October 2020 | Issue 4 GrowingClimateSolutions.org
In This Issue
Glance in the Rearview, Full Speed Ahead
At the beginning of our second year, we take a moment to look back on what we’ve accomplished and where we go next.

The Rearview - For the past year, Growing Climate Solutions: Path to Positive SWFL worked to forge a network of highly-respected community leaders from business, faith, health, civic, education, and media sectors to engage in climate communications and lead on climate action. During the early months, we reached out to engage companies, institutions and civic organizations in our Leadership Circle.  Read More
 
Full Speed Ahead - Our Year Two plans start with a focus to garner broad community support for the formal establishment of a Southwest Florida Resiliency Compact and to develop more channels to deliver impactful climate education programing.  Our growing network of Leadership Circle Partners is an important component of each objective.  Read More
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Peak
Hurricane Season

The first week of September is the peak of hurricane season, and this year we are nearing the end of the alphabet, with Tropical Storm Vicki named September 14. The trend toward more rapid storm intensification means we need to stay prepared all season, as the lead time from topical storm to major hurricane can be unexpectedly short.
Upcoming Training


Join us on October 20th, 4:00-5:30, for "Solutions for Our Changing Climate." The session hosted by our ecoAmerica Partner will provide an overview of how our changing climate impacts our health, our wallets and our future. It will also introduce positive climate solutions that are available and underway on a personal and community level, and train you to effectively engage others in climate conversations. A virtual "happy hour" will follow based on participant interest.

Register on the Website's Event Page.
Living Greener
If to toss, where to toss? That is the question: Recycling Right in SWFL

by Sarah Swiersz, guest columnist*
Recycling is arguably the baseball or apple pie of the United States’ sustainability efforts: It’s a cultural mainstay that, for many Americans, feels like a good thing. Amidst the ubiquitous waste our lifestyles produce day in, day out—the coffee cups, tossed leftovers, product wrappers, and to-go containers—recycling is a hopeful outlet. Recycling is a chance for sustainability in a consumption-driven, disposable world. But what if recycling isn’t entirely the wholesome act of Earth citizenship we are taught it is? 
 
Why do we recycle? The answer is complex. At the surface, it seems pretty clear why we recycle: Because it’s a good thing to do for the environment. But when and how did we come up with recycling, and why do we think it’s so good for the environment? Read More


*Sarah is a lifelong SWFL resident and recent UCF graduate living in Ft. Myers.
Making Green the New Fashion Color

Society’s passion for fashion, it turns out, contributes 4% of global greenhouse gases emitted annually, 2.1 billion tons. This is more than the combined annual GHG emission of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, according to a new study published by McKinsey, a global management consulting firm, and Global Fashion Agenda, an advocacy forum in the fashion industry. 
Moreover, if the industry continues on its current trajectory, rising demand associated with population growth and shifting consumption patterns will drive that number to 2.7 billion tons by 2030, a 2.7% annual increase. This will significantly hamper the international community’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degree C, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. 
Think Deeper
Thoughts from Regional Director
Dr. Ana Puszkin-Chevlin
Where We Work
Over the Labor Day weekend I pondered how the type and quality of employees' work environment can materially improve not just the quality of life, but also have a lighter footprint on the built and natural environment. COVID19 relocated many workers to their kitchen tables, reducing commutes, but also changing the landscape of the commercial real estate market, and possibly the geography of talent pools across the country. Read More
Website Highlights
CLIMATE NEWS HEADLINES WORTH READING

There is a lot going on!! We've picked some recent articles, including two demonstrating corporate commitments on climate and one that will make you think about where to buy real estate in the future.
(eye-opening, but gut-wrenching read)