For many, talk of the Natural World has simply become a grim reminder of all that we have lost, rather than a source of inspiration to fight for everything we have left. It’s no secret that our current environmental position does not look pretty, but with the right mindset and strategic plans of action, a sustainable future is still within our reach. This Earth Week, we want to thank those who have dedicated their lives to Green Restoration and Innovation in aims of combating the global environmental crisis we face today. These efforts have not gone unspoken for.
Here are 12 recent Wins for Planet Earth to make you a smile this Earth Week:
1. In January 2018, Chile officially set aside 11 million acres of land for national parks in the beautiful region of Patagonia, aided by the largest-ever private land donation from a private entity to a country. Smithsonian
2. A province in Pakistan announced it has planted 1 billion trees in just two years, in response to the terrible floods of 2015. It’s possible people! Independent
3. Snow leopards have been on the endangered list since 1972. Good news is, they have made a slight comeback!! In 2017 their classification changed from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, as the wild population has now increased to more than 10,000 animals. BBC
4. In June of 2018, The world’s second largest coral reef in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, was removed from the endangered places list after being placed on it in 1996. UNESCO
5. 34 years after the pesticide DDT was banned, Bald Eagles finally began to make a comeback around 2007. 2016 data showed a 5 percent annual increase in Bald Eagle numbers across the continent!! Some call the Bald Eagle recovery the “greatest endangered species success story yet.” American Bird Conservancy
6. In 2017, the ozone hole shrunk to its smallest size since 1988. We still have rivers and mountains to cross to get to where we need to be. But hey, progress is progress! EarthSky
7. In the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, carbon emissions fell to the lowest levels since 1894, and on the 21st of April, the country did not burn coal for the first time in 140 years. Independent
8. Since it was first established in 2015, 120 cities in the U.S. have joined “The Sierra Club’s Ready For 100” campaign, which encourages cities to go 100 percent renewable energy and tracks their progress over time. Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, Denver, and Minneapolis are among the forerunners paving the way for a greener planet. Many hope to reach their goals by 2030! Sierra Club
9. In a world first, an undersea robot has dispersed microscopic baby corals (coral larvae) to help scientists working to repopulate parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Barrier Reef
10. Tesla is currently in the midst of developing an electric, self-driving semi truck that holds the potential to do a world of good for the environment, as freight trucks are responsible for nearly a quarter of the U.S. transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. Business Insider
11. An international supermarket in Chiangmai, Thailand has started bundling all of their fruits and vegetables in banana leaves and flexible bamboo, rather than using plastic packaging and labeling. Forbes
12. As of July 1, 2018, Seattle became the first US city to enact a ban on plastic straws, along with single-use plastic utensils. Global Citizen
Written by Camille Dedeaux ’22