• Sustainability

North Carolina Plans For Green-Infrastructure To Counter Storms

March 05, 2021

• #30x30
• Flooding
• nature based solutions
• rainfall
• sea level rise
• storm surge

North Carolina Coastal Federation has a nature-based plan for dealing with heavy rainfall that captures and filters water instead. Green infrastructure includes solutions like rain gardens, restoring wetlands, and permeable pavement. The state plan calls for comprehensive incorporation of nature-based stormwater strategies across roadways, farmland, and in new building construction. 

Why This Matters: It’s not just sea-level rise that causes increased flooding and infrastructure damage: heavy rains can be just as disruptive. Using plants, dirt, and other natural ways to handle excess water is often simpler and more cost-effective than their conventional counterparts.

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• Forests

Verra Adopts Stronger Carbon Offset Standards For Forest Projects

March 05, 2021

• carbon offsets
• credits
• deforestation
• Forests
• logging
• rainforest
• reforestation
• registry
• VCS
• Verra

Verra, a non-profit that sets the standards used to assess carbon reduction projects and certifies their effectiveness, announced that it has strengthened its forest preservation and restoration standard, updating it based on its ten years of experience in evaluating projects and on the latest science.  

Why this Matters:  We cannot hold warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius without nature-based solutions such as preserving existing forests and restoring others

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• People

Hero: Linda Zall Pioneered Climate Intelligence at the CIA

March 04, 2021

• Central Intelligence Agency
• CIA
• climate change
• environment
• satellite
• spy

Earlier this year, the NY Times’ Bill Broad shone a spotlight on the fine work of Linda Zall, who was a leader in using the CIA’s spy satellites to gather and analyze climate change data and intelligence for the government.

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• Politics

Dear Senate, Pass COVID Relief, Support Transit, Support Workers

March 04, 2021

• American Rescue Plan
• COVID-19 relief

As the Senate began debate on President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package, likely leading to a final vote this weekend, Senate Republicans have attacked it as “big, wasteful, and bloated.” The version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives contains $30.5 billion in aid for public transit systems that desperately need the […]

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