Top 10 Takeaways from Boston's Future Climate Event

We know about the droughts in California, the heat waves in India, and food shortages in Syria, but how will climate change affect Boston? The city's climate change policy makers joined environmentalists and concerned citizens on Monday at Weathering the Storm: Boston's Future Climate hosted by The Nature Conservancy. Speakers included: Adam Freed of The Nature Conservancy; Vivien Li, president of the Boston Harbor Association; Brian Swett of the City of Boston; and Vicki Arroyo of the Georgetown Climate Center.

Here are some takeaways from the event:

• If sea level was to rise 7.5 feet, a hurricane like Sandy (if it were to hit Boston,) would flood 60% of the city.
• The Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant is an example of sustainability - it was build 2' above the 100 year flood level, has wind turbines and solar panels on site, and an operations team is researching methane recapture.
• The new Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital is another example of smart architecture for a warmer future. Their resilient design was developed after seeing the pros and cons of the hospital facilities design in New Orleans during Katrina. (Like, don't keep the backup generator in the basement!)
• Boston is the 4th most susceptible city in the U.S. to sea level rise, after New York, New Orleans, and Miami. 
• 2012 was the hottest year on record by a full degree.
• Heat waves are also a major concern for city planners.
• Major U.S. cities are taking great strides for climate preparedness, but these actions alone will not do the trick - more stakeholders need to be brought to the table.
• Some of the negative impacts of Sandy and Katrina are because they hit at the end of the month when people's pay checks or government assistance has run out - leaving them without the financial resources necessary to evacuate.
• The question should not be if someone "believes" in climate change, it should be whether they "understand" climate change.
• Climate change preparedness is an issue of national security. 

Takeaways from #FutureofNature Investing in Nature: Conservation and the Bottom Line

This past Monday was the second installment of The Nature Conservancy's #FutureofNature series - Investing in Nature: Conservation and the Bottom Line. The evening featured a lively discussion of how well thought out investments can both protect the environment and drive the economy. The evening was hosted by Mark Tereck and Howard H. Stevenson, both of whom have a long history in business and a passion for preserving our natural environment.

Here are the top 10 takeaways from the event:

1. We need more people and more money to be invested in nature.

2. Climate Change and conservation can be addressed collaboratively with big businesses

3. Investing in sustainable infrastructure has a quick ROI and provides "real, hard, cash."

4. Every investment is a bet.

5. Big business CEO's believe in climate change but are hesitant to speak up. We need more people to take a stance on climate change.

6. Preserving something is often cheaper than cleaning it once its already destroyed.

7. American voters need to be louder and more engaged on environmental issues.

8. Its easier to talk about weather than climate because everyone agrees on weather (small talk, anyone?). Frame climate change in terms of weather for tough conversations.

9. Big businesses want to do the right thing. They are not evil. Many CEO's are passionate and are looking for ways to make sure their investments protect the environment.

10. Nature as capital is too often ignored.


We look forward to seeing you at the next #FutureofNature event on June 9!

Victor Douieb Sculpts the Invasive Lionfish

source image courtesy of epicdiving

In April, artist and conservation activist Victor Douieb gave a lecture at the New England Aquarium as part of their free lecture series. Victor, who was never formally trained in the arts, started his career as a dental assistant making molds of patients' teeth. As an art enthusiast and diver, he wanted to purchase a sculpture of a hammerhead shark for his home, but was unable to find one - so he made his own! Since he began sculpting in 2008, he has created pieces that portray both endangered species and invasive species. My personal favorite is the pop art rhino: 

Victor also talked about his latest work - sculptures of the Lionfish. Lionfish are an invasive species originally from the South Pacific that can now be found all along the east coast. They are highly detrimental to the habitats they invade because they eat almost anything, and have no predators. So how did Lionfish get here? Most likely they were released by humans into coastal waters - theories target the Atlantis resort in approximately 1985. And because they live in reef areas where many endangered species live, it is incredibly hard for people to catch Lionfish without threatening other fish. While there is no immediate solution to the problem, Victor is bringing awareness to the issue through his art in the hopes that people will take notice and come up with innovative ways to reduce Lionfish numbers.

Spotlight: Operation Blue Pride

When our veterans come home from war, many struggle with what to do next. They have often endured immense physical pain and sometimes also suffer from PTSD. Approximately 22 service members commit suicide each day. One organization is trying to heal our heroes and our planet at once. Operation: Blue Pride teaches veterans how to scuba dive and educates them about shark conservation. Scuba training has proven to be a very effective self-healing and empowerment tool helping veterans regain their independence and sense of purpose. One of the first vets to participate in the program was Boston native, Sgt. Chris Maddeford, who spoke to a group at the New England Aquarium in April. "Operation: Blue Pride enriches the lives of severely wounded veterans, and helps save our oceans."

Lessons from #FutureofNature Population

Monday night was the first event in the 2014 Future of Nature Series hosted by The Nature Conservancy. The topic was population and how to deal with the projected growth to 10 Billion people by 2100. Included in the panel were academics, economists, activists, and aid workers who shared their experiences and predictions.

SHOCKING STATISTICS:

• 1 million people are added to the global population every 4.5 days
• For every $1 spent on family planning, $6 is saved
• The population of Pakistan is approximately 400 million. The country is the size of Texas, which is home to just 26 million.
• The "ideal" population for the planet - for everyone to have a high quality of life without putting strain on natural resources, and without incorporating future developments in technology - is 2 billion.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Overpopulation is a threat to global security
• Family planning is now legal and supported by many governments and religions around the globe
• Managing population growth while encouraging economy growth may be a challenge
• Consumerism and first-world lifestyles are much more devastating to environmental resources than overpopulation
• As populations urbanize, population growth rates will go down
• Educating men as well as women will encourage better support for family planning
• The biggest challenge in healthcare and family planning services is distribution - getting to remote communities is costly. 

While the talk was somewhat unnerving (10 billion people on earth would be insane!) it was also hopeful. Through education, funding, and technological development, we can hopefully find a solution to this global worry.

Join the next #FutureofNature conversation:

INVESTING IN NATURE: CONSERVATION AND THE BOTTOM LINE: MAY 12, 2014

Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, Roberts Theatre

527 Tremont Street, Boston

Reception 5:30 p.m.; panel 6:30 to 8 p.m.

How can environmentally sound investment provide competitive economic and ecological return for businesses and for society? Can market-based solutions create a stronger economy and a healthier environment?

Speakers will include: Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy and author of Nature’s Fortune; and Howard Stevenson of Harvard Business School.

NEWIEE Awards Gala Recap

On Tuesday evening, I attended the Fourth Annual NEWIEE Awards Gala at the Lenox Hotel. It was an inspiring evening that also happened to fall on "equal pay day," or the day to which women would have to work to make the same amount a man would have made in their job in 2013. This added a extra bit of fire to the event which celebrated female leadership in the energy & environmental sectors.

The keynote address was delivered by Karen Gordon Mills the Former Administrator of the Small Business Administration. She spoke to the importance of entrepreneurship and the role of women in the U.S. economy - using the incredibly successful story of Spanx founder Sara Blakely as an example.

The awards were then presented to these very-deserving leaders:

NEWIEE Achievement Awards:

• Alicia Barton, Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
• Janet Gail Besser, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, New England Clean Energy Council
• Elin Swanson Katz, Consumer Counsel, State of Connecticut

NEWIEE Leadership Award:

• Patricia Stanton, Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, Conservation Services Group

Each recipient graciously accepted their award and spoke to the importance of "stepping up," "asking for what you want," and "becoming a good mentor to younger women." Great advice all around!
We then sipped on coffee and snacked on desert. I am excited to see what NEWIEE has in store for their two other signature events this year!