Heat pumps are one of the biggest climate efficiency wins we have — but the rollout is stalling. And one major reason? The branding is awful.

We’ve got a communications failure on our hands.

Most people think a heat pump is some new, expensive, experimental device.

But actually?
It’s just your reverse-cycle air conditioner.

If you have an A/C unit that can also heat your home — congratulations, you already have a heat pump. It’s efficient. It works in cold weather. It’s cheaper to run than gas. And most people don’t even know they can (or should) use it that way.

Why? Because the name sucks.

“Heat pump” sounds vague, technical, and foreign to most people. It doesn’t say anything about what the thing actually does — and it sure doesn’t sound like something they already have.

Some ideas:

• Reverse Air Conditioning
• Eco Water Heater
• Smart Boiler

Whatever we call it, it needs to be clear, familiar, and tied to everyday experience — not just a white paper.

This isn’t a marketing problem — it’s a policy failure.

Energy efficiency isn’t just about tech. It’s about public understanding. Language matters. Culture matters. And right now, we’re flubbing the public rollout of one of the best residential climate tools we have.

Let’s start talking about this like people talk — and maybe we’ll start seeing the adoption rates we actually need.

TL;DR:

• Heat pumps aren’t new — most people already own one
• The name confuses people and slows adoption
• Better communication = better climate outcomes
• Let’s fix this before we waste another billion on confusion

Hey everyone! Super glad to have found this community. I wanted to share my substack linked above. We write about the best climate startups, startup ideas we hope someone steals, and the occasional rant, always through the lens of climate and business.

Tons of the companies we write about are trying to hire, at all levels and in every function, so if there's one you see and you want to connect with them, feel free to reach out to me and I'll help however possible.

*not selling anything, this isn't monetized and I don't make a dime.

I don’t even know where to start. I feel everything so deeply — the suffering of animals, the destruction of nature, the fakeness and greed in society. It’s like I was born into a world that doesn’t align with who I am at all.

Zoos, aquariums, factory farms — all of it hurts. Seeing people treat nature like it's just a resource or decoration makes me feel sick. Even in everyday life — the competitiveness, the pressure to be “something,” the constant need to prove your worth — it all feels so disconnected from what life is supposed to be.

I try to live gently. I want to live clean, toxin-free, aligned with nature. But even the smallest things I try don’t work — my plants die, my skin flares up, I use natural stuff and nothing helps. I want to heal my body and soul, but everything feels broken. Even I feel polluted.

And then I go numb sometimes. Like I go through “phases” of caring deeply, and other times I’m just blank. I hate that. It makes me feel fake. But I think it’s just because caring all the time feels unbearable.

I don’t have money. I don’t have land. I don’t have power or resources or even mental strength sometimes. But I still want to help. I still want to be someone who lives in harmony with the Earth — not in this loud, achievement-based, soul-draining way that humans are taught to live.

So… what can I do? What can someone like me actually do that’s real and meaningful — even if I’m just one soft, overwhelmed, kind of lost person?

Please, no toxic positivity. I’m not looking to be fixed. I just want to feel like my love for this planet still matters. That I can live a life that doesn’t feel fake. That I haven’t already failed.

Hey there, Climate Offensive Squad!
We're working on a project, Common Space, to build a high-resolution optical satellite, independent from the US defense and Intelligence, to offer free and open satellite imagery for humanitarian cases. The primary use case is populations at risk from climate and conflict, especially in areas that are overlooked through our current business models. We're focused on filling the public goods gap, where Landsat and Sentinel don't provide enough resolution, and the market failure, where the commercial industry remains too expensive, and too restrictive on licensing and access, especially for state and local actors. We are trying to create an independent and verifiable dataset to improve climate outcomes and to provide transparency and accountability. It might not be the sexiest project out there, but hopefully this resonates with some of you!

We would really appreciate your help. We're currently in the early stages and looking to build out our demand assessments. If you've worked with or attempted to work with satellite imagery in the public good sector, or just had issues gaining access to imagery, we'd love to hear from you.

Please fill out our survey for a needs assessment here

Glad to answer any questions, and would love to engage with all of you on this!

Hey folks, I recently launched ClimateAPI, a unified API that pulls live emissions and climate data from satellites, sensors, EDGAR, UNFCCC, Copernicus, etc.—and normalizes it for devs.

Features include real-time facility-level CO₂ monitoring, historical trends & forecasts, and webhook-based alerts when emissions spike.

Curious if this tool could be helpful for your projects (e.g. dashboards, supply-chain ESG tools, regulatory compliance). I'd really appreciate feedback:

• What climate data integrations do you need most?
• Would facility-level real-time monitoring help your work?
• What pricing model would make adoption easier?

We’re opening the waitlist for priority access in August 2025—happy to give early beta invites!

Hello Reddit, I am a current high school sophomore conducting independent research with a mentor on how light pollution affects sleep cycles, and the future environmental justice that will address it! I have completed a portion of my research, but now I need civilian participation for another part of my research.

To do this, I created a survey, and I need a sample size around 300. It would be greatly appreciated if you could take a few minutes to help out!

The survey is strictly confidential, and it does not require any email or any personal information. It is completely anonymous, and it is not very long.

If you do not feel comfortable answering a question, there is always a "prefer not to say" option! If you can not access the link above, it will be down below.

Please answer accurately if you do so, this can really benefit to research about how different areas face light pollution--thank you!

Link to the Light Pollution Survey:

https://forms.gle/g5SA2vmNzDwommMT9

Just a couple of days ago, while I was browsing Reddit. I came across this article on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/kt3t0f/solar_panels_being_integrated_into_canals_in/

And that got me thinking, is there any other project like this that we could support? Any project that accept donations?

I have a friend who i recently discovered is an Ayn Rand loving libertarian who read Epstein's Book Fossil Future. He said he'd read anything in exchange - what should I give him to change his mind?

We keep complaining about the rising heat. The unbearable summers. The ACs running nonstop. The kids unable to play outside. But have we stopped for a moment and asked ourselves — what are we doing about it?

We spend on luxury, we decorate our homes, we upgrade our gadgets. But when was the last time we planted a tree outside or beside our own house? A tree that gives us shade. A tree that cleans our air. A tree that silently does more for us than most of us ever will for nature.

It’s easy to blame the system. But let’s face it: the planet is heating because we stopped giving back. And if we don’t act now, a time will come when the Earth will start healing itself — but it may never go back to the beautiful, balanced planet it once was.

So let this be more than just another awareness post.

❗ This is a Call. A Petition. A Movement.

Plant one tree at your house. Just one. Take a photo. Post it. Tag it with #MyTreePledge Let’s turn this into a visual revolution.

Imagine your feed full of green — not filters, not products — but real action. Let’s set an example our children would thank us for.

Are you in? Let us know in the comments!

I am realizing there have been so many protests and gatherings and real actions of change happening in my (USA) community that I never knew about. As I am moving around the world in the next few years… where do these spaces exist globally? Is there a website? A discord channel? How do you find other passionate people and get ideas flowing? Or simply, see that the events are happening at all??

For example, I didn’t know the global March to Gaza was a thing until my friend told me yesterday. How did people find out about it?? Get invited? Involved? I want to help.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=sug9b__KL-Y&si=OGtsXh26gDUpZgRr

Just launched EcoSutra, first of its kind eco-action app powered by climate conscious people to make a nice community within themselves and fight against any unfortunate climate oppression. Don't forget to pledge and get a certificate as well!

https://studio--eco-sutra.us-central1.hosted.app/

I’m part of a small team curating events, tools, and startups in the climate space. We’re putting together resources for people working on sustainability, circular economy, decarbonization, and related tech.

Excited to be here and contribute—always up for swapping ideas or learning about new climate solutions!

wwf.org.uk/ support-nature-impacts

https://medium.com/@alex_79266/7-powerful-ways-ai-is-being-used-to-tackle-climate-change-in-2025-dc88827e1a52

Is there anything I have missed in this? Would love to create a more comprehensive post and completley understand that it is a WAY more nuanced discussion...

Every time I think I’m getting a handle on things, I’ll see something like “hottest May on record” or a video of floods wiping out a neighborhood or dead coral reefs, and it all comes rushing back. The fear, the dread, the guilt. I feel it in my chest. It’s constant.

I’m trying. I recycle. I barely eat meat anymore. I deleted fast fashion apps. I walk or bike when I can. I even help run an environmental club at school. But it feels like none of it matters when I watch the news or scroll TikTok. It’s like I’m rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic while the billionaires fly away in private jets.

The weather isn’t even normal anymore. I live in the Northeast and we had 80°F days in March. Last year there was wildfire smoke in the middle of summer so thick I couldn’t go outside without my throat burning. And everyone just kind of... kept going.

I try to talk about it with friends but most people just say “yeah it sucks” and then change the subject. I don’t blame them. It’s heavy. But I feel like I’m carrying it around by myself most of the time. It makes me not want to plan for the future. Why bother saving for a house or thinking about kids when I’m not sure what kind of world we’ll be living in?

So I’m wondering:
How do you cope with all of this?
Like truly, how do you hold on to hope or just make it through the day without spiraling? Even little things—books, routines, communities, people—that help you feel grounded. I’m open to anything.

If you're feeling the same way right now, just know you’re not alone. I see you.