6 PIECES OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOOD NEWS FROM AUGUST 2021

The year is 2021 and climate change is a threat that we are well-acquainted with by now. However, small pieces of positive affirmations can go a long way in boosting the morale of all of us who have committed ourselves to fight the good fight for the environment. Also, these good news pieces can act as a catalyst in encouraging more people to lead a sustainable life that has the least possible harm to the environment. Let’s take a look at the things going on around the globe which are making us believe that miracles can happen when we all get together and work for it.

250 MILLION SAPLINGS PLANTED IN A SINGLE DAY:

A whopping quarter of a billion saplings were planted in Uttar Pradesh, India as a part of a mass tree planting scheme adopted by its state government. The most populous state of India is doing its bit in a bid to increase its forest cover to over 15% of the total land area in the next 5 years. Even the 20 million saplings planted along the Ganges a year ago are showing a promising average sapling survival rate of 80%. Uttar Pradesh has also reported an increase of 127 sq. km in its forest cover as compared to 2017.

INDIA BANS SINGLE-USE PLASTICS FROM JULY 2022:

Being the second-most populous country in the world, India has taken the important decision of banning an array of single-use plastics from July 2022. The list includes plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery like straws, spoons, forks, knives, plastic flags, candy sticks, thermocol, wrapping films, invitation cards and cigarette packets. Work is also underway with 14 states to recycle plastic containers in a responsible way.

NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS AREA GROWS BY 50%:

Private donations from America were used to create public spaces by the Trust for Public Land. This trust donated the Canon Ciruela property in an effort to grow the Sabinoso Wilderness Area out of the confines of private landholdings that surrounded it. In a short span of 5 years, this area has grown by 10,000 acres, which amounts to nearly 50% of its total size. The donations also protect a watershed that feeds into the existing wilderness.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA WITNESSES THE EMERGENCE OF THOUSANDS OF NATIVE BEES:

Native bees are a critical part of an ecosystem, as they are important pollinators of many tropical crops. Thanks to a year of above-average rainfall, wildflowers have been blooming across many regions. Two such wildflowers have accounted for the emergence of a larger than usual colony of native bees. Thousands of these fluffy bees emerged in the clay pans of Western Australia in bumper nesting colonies.

MAINE BECOMES THE 1^ST US STATE TO HOLD CORPORATIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR RECYCLING:

In general, the onus of recycling in a community is an added burden on taxpayers. Corporations, on the other hand, get away with their ostentatious use of plastics. Maine becomes the first US state that has decided to hold corporations responsible for the waste they create. Companies have an option of either using eco-friendly packaging or paying for the recycling programs, depending on the amount and type of materials used by them.

BLUE WHALES RETURN TO SPAIN AFTER 40 YEARS

Blue whales are the largest mammals on earth, weighing approximately 150 tonnes, which is equivalent to the size of 16 elephants. After an entire generation of blue whales disappeared, a moratorium was introduced on whaling in the 1970s in many parts of the world. However, it was not until blue whales were at the point of extinction that Spain decided to ban whaling in 1986. After a long absence of nearly 40 years, descendants of the few surviving blue whales are returning back to Spain’s Atlantic coast. Recent studies have shown that the migration of these creatures is more driven by memory as opposed to environmental conditions. This means that we still have to ensure measures to make their habitat more favourable for them to thrive in that region.

We hope that with these pieces of positive news we can feel the boost to do our bit to protect the environment and the planet that we call earth.