Impactfully No. 76: Biodiversity Bump

Greg Rancourt -

Break out the warm, fuzzy feelings – some species thought to be extinct made a comeback last year. We also reexamine our leaner, greener lifestyle choices – turns out they're not as simple as we thought. On the job front, Exygy has a fantastic opportunity to connect public benefits to the people who need them most. And it turns out you can turn your current job into a climate action job, no career change required. Let's dive in.

~ Greg

What we're reading

Far more species are going extinct than expected under normal evolutionary conditions, and researchers place the blame on human activity. There were a few bright spots last year, however, and some species thought to be extinct were rediscovered. (Newsweek)

  • Climate change gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. It's a bit easier to visualize the impact, not to mention we're starting to see those impacts today.
  • Biodiversity loss can't be overlooked, however. We're not just talking extinction – we could lose access to new treatments, hasten climate change, and impact food production, just to name a few impacts.
  • Against that backdrop, it's great to see that conservation efforts are netting a few wins.

We're mindful when it comes to the impact we have on the planet, right? Turns out that what we think makes a difference and what actually makes a difference are two different things. (Wired)

  • I love an article that turns an assumption on its head. In this case, people were presented with options for living a more sustainable lifestyle and asked which option made the most difference.
    • One surprise: a vegetarian diet based on imported products is better than buying meat and dairy at the local farmer's market.
    • Or this one: organic farming is better for biodiversity but ultimately less efficient for land use.
  • It's not that one choice is right and one is wrong – it comes down to your values and what you want to support. The takeaway is that our conscientious decision-making, though well-intentioned, comes with its own set of tradeoffs.

Job of the week

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit that matches your passion for social impact, then you're going to love the Senior Public Sector Growth Strategist role from Exygy this week.

Exygy builds technology to support social impact causes, and their big claim to fame is a platform called Bloom Housing that helps people find affordable housing. They're currently hiring a growth strategist for a new product called CiviForm that connects people to public benefits and is rolling out to major metros like Seattle and Charlotte.

This is a great opportunity to join a team with more traction than a newly-formed startup without losing the pace and excitement that comes with launching a product for the first time.

Shout out to Russ S. for sharing this opportunity with me on LinkedIn!

Community roundup

  • Starting this year, residents in France must separate organic matter from other waste in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They plan to convert the organic matter into biogas to power homes and compost to replace chemical fertilizers. (Euronews)
  • Harriet Tubman is getting her own commemorative coins courtesy of the U.S. Mint. Buying all three will set you back $836.25, and preorders began last Thursday. (Axios)
  • COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber from the UAE drew criticism over his ties to oil and gas in the Middle East. Now, COP29 has tapped another oil and gas veteran as its president-in-waiting, Mukhtar Babayev from Azerbaijan. (The Guardian)
  • Florida has received the F.D.A.'s first approval to import pharmaceuticals from Canada. Other states are trying to follow suit over the vocal opposition of pharmaceutical companies stateside. (NYT)
  • The Department of Energy is investing millions of dollars to make graphite recycling viable. Doing so would improve the domestic supply chain for EV batteries. (Grist)
  • NASA's PACE mission is set to launch in the coming weeks and will provide new ways to study climate effects on Earth's oceans and atmosphere. (Florida Today)
  • The first offshore wind farm in New England went online last week. The economic environment for offshore wind projects has shifted significantly in recent years, with multiple large-scale projects being canceled after rising interest rates and inflation impacted profitability. (NYT)
  • Speaking of wind turbines, the world's tallest wooden wind turbine has been installed in Sweden. The tower is carbon negative and can be recycled into beams when the tower reaches end of life. (Electrek)

Hot job opportunities

Hiring for mission-driven talent? Post a job for free on our job board.

Looking for a job? Submit your resume to our talent pool, and let social impact companies come to you.

Upcoming events

Wednesday, Jan. 10

Thursday, Jan. 18

  • Social Entrepreneur Summit. Tampa, FL. 5:30 - 10:00 PM. Panel interviews and networking with social entrepreneurs and other social impact leaders in Florida.

Want to highlight an upcoming event in the newsletter? Send me the details.

Resource of the week

I'm probably not the only person who wants to contribute to climate action but doesn't have the experience to make a career change. What if you could take action in your current role instead?

That's the inspiration behind this week's resource from Project Drawdown, a nonprofit focused on climate solutions. They've created a series of action guides for common job functions that provide guidance on how to take climate action in our current roles. Maybe you're not a climate scientist, but if you work in finance, engineering, marketing, sales, engineering, and more, you'll find some great strategies here to contribute to the defining challenge of our time.

Test your knowledge

Last week, I asked you when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They did so in 1948 in response to World War II – for more background, check out the UN website. I had no idea that Eleanor Roosevelt chaired the drafting committee!

We're shifting gears to a question on tech equity for this week's question:

Not everyone has access to reliable internet infrastructure, a point exacerbated during the pandemic when students were forced to transition to online learning. What term describes the gap between those who have access to fast, reliable internet and those who don't?

Think you know the answer? Email me your guess, and I'll send a random winner some bonafide One Work stickers.

I was introduced to crow pose in my yoga workout this week and will not be floating my feet anytime soon. You can find me on LinkedIn and Threads.

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