Since folks seemed to enjoy last year’s January newsletter with positive environmental stories, I thought I’d make it a tradition. And after 2020, I think we could all use positive news. I’ve put them in three categories – legislation, wildlife and plants, and technology.
Legislation
1. NJ set to implement strongest U.S. ban on single-use plastics
Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey signed a law that will implement the most comprehensive ban on single-use plastics in the country. The law doesn’t go into effect until early 2022, but at that time, it will: ban single-use polystyrene and plastic bags; phase out paper bags at larger grocery stores; and make straws available only by request.
2. Denver approved increased sales tax to address climate change
Denver voters approved Ballot Measure 2A with 64% percent of the vote. The measure increases the sales tax by 25%, with the goal of generating $40 million annually to fund climate-related programs and reduce the city’s emissions.
3. Arizona plans for 100% renewable energy by 2050
State regulators in Arizona approved a plan for the state to move towards renewable energy. The plan calls for 50% of electricity from renewable resources by 2035, and 100% from renewable resources by 2050.
4. Conservation bill passed with bipartisan support
In August, Congress passed the historic conservation bill, the Great American Outdoors Act. This includes $9.5 billion for maintenance of America’s parks, as well as guaranteeing full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund with $900 million annually.
5. Vermont leads by banning putting food scraps in the trash
Food waste is a significant source of methane, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over the long term. Additionally, a study found that 20% of Vermont’s waste came from food scraps. With the ban on throwing away food scraps, Vermont will reduce its overall waste and cut back on methane emissions.
6. 41 U.S. states separated economic growth from emissions growth
States from all over the country – including Maine – have shown that it’s very possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still having positive economic growth. Maryland led with 38% reductions, and Maine was in the top five by reducing emissions by 33%. New Hampshire, Alaska, and Georgia also had significant reductions with increasing their GDP, all giving great examples of how the country can meet climate goals.
7. Denmark attempts to make failing to act on climate change illegal
One of the challenges with climate goals is that when new government officials get elected, they may not be as committed to meeting those goals as previous officials. Denmark is trying to address that with a new law that makes climate targets legally binding. Each year, government officials would be evaluated to see if they’ve met the climate targets, and if not, they’ll be forced to step down.
Wildlife and Plants
8. First 100 Bison introduced to new Wolakota Buffalo Range
As part of a ten-year plan to focused on bison conservation efforts, 100 bison were released into the Wolakota Buffalo Range in South Dakota, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The intent is that up to 1,500 bison will eventually be released and will become the largest bison herd to be owned and managed by Native Americans.
9. Fourth-largest marine sanctuary planned for the Atlantic
In November, the Tristan da Cunha government announced that 90% of the waters around its chain of four islands will be a marine sanctuary covering 265,347 square miles. This section of the ocean will become a “no-take zone” with the hope of protecting lobsters as well as many seabirds around the islands.
10. Reintroduction success for Red Kites in England
Thirty years ago, Red Kites were essentially extinct in England, and in an effort to bring the population back, 13 birds were brought from Spain. This has been among the most successful reintroductions projects, with over 2,000 Red Kite breeding pairs now found in England.
11. Signs of recovery for blue whales
For the past few decades, only a few blue whales have been spotted around South Georgia, a spot where many were hunted in the early 20th century. In 2020, though, in just a 23-day survey period, 55 blue whales were spotted, giving hope that they’re making a comeback.
12. Wales plans to create a country-wide national forest
As part of their goal to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, Wales is undertaking an enormous reforestation project. The country is investing $5.9 million to create a network of forests that run the “length and breadth of Wales,” starting with 5,000 acres of land planted per year and increasing to 10,000 acres per year. This will help with emissions as well as improve biodiversity and preserve nature.
13. “Tiny Forests” go up in the UK
The UK is also taking another approach to trees, this time with a “tiny forest” in Oxfordshire. This forest is about the size of a tennis court, but even at that size, it will help to attract wildlife, reduce erosion, improve the quality of the air, and help with noise pollution. Another is already planned for Oxford.
14. Great fox-spider rediscovered in UK after 27 years
Not all endangered animals are as photogenic as bison or whales, although the great fox-spider is more attractive than some spiders. The last one seen in Britain was in 1999, and it was thought extinct until Mike Waite discovered one this year on a military site that has limited human activity. Waite hopes to find more along the coasts of the UK.
Technology
15. Reduce the heat of buildings with a new type of white paint
It’s no secret that light colors reflect sunlight and heat, and materials scientists from the University of California – Los Angeles have found a way to use that to their advantage. They’ve created a white paint that reflects up to 98% of the sun’s heat, and if used on roofs and exterior walls, it could cut back on the amount of indoor cooling needed.
16. Artificial photosynthesis is coming closer
Scientists haven’t quite cracked this yet, but they’re getting closer to finding a way to generate renewable energy from carbon dioxide by using artificial photosynthesis. If they can find a way to do this on a large scale, it could be a significant step in addressing climate change.
17. From the Pacific Garbage Patch to Rivers
You may have heard about efforts by Boyan Slat to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which cleaned up enough garbage to fill two shipping containers. Now, Slat is focusing on addressing polluted rivers, which is where most of the ocean pollution comes from. To do this, he’s created a solar-powered barge called the Interceptor – as the name suggests, it intercepts plastic river garbage and gobbles it up to prevent the plastic from reaching the ocean.
18. Singapore approves lab-grown meat
It might seem strange to think of meat grown in a lab, but it’s one way of addressing the problems of all the resources used to produce meat. This meat is grown from animal cells, and Singapore is the first country to approve selling lab-grown meat. The FDA and USDA haven’t approved it yet, but it’s under consideration.
19. Electric vehicles are on the rise
In 2006, the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? was released, but the title is misleading. While the original electric cars didn’t get far, newer electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular, with numbers rising from 17,000 EVs worldwide in 2010 to 7.2 million in 2019. Volkswagen and General Motors have committed to producing more EVs, and the United Kingdom has said it will ban selling new gas-powered or diesel cars by 2030.
20. New ways of breaking down plastic with enzymes
A company called Carbios is working with a bacterial enzyme that can break down PET plastic in a way that makes it continuously reusable. This is very different than the traditional recycling process, where the plastic degrades after a few uses. Having a way to continually re-use any plastic we already have would keep plastic out of the environment and cut down on new production.
21. “Anthropause” gives wildlife a break
The “anthropause” is what scientists are calling the lapse in human activity due to the pandemic. It’s given people a chance to look at what happens when travel and other human activity slows down, with some promising results. Loggerhead turtles in Florida laid more eggs, wildlife emerged in unexpected places, and even marine wildlife became bolder. It won’t stay like this, but it provides new ways of thinking about how to co-exist with other species.
Looking forward to more positive changes in 2021
I don’t know what 2021 will bring, although I do hope it’s a bit better than 2020, for all of us. But it’s helpful for me to remember that even in the midst of everything happening last year, some good things came out of it, and if you have other positive environmental stories from last year, please leave them in the comments.
Brilliant to put this in your news, Erica.
Thank you!!!
and sending hugs –
Thanks, Pam!