Table Of Content
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at [email protected] and we just might feature it here.
The kids are back
A decade ago, 21 young Americans filed a lawsuit alleging that the United States violated their constitutional rights by enabling carbon emissions to rise to dangerous levels. While their case was ultimately dismissed, the climate lawsuit inspired dozens of others, including successful cases, and the legacy of Juliana v. United States lives on to this day.
And ten years later, the kids are back! As Grist reports in a story shared by RTBC Interim Editorial Director Tess Riley, 15 of the original Juliana plaintiffs are taking their case internationally, to be examined under the framework of international law. Their goal: Get the global community to pressure the U.S. government to act.
Tess says:
Since the first recorded climate litigation case nearly four decades ago, more than 3,000 such cases have been filed around the world. The Juliana 21 epitomize what it’s all about: Individuals uniting to find a way to prevent the climate crisis and build a sustainable future. With anti-climate litigation simultaneously on the rise, finding ways to end fossil fuel reliance has never been more urgent.
Just leave it
At Reasons to be Cheerful HQ in New York it is officially fall, and forests across the state are awash with the burnt oranges, fiery reds and golden browns of the season.
While gardeners might be tempted to clear fallen leaves as they pile up, the message in this New York Times article, shared by RTBC Executive Editor Will Doig, is clear –– leave the leaves where they are and you’ll be supporting an incredible abundance of insects, not to mention the soil that they and everything else in the garden relies upon.
Will says:
Yet another reason to ditch that leaf blower: Leaving autumn leaves on your lawn is a boon to biodiversity.
What else we’re reading
🚲 E-bikes Could Cut Carbon, Congestion and Costs — If Cities Take Them Seriously — shared by Founder David Byrne from Grist
🆘 ‘We Called Ourselves the Lifeboat Crew’: How Fired USAID Workers Launched a Rescue Project ‘To Save As Many Babies As We Can’ — shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas from The Guardian
🏭 New England’s Final Coal Plant Shuts Down Years Ahead of Schedule — shared by Interim Editorial Director Tess Riley from Canary Media
In other news…
Around the start of each month we send out The Spark, our monthly newsletter that’s all about how people just like you are creating positive change, one meaningful step at a time. This month’s theme: the manifold gains communities make when they reuse and repair.
Now we’d like to hear from you! If you have an inspiring story to tell of how you, your friends and family, or your community turns waste into a resource, we’d love to hear more at [email protected]
