Introducing the "Coalition of the Willing"!

What does it actually look like to move beyond fossil fuels — not someday, but now? 

🌍 Good news: In Colombia, 57 countries gathered last week for the first-ever global conference dedicated to transitioning away from fossil fuels. Together, they're creating practical roadmaps for reducing fossil fuel use.

🌊 Not-so-good news: A new study warns that much of coastal Louisiana may eventually be lost to rising seas, erosion, wetland loss, and sinking land. New Orleans could become an island in the Gulf. 

♻️ Inspiration: In Louisiana, Glass Half Full is turning recycled glass into sand and gravel for coastal restoration - reminding us that solutions don’t have to start big to matter, and that we can feed two birds with one scone! 

(yes, you see what I did there) 

Read more in this week’s Talking Climate and don't forget to share what you learn, to make change contagious!

Find volunteer opportunities with Glassroots here.

Thank you to Anne Cloud with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice Over for the Planet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for narrating this edition of Talking Climate. 

Music by Bradley Myer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.talkingclimate.ca

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Talking Climate with Katherine Haeho. Each episode, we explore how climate change is affecting the people, places, and things we love, and what we can do to make a difference. From science to solutions and stories that inspire, you're in the right place for real talk about real change. This week we're talking about a new climate coalition, New Orleans future underwater, and recycling that gives back. Let's dive in. Good news. In late April, in the coastal city of Santa Marta, Colombia, something remarkable happened. Representatives from 57 countries across the globe gathered for the first-ever conference dedicated to transitioning away from fossil fuels. After three decades of UN climate negotiations and still rising emissions, many countries have had enough. As COP30 in Bellum wrapped up last November, Columbia and the Netherlands announced that they were co-hosting this new conference to provide a kind of practical reckoning. What does leaving fossil fuels behind actually look like? And how do we collectively get there? The conference was inspired by the Fossil Fuel Treaty, a concept developed by my fellow Canadian and lifetime climate advocate, Zipporah Berman. We decided not to resign ourselves to an economy built on the destruction of life. We decided that the transition away from fossil fuels could no longer remain a slogan, but must become a concrete political and collective endeavor, said Irene Velez-Tores, chair of the talks and Colombia's environment minister. When people look back on us from the future, they will remember whether or not we rose to the challenge of our time. The countries who showed up represent over half of global GDP, roughly one-third of energy demand, and about 20% of fossil fuel supply. They described themselves as the coalition of the willing and all pledged to develop voluntary roadmaps for drawing down their fossil fuel use. Next year's conference will take place in Tuvalu, co-hosted by Ireland, and participating countries have been asked to draft their roadmaps by then. Not so good news. By the end of the century, the sea could swallow up much of coastal Louisiana and surround the city of New Orleans, a stark news study finds. The study, which describes coastal Louisiana as the most physically vulnerable coastal zone in the world, calculates that a shoreline migration of 100 kilometers inland in southeastern Louisiana is probably locked in due to sea level rise, coastal erosion, wetland loss, and land subsidence. New Orleans, protected by its levee system, would become a highly exposed island in the Gulf of Mexico. The authors also emphasize that coastal restoration projects, like the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, which was halted by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry last year, will be key to buy time. What the researchers are calling for is not panic, but planning. An organized, equitable process that works with nature to restore coastlines while helping communities move to higher ground before the migration falls hardest on those with the fewest options. We have to get serious about planning for our future right now, said Tulane geologist Torbjorn Tornqvist, a co-author of the study. We have to face the reality, and that is this city has an end date. One organization helping Louisiana restore its coastline and stave off migration is Glass Half-Full. The company was started by two Tulane students in 2020 who were annoyed they were unable to recycle glass in the city of New Orleans. They started collecting glass themselves, first sorting it and storing it in a backyard before moving into a local warehouse. Fast forward six years, and today they have a commercial facility on a three-acre site in St. Bernard Parish. To date, Glass Half-Full has turned some 13 million pounds of glass into sand and gravel that is both used in coastal restoration work and available for purchase. Earlier this year, they participated in a free glass recycling pilot program for businesses in New Orleans French Quarter. This week, Glass Half-Full co-founder Franziska Trautman addressed the study above, saying, honestly, we're mad. Doom and gloom gets us nowhere. Organizations like these are creative, community-driven solutions that may seem small on their own, yet together form an essential part of the broader transition toward a more sustainable and resilient future. To learn more about Glass Half Full and its nonprofit partner, Glassroots, you can follow Glassroots and Glass HalfFull on Instagram. And if you're local to Louisiana, Glassroots has a number of volunteer opportunities you can check out at the link in the show notes. Know of organizations doing good climate work in your community? Let me know about them. For more resources, links, and actions you can take, check out the full newsletter at www.talkingclimate.ca. Until next time, keep talking climate.