The CLEO Institute

This month, AI was met with boos at commencement speeches across the country, signaling a growing discomfort among young people with the technology’s rapid rise and real-world impacts.

Beyond the classroom, AI is fueling massive growth in data centers that consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, placing added strain on communities and the climate. Artificial intelligence systems are thirsty, consuming as much as 500 milliliters of water – a single-serving water bottle – for each short conversation a user has with the GPT-3 version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT system. They use roughly the same amount of water to draft a 100-word email message.

The best way to protect our natural resources and communities? Volunteer, lobby, or join local efforts with organizations already doing so. Get involved, and make sure your voice is heard!

We’d love to hear your thoughts below. 💬

Coal ash is toxic waste. It contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other dangerous chemicals that can seep into drinking water, pollute the air, and threaten nearby communities.

After decades of pressure and advocacy, strong federal protections were finally put in place.

Now, the EPA wants to weaken them.

That means more risk for families.
More pollution in vulnerable communities.
More power for polluters.

Tell the EPA to protect people, not polluters. Click the link to submit a written comment by June 12th! Act now: https://cleoinstitute.org/action_alerts/

A desperate alligator crossing dry land in search of water has captured the internet’s attention, serving as a stark reminder of how extreme heat and drought are reshaping Florida’s landscapes in real time.

Drought in the Everglades is not new. It is a cyclical part of the region’s wet and dry seasonal system. Alligators are adapted to these cycles, relying on water to regulate body temperature, hunt, and reproduce, and often surviving dry periods by retreating to deeper water pockets called “gator holes.”

However, the pattern is becoming more severe, with hotter temperatures and longer dry periods pushing the system beyond what wildlife has historically adapted to. According to the , water levels in Everglades National Park are now more than 6 inches lower than last year and over a foot lower than the year before. These declines point to an intensifying drought trend as the planet warms, shrinking the wetlands that wildlife depends on and stressing an ecosystem already shaped by seasonal droughts.

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We’d love to see your wildlife moments. Tag and use to be featured 🐊

The CLEO Institute proudly congratulates Yoca Arditi-Rocha on being recognized by in their Best of Miami edition for her leadership in climate education, resilience, and environmental advocacy across South Florida. We are also deeply grateful to for nominating Yoca and recognizing the importance of community-centered climate leadership.

As CEO of The CLEO Institute, Yoca has dedicated her work to empowering communities with the knowledge and tools needed to confront the climate crisis.

Through her leadership, in Q1 of 2026 alone, The CLEO Institute achieved:

• 55.4 million social media impressions
• 8,253 community members trained
• 5,980 middle and high school students trained
• 3,313 climate voters registered

At a time when climate challenges continue to intensify, Yoca’s leadership continues to demonstrate the power of informed, engaged communities to create a more resilient and equitable future.

Please consider a gift to CLEO today and help us continue building the leadership, public will, and policy accountability needed to protect our communities and secure a safer climate future: https://cleoinstitute.org/donation-page/

The United Kingdom has broken a century-old temperature record not once, but twice within just 24 hours, as an intense spring heat wave continues to impact Western Europe. The unprecedented temperatures have prompted government warnings about serious health and safety risks, with officials cautioning that extreme heat can threaten lives, strain infrastructure, and worsen climate-related emergencies.

Scientists have long warned that climate change is making heat waves more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting across the globe. What was once considered unusual spring weather is rapidly becoming the new normal.

As communities across the globe face scorching temperatures earlier in the year, the urgency for climate action and heat preparedness continues to grow.

Extreme heat is becoming a public health crisis. Your donation helps communities prepare, adapt, and respond. https://cleoinstitute.org/donation-page/

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember those who lost their lives in service to this country, including the often-overlooked sacrifices of Black Americans throughout history.

The origins of Memorial Day trace back to 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina, where formerly enslaved people gathered to honor fallen Union soldiers with proper burials and a public commemoration rooted in dignity, remembrance, and gratitude. As we reflect, we are reminded that environmental and climate injustices continue to disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Honoring the past also means committing to a healthier, more just future for all.

This Memorial Day, we invite you to honor a loved one who has passed by planting a tree in their memory, supporting local food systems, or helping care for a neighborhood park or memorial space.

Swipe through for a collection of reflections. Follow for more.

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Today is International Day for Biological Diversity. 🌍

Biodiversity isn’t just disappearing.
It’s fading in silence. Every lost species is a warning. And when nature breaks, humanity breaks with it.

Protecting biodiversity isn’t about saving the planet’s beauty. It’s about saving our future. Learn how to support our movement with the link in bio.

As AI infrastructure and data centers rapidly expand, we have to ask: who truly benefits from the growing demand for electricity, and who bears the cost?

This week, Susan Glickman, Vice President of Policy and Partnerships at The CLEO Institute, was quoted in Inside Climate News discussing the proposed $67 billion merger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, a deal that could create one of the most powerful utility companies in the country.

Susan Glickman warned that communities already experiencing the “first and worst” impacts of climate change could face even greater harm if utilities continue expanding methane gas infrastructure to meet the large energy demand from data centers. At the same time, ratepayers may be left with rising bills while corporate power and political influence grow even more concentrated.

At The CLEO Institute, we believe the transition to a clean energy future must prioritize people. The conversation around AI, energy demand, and utility consolidation cannot happen without considering climate pollution, environmental justice, and affordability.

This moment raises urgent questions:
Who gets protected in the energy transition?
Who gets left behind?

Read the full article from Inside Climate News and join the conversation about what a just and sustainable energy future should look like: https://cleoinstitute.org/a-utility-mega-merger-is-all-about-data-centers/

This moment demands action. Your support makes it possible.
Donate: https://cleoinstitute.org/donation-page/

We’re building the next generation of climate leaders and growing our team! 🌎

genCLEO is hiring:
• 1 Organizing Manager
• 12 Lead Organizers across campuses in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington DC and Virginia

If you care about climate justice, community building, student leadership, and creating real change on campus, we want you on our team.

Whether you’re a student ready to organize on your campus or someone with leadership experience who wants to help grow the next generation of climate advocates, we’d love for you to join our team.

📍Now hiring at FIU, MDC, FAMU, FSU, UCF, Georgia State, ECU, Old Dominion, and more.

Don’t see your school listed but think it needs a genCLEO chapter? Apply anyway, we’d love to help you start one.

Apply now at bit.ly/genCLEOLeads and visit https://cleoinstitute.org/careers/ for more information about the Organizing Manager position.