Tabla de contenidos para The 2024 Environment Edition en The Goodnewspaper

Last spring, Teagan Connelly became the first student at New Hampshire’s Plymouth State University to graduate with a bachelor’s of science degree in climate studies. “You would think learning about climate effects would only add to the ‘doomerism,’ but it didn’t,” she told Yale Climate Connections. “While not every college student can say this, I was so excited to go to class every day because I was learning about things I was actually interested in.” Across the country, other colleges and universities are joining Plymouth in implementing climate studies majors. Most require a mixture of atmospheric and environmental sciences, mathematics, and technical classes, while Vanderbilt University in Nashville asks students to take interdisciplinary studies in natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to secure the major. “There is no other program…

The hauling industry is vital to the global economy, but it comes at a cost. The EPA estimates that the transportation sector accounts for 29% of carbon pollution in the U.S. Europe faces a similar problem, with a comparable 25% -but Sweden has set out to fix that. Eric Falkgrim — the technology leader for vehicle design for the Swedish manufacturer Scania — unveiled a new type of hybrid solar truck that could redirect the course of the hauling industry and potentially reduce fuel consumption by 40%. “We're exploring all sorts of options, and looking at solar-powered trucks was one of those options,” Falkgrim told Euronews. The solar hybrid trucks are currently out on Swedish roads and highways, as Falkgrim and his team work out the kinks, improve safety features,…

A recycling container in Montenegro is going viral on TikTok for a good reason: for every bottle you recycle, the machine dispenses kibble for stray dogs and cats at its base. The Pugedon-brand machine accepts plastic bottles, glass bottles, and metal cans. The recyclables cover the cost of the food, and a plastic tray at the bottom encourages people to spill out any excess water for wandering strays before they toss their bottles in. The zero-waste machines dub themselves “a meeting point for environmental and animal friends.” They first appeared in Istanbul, Turkey in 2014 and have since spread across Europe. In addition to implementing food and water stations throughout city parks, authorities are trained to spay, neuter, vaccinate, and medicate stray cats and dogs. In Istanbul alone, there are…

GOOD Read “Micro-Activism: How You Can Make A Difference in the World (Without A Bullhorn)” by Omkari L. Williams to better understand your individual role in social justice. We all have a part to play! BETTER Use your specific skills and talents to support a climate advocacy group or nonprofit. Use scrap fabrics to sell secondhand goods to raise funds. Host a charity basketball tournament. The world is your oyster. BEST Teach others. Whether it’s a lesson in repairing clothes, installing energy-efficient appliances at home, or even curating a reading list of climate-centric books, your knowledge is valuable.…

Climate change impacts nearly every facet of modern life: how we eat, how our homes function — and even our long-term health. And doctors at Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health and the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) knew it was time to make a blueprint for a more resilient future. These experts have developed a Climate Resiliency Toolkit to arm emergency rooms and clinics with best practices in epidemiology and emergency management, especially for climate emergencies. The toolkit is currently being piloted at 19 clinics along the coasts of the U.S., in areas that are prone to wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. “What I would like to see long-term is a world and a health care system in which we look at climate change and…

If you love this newspaper, you’ll also love our website, Good Good Good, where we provide climate good news stories every day. They make a great companion to all the exciting stories you're reading here! Visit goodgoodgood.org. Grist is a nonprofit media organization that shares solutions-oriented stories about climate justice. It’ll become a go-to resource for in-depth, hopeful reporting on the communities morst impacted by climate change. Visit grist.org for more. Project Drawdown is a nonprofit that provides science-based resources for climate solutions. Its Climate Solutions Library is a great place to find new and exciting ideas that are powering a more optimistic future. Visit drawdown.org.…

CLIMATE-CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES It’s not uncommon these days to stumble upon a “repair café” and see a network of volunteers tinkering with watches, relacing boots, and patching bike tires. They're part of a global movement of over 2,900 such spaces that have sprung up since 2009, with the mission to share skills, mend items, and cut down on the waste consumers create everyday. The idea began 15 years ago in Amsterdam. Artists Joanna Van der Zanden and Cynthia Hathaway wrote “The Repair Manifesto: Stop Recycling, Start Repairing,” a pamphlet that was soon translated into various languages around the world. After gaining international attention, the artists decided to try out a community experiment. They encouraged willing neighbors to get together weekly, ready to repair. People showed up in spades, carrying garage tools,…

Electric vehicles are on the rise; one in five cars sold globally in 2023 was an EV. Indigenous farmers in Nepal are reviving a climate-resilient crop: foxtail millet. Deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest is the lowest it's been in five years. All buildings in the city of Ithaca, New York will be decarbonized by 2030. $1 billion in EPA funding will allow school districts to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. A new solar power deal in Rwanda will provide internet connectivity to the country's schools on entirely clean energy. The U.S. government has joined 56 other countries in the pledge to phase out existing coal plants and build no new plants. The first net-zero school in the UK plans to open in Somerset in the fall of 2024. In…

Aside from the urgent consequences of climate change, there is another reason for governments to take action to protect the environment: job creation. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 makes way for 210 major clean energy projects, which leads to thousands of jobs for those building electric vehicle and battery factories, wind and solar manufacturing, and more. A new report from environmental advocacy group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) reveals these projects will create a total of 303,500 jobs each year over a typical fiveyear construction phase, as well as another 99,600 jobs each year following the initial construction phases. “This report basically reinforces the fact that we’re in the biggest economic revolution in generations, thanks to the IRA and its policies,” E2’s executive director, Bob Keefe, told Canary Media. “The economic…

GOOD Cut plastic water bottles out of your life. Invest in a reusable water bottle that’s sturdy, reliable, and easy to clean. Not only will you likely drink more water, but you can also help divert plastic waste from landfills. BETTER Eat less meat. You don’t have to go full vegetarian or vegan to help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from the meat industry. Even reducing your meat consumption once per week can go a long way. BEST Walk, bike, or carpool when possible. Not everyone lives in a pedestrian-friendly town, but pull up a map and see if there are alternative routes to your everyday destinations. Local bike paths and new bus pals await you. WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR. We believe in celebrating good and…

In Melbourne, Australia, Rajeev Roychand — a research fellow in the School of Engineering at RMIT University — is leading a team of engineers in constructing concrete out of a unique substance: recycled coffee grounds. “We thought of this idea over a cup of coffee,” he told CNN. “We roasted the spent ground coffee in the absence of oxygen and obtained something called biochar. When we added it to concrete as a replacement of sand, it provided a 30% increase in the strength of the material.” The innovative study solves a two-fold problem of massive waste and carbon dioxide emissions. On a global scale, coffee drinkers produce about 60 million tons of used coffee grounds every year, most of which ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and releases methane.…

When you think of a Girl Scout, what do you picture? Maybe a squad of young women selling cookies outside of your local grocery store? Perhaps a crew of campers pitching a tent in the woods? Well, Girl Scout Troop 40349 in Central Texas wants you to dive beyond your preconceived notions — they’re the nation’s first Scuba Scouts. This special interest troop invites girls ages 12 to 17 to become certified scuba divers and focus their efforts on water conservation. With these divers, all of the regular activities and projects of traditional scouting get an underwater twist. For example, they use American Sign Language to sign traditional camp songs underwater, even modifying the lyrics to incorporate ocean conservation lyrics. But most of their time is spent exploring and protecting…

One villain in the conversation of climate injustice that we may not pay enough attention to? The beauty industry. According to Clean Beauty Justice, an initiative of the Environmental Defense Fund, beauty products marketed to women of color often contain more toxic ingredients than those marketed to white women, exposing women of color to greater amounts of harmful chemicals. For instance, chemical relaxers used to change the texture of one’s hair contain ingredients like sodium hydroxide — which is commonly known as lye, a substance that almost always damages the skin of those handling it, leading to chemical burns. Fortunately, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act passed in Congress in 2022, helping to boost transparency in the cosmetics industry and enforce recalls of unsafe products. It’s a step in the…

GOOD Learn from disabled climate activists and disability-focused organizations. Follow creators such as @daphne_frias and @urfavdisabledgal and organizations like @daaclimatecrisis. BETTER Donate to the Global Greengrants Fund, which provides grants to people and communities doing grassroots work to improve the health of people and the planet simultaneously. Visit greengrants.org. BEST Preparation is important! Think of what you might need to prepare for a climate disaster. Assemble an emergency kit that includes essentials such as medication, adaptive equipment, and copies of your medical records.…

“It's Not Just You: How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety and the Climate Crisis” by Tori Tsui reframes eco-anxiety as the urgent mental health crisis it is and draws upon the wisdom of global environmental advocates to better confront the matter. “Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World” by Zahra Biabani celebrates major climate wins from recent history and provides a framework for climate optimism that invites readers to do more good. “The Future We Choose: A Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis” by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac paints a cautionary and optimistic picture of what life on Earth could look like if we do — or do not — take action.…

The effort to end homelessness has never been more closely aligned with climate justice efforts. With temperatures hitting record highs and lows, people without housing have borne the brunt of heat-related deaths and hypothermia. “As temperatures continue to rise across the U.S. and the world, cities like Seattle, Minneapolis, New York, or Kansas City that don’t have the experience or infrastructure for dealing with heat have to adjust as well,” climate scientist David Hondula told New York Daily News. Every U.S. state has emergency shelters in the form of cooling centers and warming centers; a few even offer both. But these shelters are meant to be temporary, and many lock their doors to the public when temperatures breach the standard temperature limit, which is set by each county. In 2022,…

EVERYBODY DO YOUR SHARE The future is looking brighter — and greener — when it comes to pollution concerns. Last year, European lawmakers banned exports of plastic waste to other countries. Germany introduced new laws enforcing the production of reusable packaging. West African countries explored ways to transition toward a circular economy model, a plan that could reduce plastic waste by 40%. As sweeping changes are made, helpers across the globe are still trying to take care of what’s already piled up. Here are five stories that give us hope —and might even inspire us to do some cleaning of our own. GARBAGE HUMANS In 2021, Kelly Stiewart and Jessica McFarland founded The Garbage Humans of ATX. It began with a few friends getting together each month and picking up…

At COP28, a new international loss-and--damage fund was announced, with the intention to pay for the damages caused by climate-linked incidents. Instead of fronting the cost of mitigating emissions or funding new climate projects, this money is intended to pay for the harm already caused due to climate change — mainly in low-income countries in the Global South. These countries have long advocated for such a fund, which is now being housed at the World Bank. Over $650 million has been poured into the fund from countries like Germany, Japan, the UK, U.S., and the United Arab Emirates. But the scale of damages developing nations face are much higher than these initial — and insufficient — funds cover. Debates also continue as countries figure out how to deploy said funds…

In Denver, Colorado, the Northeast Early College campus is now entirely powered by the solar canopies that stretch over the public school’s parking lot. “This may only be the beginning of solving one of our major issues,” 15-year-old high school student David Laloata told The Colorado Sun. “But this is proof that we the people are trying to save and restore what has been destroyed.” The canopies — which produce nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year — are projected to divert 70,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the next decade. Revenue and federal tax credits earned from the $33.4 million, 12-site project are going to further maintenance and project completion, as well as Denver public school families in need. Locals without access to solar power technology still…

Carbon offsets — paying a credit to environmental projects to compensate for a person or company’s carbon emissions — have had a PR problem this year, spurring debates about their efficacy. Most credits go toward reforestation or clean energy projects in far-away places, making them hard to trace — and trust. One program in Juneau, Alaska, however, is making a meaningful difference through offsets. Mendenhall, a famous glacier in Juneau, attracts over a million tourists a year by cruise ship alone -but the glacier is shrinking. To counteract their impact on the environment, visitors and tourism companies (and hopefully, soon, cruise companies) pay a fee to the Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund, which then uses that cash to install heat pumps for low-in-come Juneau residents. Heat pumps are a climate-conscious, electric…

GOOD Recycle! You may have heard that contents in your recycling end up in landfills anyway — but that is only true for a small percentage (mostly plastics). Recycling still reduces environmental impacts by more than 50%. BETTER Read “The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves” by J.B. MacKinnon to explore how even a small reduction in consumerism can change the world for the better. BEST Extend the lifecycle of everything you use and think twice before you toss it away. Compost expired food, mend ripped clothing, and donate old books, movies, and children’s toys to libraries and community centers.…

Parenting is hard. But it’s especially hard while navigating the climate crisis. And the uncertainty about the future — especially for one’s kids — has become quite the catalyst for action. Take Ben Block, for example, who, in 2018, co-founded an advocacy group called Climate Dads. Within two years, the group had grown to 800 members in 20 cities across the country, encouraging fathers to team up for clean-ups, visit nature reserves, and write public testimonials. “The world’s environmental challenges are not my children’s fault,” Block told Bloomberg News, “Still, I try to meet them where they are.” It’s part of a new generation of parenting, in which fighting the injustices of the world have become core elements of parenting. And as women and mothers have long shouldered the burden…

The Shinnecock Indian Nation is a mariner tribe with a long history of raising expert fishermen, hunters, farmers, and whalers, but their local water source — New York’s Shinnecock Bay — has been spoiled with pollution. “For generations, we were taught how to live off the land, or how to fish for what we need, but it’s just not possible any more because of the nitrogen levels in the sea,” Shinnecock tribal lawyer Tela Troge told The Guardian. “It’s killing all of the fish and the shellfish that have sustained us.” To combat high carbon and nitrogen counts, six tribal women banded together to start a kelp farm. When they needed help across the bay, the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph heeded the call and gave the tribe land to…

Eco-anxiety, climate doom, bad vibes … Whatever you call it, the climate crisis has a real impact on our mental health. And it’s not unfounded! This crisis infiltrates so much of our individual lives, shapes our communities, threatens our very existence, and asks us to look directly at some really painful truths about our world. And as urgent as the climate crisis is, we still have to show up every day to work, be able to take care of our communities, and even just remember to bring our reusable bags to the grocery store. The push and pull of this experience is confusing and often isolating. And when we feel hopeless about the planet, we don’t take action. But it’s the collective wisdom and determined belief that a better world…

Alaina Wood is a professional climate communicator who uses her social platforms to share regular good climate news updates, helpful information break-downs, and action steps to do your part and save the planet. (@itsthegarbagequeen) Is There Hope In is a datadriven Instagram account that shares “Weekly Earth Wins,” to help prioritize solutions — and not fear — in the face of climate change. The page also has an accompanying newsletter. (@istherehopein) Jacob Simon uses his TikTok and Instagram profiles to elevate his work as an environmental communicator, sharing solutions and updates, as well as action steps, all with the goal of tackling the climate crisis. (@jacobsimonsays)…

When thinking about solutions to the climate crisis, the sexy stuff usually comes to mind first: cutting-edge solar panels being installed on a skyscraper, runway fashions made out of recycled water bottles, or a road full of sleek electric vehicles. The reality of climate activism, however, is that the big, necessary wins will probably take place during long-winded meetings and hearings in courthouses and government buildings. While they might not be as glamorous, these solutions are still deeply exciting — and they’re already happening. This includes one of the biggest legal battles the next generation faces: proving that people have a right to a healthy planet. The human right to a “safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment” has been part of Indigenous customary legal systems for thousands of years, but…

According to an analysis by Princeton University, communities of color are disproportionately victimized by environmental hazards. While convoluted histories of racial injustice have subjected communities to inequitable living conditions, oppressive systems do not have to be a part of the future. That’s why major U.S. cities and initiatives are investing in climate resilience — or the ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to the impacts of climate change — in predominantly BIPOC communities. Here are just a few examples of some of these projects to inspire further action in the fight for climate justice. 1. Cleveland's CHEERS One resiliency program being proposed in Cleveland, Ohio is the Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy (CHEERS), which would create a cove and green space along a stretch of Lake Erie’s…