No. 112: Citywide Composting

Do you compost? New York City residents are about to become experts, as their city gets one step closer to diverting organic waste from landfills. I might be inspired to give it a shot myself this spring.

If you've walked by the household goods section of your local grocery store, chances are you have seen my featured employer this week, The Honest Company. They are hiring for a number of senior-level roles at their headquarters in California, so be sure to check them out. I've also got an "anti-dread" podcast recommendation for some reassurance that we're going to be okay – even through these historic storms.

~ Greg

What we're reading

New York City has launched a citywide curbside composting program that aims to divert millions of tons of organic waste from landfills. (Inside Climate News)

• The program requires all residents to separate food waste from other garbage. That organic waste is then composted or converted into "bio-gas" – methane, essentially – and used as an energy source.
  • The concern is the balance between the two outcomes: Only 20% of collected material in Brooklyn and Queens was being composted as of February.
• Despite these compromises, it's a decent first step towards a citywide composting effort. Local nonprofits are being funded to support education and outreach, which is another plus.
• I'm not keen to be burning more fuel, but my hope is that this helps reduce demand on more traditional energy sources. What the city burns as bio-gas may imply less burning of natural gas, for example.

Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for certain felony convictions keeps thousands of people from voting even after they've served time. (The Marshall Project)

• Those who are banned from voting in Mississippi for their convictions are banned for life.
  • Mississippi isn't the only state with a ban like this either. Alabama and Tennessee have disenfranchised 1 in 13 people, and Florida has more than 1 million disenfranchised (non-)voters.
• A bill to restore voting rights for nonviolent offenders died in the state Senate earlier this year. It would have taken effect for the election in November.
• Two things I've considered while reading about this topic last week:
  • If you've been sentenced and served your time, your obligation to the state has been satisfied. That doesn't mean the stigma won't follow you for years to come, but your rights as a citizen ought to be restored in the eyes of your government.
  • It's rather remarkable that there is so much variability in our elections at the state level; this voting ban is just another example.
    • Take Georgia's recent announcement about how to count mail ballots, North Carolina's districting fight earlier this year, or Alabama purging voter rolls too close to the election.
    • I'm oversimplifying, but these efforts essentially amount to changing the rules to suit the state's leading political party. I would love to see some sort of national standard that puts everyone on a level playing field – and attempt to restore some confidence in our elections.

Job of the week

When it comes to consumer goods, few companies command the kind of reach that The Honest Company has built over the last decade. They specialize in personal care, baby, and household products – family essentials that people use week after week.

If you already knew that because you're a fan, then I have just the role for you: they are hiring a VP of Marketing & Design to join their headquarters in Playa Vista, CA who will lead creative and marketing communications. This is about as integrated as you can get within the growth organization – give this one a look if you are ready to take your marketing chops to the next level.

Community roundup

• I love the National Park System, and nothing brings a smile to my face quite like Fat Bear Week which ended yesterday.
  • Grazer won this year's competition, which asks people to "vote for the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness and success in brown bears." I'd love to see other National Parks take up similar competitions to bring awareness to conservation.
• The last coal-fired power plant in Britain has shut down. Coal has powered the country since 1882, but a carbon tax and decreasing renewable energy costs have accelerated a transition away from coal over the past 10 years. (The Guardian)
• Salmon are swimming in the Klamath River again, after the largest dam removal in U.S. history was completed last week. (ABC News)
• The energy sector, along with the backing of a dozen states, had recently challenged an EPA rule regulating mercury levels in coal-fired power plants. This week, the Supreme Court declined their request to pause the EPA's rule, affirming a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals. (CBS News)
• Antarctica is greening at an accelerating pace according to a new study of Landsat imagery. (Inside Climate News)
  • The key comparison, in my opinion: 40 years ago, less than one football field's worth of greenery was visible, and now researchers are observing 75 football fields' worth of additional greenery each year.
• The Department of Justice has announced a review of the Tulsa Massacre that will analyze the event in the context of "modern and then-existing civil rights law," according to Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. (WaPo)

Hot job opportunities

• Marketing Manager, Social Media – Tillamook – Portland, OR
• Sales Executive / New Business Sales Representative – Upswing – Remote
• Developer - Entry Level – OverDrive – Cleveland, OH
• Junior Account Executive – Teak Media – Boston, MA
• Accounts Payable Coordinator – Warby Parker – New York, NY
• Senior Technical Recruiter – Kodiak – Mountain View, CA
• Principal Product Designer - AI – Cornerstone – Dublin, CA
• Product Manager Lead (Founding PM) – ClimateAi – San Francisco, CA
• Sales Manager – GreenSavers – Portland, OR
• Manager, Integrated Planning & Strategy – DEPT – Austin, TX or Atlanta, GA

Resource of the week

These past few weeks have had me riding an emotional rollercoaster, between the wars in the Middle East and Europe, the hurricanes at home, and an election less than a month away. Although I'd like to think I keep my cool in most situations, I'll admit it's wearing on me. Some positivity seems to be in order.

With that in mind, let me point you to The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast from KCRW. With two seasons under their belts, they have an episode for just about any climate-action topic you can think of: sustainable fashion, climate offsets, discussing climate change with people who disagree with you, family planning, and a whole lot more. I also appreciate that the episodes are short – I can go from stressed to reassured in 10 to 20 minutes. Give them a listen on your next commute.

Test your knowledge

If you knew the latest addition to the United Nations was South Sudan, color me impressed – there's a reason I included a link to all of the member states in the last newsletter. South Sudan successfully seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a civil war, and joining the U.N. helped establish its sovereignty on the international stage.

I've written about the carbon impact from livestock in the past, and a European country is going to start including it in its carbon tax system:

Which country passed legislation earlier this year requiring a livestock emissions tax?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I am thinking about family and friends in the Tampa Bay area. We've talked about the big one for years – keeping my fingers crossed that everyone makes it through this one okay. You can find me on LinkedIn and Threads.