This Week in MCJ (8/22/20)
A bright spot, as the world burns.
Hey all,
Another week gone by! I have still been neck deep in fundraising for the MCJ climate fund that is in the works. Only two weeks in, and we have about ~60% of the fund commitments soft circled, with a bunch of other interest I haven’t yet had the cycles to chase down. It seems very clear the fund is going to get raised, which is both scary and exciting.
I’m also finding that, while this fund will be small to start, at least as funds go, I am starting to see a potential (fuzzy and far off) expansion path, over time.
And one that could potentially be quite intertwined with this community.
The personal career momentum I feel, and the momentum and energy I feel in the MCJ community overall, are a stark contrast to the devastating things that are happening, as I type this, in our broader world. So much suffering. So much inequity. So much unemployment. So much corruption. So much hate. So much burning. It is a juxtaposition that makes me feel both very fortunate, but also guilty that in my little world, things are going pretty damn well.
One post that I have been thinking about a lot is from my friend (and MCJ community member & podcast guest) Diego Saez Gil, from Pachama. He chose to devote his life to helping tackle the climate crisis via reforestation. He chose a home nestled in the Redwoods, to be closer to nature. And his home burned to a crisp this week in the wild fires.
Diego’s post is beautiful, and his attitude is incredibly inspiring, in the face of great tragedy. I have no doubt this experience will make him stronger, and will only increase his resolve, and that of his company, to do the important work that they do. But it is also a stark reminder that this is not a dress rehearsal. Climate change is here, and climate change is real. And if we don’t rise to the challenge and take the bold steps necessary to address it, things are going to continue to get uglier.
I hope that, as a community, we continue to find ways to have a bigger impact on this problem, while providing for ourselves and our loved ones along the way. I derive so much hope and optimism from this growing community, and like Diego, I have found my life’s work and my resolve to do my part to help combat this crisis is only growing by the day.
Thank you for coming along with me on this journey, none of it would be possible without all of you.
Jason
📼Episodes
Here’s this week’s episode, in case you missed it.
Episode 117: H2 Debate with Jigar Shah and Gene Berdichevsky
N.B. The link above provides a preview for an episode exclusively available to My Climate Journey Members. If you're interested in listening to the full episode, you can learn about becoming an MCJ Member here. If you’re already an MCJ Member, you can listen to the full episode here.
This week’s members bonus episode featured a great discussion on the topic of hydrogen with Gene Berdichevsky, Co-Founder & CEO at Sila Nanotechnologies, and Jigar Shah, President & Co-Founder at Generate Capital.
We've done episodes with each of them before individually, but I when I found out (in MCJ slack!) that one was a hydrogen bull and one was a hydrogen bear, I asked them to come on together to sort through this debate more publicly.
It was a really great discussion, and I learned a lot! I hope you enjoy.
📼Climate Tech Startup Series (CTSS)
MCJ has launched a new series for members, where we feature founders of early-stage companies, sharing their startup’s business and mission. Members can check out our other episodes below and find an updated list here.
CTSS Episode 5: Scoot Science with Jon LaRiviere
Scoot Science is a startup, founded by a group of data scientists and oceanographers, that provides marine operators with modeling and analytics tools to manage ocean risk. With its current focus on coastal aquaculture, the company helps farmers mitigate dangers to their business, such as algae overgrowth and warming waters. Over the long term, the company has an eye toward using ocean data in a risk and financing capacity. CEO & Co-Founder, Jon LaRiviere, walks me through a company overview, and we have a great discussion. I’m a proud investor in the company, but I still learned a ton! Thanks for coming on the show, Jon.
🌍 Seeking Interested MCJ Members in Africa
MCJer Joel Armin-Hoiland, who manages and curates the #africa MCJ Slack channel, is interested in recruiting members based in Africa. To that end, we’re piloting a “member scholarship” for interested applicants. If you’re based in Africa or know of someone who would make a great referral, please let us know at info@myclimatejourney.co (subject “Recruitment in Africa”).
🏗 What You’re Building
Projects and ventures being pursued by fellow MCJers.
“The Weekly Climate Newsletter”
MCJer Michael Reibel Boesen is launching a new climate-focused newsletter, that provides a weekly overview of climate news. You can subscribe to this free newsletter here.
Data Analytics Slack Channel
MCJer Jeremy Jones recently created the new Slack channel #data-analytics-climate with the purpose “to inform, discuss and network within the broad topic of analytics and data in relation to climate change.”
💼Climate Jobs
Here are some jobs shared by members of the MCJ community that we think might be of interest to you. Many of these opportunities and the MCJers who shared them can be found in #climatejobs in the MCJ Slack.
Technical Product Manager at Raptor Maps (Remote) (job listing). Raptor Maps CTO, Eddie Obropta, welcomes interested candidates to email him at eddie AT raptormaps DOT com.
Data Scientist / Engineer at TheFish Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (job listing)
Director of Communication & Events at Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley, CA (job listing)
Manager of Storytelling, Lead Writer & Researcher, Director of Marketing & Comms., Director of “Drawdown Lift” at Project Drawdown (Remote) (careers page)
📢Climate News
Highlights of news this week related to climate change.
As reported in The New York Times, California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency this week as forest fires have raged throughout the state.
TechCrunch reported this week that Persefoni, a carbon footprint and management reporting platform for corporations, has raised $3.5MM in funding. The company’s cofounders met during their time work at Chesapeake Energy Corp.
📰🎧Recommended Reading/Listening
Below are recently published articles and content that we find interesting and/or that were shared by fellow MCJers.
The New York Times: “Europe’s Big Oil Companies Are Turning Electric”
This article reports on how Europe’s fossil fuel companies are shelving plans to expand their coal and oil projects; instead, the industry is opting to accelerate its investments in renewable energy sources.
The Wall Street Journal: “Oil Industry Frets About Recruiting Its Next Generation of Workers”
The confluence of a hard-hit fossil fuel industry and competing opportunities from the renewable energy industry is creating challenges for the former to recruit younger talent.
The New York Times: “‘Climate Donors’ Flock to Biden to Counter Trump’s Fossil Fuel Money”
Officially accepting the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Joe Biden has been reported to have raised more than $15 million in climate-specific campaign contributions, constituting 5% of his campaign’s total fundraising thus far. The article delves into the emergence of ‘climate donors,’ and their role as a counterweight to the Trump campaign’s deep-pocketed fossil fuel contributors.Heidi Lim: “Chasing a Job with Purpose”
Heidi Lim is the Chief of Staff at Opus 12, and recently shared her climate journey in this Medium post.
🎟Climate Events
As a reminder, we have a new MCJ Events Calendar, where you can view and post events for the rest of the MCJ community to attend. When posting an event, please refer to this checklist.
Houston Climate Week (Monday, August 24th - Friday, August 28th)
The City of Houston is hosting a week-long series of virtual seminars and discussions related to the recent release of its Climate Action Plan. Topics include energy transition, green infrastructure, transportation, environmental justice and more. You can register for individual events here. (h/t Amitav Misra)
MCJ Town Hall (Friday, August 28th, 4 PM EST)
We’re hosting our monthly town hall to discuss updates and feedback from the community. If you’ve been following along with the newsletter, you know that much has happened since our last town hall and this forum provides an opportunity to discuss a variety of topics of your choosing with fellow members of the community. This event is intended for MCJ Members; if you would like a calendar invite, please drop us a note.
First Meeting of MCJ Midwest Region (Friday, August 28th, 5 PM CST / 6 PM EST)
MCJer Nikodem Pancewicz mentioned that the Midwest regional community will be hosting its first meeting sometime the week of August 24th. You can learn more by joining the #midwest channel on the MCJ Slack and joining via Zoom.
Meet-a-MCJer Europe-Edition🇪🇺 (Thursday, September 10th, 5 PM CEST / 11 AM EST)
MCJers Alexis Jorge Caporale, Michael Reibel Boesen, & Romain Diaz, who are leading the MCJ Europe community, are hosting the group’s first Icebreaker event. The aim is to bring together members based in Europe as well as those interested in learning more about this new regional community. If you would like a calendar invite, please drop us a note.
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