@samantha_yannucci
Samantha Yannucci
128 w
We’re all likely familiar with the horror stories of the student debt crisis in the United States. Stories of borrowers paying on their loans for several years – and even decades – only to find their balances higher than when they began repayment. The student debt crisis is real, and it is holding this nation back. As student loan borrowers get buried deeper and deeper in debt, the world is slowly heating at an unsustainable rate and every resource – financial, intellectual, or otherwise – is needed on board to address the climate crisis. I’ve heard the argument that it is unfair to forgive Americans of their student loan debt for various reasons, many times stemming back to the core issue that the federal government will not be “getting anything in return”. I challenge the United States of America, and Richard Cordray as the Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid, to change that narrative. I urge you to create a comprehensive forgiveness plan that addresses the student debt crisis and the climate crisis – two pressing issues of our time – and that stimulates the new green economy. Here is one, high-level idea: The United States of America creates a Federal “Green” Investment Portfolio based on the direction the nation wants to grow in the New Green Economy. Student loan borrowers are presented with the option to invest 10% of the value of their total federal loan debt into this Federal “Green” Portfolio for total debt forgiveness. If the borrower chooses this repayment option, interest rates are frozen and repayment begins. Loan debts are forgiven once the borrower hits the 10% mark. The federal government can use these investments to grow the nation’s green industries, including the green energy, green manufacturing, and regenerative agriculture sectors. Gains from the portfolio can be invested directly back into the portfolio – into the US economy – through business development, business expansion, research and development (R&D), etc. The federal government can grow the green economy through this portfolio by financing the expansion of existing companies; providing seed money for emerging start-up companies; and supporting R&D that addresses climate action through the various industries and sectors. This federal investment portfolio will grow itself, and the federal government will see repayment through returns realized through the expansion of the green economy; through the revolution of this nation – not through the detriment and exploitation of student loan borrowers. You’re dealing with borrowers that are largely part of a debt-burdened generation that is more conscious of its impact than generations before. A generation that consciously chooses to spend more money on goods that are local, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable, regardless of its financial insecurity and instability. If you give us the option to pay this 10% as an up-front investment in your portfolio, we are free to spend the other 90% + in the green economy, growing this portfolio, over our lifetimes (thanks to our loan forgiveness). This plan can help solve the millennial dilemma. I urge the United States of America to give borrowers a reason to be excited about repayment, and you will see your returns for generations to come. - - - Photo by Visual Stories || Micheile on Unsplash
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There is so much pressure on the auto industry to move us forward in a more climate-friendly manner. This pressure is focused on shifting the vehicle's power source from petrol to electric. But as long as we stay distracted by the car's power source, we are prolonging the upkeep of an entire infrastructural system that is inherently inefficient, flawed, and damaging to the earth. We are ignoring the damage of the structures that must be maintained to support mass vehicle travel. We simply need fewer vehicles. The impact of a car-centric society exceeds far beyond the vehicle itself. Companies like Volvo receive accolades for their commitment to climate-friendly practices and policies. But there is a whole vehicle production process and lifecycle to consider. It is preposterous that car manufacturers mass-produce new models of vehicles every year – year after year after year. There is an incredible amount of energy and materials that go into these vehicles that will soon be scrapped for the newest, latest models. So my question is this: would a company like Volvo truly put the planet's well-being ahead of its business interests? Would they pivot and invest in more sustainable transportation systems? Or will they build on this greenwashing scheme that distracts the public from the myriad of issues the automobile industry brings about? We will never move forward in a climate-friendly manner if we maintain and increase our patterns of mass consumption. I challenge Volvo to challenge the norm. Be a leader in revolutionizing our transportation system. Be a leader in decreasing the production of vehicles. Photo by Luca Massimilian on Unsplash
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Shared by Samantha Yannucci
Sarah Chabane
120 w
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Airlines are forced to fly empty planes not to lose their airport slots and this has to stop. @lufthansa_group will be forced to fly the equivalent of 18,000 empty planes during the winter season in order to keep its valuable airport slots and @brussels_airlines has operated 3,000 empty or near-empty flights this winter to avoid losing take-off and landing rights at major airports. Before the Covid pandemic, the rule was that airlines must operate flights in at least 80% of their scheduled take-off and landing slots, or they risked losing them. The European Union's ‘use it or lose it’ rule had been suspended in March 2020 but was brought back incrementally and now stands at 50% much higher than the actual number of flights needed to meet passenger demand. Keeping this rule doesn't make any sense in a climate emergency and is contrary to the EU objective of reducing greenhouse gasses by 55% by 2030. https://simpleflying.com/lufthansa-ghost-flights/
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108 w
I second this ... Such rules should be done away with so as to reduce the levels of emission caused by the aviation industry
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120 w
This is why we need a carbon tax so that it doesn't make economic sense to do silly things like this anymore. Thanks for sharing Sarah!
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I am so shocked that this is a practice — especially with the shame and guilt surrounding passenger air travel today. Yet it is standard practice to fly tens of thousands of empty planes each year. It's absurd. The least these airlines could have done was donated these seats to COP26 attendees, huh?
Samantha Yannucci
120 w
Mankind’s collective impact on the planet comprises the impact of every individual that inhabits this earth. The choices an individual makes are arguably more reflective of their relationship with and understanding of nature than their knowledge of climate change facts. If we want to curb climate change, we must focus on connecting youth with nature and creating stewards of the earth from a young age. Children spend anywhere between 10 and 20 percent of their waking lives in school. According to Education Week, a typical U.S. student spends 8,884 hours over nine years to complete primary and lower secondary education (edweek.org). Yet, most school curriculums do not emphasize or prioritize connecting youth with nature. Promoting and nurturing children’s connection with nature should be a mandatory part of the educational curriculum–and should even be a dominant part of the curriculum during the child’s most formative years (often said to be 0-8 years). It’s been estimated that approximately 75% of science teachers in the U.S. public school system teach climate change and that almost all public school students “likely receive at least some education about recent global warming” (National Center for Science Education, 2016). However, this same study found that students receive mixed messaging. Many teachers do not understand climate change; over a third do not believe, and even reject that human activities are the primary cause of global warming; and most teachers are simply unaware of the scientific consensus on the causes of climate change altogether. Teachers are individuals with their own ideas, points of view, and biases. Establishing a unified approach to teaching climate education would have its challenges. However, facilitating a relationship between children and the natural environment would be far less challenging. The physical, mental, and emotional benefits of childhood exposure to nature are common knowledge. But I argue that for much of childhood, this experience alone is more valuable than any in-class education when it comes to protecting our planet. Unfortunately, most public school students today spend the majority of their school days indoors, sitting in chairs, in temperature-controlled environments under fluorescent lighting. During school recess, they are sent to play on playscapes made of plastic and metal. During lunch, they are served processed food items that often have no resemblance to their source. All activities and environments in a school day can be leveraged to foster the relationship between children and the natural environment and allow them to realize for themselves that they are indeed a part of this fabric. Schools today separate the child from nature (including their own physiology). The school curriculum is often focused on memorizing facts over understanding systems. It rewards the relaying of information, rather than thinking critically. We end up with adults who feed bread to ducks; who throw their trash on the ground; who let their cars run idle for hours; who contribute to factory farm operations. People who understand the interconnectivity of human behavior and the natural world are more inclined to make planet-friendly, climate-conscious decisions as they navigate through life. My request of U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is that he federally mandates, promotes, and enforces a public education agenda that prioritizes the connection between children and nature. That he sees the public education system as a tool to create lifelong earth stewardship among future generations, and as a climate solution in itself. A solution that can help secure a future for humans and the natural world that they are a part of. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.
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119 w
Dear Samantha Yannucci Thank you for getting your climate idea to level 2! We have reached out to Miguel Cardona and asked what they think. I will keep you updated on any progress! /Adam We Don't Have Time
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Yes we learn the best when we play and why not outside as well. Nature do heal us it is technically proven it is called forest bathing maybe not now when it's cold but when the temperature getting warmer why not have the class outside.
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120 w
Great idea!
Samantha Yannucci
149 w
There is a lot of hype around electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States, and a lot of resources directed to bringing such technologies to the mass majority in President Biden's latest infrastructure proposal. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor of U.S. GHG emissions." So this is a step in the right direction as far as curbing carbon emissions. However, I urge Secretary Pete Buttigieg to lead our policymakers, decision-makers, and the general public – in the U.S. and globally – to see the expansion of EV technology as a means to an end and not as an end in itself. It is important for policymakers to see that the solution (to many issues) lies in reducing total vehicle miles traveled. The rapid development of EV technology should be depended upon in the interim while the faults of the past are mended. Transportation-related pollution is not a singular issue. Even if every vehicle was powered by clean and renewable energy tomorrow, there would still be particle pollution from brakes, tires, and roads – which are estimated to account for over half of all pollution related to road travel. And from a public health perspective, the mass majority of people would still suffer from poor health that is the result of a sedentary lifestyle and a deteriorated social fabric – ultimately products of the popularization of SOVs. I urge our elected officials to prioritize land use planning to put an end to practices that both necessitate vehicular travel in SOVs and degrade the natural environment (such as greenfield development and road-widening projects that lend to urban sprawl). We need more resources directed toward creating local economies, local food systems, and local transportation networks that are equitable, resilient, and self-sustaining. My request of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during his tenure is that he promotes and elevates land use planning as a transportation and climate strategy, rather than a singular focus on reducing emissions by expanding EV technology and tightening emission standards. We need our elected officials to step up and actively promote transportation equity. We need them to lead a behavioral change and a shift in perspective. The health of our planet depends on it. (On that note... Have you ever thought about how irrational it is that policies and marketing campaigns have led to built environments that are only possible for the mass majority to navigate if they individually lug around thousands of pounds of metal and plastic as if it's a change purse?)
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128 w
Congratulations Samantha
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149 w
Ought be a focus on decentralized office ops - satellite offices, remote work in order to greatly reduce commute hours. Far too many people are forced to drive hours for work.
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Congrats Samantha - great Idea! Love that you are an urban planner. Sees it all in a different perspective. Keep it up!
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