News, Reconfigured: Jan 20
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Hey there Climate Globetrotters!👋
Welcome to the first ever edition of “News, Reconfigured”, the bi-weekly dispatch from the frontlines of the Reconfiguration. Every other week I will share my observations on recent events and discuss the latest developments, tied to the reconfiguration of world systems, driven by climate change.
This dispatch will cover timely updates⌚ and discuss recent events. Sure, there’s a lot going on, but I’ll do my best to cover the weekly happenings that matter most.
The Format
This dispatch will be formatted with a collection of segments designed to give you the biggest bang for your buck a taste of different types of updates, from what’s driving the news, our latest deep-dive (self promotion yay🎺), smaller things you might have missed, and some tech news. All coupled with emojis and AI images generated by yours truly.
🧭 Frontier Watch: Major shifts that caught our attention in the past two weeks
🎪 Globetrotting: Our latest expedition into the Reconfiguration (aka Deep-Dives)
🌊 Ripple Reports: Smaller changes we've spotted across different frontiers
💻 Tech, Reconfigured: Companies, entrepreneurs and innovators that are working at the heart of the Reconfiguration
With that… let’s go!
On Today’s Agenda:
🧭 Frontier Watch:
LA's fire season winds down as an Arctic blast prepares to hit the US
President Trump renews interest in Greenland
🎪 Globetrotting: We're Arctic-bound with two hot topics:
"It's Getting Hotter in the Arctic" intro to our Arctic series
"Shipping Ahoy," exploring new routes through melting ice
🌊 Ripple Reports:
Climate change reshapes insurance in Australia
Climate litigation faces challenges in New York
💻 Tech, Reconfigured:
ClimateTech matures in 2024
Beanless coffee startup, Atomo’s, fundraising shows how coffee is being reconfigured
🧭 Frontier Watch
Major shifts that caught our attention in the past two weeks.
Fire Weather vs. Arctic Weather
In LA, where fires raged over the past two weeks, there are signs that the Santa Ana winds are starting to wind down, bringing hope that the worst is over. Before we go any further, it’s a chance to send prayers and heartfelt wishes to the those who lost loved ones and property. May they see better days🙏
Although the LA fires dominated headlines in the past two weeks (with good reason), we might switch our sights from Fire Weather to Arctic Weather. Temperatures are set to drop significantly, thanks to an Arctic Blast set to descend on the US today, just in time for President Trump’s inauguration. Apparently, it’s going to be 🥶🥶🥶
The weakening of the Polar Vortex brings the Arctic to the continental US and right smack into the center of attention. Will the President invade the Polar Vortex in retaliation for bringing a chill to his big day?
Invasions Galore
Speaking of invasions… Greenland. President Trump has started talking once again about the prospects of invading Greenland, which, contrary to what the name suggests, is mostly a pack of ice🧊
Strangely enough, and I am not saying this lightly, President Trump has a point here. Now, to be clear, I’m not in favor of invading Greenland, or anywhere else for that matter. But, as we’ll discuss in the deep-dives (see below!), the Arctic is starting to be a much hotter and contested place than it used to be, and Greenland will play a major role in the future of the region, thanks to its strategic location and its natural resource reserves. Yes, before you ask, we will cover Greenland in one of the future deep-dives.
While I don’t think we’ll see US troops parachuting into Greenland just yet, it is telling that the changes in the geopolitical ecosystem of the Arctic are taking hold of mainstream media. I honestly thought it would take more time. But hey, guess I was wrong on that point!
🎪 Globetrotting
Since it’s our first edition, we’ll be starting our visit to the Artic region, where we will spend a few weeks.
In today’s edition, I’m proud to share our first two articles:
It’s Getting Hotter in the Arctic: Join us as we uncover why world powers are suddenly obsessed with this massive chunk of ice, and how climate change is turning this frozen frontier into a geopolitical hotspot. Featuring Russian soldiers, Chinese engineers, and some very confused polar bears!
Shipping Ahoy: Hop aboard as we explore how melting ice is creating new shipping routes that could rival the Suez Canal. We'll follow the journey of the "Jeez It's Cold" icebreaker and discover why shipping companies are eyeing the Arctic like it's the next Silicon Valley (but colder).
Next up, we will explore more of the changing Arctic tundra, so stay tuned!
🌊 Ripple Reports
The Reconfiguration is not always about making giant waves, but sometimes about making smaller ripples. Let’s take a look at some of the more subtle signals of the Reconfiguration:
Australia is Becoming an Uninsurable Country
What Gives: As reported in the Guardian, California and Florida aren’t the only places suffering from a regression in insurability. In Australia, climate change is driving insurance premiums up high, and insurance companies are less keen to take on risks and provide insurance (either at affordable prices or at all), forcing homeowners and property owners to choose between costly premiums that are difficult to swallow and not having insurance at all.
Insurance Reconfigured: While global attention has been geared towards LA, this issue is going to pose a systemic problem globally. We’ll explore how insurance is being reconfigured by climate change in future deep-dives, but for now it’s enough to note that the more frequent and catastrophic climate disasters are, the less insurance is available at reasonable prices, or maybe even at all.
New York’s Climate Litigation Hits a Snag
What Gives: Reported by Reuters, a judge dismissed New York City’s case against a bunch of oil companies, finding no evidence for Greenwashing campaigns conducted by Oil & Gas giants, nor any evidence that New Yorkers were deceived by such practices. This ruling joins a host of other losses in bringing legal action against oil majors.
Law Reconfigured: Regardless of the dismissal, we are witnessing how the law is becoming a key arena in waging climate battles👩⚖️. Win or lose, states and advocacy groups are likely to make increasing use of the legal system to force large corporations to transition away from fossil fuels, pay exorbitant fines, or curb lobbying efforts. It’s going to be interesting to watch…
👩💻Tech, Reconfigured
Innovators, inventors and explorers building tools for our changing world
ClimateTech Matured in 2024
What Gives: As reported in TechCrunch, 2024 has been a year of maturity for ClimateTech. There are multiple accounts that indicate that ClimateTech is maturing📈, with investors preferring to move away from shiny new toys and focus on more mature and established companies (see, for example, CTVC’s excellent 2024 report). Reported deal count and size clearly show what TechCrunch described as “a hangover following exuberance during the pandemic”.
ClimateTech Reconfigured?: Okay, I’ll be the first one to admit that this ClimateTech trend isn’t a sign of the Reconfiguration. Rather, it’s a reaction to the Reconfiguration. As industries adapt to the changing climate and changing needs, they shift the dynamics of what is economically viable, which in turn creates opportunities for technology companies. Private Equity and Infrastructure funds committing billions to ClimateTech aren't just showing faith in the technology - they're following the money trail💰 left by reconfiguring industries. In essence, these investment patterns are valuable indicators of where the Reconfiguration is already happening, with investors acting as market sensors detecting systemic changes in the real economy.
Beanless Coffee Maker Atomo Raises More Money
What Gives: As reported in Geekwire, Atomo, which develops beanless coffee, has raised an additional 💲7.8M for market expansion. Atomo develops coffee without using coffee beans, but rather a combination of recycled ingredients that include dates, lemon, guava and more. Now, after raising several rounds for manufacturing and R&D, they are set for market expansion and growth.
Coffee Reconfigured🍵: I know, I know, beanless coffee sounds strange. You might be thinking - "hey man take your hands off of my coffee!" But with climate change wreaking havoc on coffee prices, we'll have to adapt. See, coffee is considered to be a sensitive commodity that requires specific conditions to grow (temperatures, location, humidity, etc). Now that the climate is changing rapidly, coffee becomes more difficult to grow, requiring alternatives and solutions. And this is exactly where we see the Reconfiguration in action - the entire coffee ecosystem is transforming from the ground up. While Atomo represents just one response, we're seeing changes everywhere: farmers moving to higher altitudes, new growing regions emerging in unexpected places like China, and traditional players developing climate-resistant varieties. The coffee industry isn't waiting for someone to tell it how to adapt - it's already reconfiguring itself, one cup at a time.
That's a Wrap, Climate Globetrotters! 🌍✈️
We've reached the end of our first expedition into the Reconfiguration. Hope you enjoyed the ride! Here's what's on the horizon:
🧊 Next week: Part 3 of our Arctic adventure drops. Brace for more melting insights!
📅 In two weeks: Your next "News, Reconfigured" dispatch lands in your inbox.
Before You Go...
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That’s it! See you next time on the frontlines! 👋🌊