Dear First name / friend, Good morning! I hope you had a relaxing weekend! Here are some Earth wins to bring some encouragement to your week! |
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26 species in Australia are no longer on the brink of extinction. |
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After a review of Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act between 2000 and 2022 by a research team led by Dr. John Woinarski from Charles Darwin University, 26 species were found to no longer be threatened by extinction. 3 of these species have fully recovered. The rest, including 15 mammals, 8 birds, 4 frogs, 1 reptile, and 1 fish, have made varying progress towards recovery. No longer listed on the government’s scientific panel is the humpback whale. These species are no longer declining and instead stabilizing with the possibility of increasing. |
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New scorecard in Virginia is helping ensure that solar projects remain environmentally friendly. |
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Before approval of a solar farm in Virginia, the Community Climate Collaborative (C3) set out to see if the project would meet climate justice requirements. The Solar Climate Justice Scorecard, created by C3 and backed by scientific evidence, is a tool that helps policymakers, advocates and governments analyze how sun-powered projects impact the community. Topics within the scorecard include greenhouse gas emissions, job creation, and predicting problems with soil, biological diversity, and water. In unison with the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act and the scorecard, Virginia is close to adding 6,000 megawatts of solar capacity in the next 5 years. These laws will help those in impoverished communities to have a voice and more consideration when fossil fuel energy production is being considered. The scorecard has already helped to ensure that the Woodridge solar farm would be a good fit in the community. Scoring 37.75 points out of 50, officials realized that there were environmental injustices within the plan. There was little money funded towards shrinking the energy bills of low-income residents and no childcare during the hearings in which locals would vote on the project. Thanks to the C3 scorecard, officials were able to revise the plan and a vote is scheduled for April 5th to get approval by community members. |
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Weathering forecasting is shaping water management in reservoirs. |
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Officials are now using weather forecasts to better determine when to release water from reservoirs. So far, Lake Mendocino is the first to use this strategy. When there is a dry spell forecasted, operators will keep more water in the reservoir, and when there is a wet forecast, water will be moved into stores that can hold the excess water to ensure space is allocated for the extra rain. A benefit to this tactic is a reduction in flood risk during wet seasons and an increase in water during the dry years. Lake Mendocino stored 19% more water in 2019 and 2020 due to the use of weather forecasting. Research has predicted that had the forecasts been in use between 1985 and 2010, water storage would have been 33% higher. This year, weather forecasts will be utilized in more than 700 dams operated by the Army Corps. Though this strategy won’t work at all dams because of the unpredictable climates, this is a huge step forward in water management. |
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A study in the UK found that a shorter work week can help reduce carbon emissions. |
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During a 6 month trial including 61 organizations and 2,900 workers in the UK, researchers found that a four-day workweek could help decrease the effects of climate change. There was a 21% decrease in the distance commuted to work by employees, cutting down emissions. Research has shown that a 10% working hour reduction resulted in an 8.6% carbon footprint reduction. Storage of data and transmission within organizations consumes as much electricity as 50,000 homes, making one less day in the office a great way to cut down emissions. As a result of this experiment, 58 organizations are still using the 4-day work week and 2 organizations are considering shortening the hours worked even more. Revenue increased 35% from the previous year and increased by 1.4% during the trial alone. Though more research is needed for better data, there are many directions that companies can take with this information. For example, more carbon-incentive programs and activities can be planned with the long weekend. |
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Katie Mitchell’s theater production is showing how theater can be sustainable. |
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Arriving in London as the international tour wraps up this April, Katie Mitchell’s play, A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, will have gone on without any performer getting on a plane or crossing a border. This production is put on my local creatives and has different performers within each venue. Having a zero-travel rule requires the integration of individual productions and more collaboration within other organizations. With the play being about the climate crisis, Mitchell thought that it was necessary for the message to translate off-stage too. Electricity for the performances is generated using onstage bicycles. Sets and costumes were made from primarily second-hand materials and produced locally. Within each stop of the tour, a woman of color from an under-represented community was guaranteed a specific part, and a local choir is featured as well. This play demonstrates how environmentalism and theater can have a seat at the same table. |
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Pre-Order my upcoming book, Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World |
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That's all we've got for today. I hope this newsletter made you smile and encouraged you to keep up the good fight, friend. |
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