This week's good news: giraffes return to ancestral home and a solar panel breakthrough
Happy Friday! I'm back home in NYC and overjoyed with how many people are joining our movement of climate positivity. The good stories keep on coming, and every week feels even more optimistic than the last.
It's been a little while since I reiterated the point of Climativity, so here it is:
By focusing on good news and simple & impactful actions to take, our environmentally-focused community and movement can help tackle the climate crisis through optimism.
See 84% of American youth experience some form of climate anxiety. More than two-thirds of the overall population are concerned as well.
Worrying about the future is a natural reaction to news surrounding the climate crisis. This is a crisis, after all.
Yet the negativity can be debilitating, unmotivating, and lead to mental health issues and thus a lack of action. If we don't take action, things won't get better.
So this newsletter (and coinciding video content) provides a breath of fresh air by focusing on the good stories, environmental leaders, and progress being made around the world. By recognizing everything good going on, all 300,000+ of us can become motivated to be a part of the good ourselves, creating a domino effect that really does plant the seeds for a better future.
All that being said, thank you for being here and being an active part of solutions, instead of a passive part of the problem. You rock.
And now, here's the good news from this past week!
The Good From Friday, July 7
90 dogs, 2 horses, and 5 donkeys were rescued from a dangerous breeding operation in Wisconsin thanks to help from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who took them into their recovery center where they’ll now receive medical and behavioral care.
The largest US offshore wind farm ever has been approved by President Biden and will be built 13 miles off the coast of New Jersey and power over 380,000 homes with clean energy.
👑 8 US national parks have prioritized accessibility for visitors with disabilities and allow everybody to experience the beauty of our natural world including Acadia, the Grand Canyon, the Great Sand Dunes, and Yosemite.
Our Planet 2 came out a few weeks ago and is the most beautiful nature documentary I’ve ever seen, completely making me fall in love with wildlife, nature, and the Earth once again, and I’d highly recommend you watch it.
The Good From Monday, July 10
Grey whales were seen approaching humans who helped them pick off lice and other painful parasites in a beautiful display of comradery, and the captain of the boat claims he’s done this repeatedly for the both same whales and new ones.
👑 Angola just welcomed back the first Angolan giraffes since conflict rendered them extinct in the area in the 1990s, and these 14 giraffes will now live in a national park in their ancestral homeland.
A mining company in Norway just said they discovered a 70 billion tonne phosphate rock deposit that would have enough minerals to meet the global demand for batteries and solar panels for the next 100 years.
Cambridge, Massachusetts is requiring all buildings over 100,000 square feet to achieve net zero by 2035.
The Good From Tuesday, July 11
👑 6 weeks ago, an endangered Okapi calf was born! These animals are the national symbol of the Democratic Republic of Congo but are considered ‘one of the least known and understood species on the planet’, yet the newly born calf named Arabi is now taking her first steps outside of her enclosure and her birth and survival signify the ongoing success of conservation efforts.
From January to June, deforestation in Brazil’s part of the Amazon rainforest has decreased by 33.6%, which is hopefully a sign that the commitment to end illegal deforestation is being taken seriously by President Lula.
The EU is reaffirming its commitment to cleaner and better energy through a proposal to withdraw from the outdated energy charter treaty and instead focusing on the European Green Deal which aims to end greenhouse gas emissions.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline has been suspended by unanimous court order while it reviews a request that challenges the Biden administration’s approval of the gas pipeline, proving that when we make our voices heard, we CAN make a positive difference!
The Good From Wednesday, July 12
Scientists discovered 55 bacterial and 184 fungal strains that can break down plastic in salt marshes on the coast of Jiangsu, China, and while the only real solution to ending the plastic crisis is to stop making and using so much, this gives hope that what we’ve already created can one day be dealt with.
👑 The UK's largest untapped oil and gas field called Rosebank has been delayed largely thanks to people pressuring and voicing their opposition and concerns about its impact on the UK’s climate targets!
More than 100 monkeys and 180 mice were seized from a lab in Colombia working on medicine with unethical animal testing, getting their funding revoked by the National Institute Of Health following a PETA investigation on animal rights, hopefully signifying more justice to come for more animals.
California struck a deal with diesel engine and truck makers who are vowing to meet the state’s zero-emission vehicle targets and reduce air pollution, even if they are later overturned in court.
The Good From Thursday, July 13
The northern lights (the aurora borealis) were seen in a very rare occurrence throughout the US Wednesday night - Thursday morning because of a solar storm in states such as Washington, Idaho, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and even New York, (although unfortunately there was too much light to see them by me in Brooklyn). Did you catch a glimpse?
Forty-four Women’s World Cup players have committed to taking climate action at the tournament in a player-led initiative that advocates for environmental justice and offsets their tournament emissions.
A breakthrough in solar panel technology has created an energy efficiency of up to 32.5%, well past the current average in the mid-20s, and also promisingly retains low manufacturing costs.
👑 California's LAX airport, which is one of the biggest in the world, is banning single-use plastic water bottles, and I’m optimistic that this signifies they’ll start making meaningful changes and push to fully decarbonize air travel.
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Talk more soon,
Jacob