Closing out The Cooler's first year.
A look back at the inspiring, impactful conversations about we’ve had about climate in 2023.
In August, we launched The Cooler to have better conversations about climate solutions, and the technology and innovations that are pushing us towards a more sustainable future. Now, just a few months into the project, we’re blown away by the amount of support, engagement, and interest we’ve seen already.
To us, it speaks volumes about how much work there is to do to improve climate communications. As a group, we’re belligerently optimistic that society has the ingenuity to counteract the negative effects of climate change, and we remain committed as ever to our role as storytellers and creatives helping to advance these solutions.
Early next year, we’re excited to bring you conversations with prominent climate tech investor Leo Banchik, who just announced the next chapter of his fascinating career in climate tech with Voyager Ventures, and Allison Bates Wannop, an energy policy changemaker who has a bold vision to "disrupt" policy work to unlock a new era of renewable energy.
Before we ring in 2024, we’re pausing to reflect on some of the stories we told this year and the lessons we’re pulling into the next.
To those of you who are just joining us, we’re happy you’ve found The Cooler and we encourage you to peruse issues you may have missed from earlier this year. If you’re already a subscriber and have enjoyed the work we’ve been doing, we hope you’ll share this with someone in your network who would be interested, too. Finally, if you’re interested in storytelling with us, have feedback, or just want to share a few thoughts, drop us a line at thecooler@launchsquad.com.
Our first interview was with someone who’s defining the future of the carbon removal industry: CRA’s executive director, Giana Amador.
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Giana Amador to define a vision for high-quality carbon removal at Carbon180, and today we’re cheering her on as she leads the Carbon Removal Alliance. Giana has made a clear impact on the global conversation about carbon removal, and she is working tirelessly to scale the industry across a diverse range of pathways by influencing federal policy.
Taking Carbon Removal Mainstream: A Conversation with Market-Shaper Giana Amador
Giana Amador is a pioneer—though she probably wouldn’t introduce herself that way. Instead, she’d tell you about the moment she and her Carbon180 co-founder, Noah Deich, stumbled upon the concept of carbon removal. Buried hundreds of pages deep in an IPCC report published in 201…
We attended NYC Climate Week and VERGE 23
Our team drew a lot of storytelling insights and energy from attending climate conferences this year. They’re forums for information-sharing and connection for individuals and companies in the climate space. Perhaps more importantly, we were reminded who’s not in the room at these events—and to make sure we disseminate key messages and takeaways beyond industry gatherings.
We spoke with creative storytellers about how they develop engaging, accessible content about climate change.
What clean energy solution matches your zodiac sign? What climate questions should you be asking on a first date? These are some outside-the-box ways that creative storytellers Nicole Kelner and Kristy Drutman engage their audiences—and make a real impact educating a broad spectrum of followers on climate change topics.
Climate Change in Watercolor 🎨
If you work in clean energy circles, you’ve probably seen Nicole Kelner’s work, even if you don’t realize it. More recently, you may have seen The Clean Energy Coloring Book come across your social feed. Perhaps her most recognized piece of art, Climate Stripes
🔑 The key to compelling climate stories? Look outside the industry
Kristy Drutman, a.k.a. Brown Girl Green, is a climate storyteller. Her Instagram feed has highlighted how our unsustainably-changing climate is putting beer and oysters at risk, the types of awkward climate questions we should be asking on a first date, and an intro into what Climate Finance is—and that’s just in one week.
Terraformation CEO Yishan Wong shared why he’s planting trees—and how he addresses the skeptics
It’s going to take more than one solution to mitigate and reverse the impacts of climate change. Still, figuring out where to focus our time and resources can be tricky. Yishan Wong, CEO of Terraformation, shared how he approaches these conversations.
Speaking for the Trees 🌳
Climate tech is filled with a wide array of innovative technologies aimed to aid the health of our planet. In-depth engineering projects, supply chain reworkings and the invention of new forms of energy have all made waves. But with all of this emerging tech, it’s easy to forget about nature’s invention for CO2 reduction: trees.
We talked about climate tech storytelling with two guys who have been doing it (and doing it well) since before it was cool.
Abe Yokell, co-founder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures, and Mike Farber, co-founder of Greenstory, have both been bullish on climate technology since its first boom. Now, as we see a resurgence of interest and investment in the space, they share how critical storytelling is to the success of these solutions.
An Eternal Optimist on the Importance of Climate Storytelling
It’s hard to picture Mike Farber without a smile on his face. He radiates positivity. Below the surface, you’ll find a guy who has a stalwart connection to Mother Earth and a pressing concern for humanity’s role in fostering that connection. Farber’s career in communications began nearly two decades ago, and since then he’s been telling stories for high…
An OG climate investor on the value of storytelling
Look around the climate space and you’ll find people who go against the grain. They’re innovators, they disrupt the norm, they refuse settle for the status quo. Abe Yokell, managing partner at Congruent Ventures, is one of these people. He’s been investing in climate since before it was
We connected with climate journalists and podcasters about what the new year might bring.
Climate media on the 2024 tech outlook 👀
2023 was a pivotal year for global climate action. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) investments began making their way into communities and clean energy solutions continued to expand. Earlier this month, diplomats from around the world struck a historic agreement to “transition away” from fossil fuels at COP28 in the UAE. This momentum t…
Thank you + Happy New Year from The Cooler team!
We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the individuals who gave us their time and shared compelling, thoughtful responses to our questions. You all are inspiring voices helping the climate industry drive forward in the right direction.
And thank you our subscribers for joining us on our journey to have better conversations about climate. We’re excited to continue this work in 2024.