Inspiration
As someone who cares deeply about climate action but grew frustrated with fear-mongering and unvetted news, I wanted to create a space where people could access credible, solution-focused climate coverage. Climate anxiety was hitting friends and community hard—this tool was born to turn overwhelm into action.
What it does
ClimateNews Filter curates science-verified climate news, filtering out misinformation and doomsday rhetoric. Users choose content focus (solutions-only, balanced, challenge-focused), access actionable steps, and subscribe for full access to daily briefings and unlimited content.
How we built it
We started with mapping user needs (20-40yo climate-conscious adults) and core features. Built the frontend with React/Tailwind for mobile/desktop optimization; backend with Node.js/Express for content filtering and user auth (Firebase). Integrated Stripe for subscription payments and designed the ClimateCheck verification system for content credibility.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing free/premium access rules without breaking user experience was tough—ensuring paywalls triggered only for restricted content took iterative testing. Designing the ClimateCheck badge logic to accurately categorize content (verified, flagged, partial) also required refining criteria to avoid misclassification.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating a seamless user flow from signup to content access; designing a minimalist, accessible UI that prioritizes readability; building a filtering system that delivers on its promise of solution-focused, non-sensational climate news.
What we learned
I deepened my understanding of subscription payment logic and user access control. More importantly, I learned how to center user empathy—designing for climate anxiety meant prioritizing clarity, hope, and actionable steps over data overload.
What's next for this project
We plan to expand content sources, add personalized content preferences, integrate email briefings, and roll out multi-language support. Long-term, we aim to partner with climate research institutions to enhance the ClimateCheck verification system.
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