42 Positive Environmental Success Stories — November 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
International Cheetah Day (4th December) is the day to help raise awareness of cheetah conservation that goes on.
World Wildlife Conservation Day (5th December) is an annual reminder about the importance of safeguarding our planet's biodiversity.
International Mountain Day (11th December) showcases that mountains are home to 15% of the world's population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
Positive News Round up — Friday, 1st November
According to new figures from French grid operator Enedis, France deployed around 1,351 MW of new solar capacity in the third quarter of 2024. (PV Magazine)
11 new green hydrogen projects will be funded by the UK government, which claims they will be among the first commercial-scale projects in the world. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 4th November
Brazilian researchers have pioneered the use of chemical analysis to determine where a tree was grown. (Mongabay)
Last week, Los Angeles County announced its intention to sue PepsiCo and Coca-Cola for plastic pollution. The county alleges that the plastic bottles of the soda giants have caused harm to both public health and the environment, and that the companies have intentionally misled the public regarding the recyclability of their products. (Grist)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 5th November
Plans to build the biggest onshore windfarm in England are progressing after the Labour government lifted the de facto ban put in place by the Conservatives nine years ago. (The Guardian)
The Brazilian islands are aiming to have 85% solar and battery storage by 2027. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 6th November
A grove of 100 giant trees discovered in 2019 are the tallest in the Amazon at a height of 290 feet (88.39 meters). Many of the trees in the park are 400 to 600 years old, and may hold the total carbon of 500 average-sized trees. (Good News Network)
A $10 billion bond package to fund key state climate and environmental priorities is expected to be approved by California voters in a dark election for U.S. climate efforts. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 7th November
Montreal has doubled its cycling network in 10 years; however, not everyone is pleased. (CBC News)
In the first nine months of 2024, solar capacity additions in India set a new annual record. These installations (17.4 GW) bring the nation's total renewable energy capacity to 201.46 GW as of September. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 8th November
The National University of Singapore found that Singapore could install 2 GW of solar panels by 2028, which is earlier than the deadline of 2030. (PV Magazine)
The Spanish firm Tecnalia claims to have created the world's first modular deck for built-up homes. The system encompasses renewable energy systems, ventilation, and smart energy management for buildings, and is designed to create outdoor spaces for homes without existing balconies. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 11th November
Brazil could add 18.2 GW of energy storage by 2040. (PV Magazine)
Adapting BSL (British Sign Language) to cover the trickiest climate change terms is what Audrey Cameron from the University of Edinburgh wrote about. (The Conversation)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 12th November
The Mengxi Lanhai Solar Plant is the largest single-site solar power project in China and the second largest in the world has gone online, according to China's CHN Energy. (PV Magazine)
Berkeley, California, has become the first city in America to ban factory farming. (Plant Based News)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 13th November
The world’s first wooden satellite aims to tackle the space debris problem with a sustainable solution. (Good News Network)
A new species of sea slug has been discovered off the Pacific coast in the midnight zone by researchers in California. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 14th November
The largest known coral in the world, visible from space, has been discovered in the waters of the Solomon Islands. The gigantic multicoloured organism, with a circumference of 183 metres, is an intricate network of individual coral polyps that have grown for between 300 and 500 years. (The Guardian)
Between 2005 and 2022, Maryland cut its greenhouse gas emissions by the most of any other state. (Phys)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 15th November
Rainforest protection is good for biodiversity and the climate, as well as for the health of humans who live there, according to a new research. (Phys)
After an absence of more than two centuries, the UK's largest bird of prey could soon be flying through the skies over Exmoor National Park. (ITV News)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 18th November
An Edwardian social housing heat pump scheme aims to bust low-carbon myths. (The Guardian)
A Yorkshire town may bring the first ‘forever chemicals’ legal case in the UK. (The Guardian)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 19th November
In a bid to support biodiversity restoration and mitigate climate change, Triodos Bank has committed to investing at least $500 million in natural-based solutions by the end of the century. (Edie)
The world's first visual grading system to fight microplastic fashion pollution. (Phys)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 20th November
The Victorian government intends to allocate a sum of $370 million towards the construction of a substantial solar and battery farm capable of providing power to over 50,000 homes. (The Guardian)
In the first six months of 2024, the Netherlands installed 1.76 GW of PV capacity across 148,166 projects. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 21st November
The youngest national park in Britain is advancing towards planting 100,000 trees by its 15th anniversary next year, as it commences its “major nature recovery drive” this winter. (ITV News)
The biggest project using old batteries for grid storage is online in Texas. (Canary Media)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 22nd November
The first grey seal pup of the season has been welcomed at the former Cold War weapons testing site in the United Kingdom. (ITV News)
Italy's regional governments have approved approximately 6 GW of utility-scale solar capacity across 142 projects in the first 10 months of 2024. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Monday, 25th November
The Top 10 Most Vegan-Friendly Cities In The World have been ranked. (Plant Based News)
The Jamaican government has assigned 99.83 MW of solar capacity. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Tuesday, 26th November
Paris plans to remove 60,000 parking spaces by 2030 and replace them with trees and green spaces. (Daily Climate)
More than 19 GW of solar projects set for implementation in Poland. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Wednesday, 27th November
Developers are constructing a microgrid at an elementary school and community centre on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota. (Canary Media)
Conservationists in Massachusetts are transforming retired cranberry farms into wetlands to fight climate change and protect water supplies. (Daily Climate)
Positive News Round up — Thursday, 28th November
The Vancouver city council voted against letting new homes be heated by natural gas, which prevented the reversal of the cities current climate-friendly practices. (CBC News)
BDEW, Germany's renewable energy association, expects 17.5 GW of new PV capacity in 2024, up from 15.3 GW in 2023. (PV Magazine)
Positive News Round up — Friday, 29th November
According to the most recent figures released by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the United Kingdom has added 1 GW of solar capacity within the past 12 months. (PV Magazine)
Researchers at the Jiangsu University of Science and Technology in China have developed a floating PV system design that is capable of withstanding waves up to 4 meters in offshore waters. (PV Magazine)
