Happy New Year! I thought I’d do something a little different to start the year. Since we so often hear about negative impacts on the environment, I’d like to share 20 positive environmental stories from the past year.
1: Greta Thunberg Person of the Year
Greta Thunberg never asked for all the media attention, but with it, she’s drawing more attention to climate change than almost anyone else. Being the Time Person of the Year helps, and if you haven’t had a chance to read the article, it’s well worth it.
2: Gains for Clean Energy Use
One at a time, states are focusing on using clean energy, and Maine is one of the most recent to commit to 100% clean energy by 2050. It’s encouraging to see this action at the state level, even if not the federal level.
3: Way to Turn Waste into Clean Energy
Speaking of clean energy, the Sierra Energy company has found a way to vaporize trash and turn it into clean energy, all without generating any waste or emissions. The company is still working on it, but this could be a huge help with the problem of landfills.
4: Convert Low-Grade Waste Heat to Energy
On a smaller scale, Hong Kong University researchers have invented a way to turn low-grade heat – such as the kind generated by manufacturing as well as everyday devices – into electricity. Devices like this can help with becoming carbon neutral.
5: Wind Turbine Power
Wind energy is on the rise, and that’s a good thing. Despite what some have said, most wind power plants only take six months to offset their carbon footprints, and in addition to providing clean energy, the construction of these turbines is good for the economy.
6: Fuel Cell Transport
We hear a lot about electric cars, but they’re not the only new type of transportation. Advances in hydrogen use will also enable zero-emission trains and trucks in the coming decade.
7: Solar Energy into Heat
Instead of using solar energy for electricity, Bill Gates’s startup has focused on turning solar power into heat. They’ve gotten it hot enough to “enable industries that rely on chemical reactions at extreme temperatures, like ceramics, cement, or even steelmaking.”
8: Gather Solar Energy with Fake Sunflowers
Another new development in gathering solar energy is using small, artificial “sunflowers” to mimic plants and follow the sun, allowing them to gather more solar energy than traditional solar panels. If this can be expanded to larger sizes, this would make gathering solar power much more efficient.
9: “Water Battery” Cuts Electrical Costs
In Australia, the University of the Sunshine Coast came up with another approach to using solar energy. They’ve used a “water battery” to store energy from solar panels, and it’s reduced their electrical usage by 40%.
10: Long-Range Solar Car
A Dutch auto company has been getting in on the solar action. Lightyear has come out with the first long-range solar car, an all-electric vehicle that can be charged by the sun or from an electrical outlet.
11: British Columbia Introduces Reusable Cup Program
A lot of people are getting tired of single-use materials, and two women in British Columbia decided to do something about it. They’ve introduced a reusable cup program with the hope of eliminating the waste from 13,000 single-use cups tossed in the city every day.
12: Packaging with Mushroom Foam
Ikea is known for focusing on sustainability, and now they’re taking that a step further by switching to a different type of packaging. Instead of using Styrofoam, they’re moving to a mushroom-based alternative called Mycofoam, which is completely biodegradable.
13: New Material for LEGO Bricks
LEGO is also looking for ways to be more sustainable. They’re aiming to find new materials to use for their bricks, including the possibility of using hemp.
14: Vegan Running Shoes
Another move to sustainability comes from Reebok. They’ve announced plans to sell a plant-based running show, made of natural materials. The shoe is expected to be available in the fall of 2020.
15: Recycle Plastics with Enzymes
A French company called Carbios has developed a new process to break down problematic plastics with enzymes, leaving material pure enough that it can be used to manufacture clear water bottles similar to ones made from petroleum.
16: Garbage Patch Cleanup
In other encouraging plastic news, conversations have successfully collected trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They still have a lot of work to do, but it’s an inspiring first step in clearing up this island of trash.
17: Toad-Headed Turtle Reserve
Toad-headed turtles in the Caribbean region on Columbia’s Atlantic Coast is endangered, but they’ve just gotten some help. They now have a 297-acre reserve in northern Columbia, and teams are working on a “genetic rescue program” to help the turtles recover.
18: Reef Revival in Kenya
Many coral reefs have been in trouble recently, including along the Kenyan coastline. But thanks to an initiative led by women on Wasini Island, a strip of the coral reef has begun to rebound, and the same methods could be used elsewhere.
19: Global Network of Greenery
You’ve probably heard stories about how pollinators are in decline, and a group of gardeners and homeowners are trying to help. Over one million people have come together in the National Pollinator Garden Network to create “approximately 5 million acres of enhanced or new pollinator habitat.”
20. Humpback Whale Population Rising
Due to the whaling industry, the population of humpback whales in the western South Atlantic went down to 450. Now, however, a new study published in November shows that the whales have made a comeback, with a population back up to 25,000.
Any Other Stories?
I hope you’ve enjoyed the good news! If you have your own positive environmental story, please share it in the comments.