Remember what I told you?
GOOOOOOOOOD MORNING. I feel pretty great today, do you?
I've been going for a run every morning as a way to start the day off with some fresh air, no screen time, and some nature (if I head to the park). Sunlight before screen light is the motto.
In fact, I'm probably running right now 🏃♂️ if you're reading this when it gets sent (shoutout to email scheduling tools). While I'm sweating and listening to energetic hiphop music and wondering why I'm not in bed still, you'll be reading about good climate news from COP27, a tasty way to use one part of the onion you never have before, and a reminder of some actions we've covered in the past.
Oh, and before I forget, please forward this email to a friend or two. I need more validation (kidding, I need to spread climate positivity).
Good climate news 😊
COP27 has been the talk of the climate town this past week. If you don't know, COPs are the UN Climate Talks that bring together world leaders to make progress on fighting climate change.
Alongside about 40,000 attendees come activists that are making waves and calling out the corporations that are greenwashing and at the conference just for show.
Young people even have a dedicated pavilion, something long overdue for the people that will be most impacted by the inaction of all the world nations.
While the conversations about climate reparations--getting wealthy nations to give aid to the countries that are least responsible for, yet most impacted by climate change--rages on, the UN is also really urging companies to stop greenwashing.
Greenwashing is simple: companies say or act like they're good for the environment when they're not. Almost any fossil fuel ad you see today is full of greenwashing, talking only about renewable investments and clean energy while keeping the window closed on the acceleration of fossil fuels.
Yet greenwashing is something that many agencies have been working to eradicate. I've had the pleasure to work with one such organization called Clean Creatives who just won two Shorty Impact awards! Their F-List campaign was challenging, creative, and largely successful in calling out the marketing agencies responsible for lying to the public.
🤩 Some other good news out of COP27 includes Biden announcing a crackdown on more planet-warming gasses like methane, Brazil's president-elect Lula reiterating his priority to protect and preserve the Amazon rainforest, and two Island nations signing a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty with hopes for more to join in.
🥰 And some wholesome updates outside of the conference include France requiring all large parking lots to be covered by solar panels, a beautiful crab was seen for the first time in 225 years, and the US midterms were filled with climate wins.
Actions that deserve a reminder ✔️
We may have talked about them before, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve the spotlight again. There's so much good you can do for mother Earth right now. Choose even one of these, and you've started your day off right.
Your Savings 🏦
- Switch to a green bank. Big banks fund the expansion of fossil fuels. I tested out two that don't, before ultimately landing on Atmos. I was looking for something reliable, with a good user interface, that didn't fund fossil fuel projects, and would use my money for good. Atmos checks off all of these boxes and more... they even track the amount of CO2 I save by doing nothing (except for using their bank). Did I mention their debit card looks like a tree?
- Make your 401K environmentally-friendly. I have to be honest here and say that I haven't done this one yet. But I will. Soon. Hold me accountable to it. Yet I've met some team members from Carbon Collective in person and they're great people running a great organization. Make passive money by helping the Earth instead of harming it.
Your Spending 💵
- Walk on sustainable clouds. Allbirds are by far the most comfortable shoes I've ever warn, and their sustainability couldn't be more transparent (they literally print the emissions right on your shoes). Get a pair and wonder why other shoes don't feel this good.
- Save leftover food from restaurants and markets. I tell everyone I know that Too Good To Go is my favorite app on my phone, and I'm not lying. Snacks and meals from the best restaurants for $3-6 sounds Too Good To Be True (see what I did there). If you live in a city, it's an absolute must. If you don't... Get it for when you visit?
Your Time ⏳
- Compost. The ends of onions (scroll down for more on these), the peels of bananas, and the cores of apples deserve better. We can give it to them with almost no effort. If you have a yard, use coompost for your own garden. If you live in a city, see if you can utilize a community composting resources. If you have some money to spend, get a tabletop composter (I've heard good things). No matter where you are, turn leftover food into more food.
- Read and share good news stories on Climativity.com (duh 😉) 👇
Jacob Simon
Zero waste tastes 😋
Cook good food and waste none of it with this new recurring section.
Onions are one of my favorite vegetables. Just like garlic, everything's a little better with some onions. Plus they help me out whenever I need a quick cry. But I've never had a good way to use their skins...
Missed last week? Don't worry, I gotchu 🤝
If you missed FYF #29 last week, you're probably having huge FOMO. Let me cure it for you:
- We're gonna see more rainbows than ever before thanks to climate change.
- NYC said 'deal' on a $4.2 billion climate package.
- Fossil fuels will soon be outta here, even by conservative estimates.
- You can (and should) make DIY microwave popcorn in seconds.
- Use your butter packaging to grease your pans.
For more on all of these, read the whole thing here.
Help a friend 💚
We're all in this together. Climate change is scary. The future is unknown.
But as you know, there's so much good out there. Climativity is but a small part of a growing movement of climate action and positivity. Help it become just a little bit bigger by sharing Climativity or forwarding this email to a friend.
Stay cool,
Jacob
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