Wind probably isn’t something you think about much in your day-to-day life.
It’s hard to describe California without eventually drifting into lofty narrations.
Engines are an integral part of our daily lives, but the average person doesn’t give them much attention.
When it comes to carbon emissions of food production, meat is king.
Odds are that if you’re reading this, you could probably use a vacation.
September 8th is International Literacy Day.
For the 50th anniversary the UN is focusing on Reading the Past, Writing the Future. Despite the steady rise in literacy rates over the past 50 years, there are still 750 million illiterate adults around the world, most of whom are women. These numbers produced by the UIS are a stark reminder of the work ahead to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Target 4.6: To ensure that all youth and most adults achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030.
In celebration of World Oceans Day, here are 5 facts about our oceans to keep in mind and heart.
Oceans absorb around 30% carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.
Should all the glaciers and icebergs melt in an instant, sea levels would rise 262 feet. Enough to fully submerge most coastal cities in the world.
It is estimated that air pollution is responsible for at least one-third of toxic contaminants that are dumped on a yearly basis onto our oceans.
Humans have documented space and other planets better than they have mapped the ocean floor. It is estimated that only about five percent of the world’s oceans have been totally explored.
Oceans serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 2.6 billion people depending on the oceans as their primary source of protein.
Plus other news from companies in the Swell portfolio that are making an impact.
CLEAN WATER
California American Water launches award-winning communication campaign.
What’s the impact?
Reducing water use in California by 15 billion gallons.
During California’s recent drought, California American Water, (an American Water Works Co. subsidiary) helped their customers reduce water use by more than 15 billion gallons over an 18 month period. To do this, the company created a campaign using social media and smartphone apps. “Our customers around the state took the drought seriously and reduced their water use by 26 percent,” said Richard Svindland, President of California American Water. “The emergency is over and we should applaud that, but keep in mind that water efficiency is a California way of life.” Read more
Jobs in energy aren't necessarily going away, they just look a little different. Here's how they stack up.
Let's be clear: coal mining jobs are not returning to the U.S. It does not matter that environmental regulations are being rolled back to support the flagging coal industry. While coal fired power generation is still a significant share of electricity generation in the U.S. (30.4%)1, net generation from coal sources declined by a whopping 53% between 2006-20162.
But that’s not to say that jobs in the energy sector have also declined. They just look a little different these days. The good news is that for the first time ever, solar has become the cheapest form of energy, and wind is cost competitive with fossil fuels. Which means jobs in renewable energy are on the rise.
Here’s how they stack up:
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