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When companies want to cut their electricity emissions, they have a few different options. They can install rooftop solar panels on their factories and stores. They can sign long-term contracts with developers to buy power from new solar or wind farms nearby. Or they can opt for a much cheaper, easier alternative — buying “renewable …

Companies are reporting cleaner electricity. Researchers say it’s a mirage. Read More »

In February, the White House Council on Environmental Quality released the beta version of a screening tool meant to identify “disadvantaged” communities across the U.S. The release was part of the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to send at least 40 percent of the benefits of government spending on infrastructure, clean energy, and other …

Three open questions about Biden’s new environmental justice tool Read More »

In January, a poll commissioned by the ocean conservation nonprofit Oceana showed that 82 percent of Americans would support a ban on the sale and distribution of single-use plastics by the National Park Service. Now, that vision will become a reality. The Department of the Interior, or DOI, has announced a phaseout of single-use plastics …

Interior Department to phase out single-use plastics on all public lands Read More »

For those hoping to slow the halt of climate change, aviation often seems like a near-intractable problem. Roughly 115,000 flights take off and land around the world every day, accounting for 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. A single passenger flying from San Francisco to London is responsible for around 1 metric ton of …

Aviation can meet Paris targets — if it makes massive changes Read More »

As the heavy rainfall of Hurricane Harvey thundered down on the Texas Gulf Coast at the end of August 2017, the roof on a massive ExxonMobil storage tank “partially sank.” The collapse caused the facility to release more than 185,000 pounds of pollutants, including carcinogenic compounds like benzene. That same week, Harvey damaged storage tanks …

How 60-year-old weather data is flooding Texas with pollution Read More »

This article is part of Ask Umbra’s guide on How to Build a Flood-Resilient Community. When scientists say climate change will bring flooding, most people think of big coastal cities: New Orleans, New York, Newport News. They picture TV coverage of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, crashing waves and blown-away beaches.  But across the U.S., flooding is …

How inland America is adapting to high water Read More »

This article is part of Ask Umbra’s guide on How to Build a Flood-Resilient Community. Imagine you’re moving from Tampa, Florida, to Dallas, Texas. You own a house in Tampa, but you’re changing jobs, so you put the house on the market. Soon, potential buyers start showing up. You tell them about the nice neighborhood, the …

Is there a moral obligation to disclose that your house has flooded? Read More »

This article is part of Ask Umbra’s guide on How to Build a Flood-Resilient Community. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the neighborhood of Hoffman Triangle was overwhelmed by 6 feet of water. But it doesn’t take a hurricane to make this wedge in the center of the city flood. The sidewalks, where they …

How New Orleans neighborhoods are using nature to reduce flooding Read More »

This article is part of Ask Umbra’s guide on How to Build a Flood-Resilient Community. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity. 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 …

Your new neighbor flooded your yard. What now? Read More »

As the world continues to grapple with Covid-19, a racial justice reckoning, and rising economic uncertainty, it’s clear these crises have profoundly shifted relationships with power, space, time, leadership, and each other. That creates new challenges—and opportunities—for business and brand leadership and impact.  Many consumers are now looking for increased accountability. “How many companies have …

Brands have a role in global regeneration. But first they must rethink everything. Read More »