Photosynthesis has a problem Grist 2024-05-16 | The enzyme RuBisCO is essential for photosynthesis. But it kind of sucks at is job, and it’s getting worse with extreme heat.Proof of Concept is a video series profiling the science and scientists behind some of the environment’s most unexpected research. To see a written version of this story, visit our website:grist.org/video/plant-enzyme-rubsico-experiment-heat-photosynthesisVideo by Jesse NicholsSenior Producer: Daniel PennerDeputy Editor: Teresa ChinExecutive Editor: Kat BagleyIllustrator: Estelle CaswellSources:Robbie WilsonAhmed BadranMary GehringDavid EisenbergBerkley WalkerMIT J-WAFS EPiC Programhttps://jwafs.mit.edu/projects/2023/enhanced-photosynthesis-cropsErb et al. 2017“A short history of RubisCO: The rise and fall (?) of Nature’s predominant CO2 fixing enzyme”ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7610757/pdf/EMS123372.pdfBouvier et al. 2024“Rubisco is evolving for improved catalytic efficiency and CO2 assimilation in plants”pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2321050121Wildman 2002“Along the trail from Fraction I protein to Rubisco”pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16245127Chibnall 1939“Protein Metabolism in the Plant”Prywes et al. 2023“Rubisco Function, Evolution, and Engineering”annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-biochem-040320-101244Aigner et al. 2017 “Plant RuBisCo assembly in E. coli with five chloroplast chaperones including BSD2”pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29217567C4 Rice Projectc4rice.com/the-science/photosynthetic-pathways
What an accidental study revealed about our health Grist 2024-05-14 | Wildfire smoke damaged these monkey's health for decades. Could the same be happening to us?Proof of Concept is a video series profiling the science and scientists behind some of the environment’s most unexpected research. To see a written version of this story, visit our website:grist.org/video/wildfire-smoke-health-monkey-experiment-california-primate-research-centerVideo by Jesse NicholsSenior Producer: Daniel PennerDeputy Editor: Teresa ChinExecutive Editor: Kat BagleyIllustrator: Estelle CaswellSources:Lisa MillerBarbara WellerBonnie Holmes-GenMiller Labww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/classic/research/apr/past/15-303.pdfBlack et al. 2017pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28208028Maniar-Hew et al. 2011ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3064293
One of the world’s healthiest coral reefs is in an oil field Grist 2024-05-09 | For now, the reef is thriving – how long it lasts depends on us.Proof of Concept is a video series profiling the science and scientists behind some of the environment’s most unexpected research. To see a written version of this story, visit our website:grist.org/video/coral-oil-flower-garden-banks-reef-climate-scienceVideo by Jesse NicholsSenior Producer: Daniel PennerDeputy Editor: Teresa ChinExecutive Editor: Kat BagleyIllustrator: Estelle CaswellSources:Michelle JohnstonKristine DeLongAmy WagnerKelly DrinnenDeLong 2023journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20530196221147616Anthropocene Curriculumanthropocene-curriculum.org/the-geological-anthropocene/site/west-flower-garden-bank-reefUNEP 2020unep.org/interactives/status-world-coral-reefsFlower Garden Banks Climate Vulnerability Assesmentnmssanctuaries.blob.core.windows.net/sanctuaries-prod/media/docs/20231201-fgnms-cva-final-report.pdfFlower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaryflowergarden.noaa.gov
Natures misunderstood puppet masters Grist 2024-05-07 | Climate change is affecting parasites, but not in the way you’d expect.Proof of Concept is a video series profiling the science and scientists behind some of the environment’s most unexpected research. To see a written version of this story, visit our website:grist.org/video/parasite-climate-change-ecosystem-health-scienceVideo by Jesse NicholsSenior Producer: Daniel PennerDeputy Editor: Teresa ChinExecutive Editor: Kat BagleyIllustrator: Estelle CaswellAdditional video: Jessey DearingSources: Chelsea Wood:chelsealwood.comKevin Lafferty Armand KurisWood et al. 2023pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2211903120 Quinn et al. 2021royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rspb.2020.3036Claar et al. 2021amnh.org/content/download/329217/5034298/file/parasite-biodiversity.pdfSato, Takuya et al. 2011esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/09-1565.1
How US efforts to protect an Indigenous oasis almost led to its demise Grist 2023-10-11 | On a breezy spring day, Lorraine Eiler, a member of the Hia-Ced O’odham tribe, walked with me around the border of Quitobaquito Springs — a strawberry-shaped oasis in the Sonoran Desert near Pima County, Arizona. Her family has lived in the area for generations. “If you do research on Quitobaquito, the majority of times you will read about the cattlemen that lived here in the area, about the people that went through Quitobaquito,” she said. “You hear nothing about the fact that it’s an old Indian village. It was abundant. Now, it’s just … well, you see what it looks like.”The first thing you notice most about Quitobaquito Springs is the trees. It’s the only source of water for miles in the desert and the lush vegetation around it is stark against the dry tan and khaki landscape and occasional organ pipe cactus. The second thing you notice: the border wall, 30 feet tall, just feet from the water’s edge. I asked Eiler how the landscape compares to her early memories of the site. Read the written version of this story on Grist: grist.org/video/quitobaquito-springs-national-park-service-border-indigenous-water-protection
The need for carbon removal is clear Grist 2023-05-30 | Should we pull carbon out of the air with trees, or machines? It’s not as simple as it sounds.See our website for a transcript and more information on our sources and methods:grist.org/technology/should-we-pull-carbon-out-of-the-air-with-trees-or-machinesVideo by Jesse NicholsSenior Producer: Daniel PennerDeputy Editor:Teresa ChinExecutive Editor:Kat BagleyAdditional illustrations: Dani NunesSources:IPCC WGIII 2022 Reporthttps://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_Chapter12.pdfState of CDRstateofcdr.org/resourcesOur World in Data/Global Carbon Projectourworldindata.org/grapher/annual-co2-emissions-per-country?country=~OWID_WRLIEAiea.org/reports/direct-air-captureNASA Earth Observatoryearthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle/page3.php earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/CarbonCycle/page2.php Visual sources:StoryblocksPond5Music:Audiosocket
The very bad math drying up the Colorado River Grist 2023-04-26 | California and Arizona are currently fighting each other over water. But this isn’t new – it’s actually been going on for over 100 years. At one point, the states literally went to war about it. The problem comes down to some really bad math from 1922.To some extent, the crisis can be blamed on climate change. The West is in the middle of a once-in-a-millennium drought. As temperatures rise, the snow pack that feeds the river has gotten much thinner and the river’s main reservoirs have all but dried up. But that’s only part of the story. The United States has also been overusing the Colorado for more than a century thanks to a byzantine set of flawed laws and lawsuits known as “the law of the river.” This legal tangle not only has been over-allocating the river, it also has been driving conflict in the region, especially between the two biggest users: California and Arizona, both trying to secure as much water as they can. And now, as a massive drought grips the region, the law of the river has reached a breaking point.Video:Jake BittleDaniel PennerData and map animations:Jesse NicholsVideographer:Nikki DoddDeputy Editor:Teresa ChinExecutive Editor:Kat BagleyAdditional reading:Feds’ Colorado River choice: California’s rights or Arizona’s future?grist.org/drought/colorado-river-cuts-arizona-california-lower-basinTribes in the Colorado River Basin are fighting for their water. States wish they wouldn’t.grist.org/indigenous/colorado-river-tribal-water-rights-navajo-nation-arizona-nevada-drought-dataThe Colorado River is drying up. Here’s how that affects Indigenous water rightsgrist.org/equity/colorado-river-drought-indigenous-water-rightsSources:History of Parker Dam war between Arizona and California (among other sources)azcapitoltimes.com/news/2015/06/29/tale-of-the-arizona-navy-old-story-revived-as-state-competes-with-california-for-waterFlow of Colorado River, 1930 - 2016 (Wheeler, 2019)researchgate.net/publication/336058345_Water_Resource_Modeling_of_the_Colorado_River_Present_and_Future_Strategies#pf9Flow of Colorado River, 2000-2018 (Stern, Sheikh, 2020)crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45546/13Estimated flow of Colorado River (Kuhn, Fleck, 2021)bookshop.org/p/books/science-be-dammed-how-ignoring-inconvenient-science-drained-the-colorado-river/18865804?ean=97808165432361963 Court Casebooks.google.com/books?id=BAFiIBETui8C&pg=RA14-PP29&lpg=RA14-PP29&dq=%22Motion+to+Reopen+the+Trial+for+the+Taking+of+Evidence+re+Depletion+of+the+Colorado+River+at+Lee+Ferry%22&source=bl&ots=RVZMKCCO3w&sig=ACfU3U1AYFSruhZWYD9TefD1_dZsm9kLsg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPv9DvmNn9AhWyEFkFHUpwBPsQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&q=%22morally%20certain%22&f=falseCalifornia Congress keeping water for own state:http://www.g-a-l.info/capreport.pdfVisual sources:Getty ImagesNational ArchivesLibrary of CongressUCLA | Charles E. Young Research Library: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0StoryblocksMusic:Audiosocket
Why bigger freeways means worse traffic Grist 2023-03-16 | Check out our full video on the compelling case for removing urban freeways: youtu.be/O6WtYTThkdU
Exxon predicted climate change with 99% accuracy — in 1985. Grist 2023-02-17 | #shorts Watch our full video here: youtu.be/zF9me_FYcEsFor a transcript, sources, and further reading:grist.org/grist-video/just-how-good-were-exxons-climate-projections
Here’s how much Exxon really knew Grist 2023-02-14 | Exxon predicted climate change with 99% accuracy — in 1985.For a transcript, sources, and further reading:grist.org/grist-video/just-how-good-were-exxons-climate-projections
Methane’s life, death, and secret second life Grist 2023-01-10 | Everything you need to know about the extremely powerful greenhouse gas.For more information about our sources and the how we calculated our 100 molecules, check out our website: grist.org/climate/methanes-life-death-and-secret-second-life
How much could you save with an e-bike? Grist 2022-12-07 | Electric bike sales are booming. In the United States, retailers more than doubled their sales in 2020 and demand has only increased. Globally, we’re expected to reach 40 million e-bikes sold in the year 2023. It’s easy to see why. On the spectrum of transportation options, e-bikes have some clear benefits: They use a great deal less energy (and therefore cost less) than a personal car. They save a lot of effort (and are therefore more convenient) than a regular bike. And depending on your route, they can even be the fastest way to arrive at your destination. It’s easy to find testimonials from people on the internet who have swapped a car for an electric bicycle. In fact, we produced a video about this very topic with Grist reporter Eve Andrews a few years ago. These anecdotes often come from people living in dense cities, where trip distances tend to be shorter. But what about folks who live in suburban or rural towns — are e-bikes still a good deal? As part of our video series Crunch the Numbers, we decided to look into how much carbon and cash the average American household could save if they swapped out their vehicle for an e-bike.Spreadsheet with calculator and sources:docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11Kv1mUb5EAvTweobKLRqxU70Z56aD_wBeC624qktnZI/edit#gid=184833348
How snow loss is fueling the West’s megadrought Grist 2022-10-05 | Lake Mead is America’s largest reservoir, supplying water for 25 million people across the southwest. It’s also drying up — a kind of poster child for the ongoing drought in the West. But upstream, a much larger but lesser known source of stored water is also disappearing: mountain snow. This is how climate change is throwing one of the United States’ most critical sources of water out of whack. In the near future, the West could lose about a quarter of its historical snowpack. As for the end of the century, that’s where climate models start to diverge, largely depending on how fast we end up taking action on the climate crisis. Sources:Siirila-Woodburn et al. 2021nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00219-yHuning et al. 2020pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1915921117Swain et al. 2015agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015GL066628Swain et al. 2014www2.ametsoc.org/ams/assets/File/publications/BAMS_EEE_2013_Full_Report.pdf#page=11Drought.govdrought.gov/great-western-snow-drought-2015#climatechange #drought #snow #lakemead #climate #climatecrisis
Whats the true cost of an induction stove? Grist 2022-09-07 | A cook's climate, health, and cost guide to the induction versus gas debate.For decades, cooking with a gas stove has been seen as the fanciest and most enjoyable way to cook. But are we really better off with natural gas? Climate experts and professional chefs alike say that there is an alternative that could give gas a run for its money: induction stoves.Link to heat pump video:youtube.com/watch?v=wSvn3UzbPGYHere are our sources:Grist's own calculations of CO2 footprint:docs.google.com/document/d/1Sq0Jakf-AUoGZ3HuAt2Cz4-94byVU_cJ3f7IgnFpqeI/edit?usp=sharingLowe's data set we pulled 8/31/22docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13al-6cCPWmRKIKziyUFLVF-brvklbJZ4RIlmZMoYb4Y/edit#gid=568320053Cost comparison of operation, gas vs. inductiondocs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tpdiQLP12WxbglhzmUTBrRFKWzMpKgZ_p80J4AwEFYM/edit#gid=665296455Frontier Energy study on energy use of induction stoves vs. gas stovessmud.org/-/media/Documents/Corporate/About-Us/Energy-Research-and-Development/Induction-Range-Final-Report---July-2019.ashx#page=21Lebel, 2022Methane and NOx Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves, Cooktops, and Ovens in Residential Homespubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c04707Columbia CO2 electricity maphttps://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/research/report/low-carbon-heat-solutions-heavy-industry-sources-options-and-costs-todayLin, 2013Meta-analysis of the effects of indoor nitrogen dioxide and gas cooking on asthma and wheeze in children academic.oup.com/ije/article/42/6/1724/737113?login=falseConsumer Reports, pros and cons of inductionconsumerreports.org/electric-induction-ranges/pros-and-cons-of-induction-cooktops-and-ranges-a5854942923New York Times, The case for induction cookingnytimes.com/2022/03/11/dining/induction-cooking.htmlGrist, Your gas stove is warming the climate, even when it's turned offgrist.org/buildings/your-gas-stove-is-warming-the-climate-even-when-its-turned-off00:00 Intro00:45 How efficient are induction stoves?01:50 CO2 / environmental comparison03:22 Cost comparison04:39 Cookware question05:13 Health and kitchen pollution06:07 Big picture#induction #cooking #climatechange #cookingwithgas
The temperature threshold the human body cant survive Grist 2022-08-17 | New research says this dangerous wet bulb temperature is happening sooner than we thought.Read more: grist.org/climate/the-temperature-threshold-the-human-body-cant-survive#climatechange #heatwaves #science
Whats the true cost of a heat pump? Grist 2022-07-06 | The home heating and cooling technology known as the heat pump is incredibly efficient, meaning big potential savings both for carbon emissions and for utility bills. So how good are heat pumps for the climate? And how much money do they save? Resources:Carbon Switch heat pump savings guide:carbonswitch.com/heat-pump-savingsFixr home heating cost estimates:Heat pump: fixr.com/costs/heat-pump-installationOil furnace: fixr.com/costs/oil-furnaceGas furnace: fixr.com/costs/natural-gas-furnaceThis Old House, how a heat pump works:youtube.com/watch?v=-vU9x3dFMrUThis Old House, how to install a heat pump:youtube.com/watch?v=lF10daoMragShannon's Grist article on heat pumps in cold climates:grist.org/housing/heat-pumps-do-work-in-the-cold-americans-just-dont-know-it-yetRMI's guide to heat pumps in cold environmentsWirecutter guide to heat pumpsnytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/heat-pump-buying-guideConsumer Reports guide to heat pumpsconsumerreports.org/cro/heat-pumps/buying-guide/index.htmHeat pumps that look like George Clooney:twitter.com/mikefsway/status/1503362924529823756?s=20&t=-Idx7uOAstc6q_CEQ7hPNQ00:00 Intro00:29 How efficient are heat pumps?01:17 What's the CO2 savings?02:52 Cost comparison05:50 Heat pumps in cold weather#heatpump #climatechange #personalfinance #co2
How a beaver boom is reshaping floods and fire Grist 2022-06-08 | Beavers can be a nuisance — but they might also offer some real climate benefits.David Haakenson thinks about water a lot. That’s because the farm he owns in western Washington experiences frequent, catastrophic floods. And climate change is making that trend worse.“We had floods in October. We had floods in November, December, January, February, and March,” said Haakenson, the owner of Jubilee Farm. “There's this kind of anxiety that involves — like, when you look out on the field and say, ‘Wow, I make my living off that field and now it's a lake.’”To protect Jubilee Farm, Haakenson is looking to an unlikely ally: Beavers. Because it turns out, beavers might actually offer some real protection against climate impacts like flooding and wildfires — if people can learn to live with them.#beavers #flood #climatechange #wildfire
The deadly chemical refineries are reluctant to quit Grist 2022-04-06 | Hydrofluoric acid can form a lethal cloud of gas that can travel for miles. At refineries nationwide, a toxic release is only an accident away.Further reading:Summer's websitetcipcommunities.wixsite.com/homeActivists and Oil Refiners Square Off Over Hydrofluoric Acid | Undarkundark.org/2018/10/10/hydrofluoric-acid-oil-refining-explosionAir board kills regulation of dangerous refinery acid in favor of oil industry plan | Los Angeles Timeslatimes.com/environment/story/2019-09-06/oil-refinery-acid-pollution-regulationThe ExxonMobil near-disaster you probably haven’t heard of | Center for Public Integritypublicintegrity.org/environment/the-exxonmobil-near-disaster-you-probably-havent-heard-ofSafeguards for Hydrofluoric Acid Tested, 1988 | Los Angeles Timeslatimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-09-22-me-3401-story.htmlSafety Fears in Torrance Strain Ties With Mobil, 1989 | Los Angeles Timeslatimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-16-me-2629-story.html
How a geothermal breakthrough could transform our energy grid Grist 2022-03-16 | Newberry Volcano — the largest volcano in the Pacific Northwest — is the site of an experiment that’s aiming for a breakthrough in geothermal energy. The experiment is one small step in the high-risk, high-reward world of next generation geothermal. The goal is to replace fossil fuels with this always-on, renewable energy. The challenge, however, is getting it to work.#geothermal #renewables #proofofconcept #geothermalenergy
Climate Solutions from the Frontlines of Environmental Justice Grist 2022-03-04 | "Climate solutions from the frontlines of environmental justice" sponsored by Grist and Climate Justice AllianceAs humanity tackles the threat of climate change, it must move with urgency to ensure a liveable future. At the same time, it must also protect the lives and livelihoods of those on the frontline of the crisis today — who suffer unduly from the pollution that contributes to warming, as well as the impacts of a changing climate. Leaders from frontline communities throughout the United States have worked hard to ensure a voice for their neighbors and have also developed a framework for evaluating solutions to the climate crisis that are just and equitable.In this discussion, leaders from across the country will discuss the framework of centering equity and justice and tackling the root causes of the climate crisis as society moves away from fossil fuels, share real-life examples of how solutions that meet that framework operate on the ground, and warn of what they see as “false solutions,” which rather than benefiting vulnerable communities will ensure they remain sacrifice zones.
How Were Fixin It: Scaling Climate Tech with Community Investment Grist 2022-02-25 | Climate solutions are most successful when they are led by the communities they aim to serve, especially when those communities are affected by climate change today. Join Fix Network Weaver Tory Stephens for a conversation with Elemental Excelerator’s founder and CEO Dawn Lippert, Managing Director of Equity & Access Sara Chandler, and CEO and Co-Founder of Allume Energy Cameron Knox (an Elemental portfolio company) exploring the dynamic nature of deployment of climate technologies in the real world. They’ll share their experiences and insights designing mutually beneficial partnerships between startups and community-based organizations for increased social and environmental impact.
This iron flow battery could power a more renewable grid Grist 2022-02-10 | Jesse traveled to a factory in Oregon, that’s building a new type of battery.Sitting in a row outside of the factory, these giant batteries are the size of freight containers. Powered by vats of iron and saltwater, they’re called iron flow batteries. And they’re part of a wave of cleantech inventions designed to store energy from the sun and the wind, and solve a problem that has stumped the energy world for more than 150 years.#ironbattery #flowbattery #energy #energystorage #ironwater #flow #renewables
What bacteria in smoke means for our health Grist 2022-01-12 | At a prescribed burn site in rural Idaho, a team of fire scientists are using a tricked-out drone to hunt for life in the smoke. What they discover could have big implications for our world, and our health. Inside the cloud of smoke, amid all the dust and ash, are hundreds, or even thousands, of different bacteria and fungi. The scientists studying them are part of an entirely new field of research: Pyroaerobiology, the study of life in smoke.The field is so new that it didn’t exist just a few years ago. Back then, there was only one published study on this subject. And it came from a high school science fair project.
What moss tells us about air pollution Grist 2021-12-08 | A sprig of moss is growing on a tree in the Duwamish Valley, the most polluted area in Seattle. While that moss might seem ordinary, it has a secret superpower: It’s keeping a record of the pollution in the air — from the trucks, trains, planes, cargo ships, and hundreds of industrial facilities that surround it. Now, a group of community scientists are using this overlooked plant to take control of the air they breathe.This is the first video in our new science series, Proof of Concept.#airpollution #moss #citizenscience
Proof of Concept | A new science series from Grist Grist 2021-12-07 | I’m Jesse Nichols, and I cover science and solutions at Grist. I spent the last six month working on a brand new science series that’s dropping next week:It’s called Proof of Concept, and it’s a series about the messy process of how scientific progress actually happens. The accidental discoveries, the great ideas that just sit there until the right person comes along at the right time, -- and just all the clever and scrappy and sometimes lucky work that moves science forward. I spent the last six months researching and traveling and talking to people about stories big and small — from the tiniest microbes floating in the air to a renewable energy project on one of the largest volcanoes in the American West. We’ll be launching our first episode tomorrow. See you then!
How Were Fixin It: Scaling Climate Tech with Community Investment Grist 2021-12-03 | Climate solutions are most successful when they are led by the communities they aim to serve, especially when those communities are affected by climate change today. Join Fix Network Weaver Tory Stephens for a conversation with Elemental Excelerator’s founder and CEO Dawn Lippert, Managing Director of Equity & Access Sara Chandler, and CEO and Co-Founder of Allume Energy Cameron Knox (an Elemental portfolio company) exploring the dynamic nature of deployment of climate technologies in the real world. They’ll share their experiences and insights designing mutually beneficial partnerships between startups and community-based organizations for increased social and environmental impact.
Carbon Removal and Environmental Justice: An Equitable Path to Net-negative Grist 2021-10-20 | Climate change is here, affecting the lives of communities across the globe. We’ve already reached an untenable degree of warming, and cutting emissions alone won’t reduce the impacts of CO2 already trapped in the atmosphere. “Carbon removal” encompasses a variety of emerging methods to clean up those legacy emissions. The question facing the climate community today is how.This discussion takes a hard look at how to deploy carbon removal, from healthy soil practices to direct air capture, that centers the needs of communities, prioritizing engagement, safety, equity, and justice. Without just policy and broader community involvement, many carbon removal projects won’t get off the ground, slowing the clean-up of legacy emissions.
Inside Vancouver’s plan to be the greenest city in the world Grist 2021-09-30 | A little over ten years ago, Vancouver city officials outlined a big, ambitious goal: to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. So... how'd they do?To learn more, check out Grist reporter Shannon Osaka's reporting on Vancouver's journey to become the greenest city in the world: grist.org/cities/vancouver-promised-greenest-city-in-the-world-2020-what-went-wrongExplore Vancouver's greenest city data yourself:vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/greenest-city-goals-targets.aspx#climatepledge #climate #urbanism
Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors Grist 2021-09-21 | Fix invites you to join a conversation about decolonizing and diversifying climate storytelling, as explored in its inaugural climate-fiction contest, Imagine 2200. Authors and Imagine 2200 judges Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, Kiese Laymon, and Sheree Renée Thomas will join Fix’s Tory Stephens and Columbia University’s Brian Kahn to discuss how to build deeply intersectional worlds, systems, and solutions, and create visions for a planet grounded in justice and abundance. This event is presented in partnership with Columbia Climate School’s MA in Climate and Society and Orion Magazine, and with support from NRDC.
The artist fusing science fiction and Native ideas Grist 2021-07-28 | The events at Standing Rock prompted sculptor Cannupa Hanska Luger (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota), who was born on the reservation, to consider art in a new light. More than an object to be admired, art is a process, a way of connecting and engaging people. That realization shifted his focus toward designing new forms of collective participation, for the water protectors there at Standing Rock, and for others. He made an instructional video demonstrating how to build mirrored shields that people could use to protect themselves and to confront law enforcement officers with their own reflections. In a project focused on the murder of Indigenous women, girls, and trans and queer people, he asked communities affected by the crisis to create clay beads, which he stained and used to create a massive mosiac-style portrait. Much of his current work falls under a banner he calls “future ancestral technologies,” which combines sci-fi, technology, and Native sensibilities and ideas. “Science fiction creates a tunnel into the future, which is a shadow for us,” he says. He’s currently working on a speculative narrative of the next 30,000 years, in which the elites have ruined and abandoned Earth, the colonialist mentality has collapsed, and those left behind atone and rebuild.#scifi #clifi #grist50 #climate #environment
How the rise of Teslas Model S is tied to a government scandal Grist 2021-07-21 | A little over a decade ago, Solyndra was the hottest thing in solar power. Solyndra was so exciting that then-President Barack Obama, who was trying to create green jobs while pulling the country out of the financial crisis, decided to give the company a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy.Within two years, Solyndra was bankrupt, out-competed by cheaper solar panels coming from China. Republicans launched a big Congressional investigation, and the FBI raided the company’s headquarters to find out where all the money had gone. Mitt Romney even went to Solyndra headquarters in Fremont, California, to make a speech decrying government waste for his 2012 campaign.Solyndra, Republicans said, was the perfect example of everything that was totally wrong with Obama’s plan to boost clean energy with government-issued loans. But what about the rest of the loans the Obama administration gave out, like Tesla? And what should the purpose of such a loan program even be? Reporter Shannon Osaka crunches the Department of Energy’s numbers and answers what really happened to the government’s green loan program.Sources:Josh Freed, The Third WayAndrés Prieto, The Third WayThe Fifth Risk, by Michael LewisDepartment of Energy PDF of loan program: energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/DOE-LPO_APSR_FY2020.pdfDepartment of Energy Solyndra announcement: energy.gov/articles/obama-administration-offers-535-million-loan-guarantee-solyndra-incAP loan program revival: apnews.com/article/jennifer-granholm-interviews-energy-loans-5ceef97a73fc04fe3cca75bf84e91327Ishan NathFurther reading:Politico: politico.com/news/2021/03/17/energy-department-loan-guarantees-476719NPR: npr.org/2014/11/13/363572151/after-solyndra-loss-u-s-energy-loan-program-turning-a-profitThe New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era, by Michael Grunwald#tesla #ev #cleanenergy #solyndra #solyndrascandal #departmentofenergy #elonmusk
Brooklyns bike-powered compost service Grist 2021-07-13 | For Ceci Pineda, composting isn't just smart. It’s also an ancestral practice, and an accessible way of modeling the kind of resource-conscious lifestyles we need to address climate change. “It takes so much energy and work to produce a vegetable,” Pineda says. Why throw that valuable resource in the trash when it could be turned into another valuable resource? As the executive director of BK ROT, Pineda gets to bring that practice to their fellow New Yorkers. The Brooklyn-based, bike-powered composting service employs young people from the community to collect food scraps from homes and businesses and turn that “waste” into compost for local agriculture and soil-restoration projects. “We’re a small model compared to the city’s huge footprint,” Pineda says, “but we see ourselves modeling a closed-loop service through which we can responsibly manage our waste.” #compost #foodwaste #grist50 #brooklyn
The truth about Bitcoins energy use Grist 2021-06-22 | Do cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin amount to climate arson or a clean-energy boon? Well, it’s complicated.Sources + further readingUniversity of Cambridge | Stat: 40% of mining is from renewable energyjbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/alternative-finance/publications/3rd-global-cryptoasset-benchmarking-studyCoinShares Research | 70% renewable statcoinshares.com/research/bitcoin-mining-network-december-2019University of Cambridge | Stat: 130 TWhcbeci.orgEthereum foundation blog | A country's worth of power, no more!blog.ethereum.org/2021/05/18/country-power-no-moreWhat do NFTs mean for art and the Earth?grist.org/ask-umbra-series/what-do-nfts-mean-for-art-and-for-the-earthAnalysts debate whether cryptocurrency has a green futureeenews.net/stories/1063729471How Much Energy Does Bitcoin Actually Consume?hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actually-consumeThis power plant stopped burning fossil fuels. Then Bitcoin came along.grist.org/technology/bitcoin-greenidge-seneca-lake-cryptocurrencySquare -- Bitcoin is Key to an Abundant, Clean Energy Futureassets.ctfassets.net/2d5q1td6cyxq/5mRjc9X5LTXFFihIlTt7QK/e7bcba47217b60423a01a357e036105e/BCEI_White_Paper.pdf#bitcoin #crypto #climate #climatechange
How Were Fixin It: A Data-Driven Story of Air, People, and Science Grist 2021-06-10 | Join Grist Fixer Davida Herzl of Aclima, Ms. Margaret Gordon of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, and Jack Broadbent of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in a conversation about how the modernization of air monitoring has helped implement community-led solutions in West Oakland.
Growing Climate Justice: The recipe for a just and sustainable future Grist 2021-05-27 | Join activists Alicia Garza, Leah Penniman, and Grist CEO Brady Piñero Walkinshaw for a live chat on climate and racial justice.
How much does an electric car actually cost? Grist 2021-05-11 | Electric vehicles have long been seen as crucial to moving the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels: Many Americans are too car-addicted to abandon their personal vehicles, and the country is too tethered to its highways and suburbs to make a quick switch to a full-scale European-style public transportation system. (Sorry, mass-transit advocates.) A fleet of EVs, running on clean electricity, could help slash the 28 percent of U.S. emissions that come from transportation. But often, possible EV buyers are understandably scared off by the higher sticker price. But what about over the lifetime of a vehicle? Shannon Osaka digs into this tricky question.If you're curious about our methodology, we used a 2020 report from Consumer Reports, showing the difference in lifetime fueling costs of Crossovers/SUVs ($11,200) and maintenance ($4,600) for all models.The link to to the full report is here [PDF]: advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EV-Ownership-Cost-Final-Report-1.pdfAnd the shortened writeup about it here: consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/evs-offer-big-savings-over-traditional-gas-powered-carsSourcesCongressional Research Service: fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF11017.pdf2 EVs for every 100 new cars purchased stat: insideclimatenews.org/news/21122020/electric-vehicles-in-2020Department of Energy electric chargers by zip code: afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html#/find/nearest?fuel=ELECRoughly half of Americans unable to receive full tax benefit:dqydj.com/household-income-percentile-calculatorAdditional reading:The EV tax credit can save you thousands — if you’re rich enoughgrist.org/energy/the-ev-tax-credit-can-save-you-thousands-if-youre-rich-enoughHow to ensure electric cars aren’t just for rich peoplegrist.org/justice/making-electric-cars-more-equitableIn Chicago, ‘charging deserts’ part of racial divide on electric vehiclesenergynews.us/2020/12/14/in-chicago-another-roadblock-for-would-be-ev-drivers-charging-desertsBuying an Electric Vehicle? Here Is Some Advice.nytimes.com/article/electric-vehicle-ev-buying-guide.html#electriccars #kona #ev #tesla #hyundai
This doctor connects climate change with health Grist 2021-05-04 | Patients trust their doctors with the intimate details of their lives, including struggles with housing, racism, or the immigration system. Gaurab Basu considers this a privilege. All healthcare providers are storytellers, and they can use these anecdotes to foster systemic change. The Center for Health Equity strives to equip them with the skills they need to advocate for better policies. What galvanized Basu was the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which chronicled the threats to everything he cares about as a doctor — dignity, equity, justice, health. He jumped into creating new curricula for medical professionals incorporating climate and equity; writing op-eds about planetary and human well-being; testifying about how to bring health into decisions about building or transportation policy; and generally mobilizing others to make these connections. “I get excited about a world in which we do this right,” he says.#climatechange #publichealth #grist50 #climate
The climate tipping points that could change the Earth forever Grist 2021-04-29 | How close are we to a climate tipping point? In 2019 an international team of scientists published a commentary in the celebrated science journal Nature, sounding the alarm of a planet in crisis — and calling for transformative change. “We are in a state of planetary emergency,” they wrote, departing from the usual sterility of scientific writing. “The stability and resilience of our planet is in peril.”Yes, they were writing about climate change, but of a particular kind: climate tipping points, elements of the Earth system in which small changes in global temperature can kick off reinforcing loops that ‘tip’ a system into a profoundly different state, accelerating heat waves, permafrost thaw, and coastal flooding — and, in some cases, fueling more warming. The planet has already warmed by roughly 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, and if humans keep flooding the atmosphere with greenhouse gases at the same rate, we’re on track to increase that to 2.7 to 3.1 degrees C (4.9 to 5.6 degrees F) by the end of the century. Learn more about tipping points: grist.org/climate-tipping-points-amazon-greenland-boreal-forest#climatechange #tippingpoints
Turning e-waste into good jobs Grist 2021-04-07 | Despite a lifelong love of data and numbers, the accounting scandals of the early aughts (remember Enron?) prompted Amanda LaGrange to reconsider a corporate career. She was drawn to the idea of something with a social mission, but nothing clicked until a friend started Tech Dump. The nonprofit provides skills and career paths for ex-offenders, hiring them to recycle and repurpose surplus electronics and e-waste — the fastest-growing garbage stream in the world. LaGrange joined in 2013 as director of marketing, then became CEO two years later. The organization has processed 35 million pounds of gadgets and junk since its founding and now employs 71 people. “In addition to the environmental work, it’s the training ground for amazing humans who are often overlooked,” she says. The company spun off a retail outlet, Tech Discounts, in 2016 and hopes to expand throughout the Midwest and add national business partners.This is the second of a five video profiles we’re launching as a part of the Grist 50 - our annual list of 50 people who are doing cool work in climate and the environment — artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more. You can check out the full list here: grist.org/grist-50/2021#recycling #zerowaste #recycle
3 expert tips to spot bullshit Grist 2021-03-30 | Bullshit is everywhere. Here’s what you can do about it.An interview with Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, the writers of the book Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World.For sources and more info, visit: grist.org/grist-video/bullshit-is-everywhere-heres-what-you-can-do-about-it#misinformation #callingbullshit #fakenews
The Year Ahead: American Leadership on Climate Grist 2021-03-26 | Grist sits down with the Biden Administration's White House Climate Advisor for an intimate conversation.
This scientist brings lizards to Instagram Grist 2021-03-23 | As @AfroHerper, Earyn McGee uses social media to build a more inclusive community by talking biodiversity, justice, climate change, and, above all, lizards. Lots of lizards. This is the first of a five video profiles we’re launching as a part of the Grist 50 - our annual list of 50 people who are doing cool work in climate and the environment — artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more. You can check out the full list here: grist.org/grist-50/2021McGee's Twitter game #FindThatLizard, featuring pics of herps in hiding, is a smash. Offline she’s a STEM ambassador, introducing middle-school girls to careers in science and nature. Her Ph.D. research includes the impact of climate change on bug-eating lizards and analysis of the barriers discouraging Black women from careers in natural-resource management. As for her next move, post-Ph.D.? Perhaps a natural-history TV show.#scicomm #lizardsquad #lizards
Climate. Justice. Solutions. Reframing The Climate Story Grist 2021-03-19 | Join Grist CEO Brady Piñero Walkinshaw, Grist Executive Editor Nikhil Swaminathan, and Fix Director Lisa Garcia for a conversation about Grist's new focus, the climate opportunity in 2021, and how stories can change the climate crisis.
The Paris climate agreement, explained (5 years later) Grist 2021-01-21 | Here's what that means for the U.S., the world, and climate change.The United States is rejoining the Paris climate agreement, fulfilling one of President Joe Biden’s earliest campaign promises and generating sighs of relief around the world as governments struggle to keep the planet’s temperature from surging to even more dangerous levels.#parisagreement #climatechange #paris #parisaccord #emissions
This tiny model town shows how we could achieve 100% clean energy Grist 2021-01-07 | We built this tiny model town to show what it would look like if we tried to transition to 100% clean energy. In the real world, it can be even more difficult. Staff reporter Shannon Osaka wrote about what it really means when cities say they're going '100 percent renewable.' You can find that link here: grist.org/energy/can-a-city-truly-be-100-renewable-its-complicatedShow notes:Thanks for watching! This is a super complex topic and so there's a lot that I didn't get to cover. Below you'll find my sources as well as resources for more information.Interviews:Dr. Jesse D. Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Princeton UniversityDr. Leah Stokes, Professor, University of California Santa BarbaraSources:Sepulveda, Jenkins, de Sisternes, Lester | The role of firm low-carbon electricity resources in deep decarbonization of power generationcell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(18)30386-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2542435118303866%3Fshowall%3DtrueLeah Stokes, Democracy Journal | Cleaning up the electricity systemdemocracyjournal.org/magazine/56/cleaning-up-the-electricity-systemGriffith, Calisch, Fraser | Rewiring Americarewiringamerica.org/handbookForeign Affairs | Paths to net zeroforeignaffairs.com/articles/2020-04-13/paths-net-zeroMore info:Dr. Leah Stokes’ video for Grist on how quickly we need to ramp up renewablesyoutube.com/watch?v=DIRdg7NmsOgShe also wrote a book on clean energy and politics, “Rewiring America”leahstokes.com/bookVox explainer video on the variability of solaryoutube.com/watch?v=YYLzss58CLsHow to decarbonize America – and the worldtechcrunch.com/2019/02/15/how-to-decarbonize-america-and-the-worldWhat’s the future of nuclear energy?grist.org/article/next-gen-nuclear-is-coming-if-we-want-it#cleanenergy #renewables #renewableenergy #cleanpower #100percentrenewable #wind #solar #hydrogen #nuclear
1,000 years of fake meat, in two minutes Grist 2020-12-08 | We prepared six faux meat dishes from the past 1,000 years, ranging from mock lamb chops in 965 to the "bleeding" Impossible Burger in 2016. For sources and information, check out our show notes below:Sources:Vegetarian Goose:“Recipes from the Garden of Contentment” (2018)Translated and Annotated by Dr. Sean J.S. Chen,Based on: Yuan Mei, "Suiyuan Shidan 隨園食單" (1792) Berkshire Publishing (Award: Best in the World - Translation - Gourmand International 2019) Translator website: wayoftheeating.wordpress.comMock lamb chops reference:Science and Civilisation in China, Volume Six: Biology and Biological Technology, Part V: Fermentations and Food Science by H.T. HuangThere was no official recipe for the "Mock lamb chops," as they were simply referred to as tofu. We marinated the tofu in soy sauce and pepper and then grilled them, topping them with cilantro. Protose recipe: babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822035085810&view=1up&seq=5How the origins of mock meat is rooted in Chinese tradition:vice.com/en/article/8xyqqz/the-origins-of-fake-meat-are-rooted-in-chinese-cookingHistory of the mock meat craze at the beginning of the 1900s: smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/turn-century-meatless-meat-180972042 Further reading about Dr. Kellogg: npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/08/542145177/how-the-battling-kellogg-brothers-revolutionized-american-breakfastReference to the Boca Burger's origins (originally called the Sun Burger): foodbusinessnews.net/articles/11452-kraft-heinz-flips-boca-burger-for-modern-age#vegetarianfood #vegetarian #vegan #tofurky #impossiblefoods #bocaburger
Net zero climate plans, explained Grist 2020-11-10 | The past year has seen an explosion in the number of companies announcing they are now “net-zero” or “carbon neutral,” or at least plan to be in the next 30 years. Unilever, Uber, and Facebook are just a few of the recent additions to the club, and even major oil companies like BP and Shell say they are on board. If you’re rolling your eyes and thinking this is just the latest PR stunt, you’re not wrong — if you read the fine print, companies have defined those terms for themselves in a number of different, and often not very meaningful, ways. But you’re also not entirely right, because “net-zero” is more specific than “sustainable” or “eco-friendly.” It’s measurable, at least in theory. Here are 4 ways to tell whether a company’s climate pledge is legit.#netzero #climatepledge #carbonneutral #climatechange #climate
4 years of Trump and climate change, in 8 minutes Grist 2020-10-21 | A lot has happened since Donald Trump became president. Here is one presidential term, as told through climate change.#climate #president #climatechange #vote #climatecrisis #donaldtrump
The rule increasing city speed limits Grist 2020-10-07 | Speed limits are set by drivers "voting with their feet." That's a problem for everyone else on the street.For sources and further reading, visit:grist.org/energy/a-1930s-city-planning-rule-has-drivers-setting-their-own-speed-limits
How COVID-19 is public transit’s kryptonite Grist 2020-09-09 | Transit's superpower is extra vulnerable to COVID-19. Here's how.For show notes, visit:grist.org/energy/how-covid-19-is-a-threat-to-the-premise-of-public-transit#coronavirus #transit #socialdistancing #covid19 #masks #busses #subway #lightrail #publichealth
