Climate Change Solutions - February 16, 2021

Hello and welcome to another edition of Climate Change Solutions!

Today we are highlighting Cincinnati's ambitious climate plans and how one Maryland county is using microgrids to bolster resilience. We also take a deeper look at innovative financing programs for coastal resilience in our latest fact sheet and hear from a former intern about her experience building Earthships in New Mexico!

We have a brand new podcast episode that will transport you to the Arctic! (Dress warmly!) In this episode, we sat down with Arctic climate expert and editor of the annual Arctic Report Card, Rick Thoman, to discuss the impacts of climate change on the Arctic and what that means for the future of the region.

And don't forget to sign up for EESI's upcoming briefing Relief and Housing Assistance for COVID-Impacted Communities--learn more and RSVP here.

In other news, have you heard that EESI is a 2021 Top-Rated Non-Profit, according to Great Non-profits? This is the 10th year in a row we've received the accolade! Thank you for your continued support for our work! 

Also, be sure to tell editor Amber Todoroff what your favorite Solutions article was this week (and why) for a chance to be featured in the next newsletter!

Last edition, Dorothy said, "Just read 'The Intangible Effects of Climate Change.' I very much appreciate all the invaluable work that EESI is doing."

Join team EESI! We're now accepting applications for a Communications Associate--read more about the position and how to apply here: https://www.eesi.org/about/careers

Summer internships are also now open--apply here: https://www.eesi.org/about/internships

Headlines Bolstering Resilience: Maryland County Showcases the Power of Microgrids [5 min. read] The electrical grid is an expansive, interconnected system that links homes, businesses, and other facilities to centralized power sources. When disasters impact one area of the grid, effects can be amplified, causing outages far beyond the original damaged area and leaving many people without power. Climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events, so building reliable grids is essential to keeping communities safe. Microgrids are taking the stage as a resilient solution. Smaller, localized, and autonomous, microgrids are capable of disconnecting from the main electrical grid and acting independently. Microgrid projects are popping up all over the country. Click to read more about a successful microgrid project in Maryland! [click for more] Headlines Cincinnati Paves the Way for Equitable, Climate-Forward City Planning [8 min. read] Cincinnati, Ohio, has attracted attention for its climate action. In early 2020, Cincinnati contracted the nation’s largest municipal solar farm as part of its plan to convert the city government’s power usage to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. The 100 percent renewable energy goal is just one of 80 total recommendations in the 2018 Green Cincinnati Plan, which aims to reduce city carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 and implement a suite of other projects in the fields of sustainability, environmental justice, and climate resilience. [click for more]   Podcast - Episode 7: How is Climate Change Impacting the Arctic? [27 min. listen] This week, we sat down with Rick Thoman, editor of the 2020 Arctic Report Card and Alaska Climate Specialist with the International Arctic Research Center,⁣⁣ and discussed his work in Alaska, the findings of the annual Arctic Report Card, and what these findings mean for the future of the region. If you enjoy this podcast, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts. One listener wrote, "This is an incredible podcast from an amazing organization that teaches you about climate change and Congress. Very important right now." [click for more]

On the Hill   From February 1 to 12, Congress introduced a total of 87 bills, resolutions, and amendments involving environmental and energy topics. Twenty-seven of these were in the Senate and 60 in the House. Both chambers of Congress also held relevant hearings throughout this period, including two on global emissions and international climate strategy as well as several key nomination and confirmation hearings. Highlights Many of the bills introduced over the past two weeks deal with issues related to transportation, including H.R.512, which seeks to integrate zero-emissions buses within public transit systems and H.R.712, which proposes to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to assess the health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution. Several bills classify climate change as a national emergency, such as S.280, and H.R.744, which direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include threats of climate change in the agency’s strategic plan, and H.R.794, which encourages President Biden to invoke the National Emergencies Act to declare a national climate emergency. See EESI's full environmental legislative tracker for February 1-12 here.

EESI News, Briefings, and Fact Sheets   Fact sheet - How Can Revolving Loan Funds Make Our Coasts More Resilient? A revolving loan fund (RLF) is a self-replenishing financing mechanism that can be used to fund a variety of programs, ranging from small business development to clean water infrastructure, and has been used for decades to address environmental issues.  This fact sheet examines two RLFs that focus on shoreline resilience in order to highlight the role RLFs can play in addressing climate challenges. [click for more] Reflection - Former EESI Intern Helps Build an Earthship Sustainable Home [3 min. read] Former EESI intern Karen Caycho Molero spent some time in Taos, New Mexico, building an Earthship - an ultra-sustainable handmade home. She says the "Earthship experience empowered me and, to this day, I feel confident that I can jackhammer any boulder out of my way." Click to read more about her remarkable experience! [click for more] Want to intern with EESI this summer? Applications are now open--apply here

EESI Around Town   EESI's aviation fact sheet was cited in an article by Fox Business.   Executive Director Daniel Bresette was quoted in an article by the Renewable Energy Magazine on the U.S. re-entry into the Paris Agreement.   Executive Director Daniel Bresette was quoted in an article by Power on President Biden's climate executive orders. Upcoming Events   Relief and Housing Assistance for COVID-Impacted Communities February 19, 2-3:30 pm EST Online at www.eesi.org/livecast In coordination with the National Housing Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council (national partners with the Energy Efficiency for All project), EESI invites you to learn about the costs and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn for housing and energy services. Panelists will explore issues faced by communities hard-hit by the dual crises, especially in southern and midwestern regions, including mounting utility bill arrearages; electric, gas and water shutoffs; and evictions. The harmful effects of the crises are distributed unevenly, with unjust burdens crushing low-income, Black, Indigenous, and people-of-color communities. RSVP here!   Congressional Climate Camp Part 2: Federal Policy to Decarbonize High-Emission Sectors February 26, 2-4 pm EST Virtual Session EESI's second installment of Congressional Climate Camp will discuss the highest emission sectors in the U.S.--Agriculture, transportation, power generation, industry, and buildings--and highlight federal policy strategies to reduce emissions in each. RSVP here! Thank You to EESI Team Members for Their Contributions to Climate Change Solutions: Sydney O'Shaughnessy - Layout, Design, and Content Editor Amaury Laporte - Communications Director As well as all EESI Staff, Interns, and Fellows who write and review content!   Environmental and Energy Study Institute  Daniel Bresette, Executive Director   EESI is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus to provide timely information and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path.   www.eesi.org                 CFC #10627