Climastry

The next phase of the Wild Mile is finally here! This installation of new gardens and boardwalk is set to nearly double the current length of the park, creating more space for people and wildlife to enjoy the Chicago River! This second section will feature a floating forest, thousands of native wetland plants, park amenities like picnic tables, and more. The extension brings the Wild Mile one step closer to fulfilling it name -- a mile long floating eco-park that runs the entire eastern side of Goose Island. If you’re interested in building the gardens with us, you can volunteer! Installs are a unique opportunity to see how the gardens are built from start to finish, and we need all hands on deck! All ages, friends and family are welcome to join. Walk ups are welcome too! https://lnkd.in/gAvr7bkV

This week, we hosted a roundtable of #climate startup founders and investors at New York City Economic Development Corporation to discuss the City's Green Economy Action Plan, which details 63 commitments to collectively build a sustainable, equitable green economy in NYC and host 400k jobs by 2040. Learn more about the plan here: https://lnkd.in/ekefa_wv And check out these innovative climate solutions being led by participants of NYCEDC's Founder Fellowship, Mass Timber Studio, and Offshore Wind Innovation Hub: Afterlife Ag - Upcycling food scraps into sustainable mushrooms Algoma - Designing and delivering net-zero multifamily homes Cascade Biocatalysts - Catalyzing greener chemical manufacturing ChemFinity Technologies - Separating the world from pollution one molecule at a time Climastry - Enabling manufacturers to issue carbon credits Fram Energy - Bringing the energy transition to rental homes ipHaus - A new way to build resilient multifamily housing  Joulez, Inc - Electric vehicle rentals, world-class experience New Money - Real-time carbon monitoring and reporting (LL97) Stak | Mobility & Energy - Reimagining the future of urban transportation TrubAI - AI-generated insights of key transport data VINCI VR - Next-gen VR tech including for the Offshore Wind industry Walkspan Inc - Neighborhood intelligence and walkability platform Kudos to Nse-Abasi Esema and Nicole Spina for leading this session!

***As pollution increases in our Ocean our marine ecosystem is starting to collapse*** Over the past 30 years, I've witnessed tremendous changes in our oceans. I left Ireland because of the rampant overfishing by non-Irish vessels in Irish waters. Upon relocating to the USA in the late 90s, I delved into a new chapter of my career in the commercial fishing industry. The U.S. fisheries were notably well-managed, with no foreign vessels operating within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, a familiar issue persisted — the pervasive presence of plastic waste in our oceans. Week after week, we discovered fish with plastic in their stomachs, and the situation was deteriorating rapidly. Following the tragic loss of my son, I underwent a profound transformation, transitioning into an environmentalist dedicated to combating plastic pollution on a global scale. Conversations with fishermen across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas have unveiled a chilling reality unfolding in our oceans. This crisis is not isolated to a single region; it's a worldwide phenomenon. A disturbing trend has emerged: fish are failing to reach their normal size, with adult fish resembling juveniles. The repercussions cascade through the entire food chain, leading to its collapse. The root cause is not solely overfishing in many regions but pervasive environmental pollution. Plankton populations are dwindling, with plastic pollution and other toxins decimating these vital organisms known as "the lungs of our planet." In the Gulf of Mexico, once-sizeable yellow croaker now barely exceed 80 grams in weight, a fraction of their former size. Similarly, off the coast of Nova Scotia, red fish appear abundant but remain stunted, resembling juvenile specimens rather than mature adults. Off the south coast of Ireland, where I grew up, something alarming is happening with haddock, whiting, and other fish. Adult fish now only reach 10% of the size they did in the thriving whiting populations of the pre-90s fisheries. There seems to be no shortage of fish, but they all appear to be juveniles. Fishermen in Australia and New Zealand are reporting similar observations. It's often said that having fishermen on the ocean is like having canaries in a coal mine – they can often see what's happening before anyone else does. The collapse seems imminent; at times, I fear it may have already occurred. We must urgently address ocean pollution. If we don't take action to protect our oceans, life as we know it could cease to exist. We cannot continue on this destructive path; future generations of children deserve far better than this. If we do not halt the pollution of our oceans, our children will be left with no future at all. oceanintegrity.org

At the “Designing a Robust, Efficient Rainwater Harvesting System for a Commercial Building” CEU Webinar, we’ll dive deeper into the drainage, storage, treatment, and pumping/distribution strategies. Learn how rainwater harvesting can help your building conserve water, manage stormwater outflows all while lessening the building's environmental footprint. Get pumped and join G. Edward Van Giesen on Tuesday, April 2 at 12pm ET. Earn 0.1 ASPE CEU! Register here: https://ow.ly/oVPW50QRcC1 #rainwaterharvesting #WattsWorksTraining #CEU