no.98: 2,340 climate lawsuits sparking positive change

Hey friend,

Welcome to the last Friday in April!

Thanks to all of you, Climativity (this newsletter) is now the 4th most popular climate newsletter on all of Ghost, and made the trending page in Ghost explore!

Everyone knows that it's human nature to focus on the bad and we have a negativity bias that makes us focus on fear and anger... or maybe we're proving them wrong? Maybe the algorithms that reward hateful arguing and the legacy publications that manipulate headlines to invoke a reaction create a self-fulfilling prophecy that we're breaking?

Yes, there's bad out there too. But consistently consuming the good will continue to be a massive motivator for positive change.

I appreciate every single one of you for taking a few minutes out of your Friday each week to read, learn, and remember all the greatness that's happening around us.

19 great stories are coming your way...!

The good from Monday, April 22

👷 Buildings can now be grown instead of built, proven by a 1,000 square foot pavilion in a New York Forest started with temporary scaffolding to guide trees into filling out the structure which graft together into a single living form to become this literal treehouse. (Fast Company)

🧑‍⚖️ Research shows more than 2,340 climate lawsuits since 1986 have gotten governments and corporations to change by protecting our health, reducing emissions, and restricting greenwashing with a lot more litigation on the way. (Nature)

🌳 Over 700 species were identified in the Cambodian mangrove forests like fishing cats, smooth-coated otters, and a bunch of bats showing how important it is to preserve mangrove sanctuaries which also protect from storms and are big carbon sinks. (The Guardian)

🌎🌍🌏 Today (April 22) is/was Earth Day, which officially started in 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson and several activists, credited with the birth of modern environmentalism and is now a global celebration of our incredible home and a day of action to push for change. (AP)

None of these wins would be possible without us remembering how lucky we are to live on Earth, connecting with our home, and doing something to keep improving it.

The good from Tuesday April 23

🚲 Biking is now more popular and common than driving in central Paris thanks to successful policies making it easier and safer to bike around while increasing access to close-by amenities making driving less necessary. (Forbes)

🏞️ The Bureau of Land Management which controls a tenth of all US land just released a new rule to auction off leases to restore and conserve the land, lessening oil and gas drilling leases to prioritize protecting public land, recreation, and clean energy. (Washington Post)

🗽 New York has become the first state to receive federal approval for their rebate program for energy-efficient appliances with up to $14,000 in rebates for heat pumps, induction stoves, and electrical upgrades with at least 11 other states to soon follow. (Bloomberg)

🎶 A new study shows that the majority of music fans want their artists to speak up about climate, are more likely to take action if their favorite artists ask them to, and 250 million people go to concerts every year in the US alone, meaning a lot of opportunity to make a huge difference. (Planet Reimagined)

The good from Wednesday, April 24

🚄 High speed rail is finally coming to the US as construction has officially begun for a train connecting Vegas to Southern California which will be all-electric and make the 218 mile trip in about 2 hours and should be completed before the 2028 summer Olympics in LA. (AP)

🏝️ 1,220 volunteers have cleaned almost 10 tons of ocean litter from beaches in Africa’s Seychelles islands, which has not only substantially cleaned the area but also through citizen science helped to analyze the debris to strategize for future prevention. (Ecowatch)

🏙️ New York’s first all-electric skyscraper is now open and looks pretty sweet, stretching 44 stories high and was designed to be extremely energy-efficient to help meet new regulations with the city's goal of an 80% emissions reduction by 2050. (Bloomberg)

🤠 A campaign in Texas is underway for buildings to turn off non-essential outdoor lights at night while 2 billion birds migrate by star and moonlight which is preventing up to 60% of bird collisions and saving energy in a very easy win-win. (GNN)

The good from Thursday, April 25

🎤 Nature is now an official musical artist with wind, rain, and bird sounds earning royalties on streaming services to fund global conservation and restoration thanks to a UN project called Sounds Right alongside some of the world’s biggest musicians. (Good Good Good)

🌞 The Solar for All Program just launched in the US with $7 billion in grants set to create nearly a million new solar systems across the nation saving low-income households a substantial $400 per year on energy bills. (Inside Climate News)

🇬🇧 The UK has banned the sale of wet wipes containing plastic as these wipes frequently litter the nation’s beaches and break down into harmful microplastics so this ban will clean up waterways and is another step forward in ending plastic pollution. (Sky)

🇨🇦 After negotiating for decades, Canada has recognized the indigenous Haida nation as owners of 200 islands spanning 1.3 million acres, who can now manage the land without needing to battle it out in court with expensive legal fees. (GNN & The Guardian)

Bonus stories

See you again soon,

Jacob

P.S. some important info:

• *: I get a commission from these links at no additional expense to you (usually, you'll get a discount!).
• I write and publish this newsletter using Ghost, and I truly love the platform. If you want to start your own newsletter, consider Ghost* (and let me know – I'll be your first subscriber!)
• This is an independent publication that relies on reader feedback to continuously improve. Never hesitate to reach out with comments or questions.