Welcome to the newest subscribers and thank you for joining!
This issue is a bit of a roundup from news that I’ve consumed over the past couple weeks that I thought was worth sharing, and information I think you should know about.
So let’s get to it.
We Created the ‘Pandemicene’
“Many scientists have argued that climate change will make pandemics more likely, but a groundbreaking new analysis shows that this worrying future is already here, and will be difficult to address.”
This is not a fun read. Admittedly, like many, I feel overwhelmed and pretty much done with this pandemic. But, I know it isn’t done. So, while I want to mentally move on, I know I’ve got my mind on the future still. And then after reading this and recognizing that more pandemics like this are likely, it’s a lot to take in. Ss the climate shift alters animal habitats and increasingly brings contact between animals and humans, thus increasing the likelihood of transferring disease, it’s a problem that is already being considered for how to address it.
It might feel like there’s nothing you can do, but you can put pressure on Congress and your elected representatives locally to make environmentally-centric responsible decisions and actions.
If you aren’t sure where to start, I again recommend utilizing the UnF*** The Future Chrome extension, as well as setting up Ecosia as your default search engine.
My usage of Ecosia has already planted over 1300 trees on this computer. Little actions that take almost no effort can make a difference!
Environmental Racism
There are aspects of being aware of climate issues that are big, big, big, picture things - like thinking of habitat destruction that impacts potential pandemics.
And then there are localized problems like pollution.
John Oliver and his team at Last Week Tonight are the top of the comedic news - and frankly, investigative news - out there.
This piece is from May 2nd, but it’s an incredible important watch. The very quick synopsis is this:
Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by zoning regulations that put them into direct harm from corporate pollution. It is not a new problem.
Analysis: Fashion Industry Efforts to Verify Sustainability Make ‘Greenwashing’ Easier
Greenwashing continues to be a huge problem. In fact, if you missed it, the last issue was about just this idea.
Issue #24, was about consumer product certification companies, which is a perfect segue into this article.
“Environmental certification programs that claim to verify the sustainability of fashion brands actually facilitate “greenwashing” for the apparel industry, according to a recent report by environmental advocacy organization Changing Markets Foundation.”
Inside Climate News did an excellent job of breaking down this report from Changing Markets Foundation.
The report itself is well done and should be checked out as well.
We all buy clothes, and we hope that the brands we purchase from, and the retailers who stock them, are making choices the be better to people and the planet. The global supply chain is so complicated and complex, that it’s easy to lose sight of the impact it has on the planet.
That’s why we rely on certification companies to watchdog for us. But, if the certification is little more than a purchasable label and no concrete action behind it, then that is a huge problem.
That’s why you should read the article.
That’s it for this week, and thank you for subscribing. If you’re considering supporting this publication with a paid subscription, here’s a limited offer for an annual subscription.
Your support helps me continue my work here, access to commenting, exclusive posts, and future benefits. Thank you for the consideration (and an extra thanks to those that already do)!
-Michael