The Climate Reality Project: Central Florida

07/20/2025

In a groundbreaking leap for clean energy, UK-based Materials Nexus has developed MagNex, a powerful rare-earth-free permanent magnet, using artificial intelligence.

Created in just three months—200 times faster than traditional methods—MagNex offers a sustainable alternative to conventional magnets reliant on rare-earth metals like neodymium and dysprosium, which are critical for electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, robotics, and drones.

These metals, primarily sourced from China, are costly, environmentally damaging, and geopolitically sensitive.

With EV magnet demand projected to surge tenfold by 2030, MagNex, produced at 20% of the material cost and with 70% lower carbon emissions, addresses urgent supply chain and sustainability challenges.

Partnering with the Henry Royce Institute and the University of Sheffield, Materials Nexus leveraged its AI platform to analyze over 100 million compositions, optimizing MagNex for performance, cost, and environmental impact.

Unlike earlier rare-earth-free magnets, which took over a decade to develop through trial-and-error, MagNex’s rapid creation highlights AI’s transformative potential in materials science.

This approach could extend beyond magnets to innovate semiconductors, superconductors, and catalysts, accelerating solutions for climate challenges.

While MagNex’s proprietary composition is undisclosed, its performance must rival rare-earth magnets in properties like saturation magnetization and temperature stability to compete in high-demand applications.

Scalability and industry adoption remain hurdles, given the conservative nature of sectors like automotive and renewable energy.

Supported by Innovate UK funding, MagNex could lower costs and environmental impacts, advancing net-zero goals.

03/07/2025

The next Climate Boot Camp is almost here. Will you join us? 🤝

From March 11-22, virtually join climate leaders from around the globe for 2 networking sessions and a multi-day virtual event that will prepare you for creating and implementing climate action plans within your business and/or organization. 🗣️

Register Now: https://www.ecoactus.org/event-details/introduction-to-the-climate-boot-camp-march-11

10/31/2024

Up to a billion monarch butterflies overwinter in fir forests deep in central Mexico’s mountains. For thousands of years the people living in Mexico’s mountains have believed these butterflies are the spirits of the dead. Their arrival in winter coincides with Mexico’s most spectacular festival, Dia de los Mu***os, the Day of the Dead.

How You Can Help Monarchs

Plant milkweed! Monarch caterpillars need milkweeds to grow and develop. There are over 100 milkweed species that are native to North America, many of which are used by monarchs. To learn which species to plant in your region, and how to plant them, visit the Bring Back the Monarchs Campaign at: www.monarchwatch.org.

Plant butterfly nectar plants! Monarchs need nectar to provide energy as they breed, for their migratory journey, and to build reserves for the long winter. Include butterfly plants in your garden, and avoid using pesticides.

Encourage public land managers to create monarch habitat! Roadsides and parks of all sizes offer great opportunities to create habitat for monarchs and other pollinators.

Join citizen-science efforts to track monarch populations! The data collected by hundreds of citizen scientists across the country are used by monarch scientists to decipher monarch population trends, and to learn more about what might be driving their numbers from year to year.

Support monarch conservation efforts. There are a number of monarch conservation efforts underway doing very good work. Please consider donating to support these monarch.

An important Mexican annual event coincides with one of its greatest natural spectacles.

01/05/2024

Check out my blog post

Follow this link to the Orlando Sentinel article which outlines how DeSantis is turning down federal funds for things like healthcare and climate change because the programs are tied to President Biden. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/01/05/desantis-led-florida-has-rejected-11-billion-in-federa...

06/30/2022

SCOTUS’ decision is another shot in the arm for polluters and a threat to American communities on the front lines of the climate crisis. Once again, the health of our families and the future of our planet have been sacrificed to benefit a handful of powerful fossil fuel interests. But the fight’s not over yet. Tell Congress to and pass bold legislation to protect our planet.

Tell Congress to deliver and pass the strong climate and clean energy bill we need to protect our families and protect our planet – now.

04/13/2022

📰 Central Florida elected leaders and environmental advocates call on EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, to enact STRONG SAFEGUARDS to reduce AIR POLLUTION from dirty power plans.
Photos courtesy of Climate Action Campaign

https://bit.ly/3uCpDwu

03/12/2022

March 2022 Chapter Meeting with guest host Dr. Mike Hoffmann on Our Changing Menu - The Foods We Love and Need followed by a presentation from Rick Schumann about an Upcycled Greenhouse Project being constructed from recycled 2-liter soda bottles.

03/12/2022

March 2022 Chapter Meeting with Guest Speaker Dr. Mike Hoffmann - Our Changing Menu, the Foods We Love and Need and a presentation from Rick Schumann about an Upcycled Greenhouse project being created from recycled 2-liter soda bottles.

09/03/2021

City Hall Orlando 12:00 pm. Join us