A low-barrier-to-entry way to advocate for change — I consider myself a newbie environmentalist, and I’m always envious of the kids from high school Environmental Clubs, who’ve seemingly been going to town hall meetings all their lives and communicate like charming and experienced diplomats… That’s not me. Talking to humans wasn’t my forte in high school. Environmentalism isn’t…

I’m a newbie at this but determined to learn — If you care about sustainability, you’re probably saturated on all the usual advice about recycling, composting, and the works. There is nothing wrong with doing these, but they aren’t the whole picture. I would argue that the more important sustainability skills are about advocacy and influencing policy. …

Because setting an intention is the first step to actually doing it — [Versions of this letter to the editor appeared in two local newspapers in my area: Easy Reader and Beach Reporter.] The recent wildfires and extreme weather in California are an unmistakable signal that climate change has arrived. …

It’s a goal that’s essential but not enough. Research Tidbit #9 — You may have heard the phrase ‘net-zero’ in the context of climate action. I came across it when as a part of my reading project on sustainability and climate. When a country, company or other entity pledges net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it means the amount of GHG they put…

Enough with the breathless ‘Is climate change real? Are we doomed? Will politicians fail us?’ rigmarole. — The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties or COP26 starts on October 31st in Glasgow, Scotland. Here are two things to know about it: 1. It is essential. It is a meeting of world leaders, where each country sets its emission reductions targets, plans to restore its ecosystems…

And how fast do we need to innovate to get there? Research Tidbit #8 — From January to March 2022, I set myself a sustainability reading project, where I read about climate change, and blogged about my reading progress. It’s now April and that reading project is complete. It was such a success that I’ve charged headfirst into the next one. Here is a continuation…

So the next one should be even better — From January to March 2022, I set myself a sustainability reading project, to read and blog about all the foundational climate change texts that I thought I’d need to fluently understand the latest news in the field, and to identify opportunities to get involved. As of mid April, I can…

To make much-needed cuts to our carbon dioxide emissions. Research Tidbit #7 — As a part of my sustainability reading project, I’m reading the UN 2021 Emissions Gap Report. Previously, I read the introductory chapters and decided to read the remaining chapters out of order. I started with the Methane chapter because it looked the most interesting from a solutions perspective. …

Research Tidbit #6, where I learn what’s in the 2021 Emissions Gap Report. — As part of the reading project I set myself for the past few months, I’m reading the 2021 Emissions Gap Report (EGR) that came out from the UN before COP26. I wanted to know the specifics of what needs to be done in mitigating climate change, and how far we…

Supply Chain Transparency: Research Tidbit #5. — Unlike food, most other products (like office chairs, clothes, electronics, and household goods) don’t come with ingredient lists. And ingredients aren’t the only factor in whether a product is sustainable, since ingredients are just the materials that actually made it into the product. The ingredient list doesn’t account for the…

How I’m planning my research deep-dive for the quarter — I’m told it’s 2022 already (what! it’s FEBRUARY?), and I’m planning a major push to deepen my climate change education. Though I’ve been interested in environmental matters since childhood, I only started trying to stay informed about the climate space recently. …

AND there’s a long, long way to go. COP26: Research Tidbit #4 — Back in November 2021, I saw a lot of headlines about ‘COP26’. At the time, I didn’t know what COP26 was, except that it was a climate change-related meeting hosted by the UN. From the snippets of news I caught in real-time, I learned that COP26 stands for 26th session…

Digital Sustainability: Research Tidbit #3 — It all started with the question of whether I wanted to blog every day, or to turn this ‘research dispatch’ category into a daily blog. Several bloggers have given their takes on the pros and cons of daily blogging, mostly touching on creative benefits, SEO, and subscriber engagement, but none…

The forests of the sea. — Ocean mist hangs on my windows at dawn. I’m bundled up indoors, slouched on my sofa with my laptop, cramming for a class presentation at 8am. It’s for a course on climate change that I took of my own accord. The cramming gives me nostalgia for college, though I rarely…

A certification for sustainable products — I’m about to shop for a new office chair, now that my old one has come apart at every joint and droops sideways in a most woebegone manner. I’m what Gretchen Rubin calls an ‘underbuyer’ — I chronically procrastinate all shopping, even for necessities. …