February 4, 2020

🌎 CAT Newsletter #6 - 2020-02-04 🌏

|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|

View this email in your browser (|ARCHIVE|) We have some very exciting things planned for 2020 so from now on we will be sending out this newsletter on a weekly basis if that doesn’t sound like something you want then please unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time (|UNSUB|) .

**

Being excellent to each other The CAT community is growing fast, we are now close to 1700 members. If you missed them before, here are guidelines of what we expect of you as a member of this community - we have some house rules, because we really, really want everyone here to be excellent to each other, and for this to be a safe, supportive space. http://bit.ly/cat-overview

All the channels We mark channels to give a clue what they’re for

d = discussion - just chat

local = location-based channels - say hi your neighbours, and if you don’t see a local channel, make one yourself!

greener = communities of practice - the roles you identify with, or the areas you wanna grow in, to learn to integrate sustainability into how we work - it’s easier together! If you don’t see a greener channel that works for you, make one yourself.

proj = projects - you can get involved in

Getting help or finding a thing to work on If you have a question you’re looking for help, remember there is our #d-ask-anything (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CFSTJ2XF0) channel, and if you have a project you’d like to introduce, drop it in #d-share-your-work (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CGA9AQJER) . If you’re hiring, see a cool funding application that might be useful, or similar, don’t forget out #d-jobs-opportunities (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CD5NYP079) We’re also maintaining a volunteer board to match up volunteer skills to these projects, run by CAT members: https://airtable.com/shrMSPnwvOnINjowF/tbluarrAvsm9Tvojd?blocks=hide

In the code of conduct, we list the organising members you can raise an issue privately if you don’t feel safe at any time.

Thanks, CATs

** Actions

These are actions which support the CAT community or broader climate action initiatives. If you have an action you would like to add to a future newsletter, please submit it here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2HJxHXNdD-mhX8qT-DW3SjimEsk6rt9r8FVIq7eidd_6X0g/viewform) .

Medium <10mins Tell (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMKntKL3Y0zqStrIsHhJlkMUZAxuPz1-Sg4iCjKVoGjlFxRw/viewform) us why you’re here, we’re running a survey to understand what’s the most useful way we can support new members. Help (https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2020-call-for-validation-of-thematic-tracks) the UN Internet Governance Forum decide if there will be a sustainability track in their conference this year.

Long >10 mins C (https://github.com/thegreenwebfoundation/thegreenwebfoundation/issues/18) ode (https://github.com/thegreenwebfoundation/thegreenwebfoundation/issues/18) some Python. Help Chris and The Green Web Foundation automate the detection of green Amazon regions.

** News Highlights

The World’s Most-Profitable Hedge Fund Is Now a Climate Radical (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-22/the-world-s-most-profitable-hedge-fund-is-now-a-climate-radical?srnd=premium-europe) Chris Hohn runs $30 billion, and he’s ready to force companies to change.

How to Stop Freaking Out and Tackle Climate Change (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/opinion/sunday/how-to-help-climate-change.html) Here’s a five-step plan to deal with the stress and become part of the solution.

Building with timber instead of steel could help pull millions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere (https://www.fastcompany.com/90456328/building-with-timber-instead-of-steel-could-help-pull-millions-of-tons-of-carbon-from-the-atmosphere) Should the cities of the future be made of wood?

Solving Climate Change with a Loan (https://medium.com/otherlab-news/solving-climate-change-with-a-loan-d1aac4b8259a) The car loan was invented in the 1920s. The home loan was invented in the 1940s.The invention we need for the 2020s is the climate loan.

Guardian to ban advertising from fossil fuel firms (https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/29/guardian-to-ban-advertising-from-fossil-fuel-firms-climate-crisis) The Guardian will no longer accept advertising from oil and gas companies, becoming the first major global news organisation to institute an outright ban on taking money from companies that extract fossil fuels.

How Paris Created a Cycling Boom (https://www.ozy.com/around-the-world/biking-in-paris-is-booming-but-why/227290/) Paris saw a 54 percent increase in cyclists between September 2018 and September 2019.

How to Actually Personally Fight Climate Change (https://erikareinhardt.com/personal-climate-action) Mitigating the climate crisis is top of mind for many people. But it’s such a complex issue that it can be hard to distinguish between data-backed improvements and feel-good distractions.

Microsoft Sustainability Calculator helps enterprises analyze the carbon emissions of their IT infrastructure (https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-sustainability-calculator-helps-enterprises-analyze-the-carbon-emissions-of-their-it-infrastructure/) For more than a decade, Microsoft has been investing to reduce environmental impact while supporting the digital transformation of organizations around the world through cloud services.

Drax legal case: We’re taking the UK government to court over Europe’s largest gas plant (https://www.clientearth.org/were-taking-the-uk-government-to-court-over-europes-largest-gas-plant/) We’ve launched a High Court challenge against the UK government for its decision to approve plans for Europe’s largest gas plant. The Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, approved energy company Drax’s controversial large-scale gas plant despite the government’s own planning authority recommending the plans be rejected on climate grounds.

Chris Packham: 7.7 Billion People and Counting - A review (https://www.monkeywrench.org.uk/blog/2020/1/26/chris-packham-seven-billion-people-and-counting-a-review) Chris Packham is conservation’s bad-boy. The outspoken punk is relentless in his pursuit of wild justice and his environmental advocacy is to be greatly admired but his latest obsession with overpopulation should concern us all.

Bioplastic from fish that breaks down in 6 weeks created by student | Ways to Change the World (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRoIDLUimxE&=&feature=emb_title) This new bioplastic was created by UK student Lucy Hughes and is made from fishing waste, such as fish scales and algae. It’s called MarinaTex and this year it won the International James Dyson Award 2019.

Greta Thunberg to trademark ‘Fridays for Future’ (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51308536) Climate change activist Greta Thunberg says she is trademarking her name and the #FridaysForFuture movement to stop people from impersonating her.

Emissions – the ‘business as usual’ story is misleading (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00177-3?utm_source=twt_nnc&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=naturenews) Stop using the worst-case scenario for climate warming as the most likely outcome — more-realistic baselines make for better policy.

Exclusive: Europe wants single data market to break U.S. tech giants’ dominance (https://mobile-reuters-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1ZS32E) The European Union wants to create a single market in data aimed at challenging the dominance of tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, according to a European Commission proposal seen by Reuters.

Vietnam grapples with an unexpected surge in solar power (https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/01/23/vietnam-grapples-with-an-unexpected-surge-in-solar-power) The energy-hungry country may need fewer coal-fired plants than it thought

Contrary to popular belief, fish stocks are not declining in all parts of the ocean (http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2020/01/the-verdict-managing-fisheries-really-does-work/) The difference between declining and recovering regions is intensive fishery management.

Bangladesh to ban use of single-use plastic in hotels and restaurants (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-environment-plastic/bangladesh-to-ban-use-of-single-use-plastic-in-hotels-and-restaurants-idUSKBN1Z51BK) Bangladesh’s High Court on Monday ordered the government to ban single-use plastics in coastal areas and in hotels and restaurants in one year to combat pollution.

Single-use plastic: China to ban bags and other items (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51171491) China, one of the world’s biggest users of plastic, has unveiled a major plan to reduce single-use plastics across the country.

A Better Way to Talk About the Climate Crisis (https://hbr.org/2020/01/a-better-way-to-talk-about-the-climate-crisis) If you want people to listen, do away with finger-pointing and focus on shared values and goals.

The Next Coronavirus Nightmare Is Closer Than You Think (https://www.thedailybeast.com/get-ready-for-more-coronavirus-nightmares-thanks-to-climate-change) Climate change makes the risk of novel diseases much more explosive.

Climate change: UK sacks its UN conference president (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51334031) In a surprise move, the woman appointed to run the crucial UN climate summit in Glasgow in November has been sacked.

** Jobs & Opportunities

---

Gold Standard is recruiting for a Head of Corporate Development. (https://twitter.com/goldstandard/status/1221840405580349441) Gold Standard is a standards body and thought leader that promotes the best that can be achieved in climate and development projects. 💬 Reply (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CD5NYP079/p1580148947017300) to this conversation on Slack

SEI is looking for a Product Manager in Stockholm to help develop the Trase.Earth (https://trase.earth) platform. (https://www.sei.org/people/jobs/trase-product-manager-2/) Interested in working in an international setting with people from diverse backgrounds to tackle major environmental and sustainability challenges? 💬 Reply (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CD5NYP079/p1580376367021100) to this conversation on Slack

MobilizeAmerica is looking for Data Scientist (https://www.mobilizeamerica.io/jobs?gh_jid=4505952002) We are hiring our first Data Scientist to power insights across the entire company. We aspire to have data underlie all of our business and product decisions, and this position will be key to helping us achieve that by working across teams to transform data into actionable strategies and influence both product direction and corporate strategy. 💬 Reply (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CD5NYP079/p1580522254026100) to this conversation on Slack

MobilizeAmerica is looking for Senior Software Engineer (https://www.mobilizeamerica.io/jobs?gh_jid=4372962002) As a Senior Software Engineer on a small team, you’ll immediately have significant ownership over product direction and engineering architecture, working closely with our CTO on product strategy and execution. 💬 Reply (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CD5NYP079/p1580522254026100) to this conversation on Slack

MobilizeAmerica is looking for Software Engineer (https://www.mobilizeamerica.io/jobs?gh_jid=4422913002) As a Software Engineer on a small team, you’ll immediately have significant ownership over product direction and engineering architecture, working closely with design and product on both ideas and execution. 💬 Reply (https://climate-tech.slack.com/archives/CD5NYP079/p1580522254026100) to this conversation on Slack

============================================================ ClimateAction.tech (https://climateaction.tech/) @climateActTech (https://twitter.com/climateActTech) @climateActTech (https://medium.com/@climateActTech) Email (mailto:hello@climateaction.tech) Copyright © |CURRENT_YEAR| |LIST:COMPANY|, All rights reserved. |IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE| |LIST:DESCRIPTION|

Our mailing address is: |LIST_ADDRESS| |END:IF|

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences (|UPDATE_PROFILE|) or unsubscribe from this list (|UNSUB|) .

|IF:REWARDS| |REWARDS_TEXT| |END:IF|