Brooklyn Story Lab

Thank you to the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) for having us at their recent 2024 Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Awards Gala, where we had the opportunity to see Thrive Global CEO Arianna Huffington present an award to Salesforce CEO (and fellow The B Team leader) Marc Benioff. We appreciate the BCIU philosophy that "the infrastructure of a modern world" is built "by facilitating relationships, partnerships, and international understanding."

"Belize has emerged as something of an exception in Central America. In a region where rulers are embracing authoritarian tactics, Belize has developed into a relatively stable (albeit young) parliamentary democracy with a history of peaceful transitions of power." Belize also recently participated in our partner Blue Planet Alliance's most recent Fellowship program, where it is assessing a transition to 100% renewable energy. Read more about Belize's "boring" capital Belize, and how it was built to withstand an increasingly unfriendly climate: https://lnkd.in/ePvdmg59 Henk Rogers Francois Rogers Lance Gould

Our friends Blue Planet Alliance and their partners will be well represented at #cop29 in Azerbaijan this week and next. This week, there are at least five scheduled events in which they'll be playing a role, along with such esteemed partners of theirs as Peace Boat US, Global Warming Mitigation Project, EcoVybz Environmental Creatives, Global Kids, Parley for the Oceans, and Extreme Hangout. The recurring themes of these events are transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy and empowering youth to lead the charge. See the five events below and stay tuned here for more news about what is happening in Baku. #COP29Azerbaijan #cop29baku #COP29AZE #UNFCCC

The consequential #COP29 climate conference starts today in Baku. Follow UNLEASH on LinkedIn to see how posts on how climate change is having specific negative impacts on Rwanda, Bolivia, Uganda, and so many other locales around the world. Jackie Stenson Ana Jiménez Nú?ez Fabian V.

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There are many reasons to be saddened by a Trump victory, but solely addressing Trump's stance on climate (that it is a hoax): science tells us that we must make drastic changes to our energy consumption: 1) away from fossil fuels, and 2) quickly. The weather is telling us that, too. Generational flooding, wildfires, and hurricanes are in-our-face indicators that climate change is here, because of a warming planet. Drill, Baby, Drill will only make it worse, and rejecting the Paris Agreement will send a message to the other 195 country signees that climate doesn't matter. That is a huge mistake — and also a missed economic opportunity. We could demonstrate global leadership, and lessen our dependence on foreign fuels. Many red states currently enjoy tremendous solar and wind energy opportunities — Texas' energy system would have collapsed in the 2023 heat wave without significant input from solar and wind. (In peak hours during that Texas heat wave, renewables often provided 35-40% of total electricity.) BSL will continue to work advancing climate issues globally and helping to call attention to the necessity of ditching dirty energy, as well as other social-good issues related to gender equality, health, education, social justice, poverty, and biodiversity. Reaching our goal of a sustainable planet just got A LOT harder. But our work will continue and the fight isn't over.

One candidate believes climate change is a hoax. That right there is enough for us to wholeheartedly endorse the Harris-Walz ticket for President and Vice President of the U.S. There are scores of other issues and reasons, as well, but Trump already pulled out of the Paris Agreement when he was President, and he will again. Our planet cannot afford that.

If a language disappears, what is lost along with it? Once a language disappears — along with the knowledge of the elders who speak it — whole swaths of wisdom disappear, too. And that is precisely what is happening in the Amazon right now, as well as in many Indigenous communities around the world. Join Brooklyn Story Lab CEO Lance Gould today on a panel exploring the importance of preserving Indigenous culture and wisdom, with such esteemed panelists as: * Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri, a filmmaker who has worked extensively with Beyonce, David Bowie, and Lady Gaga, and is now turning her attention to films about Indigenous communities * Dr. Philbert Aaron, Dominica’s Ambassador to the UN, who lived through deadly Hurricane Maria with his wife and seven-week-old son * Joseph McNeil Jr, CEO of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's SAGE Development Authority * Atossa Soltani, founder of the Earthshot Prize-nominated Amazon Sacred Headwaters. https://lnkd.in/g3SAW45A Register to watch the Samuel Lawrence Foundation's "First Fridays" video podcast here: https://lnkd.in/g87mntsJ

Congrats to Kneyone M., newly appointed Caribbean Director for our partners at Blue Planet Alliance. Kneyone will manage relationships for BPA with 31 jurisdictions in and adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. We look forward to continuing to work with the Trinidad and Tobago native, and are excited to see where he brings BPA! Read his latest blog, "Speaking Truth to Power," on the BPA website: https://lnkd.in/e3TudBZ8

Less than 1% of the rare earth elements that supply future green technologies come from recycling. This exciting conversation has solutions to address that! John Holm Anita Schwartz Kristyn Rankin Grayson Shor Vivien Luk Liz Miller Sagarika Ramachandran Deirdre White Marimelle Pascual-Pennington Edward Leibman Henk Rogers Francois Rogers