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Joseph Demasi

YOUR ENERGY CONSULTANT

Joseph Demasi

Contact

jdemasi@solarsesame.com 818-960-1796

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At SolarSesame, we’re obsessed with making positive impact on the climate crisis. Not only do you help the environment by going solar but part of your investment goes to these projects aimed at reversing the climate change. Going Solar via SolarSesame enables you to fund carbon removal, climate policy, and conservation - meaning a much bigger impact to solve the largest crisis humanity has ever faced. No single person can end the climate crisis on their own, but together, we can make a difference.

Your SolarSesame System Supports These Projects

Negative impact of climate change is already being felt worldwide (frequent wildfires, historic floods, intense heatwaves to name a few). Time to act is now because every day we delay means more extreme weather, more loss to economies, and more people dying.

Good news is that we can work together and still end the climate crisis. To end it, we need to do these things (a) produce way more clean energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels (your solar system will immensely help here) (b) decarbonize all of our greenhouse gas emitting cars, stores and factories (switching to electric cars will help here), and (c) save our forests and natural ecosystems that currently store gigatons of carbon (your solar system with SolarSesame will help fund these projects). 

Rainforest Protection

About the Project

Rainforest Foundation US has pioneered a monitoring program that uses satellite imagery, drone footage, and video technology to quickly detect, report, and stop illegal deforestation. By supporting this project you are funding rainforest monitoring tools for Indigenous Amazonians. 

How does it work?

  • Rainforest Foundation US-trained indigenous technicians in the regional Tech and Rights Hub compile and analyze satellite data to detect possible deforestation, and then distribute reports via USB drives and email to local communities.
  • Indigenous monitors in each community use the reports to investigate possible incursions and document any deforestation or illegal activities using specialized apps on their smartphones.
  • Monitors report to their community assemblies. Communities report information to hubs. The hubs compile all the communities’ data, inform the communities of region-wide threats, and advocate with the state.
  • The communities use a consensus model to decide on the appropriate response and take action. Each community is in charge. Each decides how they want to fight back against deforestation.
  • Rainforest Foundation US and its partners (the regional indigenous federation ORPIO, World Resources Institute, and Columbia University) collect, analyze, and systematize the data and results to determine which interventions are working and improve the impact and efficiency of the program.

Mineral weathering

About the Project

The organization behind this project, The Future Forest Company, was formed to sequester as much carbon as possible in forest land. They buy degraded, unloved land and re-forest and restore it back to health using agroforestry methods including rotational grazing of livestock and recycling forest waste into biochar. Then, they expand the carbon sequestration potential of the forest through a cutting-edge technique called enhanced mineral weathering.

How does it work?

  • The Future Forest Company purchases and restores degraded land with techniques such as reforestation and peatland restoration.
  • Future Forest sources basalt fines (small particles of basalt rock), which are spread over the forest land.
  • As rain falls onto the land, rainwater reacts with the basalt, raising the pH of the soil system.
  • The rainwater has CO2 dissolved in it, in the form of carbonic acid. As the pH of the system increases, more of this carbonic acid turns into carbonates, which then form solid minerals like calcium carbonate.
  • Once the carbon is bound up in carbonate minerals, it is very stable, and will not re-enter the atmosphere for many thousands of years. Additional carbon is also stored in the trees and soil. 

Tree Planting

About the Project

TIST has planted over 2,270,000 trees over 20 years, and almost all of them are still thriving. They have pioneered a model that is extremely successful, both in terms of keeping these trees growing and in providing immense social benefits to farmers. They grow primarily by word of mouth because the farmers find it to be very beneficial.

How does it work?

  • TIST hosts workshops and provides funding for farmers in East Africa to plant and benefit from trees.
  • Farmers form small groups to support each other as they grow their new trees, and get paid by TIST to maintain the groves.
  • As trees mature, they sequester carbon and provide valuable resources like fruit, fuel, windbreaks, and more.
  • Quantifiers contracted by TIST measure the growth of each grove and make the real time data available to anyone. 

Clean Air Task Force

About the Project

Clean Air Task Force is a policy group that advocates for new technologies and policies needed to get to a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost.

Most climate policy focuses on three main solution pathways: putting a price on carbon, improving energy efficiency, and accelerating wind and solar deployment. These are great—but they will only get us about 1⁄3 of the way towards the emissions reductions our planet needs.Clean Air Task Force focuses on emerging solutions like carbon capture, zero-carbon fuels, and superhot rock geothermal power that will drive the other 2⁄3 of global emissions reductions. 

How does it work?

Clean Air Task Force’s advocacy is focused on driving change in four key areas:
  • Change the narrative to communicate the size of the problem and totality of solution requirements.
  • Change technology to make available the full suite of carbon-free options like advanced renewables, zero-carbon fuels, carbon capture, advanced nuclear, and superhot rock at an affordable cost.
  • Change business models to include modular, manufacturable energy solutions that can be deployed anywhere quickly.
  • Change policy to develop, demonstrate, and scale-up the technologies and systems needed to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century.

Carbon180

About the Project

Carbon180 is a relatively new organization that has already used their influence to significantly increase funding for carbon removal projects in the United States. Carbon removal is a key tool in ending the climate crisis, so if Carbon180 can keep advocating successfully they could unlock billions more in funding for carbon removal projects, creating leverage with every dollar we send them.

How does it work?

  • Carbon180 releases reports on the potential of carbon removal in fighting climate change, and identifies funding gaps in the carbon removal landscape. They also meet with key decision makers at public and private institutions.
  • Large companies, philanthropic organizations, and government policymakers read the reports and incorporate them into their organizational plans.
  • Governments and private companies change their policies as a result of this advocacy: for example, Carbon180 successfully advocated for Direct Air Capture technology to be included in the 2017 45Q tax credit. 

We Must Act Now To Avert The Climate Disaster

Without drastic action, global temperatures will increase by 4° Celsius in one lifetime. Energy policy alone won’t stop climate change so we can’t just depend on policy makers. Let’s work together and stop climate change.
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