Sustainable
Changing the course of human activity to pull the world back from the brink of climate disaster.
Restoring the ecosystems of the world’s oceans and waterways that are critical to sustaining biodiversity, food supplies, and the oxygen we breathe.
Removing toxins from the air, the ground, and the water that threaten not only human health, but the network of life from the pollinators to the coral reefs, from the animals of the forests to the creatures of the sea that rely on us for them to thrive.
Ocean Conservation
The health of our oceans is crucial to the viability of all life on earth. They have a major role in regulating the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and are a crucial source of food. Climate change, overfishing, and the encroachment of toxic wastes, including plastics and other toxins threaten the diversity of species from microorganisms and corals to the largest mammals of the seas.
Mote Marine Laboratory is a world class research organization dedicated to the health of the oceans and the creatures that inhabit them. Through a grant to Mote's International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, we have supported cutting edge science to repopulate threatened reefs around the world.
The Nature Conservancy's Blue Bonds for Conservation is designed to protect fisheries and habitats, including mangroves and coral reefs, surrounding 20 island nations, protecting over 4 million square kilometers over five years. This will not only improve ocean health, but will also fortify shorelines against storms, tidal waves, and rising seas, while providing a model of conservation for other island nations.
Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) will use Artificial Intelligence and robotics to study the communication of a population of sperm whales with the goal of communicating with these intelligent creatures. Beyond the stunning pure science achievement would be an appreciation of these sentient creatures that would encourage humanity to respect and protect all cetaceans.
The Dolphin Biology Research Institute has conducted the longest running study of a bottlenose dolphin population, spanning 40 years. It has been crucial to understanding the impact of human activity upon dolphin health and survival as well as the impact of natural events such as Red Tide blooms. It is also studying their communication patterns and migration habits.
Global Fishing Watch's Open Ocean Project will compile worldwide satellite data to map commercial fishing activity, including 100% of industrial fishing vessels, as well as fixed infrastructure like aquaculture and oil rigs and will make that data publicly available. This will allow governments to prevent illegal fishing and protect their waters as well as protect the rights of local small hold fishermen. This data will provide a tool for better understanding of the ocean ecosystem and enable better stewardship of the marine environment.
The health of our oceans is crucial to the viability of all life on earth. They have a major role in regulating the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and are a crucial source of food. Climate change, overfishing, and the encroachment of toxic wastes, including plastics and other toxins threaten the diversity of species from microorganisms and corals to the largest mammals of the seas.
Mote Marine Laboratory is a world class research organization dedicated to the health of the oceans and the creatures that inhabit them. Through a grant to Mote's International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, we have supported cutting edge science to repopulate threatened reefs around the world.
The Nature Conservancy's Blue Bonds for Conservation is designed to protect fisheries and habitats, including mangroves and coral reefs, surrounding 20 island nations, protecting over 4 million square kilometers over five years. This will not only improve ocean health, but will also fortify shorelines against storms, tidal waves, and rising seas, while providing a model of conservation for other island nations.
Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) will use Artificial Intelligence and robotics to study the communication of a population of sperm whales with the goal of communicating with these intelligent creatures. Beyond the stunning pure science achievement would be an appreciation of these sentient creatures that would encourage humanity to respect and protect all cetaceans.
The Dolphin Biology Research Institute has conducted the longest running study of a bottlenose dolphin population, spanning 40 years. It has been crucial to understanding the impact of human activity upon dolphin health and survival as well as the impact of natural events such as Red Tide blooms. It is also studying their communication patterns and migration habits.
Global Fishing Watch's Open Ocean Project will compile worldwide satellite data to map commercial fishing activity, including 100% of industrial fishing vessels, as well as fixed infrastructure like aquaculture and oil rigs and will make that data publicly available. This will allow governments to prevent illegal fishing and protect their waters as well as protect the rights of local small hold fishermen. This data will provide a tool for better understanding of the ocean ecosystem and enable better stewardship of the marine environment.
Land Conservation
Protecting land is crucial to preserving wildlife habitats and corridors as well as to protecting forests that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. The threatened loss of rain forests to human activity and fire may contribute to the tipping point of climate change, while threatening biodiversity and harming indigenous communities.
Earth Alliance's Amazon Forest Fund is committed to preventing deforestation and destruction by wildfire of the large rain forest that has been called the "lungs of the planet." This will also contribute to the protection of indigenous land and the economic health of indigenous communities.
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is dedicated to conserving wildlife habitats in South Florida and creating wildlife corridors between conserved lands. Its work not only contributes to preserving wildlife diversity, but also contributes to the health of waterways and coastal seas.
The Conservation Trust for Florida is also dedicated to preserving land and wildlife for future generations.
Canopy proposes to preserve ancient and endangered forests from deforestation that supplies paper, packaging, and textile production by developing sustainable wood pulp alternatives made from straw waste, recycled textiles, and other waste materials. They aim to drastically reduce sourcing of wood pulp from climate critical forests by 2029 and eliminate it altogether by 2033.
Protecting land is crucial to preserving wildlife habitats and corridors as well as to protecting forests that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. The threatened loss of rain forests to human activity and fire may contribute to the tipping point of climate change, while threatening biodiversity and harming indigenous communities.
Earth Alliance's Amazon Forest Fund is committed to preventing deforestation and destruction by wildfire of the large rain forest that has been called the "lungs of the planet." This will also contribute to the protection of indigenous land and the economic health of indigenous communities.
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is dedicated to conserving wildlife habitats in South Florida and creating wildlife corridors between conserved lands. Its work not only contributes to preserving wildlife diversity, but also contributes to the health of waterways and coastal seas.
The Conservation Trust for Florida is also dedicated to preserving land and wildlife for future generations.
Canopy proposes to preserve ancient and endangered forests from deforestation that supplies paper, packaging, and textile production by developing sustainable wood pulp alternatives made from straw waste, recycled textiles, and other waste materials. They aim to drastically reduce sourcing of wood pulp from climate critical forests by 2029 and eliminate it altogether by 2033.
Climate Mitigation
Preventing the accumulation of greenhouse gases that are disrupting climate worldwide and threatening the survival of all living species including ours has become the greatest and highest stakes challenge of our generation. This will require changes at the individual, community, and global levels. It can only be accomplished with radical changes in our thinking, technological innovation, public education, and wise decisions by government and industry.
The Sea Grape Foundation partners with organizations driven by innovative thinking that seek diverse strategies for preventing the generation of greenhouse gases and for removing them from the atmosphere. We look for under the radar visionary projects with the potential for outsized impact on climate change while addressing present day needs of the populace.
The Land Institute seeks to create fundamental changes in the way crops are grown. They seek to restore the diversity in the plant world that predated modern farming methods and to replace annual crops with robust perennial crops, increasing both yields and the health of the soil, while radically reducing the need for pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other artificial chemicals. This will also help keep organic material in the ground and prevent carbon release into the atmosphere.
Carbon 180 seeks to develop innovative ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It supports innovative farming methods designed to bind carbon in the soil and the propagation of new forms of concrete produced with far less release of carbon than Portland cement, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases today. Carbon 180 also seeks to influence Federal policy to support the development and scaling of these and other carbon removal strategies and technologies.
Footprint Coalition, founded by Robert Downey, Jr seeks to discover and scale new technologies for restoring the climate and the environment. It has both a philanthropic component designed to help scientists invent new approaches and a venture capital component to bring these innovations to scale. It also capitalizes on Downey's storytelling experience to create immersive media experiences for educating the public about the critical need for these interventions. One inspiring innovation supported by Footprint Coalition is Biovanescence, a process for producing a plant-based plastic substitute that is entirely biodegradable. This is complemented by support for a novel technique for removing microplastics from water.
The Iconiq Impact Climate Equity Co-Lab Fund brings together families who are passionate about climate mitigation, gender equity, and poverty to participate in a fund of curated opportunities to support projects at the intersection of these issues. Impoverished communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, but may also be uniquely positioned to contribute to solutions. Helping indigenous communities keep their lands, for example, can also help protect the rainforests from encroachment by commercial interests. Empowering women has been shown to have an outsized impact on the welfare of their communities and on the environment. Iconiq Impact provides Iconiq Capital's client families guidance in fulfilling their philanthropic goals as well as specific charitable investment vehicles to help like-minded donors pool their resources to fund outstanding initiatives in specific areas.
Drive Electric is an ambitious campaign to accelerate the global transition to a clean transportation future. It aims to have all new public buses become electric by 2030, all new passenger vehicles by 2035, and all new freight trucks by 2040, with all new road transportation becoming zero emission by 2050. This will not only help stem climate change, but will have immense benefits for health, the economy, and national security.
Woodwell Climate Research Center tracks a rapidly warming Arctic and particularly the pattern and rate of permafrost thawing. Permafrost contains massive amounts of carbon, and accelerated thawing and release of carbon threatens to bring about an irreversible tipping point that would endanger all life on earth. Permafrost is a key indicator of the effectiveness of climate mitigation efforts and will help guide future work.
Tenure Facility supports the land rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly in the rainforests that are critical to absorbing excess carbon from the atmosphere. These forests are crucial natural carbon sinks, without which manmade carbon emissions would overwhelm the earth's capacity to maintain balance. They are threatened by development, including logging, mining, drilling, and agriculture, much of which illegally encroaches upon indigenous rights. Indigenous Peoples have millennia of experience as stewards of their lands. Tenure Facility protects the planet while supporting justice for these beleaguered people.
The Innovative Genomics Institute is using groundbreaking CRISPR gene editing technology to reduce agricultural methane gas emissions, a major source of the most potent greenhouse gas. By modifying the microbiome of cattle and other livestock, they hope to substantially reduce their production of methane. And by modifying the microbiomes of soils and sediments in wetlands, landfills, and waste lagoons, they hope to mitigate another major source of methane. Parallel work with the human microbiome in diseases like asthma and inflammatory diseases of the gut may lead to cures.
RENEW 2030, a project convened by the European Climate Foundation, is a global coalition dedicated to scaling up the use of alternative energy sources and replacing oil and gas in the global power sector, which is the number one contributor of greenhouse gases that cause climate change. According to the International Energy Agency, massive reductions of greenhouse gases must occur by 2030 in order to preserve the chance of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees C. The technology is not only available, but the cost of wind and solar is already lower than the cost of fossil fuels. What is lacking is political will and the will of the energy industry. RENEW2030 will focus on the 30 countries responsible for generating 90% of emissions and mobilize governments, businesses, and communities with the goal of scaling wind and solar 5X the current level by 2030.
Preventing the accumulation of greenhouse gases that are disrupting climate worldwide and threatening the survival of all living species including ours has become the greatest and highest stakes challenge of our generation. This will require changes at the individual, community, and global levels. It can only be accomplished with radical changes in our thinking, technological innovation, public education, and wise decisions by government and industry.
The Sea Grape Foundation partners with organizations driven by innovative thinking that seek diverse strategies for preventing the generation of greenhouse gases and for removing them from the atmosphere. We look for under the radar visionary projects with the potential for outsized impact on climate change while addressing present day needs of the populace.
The Land Institute seeks to create fundamental changes in the way crops are grown. They seek to restore the diversity in the plant world that predated modern farming methods and to replace annual crops with robust perennial crops, increasing both yields and the health of the soil, while radically reducing the need for pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other artificial chemicals. This will also help keep organic material in the ground and prevent carbon release into the atmosphere.
Carbon 180 seeks to develop innovative ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It supports innovative farming methods designed to bind carbon in the soil and the propagation of new forms of concrete produced with far less release of carbon than Portland cement, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases today. Carbon 180 also seeks to influence Federal policy to support the development and scaling of these and other carbon removal strategies and technologies.
Footprint Coalition, founded by Robert Downey, Jr seeks to discover and scale new technologies for restoring the climate and the environment. It has both a philanthropic component designed to help scientists invent new approaches and a venture capital component to bring these innovations to scale. It also capitalizes on Downey's storytelling experience to create immersive media experiences for educating the public about the critical need for these interventions. One inspiring innovation supported by Footprint Coalition is Biovanescence, a process for producing a plant-based plastic substitute that is entirely biodegradable. This is complemented by support for a novel technique for removing microplastics from water.
The Iconiq Impact Climate Equity Co-Lab Fund brings together families who are passionate about climate mitigation, gender equity, and poverty to participate in a fund of curated opportunities to support projects at the intersection of these issues. Impoverished communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, but may also be uniquely positioned to contribute to solutions. Helping indigenous communities keep their lands, for example, can also help protect the rainforests from encroachment by commercial interests. Empowering women has been shown to have an outsized impact on the welfare of their communities and on the environment. Iconiq Impact provides Iconiq Capital's client families guidance in fulfilling their philanthropic goals as well as specific charitable investment vehicles to help like-minded donors pool their resources to fund outstanding initiatives in specific areas.
Drive Electric is an ambitious campaign to accelerate the global transition to a clean transportation future. It aims to have all new public buses become electric by 2030, all new passenger vehicles by 2035, and all new freight trucks by 2040, with all new road transportation becoming zero emission by 2050. This will not only help stem climate change, but will have immense benefits for health, the economy, and national security.
Woodwell Climate Research Center tracks a rapidly warming Arctic and particularly the pattern and rate of permafrost thawing. Permafrost contains massive amounts of carbon, and accelerated thawing and release of carbon threatens to bring about an irreversible tipping point that would endanger all life on earth. Permafrost is a key indicator of the effectiveness of climate mitigation efforts and will help guide future work.
Tenure Facility supports the land rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly in the rainforests that are critical to absorbing excess carbon from the atmosphere. These forests are crucial natural carbon sinks, without which manmade carbon emissions would overwhelm the earth's capacity to maintain balance. They are threatened by development, including logging, mining, drilling, and agriculture, much of which illegally encroaches upon indigenous rights. Indigenous Peoples have millennia of experience as stewards of their lands. Tenure Facility protects the planet while supporting justice for these beleaguered people.
The Innovative Genomics Institute is using groundbreaking CRISPR gene editing technology to reduce agricultural methane gas emissions, a major source of the most potent greenhouse gas. By modifying the microbiome of cattle and other livestock, they hope to substantially reduce their production of methane. And by modifying the microbiomes of soils and sediments in wetlands, landfills, and waste lagoons, they hope to mitigate another major source of methane. Parallel work with the human microbiome in diseases like asthma and inflammatory diseases of the gut may lead to cures.
RENEW 2030, a project convened by the European Climate Foundation, is a global coalition dedicated to scaling up the use of alternative energy sources and replacing oil and gas in the global power sector, which is the number one contributor of greenhouse gases that cause climate change. According to the International Energy Agency, massive reductions of greenhouse gases must occur by 2030 in order to preserve the chance of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees C. The technology is not only available, but the cost of wind and solar is already lower than the cost of fossil fuels. What is lacking is political will and the will of the energy industry. RENEW2030 will focus on the 30 countries responsible for generating 90% of emissions and mobilize governments, businesses, and communities with the goal of scaling wind and solar 5X the current level by 2030.
