IF YOU CARE ABOUT CLIMATE, YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FARM BILL
Farmers join forces to make the upcoming Farm Bill a turning point for US agriculture. Their climate friendly practices are working on the land, but they need our help in Congress.
Write your Congress member
Farmers join forces to make the upcoming Farm Bill a turning point for US agriculture. Their climate friendly practices are working on the land, but they need our help in Congress.
Write your Congress member
MENDING IS CLIMATE ACTION
Chicagoans come together to fix broken items and Minnesota farmers and techies join forces to win the nation's strongest Right to Repair law.
Make sure your next phone has a good repairability score
Right to Repair in your state
HOW DO WE DECARBONIZE A LOT OF HOMES REALLY FAST? Part Two
A Research Partnership Helps Chicago Decide Where and What to Begin
Superimposing data on buildings, equipment replacement and energy costs yielded a best strategy for climate and justice: weatherizing and replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps in older homes in low income neighborhoods.
A Research Partnership Helps Chicago Decide Where and What to Begin
Superimposing data on buildings, equipment replacement and energy costs yielded a best strategy for climate and justice: weatherizing and replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps in older homes in low income neighborhoods.
HOW DO WE DECARBONIZE A LOT OF HOMES REALLY FAST? Part One
NYC Housing Authority is the city's biggest landlord. That makes it a great place to start decarbonizing apartments
A pilot replacing gas stoves with induction stoves in NYC public housing encountered resident reluctance and inadequate wiring, but once these barriers were overcome, stove recipients were delighted, indoor air quality improved, and neighbors started asking if they could get one too. With over 100,000 apartments, city is using its buying power to commission heat pumps that will work in its old buildings.
NYC Housing Authority is the city's biggest landlord. That makes it a great place to start decarbonizing apartments
A pilot replacing gas stoves with induction stoves in NYC public housing encountered resident reluctance and inadequate wiring, but once these barriers were overcome, stove recipients were delighted, indoor air quality improved, and neighbors started asking if they could get one too. With over 100,000 apartments, city is using its buying power to commission heat pumps that will work in its old buildings.
Colorado's e-bike rebate program began with 13 bikes, now there are 13,000.
Throwing Shade: Farmers and researchers collaborate in Colorado to learn which crops grow best under solar arrays. They're harvesting chard the size of toddlers.
Communities in Washington state and Oregon aren't waiting for utilities to bring clean energy. They're building locally owned solar installations.
A Garment Worker Victory
One way to slow overproduction of cheap "throwaway" clothes is to pay garment workers a living wage. Garment workers in California, who were earning just $5 an hour, got a law passed making fashion brands responsible for ensuring that workers receive at least minimum wage ($15/hour in CA). Support the NY Fashion Act Support the federal FABRIC Act |
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It's Getting Hot, Let's Wear Less Clothes
The fashion industry is massively over producing, garments, and 60% of their textiles are made of petroleum. In part one of this 2 part mini series, we look at the movement to buy second hand, a landfill ban and rehoming business for salvaged clothes, and a coalition working to reestablish regional wool production. Remake - get active, host a clothes swap Fibershed |
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Ending Fossil Fuel Power Plants
A Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition closed a coal plant and fought off utility attempts to replace coal with fossil gas by contesting utility Integrated Resource Plans at the Public Service Commission. How to affect a utility's energy plans : a guide for communities and advocates about Integrated Resource Plans |
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Solar Cooperatives
Going solar is easier when households join forces with support from Solar United Neighbors. It's also building a movement to defend rooftop solar against utility attacks. Solar United Neighbors How to start a solar coop |
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Ejecting the Fox from the Hen House
Students and academics organize to end fossil fuel funding and influence over climate research. |
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Climate action after SCOTUS:
State and local elections The Climate Cabinet makes it easy for everyone to support climate candidates in key state and local races around the country. The Environmental Voter Project gets voters to turn out for these elections, building the political power of the climate movement. |
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Irresistible force beats immovable object: Harvard's divestment story.
It took almost a decade for Harvard students, faculty, and alumni to get the wealthiest university in the world to cut financial ties with fossil fuel. Learn how they did it. How to organize a divestment campaign |
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Clean truck coalition puts pedal to the metal
When environmental and public health groups and frontline communities got together, they doubled the speed of states' transitions from diesel to clean trucks Petition to EPA for national Zero Emission Truck Rule Moving Forward Network Making Effective Public Comments |
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Retired doctors have a new patient, the climate. ThirdAct.org For health professionals: Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment |
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Farewell to Factory Farms
Former contract growers for Tyson and Perdue explain why and how they got out. A farmer cooperative in Arkansas outperforms Big Meat at farmer incomes, improving land and soil , animal welfare, and community wellbeing. Take action to end factory farming Vote with your fork: Grass Roots Farmers Co-op Watson Farms Shop With Your Heart |
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New Year's Pledge Helps Millions Eat Healthier A month long challenge proves remarkably successful at enticing people to try out (and continue) plant based diets. JOIN THE CHALLENGE Veganuary Plantiful New Year VEGAN RECIPES Oh She Glows Post Punk Kitchen Minimalist Baker (not just baked stuff) Vegan Richa |
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Got Methane? Dairy digesters can eat food waste and manure but pose harm to small farms, climate, and communities.
Senate Agriculture Committee Members Socially Responsible Agriculture Project Tell your Congressperson to support the Food System Reform Act |
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Vermont Bans Food From Landfills Vermont becomes first state to ban food waste from landfills.
Institute for Local Self Reliance Composting Resources |
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A community aims for broad and equal
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Does Your Money Fuel Wildfires?
Activists put pressure on banks funding fossil fuel and move their money elsewhere.
Stop the Money Pipeline Move your money Find a better bank |
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Playing for Answers: Climate Games EverGreen: Humboldt County's Climate Action Plan Game EarthGames Daybreak (sign up for 1 email when it launches) |
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You Don't Have to be Rich to Drive Electric Electric vehicle carshares for low income communities and a growing number of affordable used EVs are increasing access for all. Fuel savings calculator State rebates and tax credits Recurrent Auto (for EV owners and used EV shoppers) |
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Slow Streets Stall in Oakland East Oakland's Black residents say repairing a legacy of neglect and displacement takes priority so the city is fixing dangerous intersections instead.
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Saving COVID's Car Free Streets Temporary slow and car free streets are filling in the gaps in cities' safe bike routes. Most are slated to end but activists are fighting to keep them.
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The Stone Soup Recipe for Climate Finance
Funding climate action will take more than public money. Communities add and multiply funds from the bottom up. |
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Land for new farmers Farm land trusts, agricultural easements, and reparation land grants can help young farmers get access to land. |
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This is my home Women mobilize their communities to stop plastic and petrochemical pollution. Louisiana Texas Action Toolkit |
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Stories from the Great New Jersey Plastic Ban
Girl Scouts in Teaneck and citizens in NJ beach towns set off a wave of municipal bag bans, that led to the nation's strongest state ban of single use plastic. Action Toolkit |
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Re-Localizing Food Transforming Agriculture Part 2 Food hubs collect and distribute local farm products. When COVID shut down corporate supply chains, they really delivered, for farmers and communities. Virginia Action Toolkit |
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Healthy Soil for a Healthy Planet
A growing set of farming and ranching methods can draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. How do we get farmers and ranchers to use them?
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Vampires Shut Down Power Plants
Technology transforms home appliances into "vampires" and "werewolves" that shift energy use away from fossil fuel. Action Links CA: OhmConnect HI: Shifted Energy |
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Cool Election: Part 2
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Small Forests, Big Carbon
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Cool Election: Part 1
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Bringing Back the Tide
Communities race climate change to restore coastal marshes. Great Marsh of Massachusetts, San Francisco Bay Action Toolkit (and cute animal videos) |
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The Garbage Gourmets
Climate conscious chef teaches how to transform your discards into delicacies Action Toolkit |
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Cool Pavings
City experiments with paving to blunt effects of urban heat. Los Angeles, CA Co |
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School Bus Plus 1500 electric school buses will do double duty, storing energy for the grid. Virgina |
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Depaving Portland
Citizens take coolness into their own hands, removing asphalt and mapping urban heat. Portland, OR Action Toolkit |
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Cities Declare Climate Emergency
Activists get cities to declare emergency and plan for rapid transition to zero carbon Hoboken, NJ and Gainesville, FL Action Toolkit |
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Minnesota, the Solar Garden State Minnesota's community solar policy made it the solar garden capitol of the US. Action Toolkit |
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Sprouting from the Rooftops
Cooperatives help neighbors to go solar together Saint Augustine, FL and Washington DC Action Toolkit |
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Free Lyfts
Rural buses go fare free and thrive. Northeast Kingdom, VT and Sonoma County, CA Action toolkit |
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Waste Not, Warm Not
App helps communities turn food waste into meals, not methane Norwalk, CT and Columbia, SC Action toolkit |
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The Healing Power of Trees
Health researchers plant trees in Louisville to decrease deaths from heart disease. Louisville, KY Action Toolkit |
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So Good To Not Feel Alone
Unexpected alliance stops oil by rail in its tracks Vancouver, WA Action Toolkit |
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Street Lights Unplugged
Solar street lights bring safety and savings Highland Park, MI and Beaumont, CA |
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A Quiet Energy Revolution
Activists lead towns to consensus on 100% clean energy Norman, OK and Hanover, NH |
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People Over Parking Lots
Zoning change for walkable neighborhoods: Buffalo NY and Fayetteville, AR |
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Rising Green from the Ashes
Incentives help wildfire victims rebuild zero carbon homes Action toolkit |
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For more Cool Solutions episodes and Action toolkits,
see Solutions and DIY Toolboxes above
or listen to our podcast
(PODCAST VIRGINS SEE BELOW)
see Solutions and DIY Toolboxes above
or listen to our podcast
(PODCAST VIRGINS SEE BELOW)
HOW TO FIND, LISTEN, and SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST
On your computer: click either of the buttons below.
On your phone: Go to cool-solutions.org on your phone. Scroll down. Our buttons will be there waiting.
Click the button for your phone type : Google Play for Android and Apple Podcasts for iPhone
On your computer: click either of the buttons below.
On your phone: Go to cool-solutions.org on your phone. Scroll down. Our buttons will be there waiting.
Click the button for your phone type : Google Play for Android and Apple Podcasts for iPhone
Check out these links for other great climate podcasts:
Mothers of Invention Features women from around the world taking climate action
Stepping up Inspiring stories about climate activists from all walks of life
Climate Connections Weekly 2 minute briefs on climate news and solutions
Mothers of Invention Features women from around the world taking climate action
Stepping up Inspiring stories about climate activists from all walks of life
Climate Connections Weekly 2 minute briefs on climate news and solutions
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