Growth and Learning and Improvement

Posted on September 10, 2022October 2, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

It’s been a long time since there’s been a blog post here. I just didn’t have anything more to say – the existing posts all still seem so true and relevant – and I haven’t heard of or attended any recent climate coaching events. Of course, the internet doesn’t like that. Every blog advisor says you must post regularly and often to get visits. I can only hope that this leads people to realize why there is so much garbage on the internet. The idea that “more is more” is obviously terrible. Like everything else, the internet is replicating our broken system.

But it is September, and I remember how in a past post we discussed how school reminds us of the human capacity for growth and learning and improvement, and I appreciate some encouraging comments I’ve received. So here I am. With two promises for future learning, based on two US developments that I think seem promising (amidst general doom and gloom, alas):

In March, the US Securities and Exchange Commission came out with some very promising proposed rules on climate disclosure for public companies, which are having big impacts even though they are not effective or in final form. They are relevant to this blog because they would require US public companies to provide pretty extensive information about how they are thinking about climate change and what their greenhouse gas emissions are. This would allow those of us who care about such things to make much better informed choices. I imagine a whole ecosystem of new businesses could arise finding ways to use that information to help consumers. Could be great! I promise to post more on this if and when the final rule is effective.
And on August 16, the Inflation Reduction Act went into effect, that did a whole lot of stuff, including providing tax incentives for people to make energy improvements to their homes – many of the things that we recommend on this site and through climate coaching events. I don’t know that much about the law, yet, but I intend to learn more and will share as I do. If you have any experience with the Act – including experience of claiming its credits for your own home improvement projects – please let me know!

So that’s that. And now the juices are flowing, so maybe I’ll have more to say again soon. As always, please let me know if you host a community climate coaching event or use our information to spread this useful information to your friends and acquaintances!

Innovation Frustration

Posted on February 5, 2022March 14, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

The last blog post on this site talked about how the world has 420 billion tons of CO2 left to burn if we want to keep our chances at limiting warming below 1.5 degrees C at 2 in 3. The post before that mused about individual actions. I’ve been thinking about how these two are connected.

The below table shows the carbon emissions of the average person in the US, France, India and Kenya in 2019, per Our World in Data, and the number of years we would have before hitting the 420 gigatonne limit if everyone consumed as does the average person in that country (countries chosen to illustrate spectrum – note that Bhutan is carbon negative):

Country	Average CO2 emissions per person (consumption-based) (2019 per Our World in Data)
USA	17.10t
France	6.48t
India	1.76t
Kenya	0.53t

To restate in words, if everyone consumed as does the average American, we’d blow through that 420 gigatonnes in just over 3 years. If we consumed as does the average Kenyan, we’d have almost 100 years before reaching that limit.

Why do some pollute so much more than others?

Despite knowing about climate change and the ways to combat it, Americans live in enormous houses, with ever more appliances (with almost no effort put into ensuring these are maintained or used efficiently), use increasingly large private cars to get around, and make dietary choices that have enormous climate impacts. We use tons of energy to heat and cool these homes and the cavernous stores and malls in which we buy (or, increasingly, store and then deliver) the things we buy, and to drive our cars around the communities that we’ve built around these ideas.

It didn’t need to be that way, but it’s hard to imagine it being otherwise today. And yet in many countries around the world people are living differently. We don’t need new technologies or innovations – we need to have the willingness to embrace a different way of life. Too bad we lack the will.

2022 Begins – 8 Years Remain

Posted on January 15, 2022March 14, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

There’s been a lot of talk of the year 2030 in climate circles, though 2050 for some reason seems to be the year many think of as the year for net zero. Let’s start 2022 off remembering why 2030 is such a big year to work toward:

In 2018, the UN IPCC said that in order to have a 2/3 chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C we had to limit all future carbon emissions to a total of 420 gigatons. If we want to take a bigger risk and give ourselves only a 1/2 chance of limiting warming to that level, we had to limit all future carbon emissions to a total of 580 gigatons. This is to say nothing about other greenhouse gases and how they could potentially make things worse (the IPCC speaks about it, if you want the details. It’s not good news).

(Quick digression: the UN IPCC is an absolute authority on the science of climate change. I know, you can probably point to scientists who disagree and may appear to be making legitimate points. But if you don’t “believe” the IPCC then you are making a conscious choice to avoid facing the (admittedly scary and painful and disgusting) scientific reality. So let’s move on from this digression.)

The IEA’s Global Energy Review 2021 reported that global CO2 emissions were 33 gigatons in 2021. This is slightly higher than Covid-reduced 2020 emissions of 31.5 gigatons, and in line with the 33.4 gigatons and 33.5 gigatons it reports for 2019 and 2018, respectively.

This is a lot of numbers, I know! But here’s my point: Since the IPCC report was published in 2018, we have used 131.4 gigatons of a 420 gigaton budget. We have 288 gigatons remaining…or, at Covid-assisted rates of 33 gigatons/year, 8 years. At this rate, we will have used our ENTIRE remaining carbon budget BY 2030!

So, yeah. The next 8 years really matter.

Second digression: I started to write about why 1.5 degrees matters. I started to talk about the catastrophe that is not an asteroid hit or a sudden mass extinction but more a slow (in human terms), painful and constant degradation of life on Earth. But why? It sounds hyperbolic (though it isn’t) and others have done it better than I can. And for those who think 1.5 degrees doesn’t matter, or it’s a natural cycle, or some other nonsense that one of those scientists says, I can point only to the IPCC report and all of the science behind it, and the reality that is staring us in our faces. I know our cars, a/cs, fridges, yards, family vacations, etc. all are important. They really are! And it doesn’t feel like we are facing a choice between those and, say, water, livable outside air temperature, food, soil, etc. But, sadly, we are, and we have 8 years left to figure out how to move away from that stuff we love so much so we can keep all that we absolutely need and preserve the best of what we have today. Let’s keep imagining if, and figuring out how, that can go from being a bad, scary thing, to something that allows us to create a new and better way of living.

Broken Systems – Work Culture

Posted on December 5, 2021March 14, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

I am convinced by this earlier post that climate action needn’t be entirely focused on systems change. And I regularly revisit this earlier post about the most significant actions individuals collectively must take to address climate change.

At the same time, it is clear that we have a very broken system. But what does that really mean? I find systems thinking challenging (here’s a long read that I found instructive, though it will take much more thinking and practice (and re-reading) before I really get it), but also deeply rewarding. This post will focus on one of many places where I’m putting these new muscles to work: work culture.

It is unsettling to realize that most of us are working towards broader ends that we do not determine or control. I was speaking with a friend the other day who began working in a prestigious job as a banker about a year ago. I asked her why she and her colleagues were willing to work so many hours when they claimed to not want to. The conversation went something like this:

Her: Everyone wants to be the best.

Me: The best what?

Her: The best analyst.

Me: Why?

Her: They want the highest bonus. The praise of more senior bankers. A promotion.

For all the talk of young people wanting purpose, for many of us “success” is determined externally by our salary, job title, and the admiration of those around us. And that is perfect for business, because of course what business wants is people who are trying their hardest in a way that advances the organization’s goals, regardless of what each individual’s personal goals might be. As my banker friend said (paraphrased), “I had a terrible weekend, but it was worth it because we got a lead bank title”. Well…you lost your weekend and the bank got the title. But now you get to say that you work for the bank that gets the titles, so I guess I see the connection.

If the organizational prestige were only awarded for things that advanced the social good, then maybe this would all be ok. I don’t know. But certainly as it stands there is a big disconnect. I may care passionately about addressing climate change, but I am also a human living in this society and regardless of what I may think, I will earn my living at an organization that almost certainly (and regardless of what it may say) does all sorts of things that go against the social good.

Banks are one illustrative example, as all of the talk at COP26 showed (here, for example is the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero’s (GFANZ) November 2021 progress report, which is very lofty and long. I have nothing against it and it all sounds good, but given that we know from the IEA Net Zero by 2050 Report that we cannot afford any more investment in fossil fuel supply, it’s somewhat mysterious to me as to why that’s a bright line commitment that isn’t there). Finance is important, but most people working at financial institutions probably don’t see themselves as complicit in the fact that trillions of dollars are directed at polluting industries vs clean ones. They are just being the best analysts (or whatever other title) they can be. It really isn’t up to them who those skills are benefiting, so long as the customers pay the fees/repay the debts.

And this applies to every one of us, regardless of where we work. Toy companies put harmful chemicals in children’s products. Farms spray toxic pesticides. Medical startups fake results. Airline manufacturers sell planes that don’t work. Pharmaceutical companies push addictive drugs. Industries pollute water. Honestly the list is endless. And of course a part of the story is “companies” who are willing to do anything legal to make money, even if it’s supremely harmful. But another part of the story is that the companies only act through people. Through all the people in all the roles who probably are wonderful people and yet are coopted into this project.

This is what it means to be part of a system. Of course most employees of J&J (to pick another random example) are not responsible for fueling an opioid crisis. But on the other hand, without employees the organization would not have had such fuel. That is (at least part of) what it means to be part of a system.

I’m still thinking it through. But this basic point leads to others. For example, it seems to make clear why deregulation is nonsense. And why corporate taxes are so important. And why prioritizing something outside of the company is critical….Right?

The Fountain of Youth

Posted on November 26, 2021March 14, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

“By now, most people know we’re in danger. We’ve heard of the thinning ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, acid rain the destruction of the world’s forests, arable lands, and drinkable water….”

That is the first line of the preface to The Canadian Green Consumer Guide: How You Can Help, by the Pollution Probe Foundation (McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1989). Margaret Atwood wrote the preface, dated July 1989.

I found the book a few months ago in a garage sale. It was horribly disorienting. Sure, the terminology and some of the focus is a bit outdated – we don’t really talk about the ozone layer or acid rain anymore, largely (I think) due to the perception, and some reality, that these issues have been satisfactorily resolved – but the substance could have been written just this minute. Atwood writes convincingly that one big issue is that

“…most people don’t know what to do. In the face of such an enormous global problem, they feel helpless. But although the problem is global, the solutions must be local. Unless we begin somewhere, we will never begin at all. An absence of small beginnings will spell the end.”

I wish I could reproduce her preface in full. It’s unbelievably consistent with what you’d read in many an enviro-focused piece today, from talking about energy efficiency, to food waste, to the knowing supply chains so, for example, “you know you aren’t eating destroyed Amazonian rainforest with every hamburger bite”. And the book proposes practical and effective solutions – the same ones you hear of today. Heat pumps, solar panels, wind turbines, home retrofitting and insulating and energy efficient appliances, and low chemical household cleaners…And it was written 32 years ago!!! 3 “Decade[s] of Action” ago!

I’ve been reeling for weeks over this in ways that I can’t fully explain. But some of that disorientation clarified in the post-COP26 conversation around Youth. One of the most hopeful narratives that we hear is about how Youth are driving a sense of urgency. How Youth are developing solutions, networks, protests… But reading this book I couldn’t help thinking that there must have been many such youth back in 1989. Someone who was 20 in 1989 would be 52 today. Atwood wrote:

“This is wartime. Right now we’re losing; but it’s a war we can still win, with some good luck, a lot of good will, and a great many intelligent choices.”

Presumably The Pollution Probe Foundation and many other organizations like it had youth followers in 1989. 3 decades later, I wonder how much is really different today, beyond the rhetoric and the media landscape. The internet changed everything, some people say. I start to fear it largely only changed our perceptions and the velocity of our horrible choices.

Feeling out of fashion

Posted on November 10, 2021February 21, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

I have been thinking of hosting a climate coaching event. But it’s daunting. What’s my way in? What am I offering? Also, it feels suddenly out of style. The latest in climate action seems to be talking about “the system” and the need for political action and discounting personal choices outside of political campaigning and voting. And climate coaching is not really about politics. So is it no longer relevant?

Luckily, there was a NYTimes podcast on The Argument about this today, and it helped me to organize my thinking. As I see it, so long as people fear or dislike the vision of the future that climate safe behavior requires, they won’t be able to fully support an effort to change the system. There is real value in our traditions, but many of our traditions are threatened by the actions that will be necessary to keep the planet safe and habitable in the future, so unless we can build a valuable alternative that can replace those traditions while keeping their essence, we will not be able to generate the necessary systemic change.

Here are some examples. What would you add?

Hamburgers/beef. Cookouts, barbecues, family gatherings revolve around delicious food and we love meat. Alternatives never sound, taste or smell as good to those who enjoy a good burger/steak, though of course there are now those fake meat companies that suggest they could. I don’t buy it and I suspect others don’t, either. So how do we adapt to this? I think talking about with others is a great start (health benefits! Alternative recipes! Favorite other dishes!). There is loss involved in climate change. So much loss. And it’s ok to feel sad, even if it’s just a regular dose of beef that you’re grieving. But we need to help each other move past this. There are worse losses.
Barbecues themselves. The smell, the taste, the texture, the char. The memories of being outside and much of that same warmth that comes from the thought of meat. The air pollution, the methane, the nitrous oxide…gas and coal barbecues definitely need to go. Luckily, there are good alternatives in the form of electric stoves. But, again, there is definitely loss involved, and we should talk about it! Also share tips – for example, maybe someone has figured out the perfect way to char on an induction cooktop. It’s possible!
Celebratory stuff. Confetti, party hats, plastic plates and utensils, party favors, individually wrapped candy. There may be decent alternatives out there, but I have yet to encounter any that are as affordable as the current Dollar Store offerings.
Gas cars. I’m not a car lover, but I listen to music and watch movies/videos/TV and know that cars are a ubiquitous symbol, used to show all sorts of things. People love their cars! I understand that electric cars are a perfect alternative, but I imagine that many people who love their cars are yet to be convinced.
Air travel. Until airline fuel changes, flying is simply not compatible with a climate safe future. How do we adapt to that? The pandemic helped show some ways. Others may involve condensing distant trips so that you do one long trip per year rather than a few shorter ones. Or visit by rail. Carpool?
Plastic. Its convenience is undeniable. For all that I like my reusable containers and beeswax covers, I still have to wash them. They’re heavy. They’re breakable. They’re not as stretchy or flexible. If plastic were not bad for my health or the environment, would I use it? Absolutely! It’s a perfect material, if you can set aside its unfortunate deadly nature.
Consumerism/new stuff. Buying stuff is fun. New stuff is exciting, pretty, luxurious, smells nice, etc. etc. For all the satisfaction of upcycling and making old things new, it’s hard to deny the pleasure of buying new stuff. But we definitely have to be buying a lot less new stuff in our future world.
Garbage. Related to the plastic thing, it’s easy and convenient to toss things, rather than try to figure out if/how they can be recycled, repurposed, donated, etc. This applies for stuff in great condition and especially for stuff in poor condition.
Clothes dryer. Hang drying really just isn’t the same.

So now I think maybe a community climate coaching session dedicated to discussing how we are dealing with letting go of/replacing this? How are we finding new traditions, building new memories, creating new habits, that ultimately will (I am SURE), build a much better and more enjoyable lifestyle (in addition to planet, of course)? Seems promising…

A new school year

Posted on September 19, 2021February 21, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

The end of summer is bittersweet. Many of us in the global north have wonderful summer experiences of playing outside, sprinklers/pools/fountains, ice cream, biking or scooting around, and feeling the hot air on our bare skin. It’s nice stuff. But these days its tinged with a lot more discomfort than it used to be (see, for example, the NOAA article with this sobering headline and subheading: “Summer 2021 Neck and Neck with Dust Bowl Summer for Hottest on Record: US plagued by multiple deadly weather and climate disasters in August“). And, of course, it’s only going to get worse.

But with the beginning of the school year comes a reminder that we can learn and change. That humans are endlessly adaptable and that we can do things even against our will. I mean, how many kids sitting in those classrooms would just love to be doing anything else? But they don’t! That’s good news, I think!

And school reminds us also that one of the biggest things we can do is just talk about stuff. Teach each other. Spread the word. So host a climate coaching event! Share tips! Not in a preach-y way, but because different ideas will appeal to different people and I think the general sense from people who keep up whatever new habit they’ve taken on is that it’s better. Silicon baking mats/muffin tins don’t stick at all. Silicon ziploc bags don’t leak or rip (or leach chemicals). Bar soap is cheap and lasts forever. Etc. Etc. I’m not saying you’ll take these ideas on, but maybe there’s someone out there with the idea for you.

Good luck!

Since 1950…

Posted on July 22, 2021February 21, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

About 3 years ago, I read a book called Drawdown about the most promising available climate solutions. It was refreshing, because at the time there wasn’t much discussion about how we could serious start addressing climate change at scale. I recently discovered that the book is now an entire project, Project Drawdown, which includes a free “Climate Solutions 101” course. i just completed the first unit, and one point it raised that really blew my mind is how much we’ve done just since 1950. I mean, you could have been born in/around 1950! Your parents or your grandparents almost certainly were. That’s not a long time ago! That’s not a time when we picture people living very differently than we live today. But I guess it was. As the charts plainly show, we have radically altered the absolute fundamentals of our lives – our air, water and soil – just since 1950.

A graphic from NASA shows the stark increase in CO2 in the same period. For 800,000 years before 1950, CO2 in our atmosphere fluctuated from around 200 parts per million during ice ages to around 280 parts per million in warmer time periods. In 1950, it got to around 300 parts per million. And then it just skyrocketed. It’s literally a straight line up, and in 2013 it surpassed 400 parts per million. Per the NOAA, CO2 levels in the atmosphere in June 2021 were about 419 parts per million. Mull on that one.

But why? Why are we so addicted to the growth, the striving, the production, and the convenience of our modern times?

The IEA Report and Me

Posted on July 11, 2021February 21, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

Key required behavioral changes

The International Energy Agency published a truly fabulous report: IEA (2021), Net Zero by 2050, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050

Not surprisingly, it highlighted how behavioral change is an essential part of achieving meaningful reductions in emissions. This is consistent with work by other inspiration organizations, such as Project Drawdown. But I loved how they presented it, and the fact that it was them – the IEA, an organization born of the 1973-74 oil crisis to “ensure the security of oil supplies”.

It’s credible and actionable information, and here’s what it says:

We need to not fly any more than we did in 2019. Thanks to Covid, this feels very realistic to me, if we can get the message through. And, I don’t know, but maybe the ultra rich who are creating space tourism should maybe first ensure we can stay on this planet, before burning fuel trying to escape it for a day or two.
We need to drive as little as possible – walk, bike, take public transit.
When we drive, we need to do it better: in an electric vehicle and in efficient ways (stick to the 100km/hr speed limit, for example)
We need to buy energy efficient appliances, such as heat pumps and “EnergyStar” (or equivalent outside the US) appliances
We need to use our appliances in efficient ways – that means, LED bulbs, tap cold clothing machine washing, air drying clothes, setting water temperatures to no greater than 120 degrees F
We need to keep our appliances well maintained

This all seems doable to me! to me, the hardest part in these behavioural things is just doing it. For example, maintaining appliances seems easy. But the other day my shower tap started leaking (just a bit, but still). It took me about a week to try my hand at fixing it, and another week to call the super to fix it after I realized I couldn’t do it. it is hard for me to go even slightly out of my way to do what I know is right. But I am slowly chipping away at old habits, and who knows, maybe I’ll one day feel even slightly competent and performing basic maintenance myself. Here’s hoping!

Happy 5th

Posted on July 5, 2021February 21, 2022 by communityclimatecoach_5z2lee

Two recent events have once again gotten me thinking about that tension between what I can do alone versus what we all must together agree.

First, my landlord needed to replace the broken fridge in my apartment. I didn’t have a say, and when the hulking fridge arrived I looked up its serial number and discovered that it is not EnergyStar certified (not the landlord’s problem, of course). Try as I might, though, I cannot figure out what refrigerant this new fridge uses. Why is that information not mandatory? And why is it an option to produce and sell refrigerators today that don’t meet basic energy and refrigerant management standards? Why did my landlord have anything but good options? They shouldn’t have.

Second, I went for a lovely run/walk today. It was great, but it also was among the detritus of yesterday’s July 4th festivities. Strewn across every open space and piled up beside every garbage can were the remains of picnics, barbecues, confetti, fireworks, balloons and the other remains of any self-respecting celebration. It was clear that no one really meant to leave a mess. In fact, most people must have been quite careful to clean up after themselves, since the bigger pieces of mess were mostly piled near overflowing garbage cans and what remained strewn everywhere were those little bits of things.

And, again, I was left wondering: why is this even a real option? I guess some would argue that it’s a question of free choice. That it’s too restrictive of government (or anyone) to say that people must buy a certain kind of refrigerator or must not buy certain types of celebratory fare. But, I can’t really see the argument for that. None of us have the time or skills necessary to personally investigate every product we buy. Instead, I think we naturally tend to think that someone has imposed basic standards that allow us to trust in the basic integrity of the product. That’s why it’s so devastating when, for example, buildings fall down or products explode accidentally or sicken us. It’s because we thought there were minimum standards and they were clearly not met. So I don’t really see how this is different. I suppose some would argue that what I’m talking about goes beyond minimum safety standards, but, again, I can’t quite see it. Sure, it’s not usually immediately obvious who the victims of the litter are or when the effects will be felt, and we can’t trace any specific incident to any particular item of litter, but the overall effects of pollution are clear beyond any doubt. Must we allow some pollution some time? Yes, unfortunately, that seems inevitable. But why would we not stop it in these easy cases? And why isn’t it the obligation of the polluter to explain why their pollution is a type that we should allow, despite its obvious and serious harms to our societies?