Just as humanity harvests only a miniscule fraction of the solar energy continually falling on Earth, we have as yet to make use of the incredible kinetic energy produced by the world’s waters. The Florida-to-North Carolina section of the Gulfstream alone offers an estimated 163 Terawatt hours per year in renewable, carbonless power, and there are prototype turbines already in the water ready to cable that power to shore. There are challenges, certainly, but with oceanic currents touching every inhabited continent, a source of free power is about to be available to all.

Uniquely adapted to low-oxygen, high-saline environments, mangroves have historically populated, and protected, exclusively equatorial and sub-tropical shorelines. But with sea levels beginning to submerge coastal communities and crops around the globe, drastic action is needed to protect as much coastline as possible – including in the temperate zone. Happily, mangroves are already marching northwards, and that march is being encouraged by global warming, which is opening up new areas where mangroves can thrive. Unhappily, they are also under threat from human activities.

Those in what has long been called the ‘temperate zone’ are well-schooled on the impact of wind chill, which measures how cold it feels when cold temperatures and wind are factored together. This February’s historically cold blast brought with it wind chills that broke records across the Northeast and threatened the life of anyone who ventured out without proper gear. But while wind chill is known to most, few are as aware of the Heat Index, a measure not just of hot temperature but of how hot those temperatures feel when humidity and other conditions are factored in. The Heat Index acts as a predictor of physical impacts every bit as deadly as wind chill.   As the planet warms, and heat waves increase in frequency, duration, and intensity, the Heat Index is about to become standard protective equipment for those venturing outdoors.

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo / Unsplash “A thousand times have I sought to find the element that makes thecharm complete… That I may bid them enter […]

In an inescapable prison, with daily torture and probable death looming, one man hashed out a paradoxical approach to survival: see the unwinnable situation exactly as it is; yet never lose faith that, in the end, you will prevail. Climate watchers are finding that this middle path, a slender slope between optimism and pessimism, is a paradox that applies perfectly to the latter Anthropocene.

Christmas trees are creatures of the forest no more. Saplings and trees by the millions are now carefully tended on dedicated Christmas-tree farms. But with heat waves becoming more frequent and intense, tree farmers are taking a beating. Luckily, both farmers and scientists have a few tricks up their sleeves.

In our innocence, we ate Cadbury Eggs, drank hot chocolate, and made S'mores by the campfire without a pang of guilt. Alas, cacao, the base material for chocolate, has proven incredibly problematic. Issues such as deforestation and child labor have persisted despite various pressure campaigns and commitments. But there is, finally, progress on both the public and private fronts. No doubt our favorite bonbons will taste that much better once these issues have been resolved, and at last there's progress.

All was quiet at Twitter until new owner Elon Musk made it so anyone with eight bucks and a grudge could receive Twitter’s “blue check” verification without actually being vetted, leaving companies vulnerable. As we all know by now, it didn't turn out well. Most firms have no comprehensive framework for vulnerability, but Valutus does: the V Model.

The SEC’s new proposed rule mandates scope 1, 2, and – with exceptions – scope 3 GHG reporting along with reporting of other climate-based investor risks. But aside from better informing investors, this will make it easier for companies to do things the sustainability community has long been screaming for: begin working towards meaningful science-based targets, (SBT); plan effective ESG strategies; and bring sustainability professionals into C-suites and boardrooms for keeps.