Top Environmental Good News Stories of 2023
There's a lot more good happening than mainstream media lets on
As a cultural commentator, professional environmentalist, and economic system change advocate, I tend to think and write about a lot of less than pleasant, not-so-great feeling topics. But in this holiday time, as we head into a new year, I wanted to do a piece highlighting some of the top environmental good news stories of 2023.
One of my strategies for staying positive and motivated working on the tougher stuff is to stay abreast of real-world examples of humanity getting our act together and nature healing. Here’s a list of “Good Earth” stories in no particular order. May you enjoy and may you be in joy.
1) Recently, scientists discovered ancient coral reefs supporting “a breathtaking mix” of marine life in the deep waters of the Galapagos Islands Marine Reserves. The previously undocumented reefs sit at a depth of over 1,300 feet in the center of the archipelago, at the top of a previously unmapped seamount. They are pristine and teeming with life – pink octopus, batfish, squat lobsters and an array of deep-sea fish and sharks. The scientists said the discovery of the pristine reef structure gives hope that healthy reefs can thrive even though rising ocean temperatures and other environmental challenges currently impacting our oceans.
2) “Big things can happen if people persevere,” said Mike McHenry, biologist with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which got the ball rolling on dam removal when it was still thought a crazy idea. The Revelator reporter, Tara Loah, stated, “It took an act of Congress in 1992 to finally free the Elwha, taking down the pair of dams that had blocked the 45-mile mountain river for a century…It’s as if the whole watershed was waiting…” The $325 million Elwha experiment remains the biggest dam removal project ever.
With 83 percent of the Elwha watershed permanently protected in Olympic National Park, it offered a unique chance to start over. Scientists are amazed at the speed of change under way in the Elwha. Elk stroll where there used to be reservoirs. Bigger, fatter birds are bearing more young and moving in to stay. A young forest grows where there was blowing sand in the former reservoir lakebeds. Seeds tumble down the river’s coursing current. The big pulse of sediment trapped behind the dams has passed and the river has regained its luminous teal green color.
3) The Rights of Nature movement is gaining traction. So far, legally binding rights have been granted to several rivers, lakes etc. which means that the rights and wellbeing of those entities must be taken into account when any human activity such as construction, mining, etc. is being considered. Recently, a mayor in a suburb in Costa Rica made bees, bats, and birds fellow citizens. Meanwhile, sea turtles in Panama got legal rights to live in an environment free from pollution and poaching. Last year Spain recognized legal personality to its coastal saltwater lagoon-Mar Menor, and India recognized that Mother Nature has the same legal status and rights as a human being.
4) Blue whales, the largest animal on the planet, are making a significant comeback. Though still endangered, their overall numbers are app. 25,000 worldwide up from a low of just a few thousand. This hopeful trend is a result of regulations to reduce lost fishing gear that entangles whales and other marine life and changing shipping lanes and reducing ship speeds to avoid running into the whales.
5) Trends now suggest that human population will peak sooner and lower than expected reaching app. 8.8 billion by 2050 and falling rapidly after that. This is largely due to improved educational opportunities and birth control access for women.
6) After almost two decades of negotiations, the 193 United Nations member states have adopted a landmark legally binding Marine Biodiversity Treaty for the high seas, which is the vast two-thirds of Earth’s oceans beyond national boundaries. The treaty requires signatory nations to implement agreed-upon strategies for addressing over-fishing, acidification, plastics pollution, and other pressures.
7) After being absent for more than 50 years, duck-billed platypuses have been returned to Australia’s Royal National Park. After years of cleaning and landscape restoration the park is once again full of the insects, shellfish, and worms platypus feed on. Ten of the goofy-looking, lovely creatures have been released there and are doing very well. Here’s a short vid of the release. Just plain yay!
8) Due to mounting pressure from environmentalists and many countries, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has delayed efforts to move forward with deep sea mining. The ISA has, for now at least, decided to adhere to the “Precautionary Principle”, in which it is agreed that human activities with unknown impacts on the environment will not be allowed to move forward until, and if, it can be proven that those activities will not cause irreparable harm. Far too little is known about our deep seas, the seabed, ecosystems, and species that live there to be able to assess the impacts of extractive mining.
9) The town of Gateshead in Great Britain has converted a deep coal mine into a source of green energy. Once mining stopped the cavern filled with flood water that became heated by the Earth’s core. That water is now being pumped into heat pumps and for the past six months has provided low-carbon heating to 350 high-rise buildings, an art gallery, a college, an industrial park, and several office buildings. It is believed the project could be replicable in other areas with super deep remnant mines.
10) In a landmark victory, young environmental activists in Colorado won their lawsuit claiming state officials weren’t doing enough to protect them and the future from climate change. This marks the first time a US court has declared that a government has a constitutional duty to protect people from climate change.
11) Scottish Wildcats were considered extinct in the wild but a captive breeding program has enabled a successful reintroduction of 19 of the gorgeous beasts back into the wilds of Scotland.
12) The Caribbean Island of Redonda was once mined for bat guano and seabird excrement to be used as fertilizer. The mining operations and the rats and goats that came ashore with the miners decimated the wildlife and vegetation on the island until eventually it looked like a moonscape. In 2016, locals from Antigua and Barbuda made a decision to restore the island. They eradicated rats and helicoptered the remaining starving goats off the island. In astonishing time, native shrubs and trees began to regrow and biodiversity is mushrooming. Seabirds have returned to nest and the highly endangered Redonda ground dragon (a very cute lizard) has increased 17-fold.
13) The Norwegian government has completed the largest re-wilding project in its history by cleaning and restoring a massive coal mining site on the Arctic Island of Svalbard. Polar bears, reindeer, Arctic fox, and sea birds are now moving back into the former industrial town, nestled in a remote fjord, which before its closure had its own power station, wharf, water supply, and everything else that was necessary to house up to 300 workers and run mining operations on a large scale. All traces of human activity since mining began in 1910 are being removed, with the exception of cultural monuments and historic buildings.
14) Thought to be extinct for 30 years, the Starry Night Harlequin Toad is thriving in Colombia due to a resurgence of indigenous agriculture and land-use practices. The lifecycle of the toad helps local people plan the timing of their crops. For more information and to celebrate the Starry Night Harlequin Toad, click here: https://www.rewild.org/news/a-bright-future-for-the-starry-night-harlequin-toad.
15) One of the world’s busiest airports, Los Angeles International (known by its airport code LAX), has banned sales of single-use plastic water bottles. On June 30, LAX officials shared on Facebook that a ban on single-use plastic bottle sales in the airport would take place immediately. Officials recommend that visitors bring reusable alternatives and use the water bottle refill stations located in the various terminals.
16) The wild tiger population in Bhutan has increased 27% since 2015. This is due to habitat conservation measures and investments in technology to help rangers stop poachers.
17) Ireland has opened the world’s first native bee sanctuary. Honeybees get most of the coverage but native bees are far more effective pollinators. There are only nine species of honeybee but over 20,000 species of native solitary and bumble bees.
18) After a 17-year absence White Rhinos have returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is part of a successful conservation effort to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Worldwide the species has rebounded from fewer than 100 to over 20,000. They are second only to the elephant as the largest land mammal.
19) The humpback whale was hunted nearly to extinction, and in fact, was one of the first species to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Due to bans on hunting along with conservation efforts today there are app. 80,000 humpback whales. This is a remarkable recovery for a mega-species.
20) According to the United Nations, Earth’s ozone layer is on track to fully recover within four decades thanks to global efforts to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals. If current policies remain in place, the ozone layer will fully recover across much of the world by 2040. The polar regions will take around two decades longer. This is a hopeful example that could benefit our efforts to address the climate crisis.
These are just some great examples of the great deal of good that is happening on and for our beautiful Earth. May we see a multifold increase in such shifting human consciousness and behavior and healing of the magnificent planet that is our home in the year to come.
Happy New Year All!
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