44 Positive Environmental Success Stories — August 2024
The media has an important role to play in combatting climate doom. Therefore, this monthly news round up of positive environmental and climate change news, is designed to spark joy and show that progress is being made. We pick two positive headlines a day, ranging from renewable energy and preservation to eco-innovation, and arrange the articles according to their publication date. We also include some dates related to nature and wildlife for your calendar.
Environmental and Animal Awareness Days In The Next Month
Zero Waste Week (2nd — 6th September) works to help householders, businesses, and organisations to reduce landfill waste, helping you save money, preserve resources and protect the environment.
Fair Trade Fortnight (9th — 22nd September) celebrates the farmers and workers who grow the world’s food and promotes fair trade.
World Clean Up Day (20th September) helps to unite millions of volunteers, governments, and organisations in 191 countries to tackle our global waste problem.
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 1st August
A Cornish conservation charity has started a project to rewild animals, from marsh fritillary butterflies on the moor to long-snouted seahorses in seagrass in a bay five miles away. (The Guardian)
The 150-year-old tree, which was felled last September, is beginning to show signs of regrowth. The National Trust said eight new shoots measuring between 2 cm and 4 cm had been found at the base of the tree’s stump near the roots, giving hope that it will live on. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 2nd August
A chough, a corvid that lives on cliffs, has been born in Kent for the first time in two centuries. Changes in farming practices led to the species disappearing from England until three birds took up residence on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall in 2001. Since then, efforts to restore beetle-rich habitat have helped numbers rise to 200 birds in Cornwall. A record 113 chicks fledged in 2023. (The Guardian)
Morrisons is trailing a temperature change in its freezers from -18c to -15c to lower emissions. The retailer stated that the changes would reduce carbon emissions, save energy, and lower costs. Morrisons explained that the global adoption of the move had the capacity to achieve savings equivalent to 8.6% of the UK's energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off the road. (Sky News)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 5th August
Two cold regions in the U.S. are getting a considerable boost in funding to swap fossil-fueled furnaces, boilers, and water heaters for heat pumps. The two initiatives, one located in New England and the other in Alaska, were selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in late July for a portion of the $4.33 billion in Climate Change Reduction Grants. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory says heat pumps can cut household carbon emissions by 36 to 64 percent compared to furnaces and boilers. (Canary Media)
UK scientists have developed a new method for removing toxic forever chemicals from wastewater. Specially treated, 3D-printed ceramic lattices can remove up to 75% of the chemicals from polluted water within three hours. The structures get better at their job as they’re reused. (New Atlas)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 6th August
Scientists from the UK have found installing solar panels could raise the value of your house by up to 7.1%. (PV Magazine)
Researchers managed to cut the number of badgers testing positive for bTB from 16% to zero. Over the past four years, researchers vaccinated 265 badgers across 12 farms in Cornwall. It is hoped their small-scale research will open doors to introducing vaccines, rather than culling badgers. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 7th August
New UK statistics indicate that second-hand electric cars are now cheaper than used petrol and diesel cars for the first time. After prices plummeted by 50 per cent since September 2022, the average price of a three-year-old used electric vehicle is 8.5% less than its fossil fuel equivalent. The difference rises to 14 per cent after four years. (iNews)
The Royal Mint has announced a new factory that will recover gold from electronic waste, creating a more sustainable source of the precious metal for the coin manufacturer's luxury jewellery line. The factory based in South Wales is designed to extract gold from up to 4,000 tonnes of circuit boards a year. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 8th August
Ocado customers will have the opportunity to purchase pre-filled containers online, for collection or delivery, in addition to the rest of their shop. When the containers are empty, they can be given to Ocado drivers who will check them, clean them, and put them back at the supplier's location. From this month, shoppers will be able to purchase Basmati rice in a 2 kg format in and Penne Pasta in a 1 kg format under their new scheme. (Edie)
A new report released by the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council explores how developers can go above and beyond current industry practices to maximise opportunities for nature. The report recommends measures such as fish hotels and artificial reefs to provide marine life with habitats for shelter, feeding, and spawning. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 9th August
As of 2022, Washington state had the cleanest grid overall because of its abundant hydropower resources from the Columbia River. Delaware, which has the dirtiest grid, still relies heavily on fossil gas and gets only a fraction of its power from wind and solar. The findings highlighted by Canary Media show which states can achieve more. (Canary Media)
New government research has found that England's nature-friendly farming schemes are benefiting wildlife, including butterflies, bees, and bats. Birds were among the biggest beneficiaries of the strategy. An average of 25% more breeding birds were found in areas with more eco-friendly schemes. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 12th August
More than 60% of the world's annual energy needs could be met by solar-covered highways, according to researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (PV Magazine)
The world's largest floating wind platform has been launched. Mingyang's OceanX floating platform weighs 15,000 tons and has wind turbines with blade diameters of 597 feet (181.97 m). Ocean X has two rotors that automatically turn in the wind to generate over 16 MW of power. Mingyang says the turbine can withstand winds of up to 161 mph (259.1 km/h) in Category 5 hurricane or typhoon conditions. (New Atlas)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 13th August
A £3.4 billion low-carbon electricity “superhighway” that will carry renewable power for more than 300 miles (482.8 kilometres) from north-east Scotland to the north of England has been approved by Great Britain's energy regulator. (The Guardian)
Lawyers have stated that the approval of a new oilfield in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has been annulled following a significant Supreme Court decision. Leigh Day, which represents the campaigners, said on Thursday that the government department, before the general election, had agreed to concede the case and reverse the approval. (ITV News)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 14th August
This summer, a beaver baby boom is underway throughout Britain, particularly in areas where the species had been extinct for centuries. New kits have emerged from their lodges for an after-dark dip in the water, from Ealing in London to the Cairngorms in Scotland. (The Guardian)
The latest annual report from the Global Foodbanking Network found that its member organisations provided 1.7 billion meals to more than 40 million people in 2023. The nonprofit said that this redistribution of food, much of which was recovered from farms or wholesale produce markets, saved an estimated 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. (Grist)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 15th August
During times of low demand and high generation, Octopus Energy will offer customers free electricity to keep renewable power flowing. The scheme gives customers free electricity when the wholesale price of electricity drops to or below £0. This usually happens during periods of low demand and high renewable generation, like offshore wind. (Edie)
Releaf Paper uses dead leaves from city trees to make paper for bags, office supplies, and more. The company uses dead leaves from city trees to make paper for bags, office supplies, and more. Estimates suggest the average city produces 8,000 metric tons of leaves per year, which could transform this untapped resource. (Good News Network)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 16th August
A lion from Ukraine suffering from shellshock is being driven 1,400 miles (2,253.08 km) to commence a new life in the United Kingdom, with a cub, Vanda, due to make the same journey later. (Sky News)
JR Howard from Texas Solar Sheep gives sheep to solar farms. The sheep eat grass and keep it short, which costs less than mowing. Agrivoltaics, Howard's business, combines solar panels with farming to benefit both landowners and the environment. 6,000 sheep will be put to work grazing eight Texas solar fields run by Enel North America, according to his latest fulfilment. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 19th August
A plastic-like carrier bag for small Indian businesses is being made by an Indian entrepreneur. His company, Bio Reform, has already replaced 6 million plastic bags from checkout counters across India. After successfully overcoming bankruptcy, university studies, and an extensive backlog of unfulfilled orders, Bio Reform eventually began to generate profits. Currently, Bio Reform produces approximately 500,000 bags per year, with a gross revenue of $180,000. (Good News Network)
Octopus Ventures has given Drift Energy £4.65m in seed money to build sailing vessels that will create green hydrogen at sea using deep ocean wind. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 20th August
250,000 certified heat pump installations have been achieved by the UK, which is closer to its goal of installing 600,000 electric heat pumps annually by 2028. (Edie)
Data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Rhodium Group shows that companies have announced $133 billion in investments in green energy and electric vehicle production since President Joe Biden signed the IRA into law in August 2022. (NBC News)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 21st August
As part of a new service aimed at reducing waste, coffee pods will now be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. North Yorkshire Council is working with Podback to offer containers for recycling coffee pods at its recycling centers for household waste. (ITV News)
According to the conservation charity RSPB, the population of fen raft spiders in the UK is steadily increasing, and numbers are at a record high this year. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 22nd August
Lidl is the first supermarket in the Netherlands to offer a minced meat option that is 60% minced beef and 40% pea protein. The new product, which is now available in all Lidl stores across the Netherlands, aims to reduce environmental impact and provide customers with a familiar taste at a lower cost. Lidl says that their minced meat mix is 33% cheaper than traditional minced beef and 37.5% less carbon-intensive than beef mince. (Edie)
Wool from some Nova Scotia sheep farms is being repurposed into wool pellets, which can be used in agriculture. A significant portion of the wool from Nova Scotia is unsuitable for spinning, due to dirt and mattes or sheep that are not specifically bred for wool production. In a bid to avoid wasting the wool and generating money for farmers, wool pellets made from low-quality wool can be sprinkled on the surface of pots and gardens, or tilled into the soil. These pellets are capable of absorbing moisture — up to 30 per cent of their weight in water — without feeling wet and can retain moisture in the soil while also absorbing water during wet periods. (CBC News)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 23rd August
Massachusetts and Connecticut have banned the use of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in protective gear worn by firefighters. While PFAS makes the gear resistant to water and heat, and helps the textiles breathe, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) estimates cancer from turnout gear accounted for 66% of firefighter deaths from 2002 to 2019. Despite opposition from chemical manufacturers, gear sold in Massachusetts and Connecticut must be PFAS-free by 2027 and 2028. (The Guardian)
Workers are busy salvaging and repurposing the metals and minerals needed to drive the clean energy transition in Central Ohio, where a big facility for recycling lithium-ion batteries is now operating. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 26th August
Susan Johnson from Everton, Canada, is using her backyard to participate in monarch butterfly rescue and conservation efforts. Susan's garden is full of Milkweed plants, which are the only host plant for monarch caterpillars. She checks twice a day from May to late September for caterpillars. Johnson is currently responsible for nine butterflies, and she has released one. This is a stark difference from the 74 she released in 2020, her top year. However, this is not stopping her from continuing her rescue efforts. (CBC News)
Eddie Wang is helping reduce fashion waste by creating a sustainable alternative to artificial textiles from an already existing waste stream using oyster shells. The shells, which when ground up and processed, can produce a flexible yarn similar to sheep’s wool that’s been appropriately dubbed “sea wool.” The oyster shells will use up a proportion of the 160,000 metric tons of mollusc shells that are thrown away annually by restaurants and fishing businesses. (Good News Network)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 27th August
Sweden is Turning Food Waste Into Fuel and Fertilizer. (Video) (Time)
Scientists are working to protect Britain's rarest plant from slugs, deer, and poachers after it was rediscovered for the first time since 2009. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 28th August
Lego plans to make half of the plastic in its bricks from renewable or recycled material by 2026, in its latest effort to ensure its toys are more environmentally friendly. (The Guardian)
Ikea's Ingka Group is testing a new online store for used things this summer in Madrid and Oslo. People will be able to connect, buy and sell stuff on the platform, giving Ikea items a second life. (Edie)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 29th August
The Shetland Islands are connected to the UK electricity grid for the first time thanks to a wind farm and 260 km of underwater cables. The 103-turbine Viking Wind Farm, according to Southern Scottish Energy, has a capacity of 443 megawatts and is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 500,000 homes each year. (Sky News)
A shell-shocked lioness from Ukraine who was rescued from Ukraine has taken her first steps outside in her new home in a Kent sanctuary. (Sky News)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 30th August
Last year, more than 428 gigawatts of solar capacity was installed, more than in the previous two years combined. (Canary Media)
A new study suggests that combining farming with green energy production could boost food stability and generate additional income for farmers. The research suggests growing crops and deploying solar panels on the same land could boost renewable electricity in Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, reaching the equivalent of 68% of today’s energy demand in the countries. (Euro News)
