I haven't done a Good News dump for a while. So here it goes. Again if you wish to continue to doom scroll. Please feel free to filter this hashtag.
Between June 2023 and May 2024, 37 land titles were secured in the Peruvian Amazon in record time, thanks to an innovative, low-cost, high-impact method for expediting the process. Land titles are proven to be the most effective way to protect Indigenous peoples’ land from deforestation, with titled land experiencing a 66% decrease in deforestation.
The populations of more than a third of the 101 threatened species in New South Wales are heading in the right direction. The number of endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies doubled to 144 between 2020 and 2022, and several locally-extinct species reintroduced into parks also increased, including three types of bilby, two types of bettong, bandicoots, and numbats.
The Motagua River is one of the most polluted rivers in Central America, pouring 18 million kilograms of rubbish into the ocean each year. In 2023, US-based startup 4ocean installed a floating fence-like barrier to catch debris before it enters the bay. Since then, the boom has saved 45,000 kilograms of debris from reaching the ocean, with plans to capture a lot more.
https://edition.cnn.com/world/4ocean-motagua-guatemala-pollution-c2e-spc/index.html
The first Tribally-nominated national marine sanctuary in the history of the United States—and the first new sanctuary in California in over 25 years—is on track for finalization later this year. The 11,766-km2 sanctuary will protect many at-risk species, such as snowy plovers, southern sea otters, leatherback sea turtles, and blue whales.
https://chumashsanctuary.org/2024/09/06/final-environmental-document
The country has launched its first-ever National Elephant Action Plan to reverse the decline of its current population, which is estimated to be 300-400 elephants. The 10-year plan includes the protection of habitats and wildlife corridors, law enforcement to curb poaching, and enhancement of community-shared economic benefits generated by tourism.
A village in Scotland saved the Abriachan Forest from development. 'It’s taken 25 years, but it’s a long game we’re playing. You have to be patient.'
https://www.rewild.scot/rewilding-stories/the-village-that-raised-a-forest
A nonprofit in Borneo is getting illegal loggers to hand in their chainsaws in return for financial support to set up sustainable livelihoods.
https://edition.cnn.com/climate/borneo-rainforest-chainsaw-heath-harmony-spc/index.html
Autonomous and solar-powered robot boats are cleaning up Asia’s waterways, collecting 200 kilograms of garbage per hour.
https://edition.cnn.com/science/clearbot-waste-boat-hnk-spc/index.html
Scientists are bringing the Santa Cruz River back from the brink—by adding sewage water!
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/arizona-santa-cruz-river-restoration-wastewater
Here's the question: what kind of story should the media be telling the world about what's happening in the Amazon right now? The 'race against time' story, which clearly describes the scale of the challenge, but also showcases progress, and explains what is being done about it? Or the 'we're all doomed' story, which uses apocalyptic language, lists one problem after the other.
Read this sentence: the total amount of metals needed for the energy transition is far smaller than the total weight of fossil fuels we burn away each year. Now read it again. Alongside the primary energy fallacy, this is the thing we wish more people understood about clean energy. Renewables don't just stop climate change, they cut planetary destruction from fossil fuels—500 times over.
Agrivoltaics. The idea is finally getting some mainstream attention—in the last week it's appeared in The New Yorker ('we have to deliver the most visually appealing, environmentally responsible projects possible')
If you've ever wondered why I don't love hydrogen, this should help. A new study shows that a hydrogen fuel cell car needs three times as much electricity generation than an EV does in order to move the same distance.
https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351%2824%2900341-6
@hallmarc
Absolutely.
And I would love to see this at scale. The the problems of storage and transportation will still remain.
Electrons are hard enough to store.
But hydrogen really really does not like to be in one place for long.