1 minute read
GOOD GREEN NEWS
Positive changes are happening for the environment. Here are the stories that are giving us hope for the future of the planet right now.
The first wild beaver colony (in more than 400 years) has been declared a success in the UK. Not only is the population itself thriving, but it’s also having positive effects on the environment and the entire local ecosystem of Devon in South West England.
The beavers have reduced water flow, allowed plant and animal life to flourish, and they have even decreased the risk of flooding with their dams. Without tourism, Australian SCUBA groups are using their free time to restore the Great Barrier Reef. Australian eco-tourism company Passions of Paradise is planting new corals to help revitalize the reef during quarantine. So far, they’ve planted more than 1,000 pieces of coral in the Hastings Reef, a coral nursery that helps make up the Great Barrier Reef.
Coca-Cola (one of the world’s worst plastic polluters) is backing a company developing plant-based “plastic” that will degrade naturally within a year’s time. The plastic will be made from plant sugars, rather than fossil fuels. The bottles will have an outer-cardboard layer, which will be reinforced with an inner layer of plant-based plastic. When the two materials are separated, the entire bottle can be recycled. Alternatively, the whole thing can degrade within a year.
Unemployed workers in Pakistan are being paid to plant trees. Since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdowns, workers have planted 30 million indigenous saplings. The goal is to reach 50 million planted trees by the end of 2020.
Costa Rica ran on 98% renewable energy for the 5th consecutive year. Hydropower, wind, and geothermal sources make up the bulk of their renewable sources for energy. To help offset their transportation (which currently depends mainly on fossil fuels), Costa Rica’s decarbonization strategy includes a plan to introduce a modern transportation system in San José that will promote walking and biking, and feature fully electric trains by 2050.
