Elected officials in New York and across the country are urging state and local governments to use new funding available through the Environmental Protection Agency for local environmental projects to benefit their communities, particularly those left out of earlier development programs.

The group Elected Officials to Protect America is pointing toward a $27 billion fund created under the Inflation Reduction Act to award grants for greenhouse gas reduction programs.

Robin Reynolds Wilt, council member for the town of Brighton and an officer in the group's New York Leadership Council, said the projects will be built under a presidential order, in which 40% of the overall investments flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.

"This particular feature would allocate $27 billion to the EPA to make grants to fund entities that would effectively function as a national green bank," Wilt explained. "$20 billion of the fund is eligible only for nonprofits."

Wilt pointed out the projects will address climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, and affordable and sustainable housing. It will also fund the remediation and reduction of legacy pollution and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure. The deadline for applications is Oct. 12.

Wilt noted Elected Officials to Protect America is a network of current and former bipartisan elected officials who care about protecting the planet and democracy by working together to transition to a clean energy economy. She added the group educates and trains lawmakers through value-based storytelling and has national and state-based programs.

"These entities provide the funds toward clean-energy building, electrification projects," Wilt outlined. "Any scope of work that would impact greenhouse gas in a positive sense."

She stressed a national green bank would be the lending entity to finance projects reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in underserved communities. The funds could be used toward clean energy building electrification projects or any scope of work affecting greenhouse gas emissions.

In the face of the severe effects of climate change across the country, new research offers a framework for how to measure Washington's climate resilience.

The research supports Washington's Climate Resilience Strategy, which was published last year.

Carlie Stowe, climate resilience specialist for the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington and the paper's lead author, said building resilience is critical in order to minimize effects from droughts, fires and other extreme weather events.

"As the government is investing in resilience, we want to make sure that we're spending that money wisely," Stowe urged. "And that the programs and activities we're investing in are resulting in increased resilience."

Stowe pointed out the research compares Washington's and South Carolina's approaches to climate preparedness to serve as a guide for other states. She added the research is one way to demonstrate Washington's leadership in this area, as taking such measurements is a new practice at the state level.

Stowe noted measuring climate resilience means incorporating data from dozens of sources, across communities, infrastructure, land and governance. It includes air quality levels, damage to infrastructure, and evacuations in extreme events like floods or wildfires.

She emphasized it was helpful to partner with South Carolina on this research, even though each state ended up with a different measurement framework.

"There's a lot more that we can learn together," Stowe stressed. "Continuing partnerships like this is really important for further building resilience across our country."

Stowe added the Washington State Department of Ecology will be implementing the plans and the public will start seeing initial results of the measurements in September.

Last year, filmmaker Michael Nash achieved the extraordinary when his documentary "Climate Refugees" was sent to the moon as part of a Lunar Museum project. Now, he's on a new mission: getting the faces of climate refugees featured on postage stamps to keep the conversation about climate migration alive.

"Climate Refugees," which premiered at Sundance and was later featured on Netflix, has been a powerful tool for raising awareness about the human impact of climate change. Nash and his team traveled to 48 countries, uncovering stories of forced migration driven by droughts, food shortages and environmental collapse.

"What we found was this intersection where overpopulation, overconsumption, lack of resources, and a changing climate were slamming into each other," Nash explained. "The outcome was forced migration: people running out of water and food in places they'd lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years."

While the film's journey to the moon in 2024 was a historic milestone, Nash is now focused on a more down-to-earth goal: creating postage stamps featuring the faces of climate refugees, although gaining approval from the U.S. Postal Service's stamp committee will require demonstrating the issue's national relevance and historical significance.

Despite the progress in raising awareness, Nash emphasized the world has not done enough to address climate migration.

"There is not an international law accepted by all countries that gives asylum or protection to people forced to relocate due to climate change," Nash pointed out.

According to the United Nations, more than 20 million people
are displaced annually by climate-related events, making the need for action more pressing than ever.

Nash was a featured speaker at last week's Climate Correction Conference in Orlando. His next project, a film exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and climate change, is currently in production and set for release in 2026.


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What if your trash could be the key to a more sustainable wardrobe?

The group Keep Orlando Beautiful is proving it is possible with its annual "Trash 2 Trends" initiative, where discarded materials -- literal garbage -- are transformed into stunning, runway-worthy outfits.

It is not just about a flashy event, it is about inspiring everyone to rethink how they consume and dispose of clothing. The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters globally, responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater production. Fast fashion, which relies on synthetic materials such as polyester and nylon, contributes to microplastic pollution.

Madison Szathmary, coordinator for Keep Orlando Beautiful, said many people do not realize their clothes are made out of plastic.

"Every time you're washing something that's made out of spandex, nylon, polyester -- little plastic fiber from the clothing is getting into your washing machine and ending up in the water reclamation stream," Szathmary explained. "We want people to be able to buy used when they can."

You can also recycle what you already have at home, which is known as upcycling. Trash 2 Trends shows creativity can combat climate change by turning waste into wearable art. The creativity is on full display during Keep Orlando Beautiful's annual fundraiser but the real goal is to encourage everyone to embrace sustainable fashion in their daily lives.

You don't have to be a runway artist to make a difference. Szathmary encouraged everyone to embrace "slow fashion," a more intentional approach to clothing, prioritizing quality over quantity.

"Having an intentional closet," Szathmary added. "We call that slow fashion instead of fast fashion. And you can really, once you have a style and once you know what you like, there are opportunities to find that stuff not only at thrift stores but with your friends. You can swap clothing with your friends."

Szathmary noted the effect of small changes can be huge. By reusing and repairing clothing, we can reduce the demand for new textiles, which often rely on fossil fuels and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. The fashionable trends were on full display at last week's Climate Correction Conference in Orlando.


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