Climate change is harming people in the United States and around the world. While climate change harms people from all walks of life, those who have done the least to cause climate change often suffer the most, while those who have emitted the most carbon pollution often suffer the least. Climate change also exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, including those based on personal factors (such as age or existing health issues) and social factors (such as systemic racism and poverty). Moreover, investments in climate change solutions, such as flood protection or renewable energy, often tend to benefit people and communities who are already advantaged.

https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/who-supports-climate-justice-in-the-u-s/

Climate change is harming people in the United States and around the world. While climate change harms people from all walks of life, those who have done the least to cause climate change often suffer the most, while those who have emitted the most carbon pollution often suffer the least. Climate change also exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, including those based on personal factors (such as age or existing health issues) and social factors (such as systemic racism and poverty). Moreover, investments in climate change solutions, such as flood protection or renewable energy, often tend to benefit people and communities who are already advantaged...

https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/who-supports-climate-justice-in-the-u-s/

Patrick Greenfield

Wed 29 Nov 2023 06.00 EST

The natural world underpins human civilisation on every corner of the planet. From oceans to rainforests, grasslands to mangrove swamps, ecosystems feed billions of humans, produce clean water and provide materials for shelter. As the planet heats, scientists and conservationists are urging the world to harness and restore nature to maintain a habitable planet.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/29/from-tree-planting-to-sponge-cities-why-nature-based-solutions-are-crucial-to-fighting-the-climate-crisis

Help New Haven students collect data on school transportation. The students will use the data to propose ways to improve transportation and reduce climate and air pollution.  Take the 3 minute survey here.

Transportation is a crucial part of NHPS students’ lives but is also a major source of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. These emissions contribute to global warming and air pollution, having many harmful effects on the environment and people's health. However, by using environmentally-friendly ways of transportation –such as walking, taking the school/city bus, and carpooling– we can make a positive impact! This is a change that the school district wants to see in the near future. By taking this survey, you will provide us with invaluable data, which we will use to create change in our school district. Your input is greatly valued! Families are welcome to complete this survey together!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6J6Fue61GwRMmXOE-h9waJqJXMH83NJfmI3UJv0IVP957XQ/viewform

So you think it’s hot out there now? Consider the summer of 2053. That’s what researchers at First Street Foundation, a New York nonprofit that studies climate risk, have done in a report published today.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-15/us-south-midwest-will-reach-temps-of-125-f-by-2050s

Climate change is widely acknowledged as the existential crisis of our time, a “code red for humanity,” in the words of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. With the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act on Sunday — in the middle of a summer that has brought record heat and innumerable weather-related disasters — it looks like the federal government will finally take some long overdue action on climate change...

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3594406-can-philanthropy-rise-to-the-challenge-of-combating-climate-change/

Climate Change Teaching for Our Children's Futures

by Ginny Monk May 19, 2022

Connecticut schools will soon be required to teach climate change as a part of the science curriculum, a move state legislators and advocates say will mean changes at a small percentage of schools that aren’t yet bringing the subject to the classroom...

https://ctmirror.org/2022/05/19/ct-schools-will-soon-be-required-to-teach-climate-change/

Connecticut is not on track to meet the greenhouse gas emission goals set by the legislature — and transportation emissions are the main culprit.

The state’s annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory released Monday, which looks at data through 2018, shows transportation emissions are higher than they were in 1990, despite greater fuel efficiency in motor vehicles...

https://ctmirror.org/2021/09/07/ct-greenhouse-gas-emissions-rise-transportation-climate-initiative/

On April 6th, Dr. Peter Kalmus, NASA climate scientist and author, walked up to the JP Morgan Chase bank building in Los Angeles, pulled a pair of handcuffs out of a cloth bag and chained himself to the front door. With tears in his eyes, he spoke about the climate crisis to a group of supporters. ..

https://www.salon.com/2022/05/08/prognostic-myopia/

Climate change’s negative effects are coming to bear on high-priority philanthropic issues. More and better funding can protect vulnerable stakeholders and speed the net-zero transition.

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/its-time-for-philanthropy-to-step-up-the-fight-against-climate-change

DEEP released the Final Determination for Phase I of the Equitable Energy Efficiency (E3) Proceeding. The Final Determination contains eight high-level Goals and several associated Actions designed to characterize and enhance equity in Connecticut’s energy efficiency programs. More information about the E3 Proceeding, including a summary of public comments and a Summer 2021 Progress Report, can be found on our E3 webpage. DEEP sincerely thanks everyone that participated in this process through the submission of written comments or attendance at public meetings.

The Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) Recommendations included several on sustainable materials management. Important steps were taken to address waste in Connecticut in the 2021 legislative session with the passage of the Public Act 21-58, An Act Concerning Solid Waste Management, known as the “Bottle Bill.” DEEP has begun seeking public input on the implementation of the Bottle Bill. It includes an increased handling fee for containers, expansion of the types of containers covered under the Bottle Bill, increased deposits on containers, and other requirements to streamline the redemption of containers. A virtual public meeting on the stakeholder engagement process  will be held on Monday, August 9, 2021, 2 - 4 pm. Register here. More information on Connecticut's Bottle Bill Modernization Stakeholder Process is available here. The RecycleCT Foundation has also recently launched the Recycle CT Wizard App showing residents which items are acceptable in the recycling bin.

The RecycleCT Foundation has recently launched the Recycle CT Wizard App. The app builds on the successful RecycleCT Wizard search tool. The app languages beyond English and Spanish such as French, Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese. The app shows residents which items are acceptable in the recycling bin. the app also allows users to contact local recycling coordinators, or transfer stations, and to find out how to properly dispose of other materials.

A reminder to check out the FEMA webinar series starting July 28 in preparation for the FY21 $1 billion Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) grant program to be announced in August. We highly recommend attending these webinars if you are considering applying for these grants. The webinar topics are listed below.

Register here for "Responding to Extreme Heat in Connecticut," a Climate Solutions Webinar, on Monday, August 9, 2021, at 12 pm. More details on this webinar below.

Sincerely,
Dr. Rebecca French
Director of the Office of Climate Planning

I hope this post finds you and your families doing well and are healthy and safe during this incredibly challenging time.

I would like to let you know that we have launched the Executive Director search for the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs.  

Who is the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs?

The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs (CRCJ) builds alliances among diverse constituencies to combat climate change, create jobs and promote racial, economic and environmental justice. CRCJ embraces diversity as a source of power and engages in collective action to ensure that Connecticut provides leadership in creating a clean energy future.

Launched in 2012, CRCJ seeks to build a worker-oriented environmental movement committed to securing a fair and just transition that protects not only the environment but also the livelihoods of workers and their communities. Climate change is a global crisis that is affecting people’s lives and livelihoods and threatens the health and economic stability of Connecticut’s communities. CRCJ believes the climate crisis presents an opportunity to build thriving local economies that are not only more sustainable but also more just and equitable.

Who is the Ideal Candidate?

CRCJ seeks a dynamic and passionate Executive Director and Lead Organizer who will take this innovative nonprofit to its next level. The new leader will replace the founding Executive Director who has guided the organization since 2012. High priorities for the Executive Director include:

• Campaigns, Advocacy, Outreach and Education
• Organizational leadership
• CRCJ%20Position%20Desc%2004152020.pdfAdministration and Operations
• Fundraising
• Staff Supervision and Professional Development

The complete position description and required qualifications, as well as guidelines for interested candidates to submit applications, may be found at:

https://ctclimateandjobs.org/exec-search/

For your convenience, a complete description is also attached.

Best regards to all,

Michelle Eckman

CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs