Climate Change is Unstoppable, But Stopping it May Be Possible: The Middle-Path Paradox

In an inescapable prison, with daily torture and probable death looming, one man hashed out a paradoxical approach to survival: see the unwinnable situation exactly as it is; yet never lose faith that, in the end, you will prevail.

Climate watchers are finding that this middle path, a slender slope between optimism and pessimism, is a paradox that applies perfectly to the latter Anthropocene.

The Goods on Gelt: Chocolate Makes Progress

In our innocence, we ate Cadbury Eggs, drank hot chocolate, and made S’mores by the campfire without a pang of guilt.

Alas, cacao, the base material for chocolate, has proven incredibly problematic. Issues such as deforestation and child labor have persisted despite various pressure campaigns and commitments.

But there is, finally, progress on both the public and private fronts.

No doubt our favorite bonbons will taste that much better once these issues have been resolved, and at last there’s progress.

Vulnerability: Elon Musk & the V Model

All was quiet at Twitter until new owner Elon Musk made it so anyone with eight bucks and a grudge could receive Twitter’s “blue check” verification without actually being vetted, leaving companies vulnerable.

As we all know by now, it didn’t turn out well.

Most firms have no comprehensive framework for vulnerability, but Valutus does: the V Model.

One Rule to Bind Them All: The SEC’s Proposed Rule Compels Emissions, Risk Reporting

The SEC’s new proposed rule mandates scope 1, 2, and – with exceptions – scope 3 GHG reporting along with reporting of other climate-based investor risks.
But aside from better informing investors, this will make it easier for companies to do things the sustainability community has long been screaming for: begin working towards meaningful science-based targets, (SBT); plan effective ESG strategies; and bring sustainability professionals into C-suites and boardrooms for keeps.

“It Was the Bad One, Mom”: A Letter from our Septuagenarian Kids.

Hi mom, hi dad. It’s us, the kids born in 2022, writing to you from 2095. As it turned out, we’re living through the IPCC 6th Assessment’s worst-case: the hellish ‘very-high emissions,’ scenario’ for 2080-2100.

It’s not the zombie apocalypse, mom, but it’s bad. How bad? What are life and climate really like at the turn of the 22nd century? Well, well, glad you asked.”

Nairobi Accord: Proposed Planetary Purge of Pervasive Plastics Skips Production?

The planet finally came together in Nairobi, Kenya, to tackle the billions of pounds of the incredibly useful yet ubiquitous and everlasting polymers.

With macro, micro, and nano plastics in every inch of the global environment, including human organ tissue, it’s a critical problem to tackle. They made a great start, and came up with the world’s first binding plastics treaty, currently being finalized.

The problem? Production, the most problematic plastics issue, did not appear to be on the table

PNW Update:
A(tmospheric) River Runs Through It

Atmospheric rivers (AR), elongated tendrils of highly concentrated moisture in the atmosphere, are often thousands of kilometers long. They tend to move moist air from the tropics or subtropics northward toward the pole and play a critical role in the water cycle. Though some are severe, the majority over time have been helpful rather than the reverse.

Pretty much all assessments agree though that, due to global warming, ARs will become more destructive, especially under the current high-emissions trend scenario that currently obtains. There may be an increase in the number of days under an AR of between 200%-300% by century’s end and meanwhile, places like the Pacific Northwest are being drenched.