Did we stop the Willow Project?

Hey, all you beautiful people 👋!

It's Jacob here, fully stocked with some great climate news 💚.

We have many new readers of Climativity today. Many of you have come from my TikTok (@jacobsimonsays), and particularly my video on the incredible story of getting hundreds of millions of people behind stopping the Willow Project.

For days on end, my feed was filled with inspiring people making their voices heard. From my one video alone, over 10,000 people clicked on the link I shared to sign a letter urging this project to stop. I'm still wrapping my brain around that...!

So many people got behind this cause that videos on the topic were viewed at least 650 million times, and it was the #5 trending topic on all of TikTok behind only Selena Gomez, The Biebers, and March.

So, did the biggest climate-focused social media movement to date manage to stop the Willow Project?

Keep reading to find out more.

BTW if you're new here, reply to this email saying "hi!" to make sure your email provider keeps Climativity out of your spam folder.

It was a great week, and here's why...

Over 3 MILLION people sign letters to #StopWillow!

The most popular and far-reaching climate campaign ever took place over the past week to stop ConocoPhillip's $8 billion oil drilling proposal in the Alaskan wilderness.

Every climate communicator and creator I know, plus thousands of others that I don't know, all came together and touched the hearts of people around the world. We made our voices heard via a letter, petition, or phone call to the White House with one clear message: don't approve the Willow Project.

So, was it enough noise to make President Biden listen?

As of the morning of Thursday, March 9th (when I'm writing this), we're not sure yet. But that could be a good thing!

Deliberations were supposed to end and the verdict was to come out on March 6th. Clearly, that has come and gone. Likely due to the mounting public pressure and repercussions that President Biden will face if he backs off of his campaign promises to protect the Earth, they are still deciding what to do.

Perhaps the decision will be announced today, or early next week, but one thing is certain: we can keep making it clear that we do not want this to be approved.

There is no room for oil and gas in our future. I'll continue to monitor and report on any news that comes out on both social media and here in Climativity. In the meantime, you can still sign a letter and read CNN's latest info as this story unfolds 👇.

The UN enacts a historic high seas treaty!

Currently, only 1.2% of the oceans are protected. That's basically like ordering a pizza and just eating one pepperoni. In other words, not nearly enough. But the UN came together to sign the most significant act of conservation, ever. This high seas treaty protects, cleans, and conserves international waters. It was two decades in the making and 193 nations came together to make it happen. With 10% of marine species at risk of extinction, this couldn't have come at a more pivotal time.

Musicians are crediting Earth as a song contributor to earn royalties for environmental charities!

When the pandemic hit, I decided to start learning guitar. My dad and I both tried to teach ourselves through some apps and videos, and I took lessons for a few months. My biggest musical accomplishment was memorizing the intro to Sweet Child O' Mine.

Needless to say, I'm not selling any songs, but several talented musicians are and they're claiming the Earth to be a contributor. If you think about it, how can the Earth not have played an important role? Thus, every time their songs are purchased, downloaded, and played, our planet will make some money because of it. And since Mother Earth doesn't have a bank account, it'll all defer to leading climate nonprofits. How cool is that?! 🎶

🤳 Watch me walk around New York and talk about good climate stories 🗣️

I never run out of inspiring and positive climate stories to share! If you're a fan of videos filled with hope, check out one of my latest:

If this video isn't playing properly, view it here.

Let's take some climate action...

👀 Check it out: Do you live in Austin, or know someone that does? I'll be joining Clean Creatives and Ben & Jerry's from March 11-13th in downtown Austin as a part of SXSW, handing out free ice cream and education on fossil fuel misinformation. Come by and say hi!

📚 Read it: Did you know that the conservation movement in the US was actually started by a group of hunters? Neither did I. But it does make sense that they would want to protect their sport. Beloved Beasts is a book full of surprises and will be an informative read for any animal lover or conservationist.

🛍️ Get it: I'm a risk taker when it comes to my phone (I usually go case-free), but I've paid the price for it. Thankfully, Pela makes sustainable phone cases that are compostable and fully circular. Use it, and when you're ready to switch styles or phones, you simply send it back and they'll make sure it gets a second life. It doesn't get much more eco-friendly than that!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Good Community News

This brand new section is all about your good news, from the readers of Climativity and those who are a part of our climate optimism movement.

Have a good piece of news or story to share (climate or otherwise)? Just reply to this email and tell me about it, we all want to know!

Since it's new this week, I don't have a specific story to share yet. But I can announce that Climativity has passed 500 subscribers! As we near 600, then 1000, and far beyond, I appreciate each and every one of you for your support and initiative to come at the climate crisis through a framework of positivity and hope. When we come together, we can achieve what we set out to do and so much more.

Reply to this email now and let me know something that's giving you hope.

💚 Enjoy Climativity?

Forward it to a friend to brighten their mood and tell them to subscribe here.

Anything else? Hit reply and say hi :) I actually do want your feedback!

Stay cool,

Jacob

P.S. I appreciate you 🫶