Corey’s Climate Success Chat - Friday July 26, 2024
Sending Signals
Hi Friends and Family,
Lately I’ve been thinking about how we all send signals in the actions that we take. Every purchase, our Internet interactions, each of our habits seen by others - they seem insignificant at the moment but, as a whole, they make a difference in our society and planet. I’ve been trying to send more intentional signals to drive forward our Climate Success and accelerate our transition to sustainability. Today I’m sharing two examples of what I’ve been doing.
Shoe Shopping
I’m shopping for a new pair of minimalist “barefoot” design shoes. Many of the companies that make this style brand themselves as being natural and sustainable, but it’s difficult to tell how much is in earnest vs greenwashing. While browsing sites and taking notes on comfort, customer reviews, and style, I’ve also taken a moment to visit their sustainability pages. Just visiting these pages sends a signal to their web team that their customers care. I also created a simple email that I repurposed for each company:
Hi [Shoe Brand] team,
Your commitment to sustainability is impressive. Have you done a Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions analysis for your products? Can you share any details with that? I'm making a decision about what shoes to purchase and the product with the lowest GHG emissions is going to be a large factor for me.
Thanks, Corey
This took just one minute for me to send to each company and it sends a signal to their customer service team. All companies look at the categories of inquiries and integrate these feedback into their business decisions.
If you’re curious about some of the finalists I’m considering: Xero, Revivo by Vivobare, Groundies, Wildling, Softstar, and Origo. There are also some great brands in Europe, but I’d prefer a brand made in the Americas to reduce shipping emissions.
While we’re talking about shoes, there are some great startups and orgs that are working to make shoes even more sustainable.
Gommus has created a biodegradable sole and Keel Labs is working on material for the upper fabric.
Blueview is already making completely compostable (and durable) shoes.
Remake is working broadly to bring human rights and climate justice to the clothing industry.
Road Trip Planning
I’ve been planning a road trip in our Ioniq5 EV. I’ve wanted to take a longer trip to experience first hand the benefits and challenges of travel without using fossil fuels. Did you know that Google Maps now has an option to find EV charging stations when planning a trip? Every time someone uses this feature, it sends a signal to Google that features like these are important.
Additionally, when we looked an AirBnBs, we selected a location that had a Level2 charging station. Using these filters and booking a house with this feature sends a signal to AirBnB and the homeowner that it’s valuable. AirBnB reports that searches for car charges increased 80% between 2022 and 2023 and they partnered with Chargepoint to respond to this demand.
As more electric vehicle amenities are launched, more people will buy EVs. More infrastructure will be built in response to that demand. It’s a virtuous cycle. That’s why I’m excited about projects like the Charging Outpost that Rivian just launched outside of Yosemite. Visiting charging points like this will be so much more pleasant than a gas station! If you’re interested in reading more about charging station considerations, check out this thoughtful post: 85% To Freedom, posted by two people that are Climatebase Fellows with me.
Stay cool and drink plenty of water if you’re in one of the areas impacted by the heat domes as we just experienced our hottest day on the planet EVER. The good news is more and more Americans realize this (by 5 to 1). We just need everyone to join the 90% of scientists who are positive that it’s human caused so we can take more action.
Thanks!
Thanks for info and ideas