From My Desk – Rain!

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Every month our co-founders, Janine Firpo and Ellen Remmer, share their thoughts on a range of topics, some specific to Invest for Better and some not. These ‘opening letters’ are part of our e-newsletters and they provide a great glimpse into the happenings of our organization and larger community.

Letter from Janine Firpo
March 8, 2023

 

Dear IFB friends,

The picture window next to my desk provides a wonderful view of a 50-year-old tree that is surrounded by azalea bushes. As I work, I love looking out on the flowers and hummingbirds feeding there. But over the last several months, I have been seeing rain out that window. Lots and lots of rain. From atmospheric rivers to bomb cyclones, we have been experiencing torrential downpours and freezing temperatures that are extremely unusual in this part of the world. As a Bay Area native, I can attest to the fact that the weather is nothing like it was when I was growing up. Granted that was a long time ago, but still.

Don’t get me wrong! I welcome the rain. We Californians need it desperately, as we have also been facing extreme drought conditions and raging fires. But this is not normal and, sadly, we are not unique. Weather-related disasters are taking place all over the country and all over the world. Last year in the US, there were 18 extreme climate related events with losses of more than $1 billion each, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of paying for the environmental realities that corporations are creating – and I am putting my money to work to end that inequity.

Invest for Better is pleased to be working with Ballentine Partners to develop our next Deep Dive course on investing with an environmental and climate lens. We are planning to launch this course in June. If you are as worried about the impacts of climate change as I am and want to take more concrete steps, then keep your eyes on our newsletter for more announcements about this groundbreaking course.

Warm Regards,
Janine