Pique Behind the Curtain Vol. 35

A newsletter for those who are interested in climate solutions, media and film production

June 22, 2022

Guten Tag! Germany’s Got a Green Thumb.

Welcome back to our weekly newsletter, Pique Behind the Curtain. If you’ve come in search of climate content, new film features, and all-around positive vibes, then you’ve come to the right place.

Climate Success Story: Germany Gets Serious About Climate

Germany recently announced an even more ambitious clean energy target of 80% of its power mix by 2030 up from its previous target of 65%. That’s in only 8 years. Do you know what was happening 8 years ago? The Ice Bucket Challenge, Bruno Mars playing the Superbowl halftime show, and Taco Bell finally offering a breakfast menu. If that simultaneously feels like a century ago and yesterday afternoon, you understand how short a time 8 years really is.

The package is called the Renewable Energy Sources Act, and it will come into effect on July 1st. Accelerated in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Germany’s dependence on Russian oil, the proposal also contains an important clause that identifies clean energy as “in the interest of public security”. Germany relies on Russia for more than half of its natural gas, leaving them vulnerable to disruption. A push toward renewable energy gives the nation, largely made up of wind and solar expansion, greater levels of energy security.

With a gross domestic product (GDP) of over 5.37 trillion Euros in 2021, the German economy is by far the largest in the EU. We know (albeit, don’t always love to admit) that money makes the world go ‘round. Major economic powers making aggressive climate commitments - and following through on them - is a huge indication of progress in the climate fight.

Watch our TikTok on Germany’s climate commitment here!

Sneak Pique: Huue

You might not know that dyeing is the dirtiest part of denim production. It’s yet another place where fossil fuels have a thorny grasp. Conventional dyes and pigments are made primarily from them. It’s an extremely carbon intensive process and requires a lot of toxic chemicals and heavy metals to produce.

Today, every kilogram of indigo produced uses 75x the amount of petroleum. But one company is on a mission to change that. Huue’s biotechnology doesn’t rely on fossil fuels of any kind. Instead, their process follows nature and enables a cleaner, greener blue that has five times less toxicity potential compared to chemical sources.

Now your favorite piece of clothing can be planet-friendly, too.

Want to learn more? Tune back in next week for the full film.

Good Climate News!

This week in good climate news 🌍:

Undaaaa the Sea🧜‍♀️🎶

Just about 100 miles off the coast of New York and New Jersey resides the Hudson Canyon, an underwater world full of deep-sea corals, turtles, sperm whales, and other vibrant marine species. (Maybe mermaids? Probably not… but who's to say. 🤷‍♀️)

This picturesque place may soon become the United States’ most recent national marine sanctuary, which currently includes 17 aquatic sites, giving it the same protective rights as a national park or historical monument.

Hudson Canyon is the largest submarine canyon along the East Coast, stretching up to 7.5 miles wide and measuring between 2 and 2.5 miles deep at certain points. Carved by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age, the underwater chasm is home to hundreds of species of fish and marine mammals. Not only is the canyon rich in biodiversity, but the life sustained there is integral to the region’s economy, supporting commercial and recreational fisheries, recreational whale-watching, and birding.

Before taking office, Biden made a promise to converse 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030 to help address climate change as a part of a global initiative known as 30x30. 30x30 is an ambitious plan that has the potential to help slow the concerning loss of nature, fight the global climate crisis, and filter out pollution in an effort to provide clean air and water around the world. The goal is also to provide access to nature and open space for all Americans, regardless of economic status, race, or ethnicity. Marine protected areas, specifically, can help preserve aquatic habitats that may otherwise be degraded or even depleted by human activity, as well as provide opportunities for scientists to study ocean life that is undisturbed by that same anthropogenic activity.

A sanctuary located near the New York City metropolitan area, one of the most densely populated regions in the Northeast U.S., would foster the connection of diverse communities across the area to the ocean and canyon and aid conservation efforts. Not only this, but in a statement made by the NOAA, the agency said that the Hudson Canyon could also be used as an environmental bellwether (aka, an indicator of trends) to monitor the effects of climate change.

Making the Hudson Canyon a sanctuary would give the federal government more control over the types activities allowed the area, helping to reduce pollution and biodiversity loss!

What We’re Watching, Reading, and Listening to

Searching for more positive climate content? Look no further!

Calling All Filmmakers!

Bloomberg Green Docs is open for submissions. They want to see your short documentaries on climate change. Submit your film by September 16 and compete to win a $25,000 grand prize, plus the opportunity to showcase your work at a special screening in Los Angeles on October 26.