š CAT Newsletter #210 - 2024-03-10
CAT 210 - 2023-03-10
Hey CATs,
Welcome to issue 210 of the ClimateAction.tech (CAT) Newsletter - your weekly summary of what's happening inside the CAT community, and in the wider world of climate and tech. New to CAT or looking to re-discover the community? Try outĀ our onboarding checklist.
Remember you can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time - the link is at the bottom.
Stay safe & healthy š š š±
CAT Community News
š Get involved
- 2min: Give some feedback about the community through ourĀ anonymous feedback formĀ or by posting inĀ #7-cat-community-feedback
- 10min:Ā DonateĀ via OpenCollective
- 30min+:Ā Become a volunteer! We're looking forĀ content / wiki editors,Ā Slack moderators, and for folks who canĀ help put together our community news.
#ļøā£ Slack channel highlights
#greener-design:Ā J sharedĀ a dither image generator tool #greener-data-ai:Ā D sharedĀ an articleĀ (+ PDF version for those who aren't Atlantic subscribers) aboutĀ AI taking water from deserts #greener-infra: Lots of folks areĀ discussingĀ theĀ Technology Carbon StandardĀ which was recently released (thanksĀ M for starting the conversation)
ā¤ļø Help a CAT
M isĀ looking for course recommendationsĀ for sustainability education directed at tech employees S isĀ looking for any other user researchersĀ in the community
š CAT events
None planned in the near future! If you have an idea for an event, reach out toĀ @Sandra. Local events were shared inĀ #local-california,Ā #local-boston,Ā #local-chicago,Ā #local-munich,Ā #local-new-york, andĀ #local-italyĀ and there's some planning / prepping happening inĀ #local-austriaĀ too.
š© Community networking
Get to know other CATs and make some friends in the community.Ā Every 2 weeks, we match 2-3 CATs so you can connect over a quick 30-minute call. Simply joinĀ #cat-roulette, pick your region and wait for a message fromĀ DonutĀ about your match! Our next round of matches will go out onĀ Fri, Mar 15. More info
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Media, events, and news
šŗ CAT recommendations
š± A cutting from Branch
Open call for Branch Issue 8 (Spring 2024)
The open call for Branch magazine has closed! Remember though - there are still 7 issues worth on Branch website that have been created over the years, all ready for you to read. The site design is an open source wordpress theme, and pull requests are accepted. There a handful of issues open on the github repo for the Branch theme, so if you know your way around wordpress they may be of interest.
ā¶ļø CAT videos
10-15 minute videos providing accessible explainers to climate related issues.
Planet A: Can we really recycle our old clothes?
Every year, nearly 100 billion items of clothing are produced ā and 65% of them end up in a landfill within 12 months. New technologies in textile recycling may be able to curb that waste ā while producing a host of sustainable materials.
š¤Ā Podcasts
The latest climate-related podcast episodes. Don't forget, if you're looking around, there's a list of podcasts maintained by CATs
Outrage and Optimism 235. Female Leadership Can Unlock Systemic Change (International Women's Day 2024)
Get ready to celebrate International Women's Day with Tom and Christiana on Outrage + Optimism! We're discussing the fallout from Super Tuesday and the uphill battle for female parliamentary leadership. Plus, don't miss our exclusive interview with the incredible Gaia van der Esch! Tune in for insights, inspiration, and empowerment!
Catalyst with Shayle Khan: The early days of AI on the grid
We've already covered how the grid is struggling to keep up with the demands of AI. But can AI help the grid meet the demands it, and other new consumers of power are placing on it
In this episode, Shayle talks to David Groarke, managing director at the energy consultancy Indigo Advisory Group, who co-authored a forthcoming Latitude Intelligence report on utilities and AI.
The Big Switch: Part 2 - The Mining Conundrum For Critical Minerals
It can feel like a contradictory mission. To save the planet, we have to mine more minerals; but mining and processing those minerals increases emissions and often negatively impacts indigenous communities and the environment.Ā In this episode, we start at the beginning of the battery supply chain: lithium mining.Ā We'll ask why so much rides on where and how we source lithium, and whether we can balance growing demand with local communities and the land.Ā
Environment Variables: This Week In Green Software - Anne Currie and Asim Hussein
This week, Chris Adams is joined by Asim Hussain and Anne Currie to discuss the latest developments in Green Software and digital sustainability. They cover the Green Software Maturity Max, the newly announced tech carbon standard, newly published research on the growing energy demand of AI and datacentres and more.
See also the shownotes and transcript on github, where PR are gratefully accepted.
Greenio #33 - Is open source and sustainability a perfect match? with Oliver Cronk and Katie Davis
ļøIn this episode, Gael Duez unravels the intricate relationship between open source software and IT sustainability together with Oliver Cronk, the host of Architect Tomorrow podcast and Sustainable Technology practice lead at Scott Logic (UK), alongside his software engineer colleague Katie Davis.Ā
š”Discover how open source software (OSS) and hardware (OSH) are not just benefiting companies, but also driving global sustainability efforts.
š Submitted events
Want an event listed here? Use this event listing form to submit the details so we can add it in the newsletter.
Wed Mar 06 2024 - Business & Open SDGs data - A Hack Day
Wikirate is celebrating Open Data Day at its Berlin offices on March 6, with a hackathon investigating how German companies contribute to SDGs. The event is open to everyone passionate about sustainability, including developers who can leverage Wikirate's API.
Thu Mar 07 2024 - Working in Sustainable Tech: Smart Energy for Homes
This month's free WiST call is exploring how innovative companies within the UK are providing energy and heating to homes in ways that are not only cost effective, but kind to our planet too.
With guests Thomas Farquhar from Heatio and Tim Wright from Carno
Check #external-events in the CAT slack for more.
Tue Mar 19 2024 - Scaphandre & Boavizta - A journey across the environmental materiality of digital services
This talk is about the state of the art of the environmental impacts assessment of digital services based on the open-source and open-data assets co-constructed over the last three years in open source communities, research networks and public and private organizations.
Thu Apr 25 2024 - Eco Compute 2024
Discover EcoCompute, the first engineering conference on sustainability in hardware & software! Join us in Munich on April 25-26 at the House of Communication. Immerse in cutting-edge talks, connect with industry leaders, explore practical solutions. https://www.eco-compute.io/
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š° News Highlights
The Conversation: Seven reasons more female leaders would be a positive step for the climate
The Conversation has published a variety of climate-related articles to mark International Women's Day, including one by Prof Paola Profeta, director of the AXA research lab on gender equality at Bocconi University, reflecting on the role of women leaders in addressing climate change.
Heatmap: A Carbon Tax Is Back on the Table
The Trump tax cuts expire in 2025, which means things are about the get wacky in Washington.
Carbonbrief: Analysis - Trump election win could add 4bn tonnes to US emissions by 2030
A victory for Donald Trump in November's presidential election could lead to an additional 4bn tonnes of US emissions by 2030 compared with Joe Biden's plans, Carbon Brief analysis reveals. This extra 4bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) by 2030 would cause global climate damages worth more than $900bn, based on the latest US government valuations.
MIT Technology Review: The SEC's new climate rules were a missed opportunity to accelerate corporate action
The new SEC rules formalize and mandate what has essentially been a voluntary system of corporate carbon governance, now requiring corporations to report how climate-related risks may affect their business, although Lobbying forced the agency to water down its climate disclosure regulations, protecting fossil-fuel interests.
The Guardian: Microscopic plastics could raise risk of stroke and heart attack, study says
Doctors have warned of potentially life-threatening effects from plastic pollution after finding a substantially raised risk of stroke, heart attack and earlier death in people whose blood vessels were contaminated with microscopic plastics. See also: From Climate Integrity - New Report Makes the Case for Legal Action Over the Fraud of Plastic Recycling.
China Dialogue: Schoolchildren in Zimbabwe drop out for lithium mines
By creating jobs, the mine has brought relief for some families from neighbouring villages Mukwasi and Togara. Many here eke out a living primarily from crop and animal farming, which is insufficient and precarious as the area receives little rainfall during the drier months. But there have been downsides too. Many of the roughly 40 families relocated to make space for the mine did not feel properly consulted or legally represented, according to national newspaper the Standard. Moreover, with their families struggling to afford school fees, some students from Mavangwe and Mukwasi secondary schools have begun dropping out to work on the mine instead.
ClimateActionTech: Sustainability, a surprisingly successful KPI: GreenOps survey results
The findings from the first project supported by the CAT mini-grant fund is live, in the form of research you can use to share about how a drive to incorporating an awareness of climate manifests in the work of technologists. For the nerds: The underlying questions and data are linked for your own analysis too.
The survey got 2,680 responses from all corners of the globe, covering a diverse range of roles.Ā The results make fascinating reading, highlighting changing priorities, evolving motivations, and importantly showcasing how personal commitments and ethical beliefs are beginning to shape the future of IT.Ā
Jobs
Remember only jobs listing salary ranges are listed here - to get your job listed, you need to list a salary range. Folks can still look in the #jobs channel.
TransitionZero - Product Manager - Ā£ 44,286.17 - Ā£51,808.55 - Permanent - Onsite only
We are a climate analytics not-for-profit established in 2021. We're building easy to use energy transition modelling software to give governments, businesses and investors the tools to understand and decide how to transition to carbon free energy. The Product Manager will work collaboratively with the Head of Product on the product strategy and roadmap for our energy systems modelling software. A key aspect of the role will be to drive usage of and engagement with the product.
TransitionZero - Product Owner - Ā£44,286.17 - Ā£51,808.55 - Permanent - Onsite only
We are a climate analytics not-for-profit established in 2021. We're building easy to use energy transition modelling software to give governments, businesses and investors the tools to understand and decide how to transition to carbon free energy. The Product Owner will work collaboratively with the Head of Product on our energy systems modelling software to collate, analyse, prioritise and translate requirements into user stories and detailed specifications for implementation by front-end and back-end development teams.
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Icebreaker One - Senior Project Manager - Perseus - Up to Ā£550/day - Contract - 2.5 days/wk to December 2024 - Totally remote
There are more than 5.9 million Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, accounting for an estimated Ā£2.3 trillion in turnover. However, there is not yet a standard for SMEs to follow when reporting greenhouse gas emissions. Perseus is developing whole-of-market solutions to create rapidly scalable, low-effort, low-friction sustainability reporting. As part of this work, Bankers for Net Zero (B4NZ) and Icebreaker One are running Steering, Advisory and Working Groups in 2024 to inform the development of an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data ecosystem which accelerates the transition to net zero. The Senior Project Manager will play a key role in ensuring we meet our goal of a working pilot implementation by the end of 2024. Applications close 9am UK time, March 4.
Twist - Senior Fullstack Dev - 75-90k - Permanent - Totally remote
Twist is a software company that is helping unlock financing sustainable assets and innovative business models. Think electric truck, heat pumps and batteries. Our role is to assist banks in effectively deploying debt capital towards these ventures. By compiling comprehensive risk and environmental data, we enable banks to accurately assess, monitor and simulate both the risk and impact of their investments. Read about our mission here.
We are looking for a Full Stack Developer to join our small team to help build the Twist platform. You'll be part of a core team that's responsible for the full software development life cycle, from conception to deployment. We need a candidate who is comfortable owning and running what they build. We're looking for someone whose comfortable with some or all of the technologies we use.
Elemental Excelerator - Senior Investment Analyst - $67,100 - $108,300 - Permanent - Flexible - remote ok
Elemental is looking for a highly organized, experienced, and mission-driven individual to join the Portfolio Team. The Senior Investment Analyst will play a crucial role in identifying, evaluating, and supporting investments in climate tech companies. The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting thorough due diligence, financial analysis, market research, and providing strategic insights to drive investment decisions that align with our mission and goals. For this position, we are looking for an individual with strong financial acumen and a demonstrated passion for working with climate companies who can support our due diligence efforts on startups working across the full stack of climate tech financing options, including venture capital, debt and equity financing, and project finance.
Global Witness - Senior Data Investigations Advisor - Ā£53,856 - Permanent -
Are you looking for an opportunity to put your data skills to use in the fight against climate change? The climate and human rights NGO Global Witness is looking for a new Senior Data Investigation Advisor to work closely with our Forests campaign.
Our Data Investigators have used a diverse range of tools and techniques, including data visualisation, data analysis, bots, and interactive storytelling, to highlight the role the role of corporations in worsening the climate crisis. The role will find engaging and robust ways of analysing and presenting the results from financial and deforestation data. Our Data Investigators have worked with the Forests team to produce reports such as Banks, Beef and the Brazilian Amazon, and tools such as our Brazil Big Beef Watch bot.
Technical University of Berlin - Research Software Engineer for Open Source PyPSA Energy System Modelling Tool - E13 TV-L (4188-6037 ā¬/month gross, depending on experience) - Contract - Flexible - remote ok
You will help develop Python for Power System Analysis (PyPSA), one of the leading open source energy modelling frameworks. PyPSA is used around the world by various research institutes, network operators, consultancies, governmental and non-governmental organisations to understand future energy infrastructure requirements for reaching climate neutrality.
https://github.com/pypsa/pypsa
The position is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) via its research software funding initiative. You will perform regular software maintenance tasks, improve the user-friendliness of the PyPSA toolbox, work towards enhanced test coverage and better validation of all functionality, develop new functionality to improve accessibility, extend training materials and documentation, review and integrate community contributions, support the user and developer communities, simplify and refactor parts of the code base, prepare new software releases, and organise annual user meetings.
Marble - Founder in Residence, Geothermal Anywhere - 2.5-3K per month - Contract - Flexible - remote ok
Dive into the geothermal revolution and help unlock clean, sustainable energy for our planet. We're on the hunt for entrepreneurial engineers/scientists from geothermal, oil & gas, or similar sectors. If you're passionate about innovation and ready to explore cutting-edge approaches to power the net zero economy, we want you.
Job title: Founder in Residence, Geothermal
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) - One - $100-$130k commensurate w/experience - Permanent - Flexible - remote ok
SELF finances climate resiliency, renewable energy, clean transportation, and water conservation projects. SELF is leveraging technology to expand its Green Home Loan program across the United States.
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