š CAT Newsletter 265 - 2025-04-27
CAT 265 - 2025-04-27
Hey CATs,
Welcome to issue 265 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.
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Stay safe & healthy š š š±
CAT Community News
šŖ CAT members advocating and influencing
In case you couldn't make it live, here are some more highlights of CAT actions from ourĀ Earth Day Show & Tell presentation. These are more examples of CATs talking to the wider tech community and the general public and inviting them in to conversations about sustainability and tech:
- S is repairing lots of appliances and as well as laptops at the Manchester Repair Cafes
- GĀ has been inviting local CATs to represent the community and volunteer at Green IO conferences - spreading awareness of climate & tech across the globe
- SĀ presented his low carbon website at a developer event and inspired more developers to make their work more sustainable
- BĀ organized a 2-day 'prototype for the planet' event to help a restoration non-profit organization
- WĀ gave a talk in the Netherlands on the real-world impact of software
- MĀ spoke about sustainability at multiple events to raise the issue in open source communities
#ļøā£ Slack channel highlights
#3-questions-and-ideas: MĀ asked whether you participated in any events or actions during Earth Week?Ā Share your answer
#greener-data-ai: Wiki editorĀ CĀ has beenĀ curating and summarising discussions from the channel in our internal knowledge base OutlineĀ and shared this plusĀ some thought-provoking questions in the channel
#greener-marketing: RĀ shared an interesting article on climate silenceĀ and also brought up how naming the co-benefits of more sustainable approaches can lead to better understanding and more action
š CAT events
:green_book: Thu, May 1st ā Digital Degrowth Book Club [online]
āJoin us for a discussion on Digital Degrowth: Technology in the Age of Survival by Michael Kwet.
š ļø Fri, May 23rd ā ZĆ¼rich Hackathon [in-person]
š Meet CATs in person
May:Ā Green IO is happening inĀ #local-new-yorkĀ - head to the channel if you'd like to volunteer and represent CAT or if you're keen to meet others there!
June:Ā Initial events have been published forĀ London Climate Action WeekĀ - head toĀ #local-londonĀ to coordinate with others! Also inĀ #local-belgiumĀ you can coordinate with other CATs to attend theĀ Green Tech Forum.
July:Ā Green IO is happening inĀ #local-munichĀ - head to the channel if you'd like to volunteer and represent CAT or if you're keen to meet others there!
š© Community networking
Every 2 weeks, we match 2-3 CATs so you can connect over a quick 30-minute call. Join #cat-roulette, pick your region and wait for a message from Donut. The next round of matches will go out on Fri, May 2nd. More info.
Media, events, and news
šŗ CAT recommendations
ā¶ļø CAT videos
10-15 minute videos providing accessible explainers to climate related issues.
Bloomberg Originals: The World Needs AI, But There's a Problem
There's no denying data centers play a critical role in society, with every text, web search and medical scan flowing through these giant buildings. Now AI has turbocharged their demand, along with the electricity that powers them. With utilities rushing to keep up and popular opposition to these behemoths growing, the latest tech revolution may be in for a rough ride.
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
Catalyst: The geopolitics of rare earth elements
China's new export controls on rare earth elements (REEs) are a problem for EVs, renewables, and other industries that rely on the minerals, especially the permanent magnets they're used in. The vast majority of the global supply chain is in China or controlled by Chinese companies. So is it possible to stand up a rare earth supply chain outside of China's control?
Environment Variables: The Economics of AI
Chris Adams sits down in-person with Max Schulze, founder of the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA), to explore the economics of AI, digital infrastructure, and green software. They unpack the EU's Energy Efficiency Directive and its implications for data centers, the importance of measuring and reporting digital resource use, and why current conversations around AI and cloud infrastructure often miss the mark without reliable data.
The Climate Question: Could a love of nature bring out the eco-hero in you?
A growing body of scientific evidence from across the globe suggests that a love of nature could inspire us to be more sustainable ā something scientists say is more necessary than ever given the climate crisis. The more we connect with nature, the more likely it is that we're willing to protect it. It's never too late to build that bond, but studies show that outdoor adventures as children make us more likely to be eco-heroes later on.
Outrage + Optimism: The End of Oil? Inside the Hidden Decline of Fossil Fuels
This Earth Day, Outrage + Optimism explores a seismic shift in global energy: the possibility that major oil and gas companies are entering a self-managed decline. Have fossil fuel companies been overvalued for decades? And are they now quietly winding themselves down?Ā
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 May 07 2025 - Hands on Workshop with the Green Web Foundation: Estimating digital carbon emissions
This two hour session, delivered by our experts Chris Adams, Fershad Irani, and Katrin Fritsch will get you started with estimating the carbon emissions of digital services. Can't make May? See our other dates in June.
Wed May 07 2025 - Creative Climate Career Group Coaching
Infuse you job pivot in the impact space with new energy and direction!
Wed May 07 2025 - How Tech is Driving the Next Retrofit Revolution
Join Octopus Energy, measureable.energy and UpGreen to explore how smart technologies are transforming retrofitting into a financially viable and impactful solution for anyone who wants to live and work in more sustainable buildings.
Thu May 08 2025 - Discover HFX: A New Gateway to Japan's Innovation Ecosystem
Scrum Ventures will be hosting an event on our new HFX program https://hfx.jp/en/. We are aiming to help make Japan more sustainable starting from a new sustainable smart city initiative. If this sounds interesting, please join the event to learn more and how to get involved.
Thu May 15 2025 - Green IO New York 2025
Green IO New York covers responsible AI, green software, sustainable design, green cloud, etc., and will provide a variety of perspectives from practitioners and experts.
Thu Jul 03 2025 - Green IO Munich 2025
Apidays Munich and the Green IO podcast have partnered to bring you the first Green IO conference for the DACH region, packed with the latest insights from thought leaders in Tech Sustainability and hands-on feedback from practitioners scaling Green IT.
š° News Highlights
ZD Net: How much energy does a single chatbot prompt use? This AI tool can show you
AI systems require a lot of energy to function, but no one has exact numbers, especially not for individual chatbot queries. To address this, an engineer at Hugging Face built a tool to try to find out.
TechCentral: High-powered solar cells are poised to replace batteries
Ambient Photonics is deploying technology to power what its CEO calls the "vast universe" of low-power electronics. The company is deploying the technology to power what CEO Bates Marshall calls the "vast universe" of low-power electronics.
EurekAlert: Study lays out scientific path to recouping the costs of climate change
Researchers lay out a scientific framework they report can be used to trace specific climate damages back to emissions from individual fossil fuel companies, in a new study.
MIT Technology Review: The vibes are shifting for US climate tech
The past few years have been an almost nonstop parade of good news for climate tech in the US. Now, though, things are starting to shift.Ā There are still projects moving forward, but there are a number of cancellations which definitely aren't a good sign.
The Wildlife Society: Climate change leading cause of biodiversity loss in U.S.
Climate change is the largest threat to ESA-listed species, surpassing other drivers like land use change, pollution and others. In a study published in BioScience, researchers set out to determine what threat was most pervasive for U.S. species.
Mongabay: Why the oldest animals matter
In the twilight of their lives, the world's oldest creatures carry the weight of wisdom, experience, and resilience.
Yet, these elders ā fish that spawn in abundance, coral that shelters marine life, or elephants that guide their herds ā are vanishing. The causes are disturbingly familiar: overfishing, habitat destruction, trophy hunting, and climate change.
š Papers We Love š
HAL Open Science: Understanding the environmental impact of generative AI services
This paper examines the environmental impact of Generative AI (Gen-AI) technologies, proposing methods for measuring Gen-AI's impact. The team emphasize the need for comprehensive sustainability assessments to address challenges related to energy and resource consumption.
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. Remember: if you're looking for advice finding a role, check our #climate-careers channel.
Behold - CTO (co-founder option) - ā¬50k-ā¬80k plus equity - Permanent - Totally remote
Weāre looking for a CTO who doesnāt just build tech, but shapes the futureāleading at the intersection of machine learning, IoT, and nature. If you want to work on a product that sparks real behavioural change, in a company that prioritises long-term impact over short-term growth, this is your chance.
rePurpose Global - Senior Product Manager - 160000 - Permanent - Flexible - remote ok
We're seeking a Senior Product Manager at rePurpose Global, a mission-driven series A startup fighting the plastic waste crisis. We've launched a first-of-its-kind SaaS platform for consumer brands to improve their packaging sustainability, comply with landmark regulations reducing packaging waste, and fund plastic pollution clean up in the Global South. We're looking for a seasoned startup PM with sustainability or CPG experience to continue the momentum!
Vizzuality - Front End Engineer - ā¬24,000 to ā¬37,000 Euros per year - Permanent - Totally remote
Do you want to help build a fairer and sustainable future for all life on Earth? Are you currently looking for a new career opportunity? Lucky you, Vizzuality is hiring!
We are looking for a Front-end Engineer with experience and proficiency in ReactJS/TypeScript - Remote based in Spain, Portugal, or UK.
Verna - Software Engineers - Circa Ā£70k + share options - Permanent - Flexible - remote ok
Verna builds software to help people manage land in the best way for the environment ā enhancing biodiversity and drawing down carbon, whilst making sustainable returns. We are looking for a number of software engineers to expand our product development team. Because weāre working primarily in Elixir and Phoenix this is a full-stack role, but with an emphasis on delivering new user-facing features.
John Deere - Product Manager, Sustainability Solutions - $122,580 to $183,864 + excellent benefits - Permanent - Flexible - remote ok
This is an impactful job with an awesome team at a great company! Our team recently launched a Carbon Intensity Calculator where farmers can get their carbon footprint in 10 minutes or less. Join us to continue to build momentum as we help farmers simplify data management for regenerative agriculture!
As a Product Manager for the Sustainability Solutions team at John Deere, you will define & execute our digital product strategy through customer discovery, owning delivery of both prototypes and production-grade software, and iterating quickly to achieve product-market fit for products serving both farmers as well as the agricultural supply chain. An ideal candidate can handle ambiguity well, make "no regrets" decisions quickly, navigate a complex and technical environment with many stakeholders, and guide relationships with key partners.
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