Weekly Earth Wins 12/8
Your weekly dose of news on systemic solutions to our systemic climate crisis.
đ Clean Tech Innovation in the Global South
Cleantech HUB, a network of climate innovation centers launched in Colombia in 2019, has supported over 1,000 startups across Latin America in just five years, mobilizing $10 million, creating 3,000 green jobs, and avoiding 5 megatons of COâ. The organization builds local hubs embedded in universities and municipalities across Costa Rica, Peru, and Guatemala, connecting early-stage climate entrepreneurs with mentors, investors, and pilot partners through a âSouth-to-Southâ exchange model that allows knowledge and capital to flow between emerging economies.
The Hope:
By building climate innovation ecosystems rooted in local ownership rather than imported Western models, Cleantech HUB demonstrates that the Global South can lead its own green transition. As the network expands and plans to launch a catalytic capital fund by 2030, it could unlock Latin Americaâs vast untapped climate-tech talent and help the region claim its rightful role in driving global climate solutions.
đ´ Geothermal Hope
A startup called Mazama Energy is developing geothermal energy at Newberry Volcano in Oregon, the largest volcano in the Cascade Range, to tap into the vast potential of this near-limitless energy source. They recently announced a major leap in progress, reaching 629 degrees Fahrenheit underground.
Currently, the U.S. generates only 0.4% of its utility-scale electricity from geothermal plants located in just seven western states, despite examples like Iceland producing over one-fourth of its electricity from geothermal energy.
The Hope:
Americaâs geothermal resources remain largely untapped, representing a massive opportunity for clean, reliable baseload power. As innovative projects like Newberry demonstrate the viability of volcano-based geothermal energy, the U.S. could unlock a domestic renewable energy source capable of providing round-the-clock electricity for generations.
đ Free Bus Programs
Iowa Cityâs fare-free bus pilot program, launched in August 2023, has boosted ridership by 68% over two years and saved residents $3 million in transit costs while reducing vehicle miles traveled by 1.8 million and cutting CO2 emissions by 24,000 metric tons annually. The program has been extended through fiscal year 2026, with the city council citing positive impacts on sustainability and economic development goals.
The Hope:
Iowa Cityâs remarkable success proves that eliminating transit fares can rapidly transform urban mobility while advancing climate goalsâall for about $1 million per year, a fraction of what the city gains in reduced congestion, cleaner air, and improved equity. As this model demonstrates measurable results, other mid-sized cities could follow suit, showing that accessible public transit doesnât require massive federal investment, just smart local policy.
đ° Insurance and Courtrooms
Washington state homeowners filed a federal class-action lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, and the American Petroleum Institute, alleging that decades of climate deception directly caused their insurance premiums to surge.
The plaintiffs claim oil companies knowingly misled the public about climate dangers while funding misleading studies and promoting doubt about climate science, ultimately delaying clean energy transitions and contributing to extreme weather events that have forced insurers to raise rates, with Washington homeownersâ insurance rates climbing 51% over the past six years.
The Hope:
In a way thatâs differentiated from previous climate lawsuits focused on environmental damages, this approach could resonate more powerfully with the public and courts by demonstrating how Big Oilâs lies are hitting peopleâs wallets, potentially creating a pathway for millions of affected homeowners nationwide to seek compensation while forcing the industry to finally bear the costs of the crisis they knowingly created.