Environmental concernlocal weather doom, environmental existential dread—as environmental journalists, we see these phrases used lots—and infrequently our personal.
Whereas there’s a lot to fret about on the subject of local weather and nature crises, we should not lose hope – as a result of despair breeds apathy.
The media performs an vital function in combating local weather doom. It’s our obligation to be trustworthy and correct in our reporting, and to not attempt to belittle or whitewash the state of affairs. However it is usually our obligation to show that it exists Hopes.
In 2022, as a part of our ongoing efforts to deal with environmental concern (each from our readers and ours), we have been following up on all of the constructive environmental information all year long – crunching over 100 tales of environmental improvements, inexperienced hacks, and local weather wins.
In 2023, we’re assured that excellent news It should maintain coming, as effectively sustainable vitality Soar, you win susceptible ecosystems rightsand local weather protocols are starting to bear fruit.
This text can be up to date recurrently with the most recent excellent news. It might be one thing small and SweetenedFoolish factor we made a smileor one thing huge and potential change the world.
For those who come throughout a terrific, constructive story that we have not lined right here – please attain out to us on Instagram or Twitter to share your ideas.
Constructive environmental tales from January 2023
Finland: Wind energy elevated 75% final yr, boosting vitality safety and local weather targets
Wind energy capability in Finland elevated by 75 p.c final yr, in keeping with the Finnish Wind Energy Affiliation (FWPA).
As practically half of Finland’s wind energy is regionally owned, the renewable vitality supply offers an vital lifeline in the course of the present vitality disaster.
Development in renewables can also be serving to Finland obtain its bold local weather targets. The nation hopes to be one of many first European nations to achieve internet zero, setting a goal of 2035 – effectively forward of the EU’s goal of 2050.
‘Love Island’ hit UK TV present selling sustainable style in newest sequence
Hit UK actuality TV present ‘Love Island’ returns January sixteenth – and the pre-loved fashionistas are set to steal the present as soon as once more.
In 2022, the sequence is shedding its fast-fashion picture by partnering with eBay — the primary beloved pre-fashion partnership on a TV present. The contestants wearing garments from the web eBay second-hand market as they descended on an unique website to search out love.
Searches for “pre-loved clothes” rose 1,600 p.c on eBay after the present aired.
New solar-powered expertise can flip plastic waste into sustainable gas and cosmetics
Scientists have developed a strategy to convert plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable gas utilizing photo voltaic vitality.
The system, developed by researchers on the College of Cambridge, may deal with plastic air pollution and develop into a “game-changer” in growing a round economic system.
The ozone layer is on observe to get well inside a long time, the United Nations reviews
Human emissions of sure chemical substances trigger a gap within the ozone layer yearly over Antarctica. This impacts ozone’s means to guard life on Earth from the solar’s dangerous rays.
Now, the 1987 Montreal Protocol, underneath which 197 international locations pledged to part out ozone-depleting chemical substances, is bearing fruit.
A UN-backed panel of specialists, presenting on the annual assembly of the American Meteorological Society yesterday, mentioned ozone will heal by 2066 over the Antarctic, by 2045 over the North Pole, and by 2040 for the remainder of the world.
Antalya Goes Photo voltaic: How This Turkish Metropolis Is Remodeling Its Vitality Provide
A big solar energy plant has been in-built Dagbili, on the outskirts of Antalya, Turkey, to supply free vitality to native farmers.
Native farmers on the Fruit and Vegetable Rising Middle say they as soon as avoided correctly irrigating their crops due to hovering vitality costs. About 60,000 folks at the moment are benefiting from the subsidy scheme, which provides farmers the means to function irrigation methods and improve crop manufacturing.
Tobacco corporations should pay to wash up discarded cigarettes in Spain
Spain has dominated that tobacco corporations should pay to wash cigarette butts.
Thousands and thousands of cigarettes are thrown onto the streets and seashores of Spain by people who smoke yearly.
New environmental rules additionally embrace bans on single-use plastic cutlery and plastic straws. The provisions are a part of an EU-wide marketing campaign to scale back waste and promote recycling.
England bans some single-use plastics
The British authorities has introduced that single-use plastic gadgets, together with cutlery and plates, will quickly be banned in England.
Annually, the nation makes use of about 1.1 billion single-use plates and 4.25 billion items of cutlery, in keeping with authorities estimates. Solely 10 p.c of those supplies are recycled.
Now, Surroundings Secretary Therese Coffey has confirmed that such substances can be banned in England.
Round economic system: Recycled human hair to wash waterways in Belgium
A Belgian NGO makes use of human hair clippings to soak up environmental pollution.
Confetti is collected from hairdressers throughout the nation after which made into filler squares. They can be utilized to soak up oil and different hydrocarbons that pollute the surroundings.
Mats might be positioned in drains to soak up contamination within the water earlier than it reaches the river. They can be used to cope with air pollution issues from floods and to wash up oil spills.
Lula plans to finish deforestation and make Brazil a inexperienced superpower
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as Brazil’s president in January, ushering in a brand new period for the nation’s environmental insurance policies.
Lula’s plans for the federal government current a stark distinction to former far-right chief Jair Bolsonaro, whose 4 years in workplace have been marked by a retreat from environmentalism.
The brand new president says he desires to show Brazil, one of many world’s largest meals producers, right into a inexperienced superpower.
Our favourite constructive environmental story since 2022
The world’s oldest two-headed turtle celebrates its twenty fifth birthday
Within the wild, the two-headed turtle normally can’t survive for lengthy as a result of it can’t retract its head into its shell for defense from predators. However this month, Janus — named after the two-faced Roman god — turned the world’s oldest two-headed tortoise on the age of 25.
Lovingly cared for on the Pure Historical past Museum in Geneva, he’s handled to a private care routine – together with each day massages and inexperienced tea baths – that retains him wholesome.
For extra environmental excellent news from the previous yr, try all of Euronews Inexperienced Constructive environmental tales From 2022.