5 Eco News Stories That Won’t Depress You
We’ve mentioned on this blog before how environmental news can really bring you down — with good reason too (unfortunately.) Climate change is intensifying, bees are endangered, trash is friggin’ everywhere… needless to say, it’s depressing news. We get that the planet is in peril (why do you think ALDA was created in the first place?) and it’s important to be aware of why that is and act on it, but can’t we get a break every now and then for the love of god?!
“We get that the planet is in peril (why do you think ALDA was created in the first place?) and it’s important to be aware of why that is and act on it, but can’t we get a break every now and then for the love of god?!”
Obviously this post is long overdue, so we decided to pull together 5 environmental stories straight from the news that won’t completely and utterly depress you. In fact, they may even give you hope that good ol’ planet Earth may yet see it through the Anthropocene.
Straws Be Gone
I’m writing this in spite of Colin (that ALDA co-founder guy or whatever) mentioning that he’s a private sector type of guy, but straw bans have started in Vancouver (the Canadian one, not Washington — sorry y’all), the UK (yes, the whole bloody thing), and might pass in New York. Politicians may not know WTF they’re doing but I won’t complain about these policies being passed (so long as they’re implemented that is.)
Sometime in the near future, the EU may even get rid of a few other types of single-use plastics. Are you a plastic cutlery type of person? What about plastic plates? Drink stirrers, cotton swabs, and balloons (well, certain types anyway)? Then this law may rub you the wrong way, if you live in an EU country anyway, cause it will make sure they all get a boot to the ass.
If you find yourself attached to straws (or any of the other plastic things that have been recently dissed by Europe), you can get a reusable stainless steel or bamboo one at popular outlets like Amazon and Walmart. But frankly…do you really NEED a straw at all?
Species Resurrection
Does coming back from the dead sound like something out of a scifi movie? Well, it happens in actual life it turns out… sort of. And I don’t mean in the way that some scientists are apparently finding ways to essentially clone genes from extinct species (although that’s pretty cool too…minus the ethical dilemma.)
Rather than some Jurrasic Park-level shit, some species that were thought to be long gone have been found to still be hanging out in small numbers, and thankfully efforts are being made to increase their numbers. Species like the chequered skipper butterfly (I swear I’m not making that name up), sixgills shark, and the kangaroo rat (also not made up) are still with us in fact. I don’t know about you, but I’m all about being able to say that I live on a planet with checkered butterflies, kangaroo rats, and sharks with six gills.
Royal Gains
Pretty sure we can all agree that Harry was the cooler prince all along (no offense Will), but greening your wedding? That takes it to another level. Other than the well-reported request that charity donations be made in lieu of wedding gifts, it turns out that newlyweds Harry and Meghan drove off in a classic car that was revamped to be electric. If that’s not the most badass departure from a wedding (or in general) I don’t know what is.
I know this is ‘merica and we broke up with the royal family a long time ago but hey, isn’t it kind of nice to hear that they aren’t totally worthless (yet)?
People Are Literally Chasing Bees
Okay not chasing, but COUNTING. Before World Bee Day 2018 (that’s a real day now, in case you missed it), didn’t it kind of seem like no one was really paying attention to the bee catastrophe (I swear I didn’t mean for that to rhyme — but I do it all the time)? Now — almost out of the blue it seems — bees are practically a trending topic, and we definitely aren’t hipster enough to complain about it.
Not to reignite colonial rivalries but this is another one that the U.K. gets credit for. “The Great British Bee Count”, as it’s called, is one of many eco projects by Friends of the Earth. It comes complete with an app that helps you identify and help bumblebees and loner bees during summer 2k18. Kind of wish you were across the pond now, don’t you?
Zero Waste Shops Are Popping Up All Over
Including in the U.S.! These have been trending in various European nations for a hot second now, and finally we’re catching on. They aren’t common yet (the best known one in the U.S. is the Fillery in Brooklyn) but we’re willing to bet our biodegradable toothbrushes that this will start a trend across America.
It’s becoming pretty easy to get zero waste stuff online if you’re looking for it, but a big exception to this is food for obvious reasons. Sure, you can shop zero waste at your local grocery store (and we encourage you to!) but isn’t it nice to picture a Utopian future where you walk into a store and don’t have to explain what taring is to an irritable Walmart employee?
“Conservation Optimism, as the name suggests, specializes in making sure you get your regular dose of environmental successes.”
In Conclusion…
Are we telling you everything is fine and dandy? Nope, but you already knew that. Still, every once in a while it’s nice to be reminded that everything isn’t going down the drain just yet, isn’t it? To keep it that way remember to #protectyourwild, and if you don’t know how, follow the ALDA Lifestyle Blog and our social media channels for frequent tips. Not one for shameless plugs? Conservation Optimism, as the name suggests, specializes in making sure you get your regular dose of environmental successes.
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By Darian Williams, ALDA’s Blog and Digital Marketing Specialist Intern
Originally published at alda.life.
