importance of companies setting science-based targets, what employees can do to jumpstart the process, the role of the financial industry in climate action, net-zero, and more!Nate is the Finance Sector Lead at the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).Timeline:0:00 Intro1:40 Nate's climate story.5:30 The Science Based Target Initiative's origin story and theory of change.8:20 SBTi's exponential growth.10:00 Five high-level criteria for assessing targets.14:30 What the process is like for companies and/or employees spearheading the effort.20:00 What happens after companies set their targets?23:50 What is the annual rate of emission reductions that the targets translate to?28:00 Biggest hurdles companies are facing and how to overcome them31:30 How to start collecting data on scope 3 emissions34:15 Three tips for employees for getting your company to sign up/get on board.38:25 Where does the financial industry stand today? And where do they need to get to?46:15 Tools & tech that can help financial institutions integrate a climate lens for their investment and lending decision making.57:00 Opportunities to build on SBTi's work.58:50 Divesting vs. engaging.101:30 Net-zero & greenwashing. 1:12:00 No more investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure. 2030 & 2040 investing deadlines for investing in existing FF infrastructure.1:15:35 Book recommendations and Nate's final message!SBTi links:Website: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/Net-zero for financial institutions: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/net-zero-for-financial-institutionsScope 3 evaluator tool: https://ghgprotocol.org/scope-3-evaluatorResources: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/resources/?p=resourcesCrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01 Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgWe're a 501c3 nonprofit. Please consider investing in us so we can keep increasing our climate impact! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate/Linktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch for editing as always!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this episode with Eliza Nemser and Gabrielle Jorgensen, we cover the awesome work Climate Changemakers is doing, tips for crafting and personalizing your climate story, the reconciliation bill, eliminating fossil fuel studies, democracy reform, and more!Eliza is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Climate Changemakers. And Gabrielle is the Advocacy Director.Timeline0:00 Intro.1:00 Eliza's and Gabrielle's climate stories.7:35 Climate Changemakers's theory of change.10:30 Examples of work - what's it like to participate in action with Climate Changemakers?15:20 Gabrielle's advice for people on how to craft and personalize your own climate story (super important!)19:25 How can people get involved and what does that look like?22:45 The reconciliation bill (aka the climate bill).30:15 How can people help now? What actions are coming up and what's the strategy behind them?33:30 Policy priorities! Eliminating fossil fuel studies, democracy reform, voting rights, keep it in the ground act, and the filibuster.46:15 Final messages and calls to action.Climate Changemakers Links:Website: https://www.climatechangemakers.org/Take action/Events: https://www.climatechangemakers.org/eventsTwitter: https://twitter.com/theclimatevoteCrowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! https://crowdsourcing-sustainability.ck.page/c34a46ed01Website: https://crowdsourcingsustainability.orgWe're a 501c3 nonprofit. Investing in us enables us to keep increasing our climate impact! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donateLinktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch for editing as always!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

I was fortunate enough to speak with someone who is a master storyteller. Someone who has thought deeply about societal narratives and telling a better climate story for years: Damon Gameau.Damon is an award-winning actor and director widely known for "That Sugar Film" which is the all-time highest-grossing documentary in Australia.But his latest documentary, 2040, may be my favorite climate doc to date. With a touch of humor, great visuals, and highlighting people scaling up today’s climate solutions, Damon paints a hopeful picture of what the world could be in 2040 - a world that his 7-year-old daughter, Velvet, will someday inherit.Timeline0:00 Intro1:10 Damon's climate journey4:45 Where did the idea for 2040 come from?12:15 Damon's tips for talking about climate change with others18:20 Behind the scenes: what it was like making the film & lessons learned22:00 The unimaginable speed of climate action & meaningful jobs over the next decade.25:00 Donut economics explained30:15 (Much needed) advice for media and journalists on covering climate.31:30 The importance of stories (we're all storytellers). How art & stories shape culture - which decides what ideas live or die36:00 How Damon talks to his young daughter about climate40:35 The 2040 community and impact campaign45:00 How to join the 2040 community & make an action plan50:45 Where/how to watch 204053:10 Book recommendations56:20 Damon's final call to action2040 linksWebsite: https://whatsyour2040.com/Make a climate action plan: https://whatsyour2040.com/activate-your-plan/Watch the film with the CS community on Wed, November 3rd at 7 EDT! Crowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter!WebsiteWe're a 501c3 nonprofit. Invest in us so we can keep increasing our climate impact! https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/donate/Linktree with other socials: https://linktr.ee/crowdsourcingsustainabilityAnd a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch for editing as always!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this interview with Dr. Elizabeth Sawin, we talk about systems change, Climate Interactive's influence on UN climate conference negotiations, multisolving, the importance of building relationships and networks, the emissions gap, cultural narratives & paradigms, and lots of advice for folks on their climate journeys!Beth is the Co-founder and co-director at Climate Interactive which is a non profit think tank that specializes in making science-based tools to help people understand what actions are best for addressing the biggest challenges we face - like the climate crisis. Before Climate Interactive, Beth was a Program Director at the Sustainability Institute where she worked at the intersection of system dynamics and sustainability for 13 years. Timeline:0:00 Intro.1:30 Beth's climate journey.6:40 How much the climate space has changed over the decades.11:00 What Climate Interactive is, how it got started, and their pivotal role at the UN climate conferences. 15:40 What it's like to be at/play a crucial role at COP, influencing government leaders.23:15 How framing, short-term thinking, & not seeing the full picture has held back action. 28:00 Multisolving, solidarity, and core benefits vs. co-benefits.34:00 Climate movement needs a strategy around funding a broad, diverse, and interconnected movement - this starts with building relationships.38:45 Advice on how to accelerate multisolving where you live and work.43:40 What the emissions gap is and how to start closing it faster. And why Beth is dedicating the rest of her career to strengthening relationships and building networks. 52:40 Systems thinking: climate change is a symptom of a giant misunderstanding about who we are and what we're a part of. Partnership vs. domination paradigms.57:45 Society's narrative & human nature. Who is "we"?1:02:00 Advice for people who are just starting their climate journeys.1:05:35 Advice on how to find a mentor.1:08:40 How Beth takes care of herself and where she finds strength.1:12:10 Thoughts on building networks and strengthening relationships.1:17:10 Defining systems change, systems dynamics, and why they matter.1:20:40 Beth's book recommendation and final message to listeners. (every investment decision is a moment of opportunity).Follow Beth, Climate Interactive, and check out the resources she mentioned here:- Follow Beth on Twitter  - Website & ENROADS - Beth's Multisolving Ted Talk - Climate Interactive's Systems Thinking training- Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows - Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System- Climate puppet show Crowdsourcing Sustainability links:- Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! - Crowdsourcing Sustainability's website And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch for editing as always!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com

In this interview with Blair Beasley and Lisa Lilienthal, we hear their climate stories, talk about how the climate crisis is impacting Georgia today, what Drawdown Georgia is and how they're helping accelerate climate solutions, and advice for anyone who wants to get involved or start a drawdown initiative in their own state!Blair is on the core research team for Drawdown Georgia and is also the Director of Climate Strategies at the Ray C. Anderson Foundation which is funding Drawdown Georgia. Previously, Blair worked on the Georgia Climate Project leadership team, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Energy Project, Resources for the Future, and Net Zero Solutions.Lisa is a Principal leading the Purpose Practice at a company called Dialogue which is an engagement strategy firm for organizations on a mission. Lisa is heavily involved with Drawdown Georgia’s content and community and helped bring Drawdown Georgia and Groopit together to launch a crowd-solving platform which I personally am very excited to hear more about.Timeline:0:00 Intro.2:00 Blair's climate story.3:30 Lisa's climate story.7:45 How Drawdown Georgia came to be & how they got involved.9:30 What "drawdown" means and what Project Drawdown is.14:20 How the climate crisis is affecting Georgians today.17:20 The often overlooked social benefits of climate solutions.20:30 Drawdown Georgia's theory of change & menu of solutions.31:00 Exciting initiatives and collaborations so far.33:30 How can Georgians get involved? How is Drawdown Georgia crowd-solving?41:30 Advice for individuals to start a Drawdown initiative for their own city, state, or region.49:15 Setting statewide goals that are ambitious and achievable.53:50 Researchers at GA Tech are building a map to track GHG emissions in real-time for every county in GA.55:30 Favorite solutions?1:00:00 Book and podcast recommendation.1:02:00 Final thoughts and advice for listeners!Links mentioned for Drawdown Georgia!Newsletter sign-up and social media links at the bottom of the homepage! Drawdown GA Research Solutions Take action with Drawdown GA! Crowdsourcing Sustainability links:Sign up for the Crowdsourcing Sustainability newsletter! Website And a huge thank you to Diego Rentsch for editing as always!!Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crowdsourcingsustainability.substack.com