The Cool Down

"The answer is community — that we're all in this together." I loved that line from Ayana Elizabeth Johnson at the Mountain Towns 2030 Summit -- and am so grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed the "magic" of mountain town leaders coming together around #climatesolutions this year in Jackson Hole, WY. So much progress is rooted in local collaboration and transcends what's political in favor of what's practical: cleaner, better, cheaper options that will help us thrive into the future. I was there in my role as a board member for #MT2030, but I also covered the event for The Cool Down, recapping some of the highlights in the story below: 🏔️ Ayana Elizabeth Johnson sharing more from her great book, "What If We Get It Right?" 🏔️ Bethany Patten sharing the incredible work of Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan School of Management to actually show -- in real time -- the impact of different levers on climate outcomes via their tool En-ROADS (I'm planning to do their training and recommend it to anyone!) 🏔️ Briefings from Ari Matusiak of Rewiring America and KC Becker at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) around grants, rebates, and incentives available to mountain towns 🏔️ Showcases on innovative technologies like geothermal energy using waste heat from ice arenas and wastewater treatment plants into heating systems from Cameron Millard at Vail Resorts Honored to work alongside Chris Steinkamp Richard Bezemer Luke Cartin Andy Beerman Eyee Hsu Bryn Carey and more to bring this to life -- we have much more in store... 🚀 #climate #climatesolutions #geothermal

In 2018, Jane Melia, Ph.D. needed to replace the nearly 40-year-old gas furnace in her home. As an engineer with a background in clean technology, she decided that instead of just swapping it out for a more sustainable option, she'd build an entirely new system from the ground up — one that could heat and cool her home, and keep her water warm, too. Fast forward six years and you get Harvest, the award-winning startup co-founded by Jane and her husband (Pierre, also an engineer) that uses an efficient heat pump and a "smart thermal battery" to heat, cool, and provide hot water in homes, all using clean energy when it's available. "I've had device No. 1 — I've been living with this since 2018 … after we realized, wow, it's cutting our bills by 42%," Jane said. Learn more about Harvest's unique tech (hint: a hot water heater that doubles up as a giant battery) — and how customers can get an even higher tax incentive because of that 👇 https://lnkd.in/e-U2kpQs #cleanenergy #climatesolutions #IRA

We hopped on the Following the Footprints newsletter to talk about the latest in America's "clean home" revolution — toward saving money, living healthier, and helping the planet all at once. Think: compost over trash cans, upcycled food as home-cooked meals, and heat pump water heaters in the crawl space & solar panels on the roof. More below 👇

📣 Happy Friday. Here’s the trend roundup for the week (Oct 21-25) 📣 🍕 Our 35M+ monthly audience is eager to learn what to do with take-out containers besides putting them in the recycling bin with a hope and a prayer —> This homeowner has a particularly innovative use [https://lnkd.in/eAVbjqmS] ⚡️ Our audience is wondering about all things off-gridding, including how powerful solar panels really can be —> This off-grinder dispels solar myths and power usage in winter [https://lnkd.in/e2YGWNqQ] ⛰️ People doing stupid things in nature - love to hate it, and we love to click on it too —> This story about tourists in Yellowstone has been doing numbers for us. Tip of the hat to this park ranger [https://lnkd.in/extjk_Ny] For deeper dives into the trends we're seeing at The Cool Down, sign up for the free Business Edition newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eHirU2Yg

📺 😎 As seen on The Drew Barrymore Show: The Cool Down co-founder Anna Robertson appeared on the show yesterday to share 3 tips to save money, live healthier, and save the planet. 1. Switch to an induction cooktop 🔥 --> Induction cooktops cook twice as fast as gas stoves, are easy to clean, and most importantly don't emit toxic gases like gas stoves do. 2. Wash your clothes on cold 🚰 --> Washing on cold with a quality detergent is gentler on your clothes, and it's less likely your fabrics will shrink, fade, or wrinkle. Plus, you could save up to $250 a year on your energy bills. 3. Recycle empty cosmetic containers 💅 --> Pact Collective is a nonprofit that works with major beauty brands like SEPHORA and Ulta Beauty to recycle beauty "empties." Pact has over 3,000 bins in the US and Canada where you can drop off your bottles. PLUS, find out the bonus hack here: https://lnkd.in/e2zGG-gh

🌎 💚 Loved sharing some easy tips from The Cool Down on how to save money, live healthier, and help the planet on KPCW Radio, especially as we head into the winter months. Some of what we discussed: 🚰 Saving water with beautiful landscaping swapping native plants for grass & using your dishwasher (with no pre-rinse!) 🥕 Reducing food waste to save money and reduce #methane (the average person wastes $700+ a year throwing away food) by participating in food waste diversion (PC locals - go to Park City Community Foundation and Momentum Recycling to get on board!) 🏠 Weatherizing your home to save money on energy with insulation, checking for leaks, and reaching out to your utility company for energy audits ⚡Modernizing your home by electrifying appliances (and our experience replacing our gas-powered hot water heater with a heat pump hot water heater and using an electric snowblower and lawnmower (which are quieter and produce no pollution) 🧺 Wash laundry on cold water to save $150-$250 a year 👚 Shop local, thrift items, buy better quality, and rent clothes through Rent The Runway or Nuuly Thanks to Claire Wiley and Chris Cherniak for having me back on "This Green Earth" - and tune in for more tips here! 🎙️ https://lnkd.in/g3_7iNyk #climatesolutions #climate #thisgreenearth #parkcity

"At its core, we're trying to have a pretty magical experience relating to … how you eat, the food you eat, and how you think about consumption," Chris MacAulay, VP at Too Good To Go, told us recently. As the switchboard operator between hungry customers and restaurants with too much food on their hands, TGTG offers "surprise bags" (usually around $6) that provide budget-friendly delicious meals, save retailers money, and have a huge positive impact on the environment. Since the company launched, TGTG has rescued over 350 million meals from being tossed in the garbage. "We're the world's largest marketplace for surplus food," MacAulay noted, and TGTG's partners "range anywhere from your local bakery and pizza shop to grocers like Whole Foods." TGTG's recent expansion into IKEA and Whole Foods Market around the country lets even more users experience that win-win-win. "We're excited about our growth in the US," MacAulay said. "We're profitable and growing fast — and very excited to … push sustainability to a much bigger scale." 👉 Get the full scoop here: https://lnkd.in/dvNa2Mjp #climatesolutions #foodwaste #sustainability

👍👍 Sustainable business wins are running hot this week, and it’s only Tuesday. - HelloFresh and Denali have joined forces to turn food waste into nutrient-rich compost and animal feed. The collaboration is expected to prevent around 4 million pounds of food waste from entering Phoenix-area landfills by the end of the year.  [https://lnkd.in/epKWd73w] - This startup backed by Patagonia just unveiled the world's first potato thread, which can be used to produce sustainable, all-natural fabric. The co reported that its potato-based textiles use 99.7% less water and generate 82% less carbon pollution than cotton.   [https://lnkd.in/eQXch-Sg] - DoorDash's new partnership with BIOPACK is shaking up the food delivery industry by giving its Australian merchants access to BioPak's expansive market of sustainable packaging at discounted rates to limit the use of plastic and other harmful waste. [https://lnkd.in/ewUfev4C] - Delta Air Lines announced plans for its multimillion-dollar sustainable aviation blending facility, which will be only the third such facility in the US. Delta will use a novel crop developed at the University of Minnesota called winter camelina seed. [https://lnkd.in/esdMf5-n] - Brita will donate to a school or charity of your choice when you recycle your old water filter system — here’s how to try it. [https://lnkd.in/eknjmQ8h] 

📣 Trend roundup for the week of Oct 14-18 📣 Here’s what our 35M+ monthly audience keeps clicking on this week. 🎃 Must be all the pumpkin patch visits these days, because sustainable farming is top of mind for readers —> This story about researchers who have discovered a unique connection between organic farming and carbon storage in soil is racking up hundreds of thousands of page views [https://lnkd.in/gT3DT2je] 🪦 RIP to the sweaty panic when we’re asked “paper or plastic” —> CA gov Gavin Newsom signed a law *fully* banning plastic bags in grocery stores  [https://lnkd.in/dgNFtmti] 🛍️ Readers are paying attention when brands waste excess inventory —> Two of the world's biggest luxury brands may be sitting on a whopping $5.1 billion worth of unsold goods [ https://lnkd.in/d_4Xu_UW] For deeper dives into the trends we're seeing at The Cool Down, sign up for the free Business Edition newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eHirU2Yg

🚦 Beep beep, you've got the green: General Motors recently announced record sales for its #EVs, boosting the automaker into the No. 2 spot for EV sales. The over 100-year-old company also expects its EV sales to be profitable against costs for things like materials and labor by the end of 2024. So why the big uptick in GM's EV sales, especially as other automakers are pulling back their EV rollout or emphasizing hybrids? Well for one thing, GM now has a massive EV lineup, including affordable, family-friendly options all the way to pickups and luxury rides. "If you look at the EV portfolio that we're launching, it is incredibly exciting and incredibly beautiful products. What's most exciting about it is it's across every segment — and affordable options as well," Kristen Siemen, vice president and chief sustainability officer at GM, told The Cool Down. "It's an absolutely exciting time to really see all of these options available to our customers," she said. ⚡ Learn more here (including what truck Kristen is currently driving): https://lnkd.in/e747pcD8