I like to focus on the innovative ideas and good news.
https://www.positive.news/environment/good-news-stories-from-week-24-of-2023/

Save The Planet
This planet is dying and we are all acting too slowly. Thoughts, debates & suggestions on how we can act FAST and attempt to save the planet. No business posts or posts unrelated to saving the planet will be accepted and posters will be removed from the loop.
Open Loop 667
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Another Good Reason to cut down/out Plastic.
https://blog.thediabetessite.greatergood.com/phthalates-diabetes-risk/?gg_source=DBS&gg_medium=house&gg_campaign=Ad-B-1200_Blog_phthalates-diabetes-risk_DBS&gg_content=2023-02%2Fb1200blogphthal_230220110916.jpg&_ga=2.95118236.1281624219.1683987910-129394423.1683988006
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https://news.sky.com/story/the-black-gold-that-could-help-fight-climate-change-for-centuries-to-come-12890032
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Extinct York groundsel re-introduced
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/27/york-groundsel-bloom-again-britain-first-ever-de-extinction-event-natural-england?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR3C9yg03tbqawXLOJOzQe_Go23-NDX2qKGHnzYcjOuotpAERP2L8HT__XA_aem_th_ARUNtNbuFJWRCsCQbVu_lp3jbgyszlAhaTdEyh0g-bwZJOMRUy9L8g14S7KHpNs9c2c
Alex Prendergast has corrected the statement that York groundsel was the first de-extinction in the UK. The interrupted brome (Bromus interruptus) a flowering grass became extinct in the wild in 1972 and was reintroduced in 2004 .
https://naturebftb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bromus_interruptus_LOWRES-10.02.21.pdf -
Sustainable Products Innovation
I love hearing about these new ideas. I feel there’s a momentum building.
https://www.positive.news/society/five-sustainable-product-ideas-to-blow-your-mind-not-your-carbon-budget/ -
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/17/birds-vanishing-crisis-40m-birds?
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https://news.sky.com/story/earth-day-2023-activities-history-date-and-the-story-of-its-founder-12843608
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Farmer imprisoned for destruction of river
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/21/farmer-jailed-for-damaging-river-lugg-herefordshire
The photos in this article show the extent of the destruction.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/farmer-jailed-handed-12m-costs-29769778 -
World’s first rewilding centre opens near Loch Ness
https://littlegreenspace.org.uk/news/dundreggan-rewilding-centre-opens.html
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Saving Our Wild Isles doesn't go far enough
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/10/david-attenborough-wild-isles-online-tv-british-nature?CMP=share_btn_tw
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fd45w7 -
A petition against ban on new onshore wind farms (Edited)
https://action.greenpeace.org.uk/onshore-wind-ban?
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Funding fails to materialise for green hydrogen project
https://nation.cymru/news/uk-government-accused-as-funding-fails-to-materialise-for-trailblazing-green-hydrogen-project/
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https://www.positive.news/environment/the-plan-to-create-a-nature-recovery-site-in-every-english-county/
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UK ‘strikingly unprepared’ for impacts of climate crisis
Nothing new here, but at least it has been said officially.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/29/uk-strikingly-unprepared-impacts-climate-crisis?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other -
Thames Water ordered to fix leaks before pumping millions of litres from rivers
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/28/thames-water-ordered-to-fix-leaks-before-pumping-millions-of-litres-from-rivers
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Lawyers Are Responsible (Edited)
Lawyers pledge to withhold their services from supporting new fossil fuel projects and acting against climate protestors exercising their democratic right of peaceful protest.
https://www.lar.earth/ -
UK planning to launch watered down net zero strategy in oil capital Aberdeen
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/24/uk-government-launch-revamped-net-zero-strategy-oil-gas-capital-aberdeen
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Former Tory minister who tried to sell off forests is given Natural England role
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/10/ex-tory-minister-tried-sell-off-forests-natural-england-role-caroline-spelman
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This seems like a good move. This is a Blue Diamond Garden Centre which I think is a chain. They do lots of peat free compost now as well.
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Applications for bathing water status for English rivers rejected
Lots of applications for river bathing water designations declined. Could it be because the monitoring would reveal the water to be very poor quality, which would also make the country’s bathing water stats look bad?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64919789 -
Toilet paper and deforestation
A prog on the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct3k5w? It's from January, so maybe it's already been posted somewhere . . .
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Non-native plants outnumber British flora, major report finds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64842402?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
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Report on Sheffield Street Trees Inquiry
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/06/sheffield-city-council-behaved-dishonestly-in-street-trees-row-inquiry-finds
The report can be found here. https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/independent-inquiry-into-street-trees-dispute?amp;amp;amp;amp -
Emissions from food system alone will drive the world past 1.5C target (Edited)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/06/meat-dairy-rice-high-methane-food-production-bust-climate-target-study?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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Recommended viewing - This week's Click on BBC
Floating solar panels, cleaning the Pacific rubbish dump, and recycling buildings.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jjd9 -
How one industry is moving towards net- zero emissions
I think it’s interesting to see what’s happening in industry - here’s one example of changes going on.
https://www.basf.com/gb/en/who-we-are/change-for-climate.html? -
You’re never too old to save the planet.
https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/octogenarian-folk-songs-restoring-romania/
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An article to set you thinking.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/against-saving-planet
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Mass rally 21-24 April against fossil fuel
This rally organised by XR is about showing the government through strength of numbers that people want action on fossil fuels. This is not about being arrested or damaging property, which XR admit have put many people off in the past.
https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/? -
Helping renewable energy generation at community level
One aspect of private solar installations having always been the emphasis on being able to sell any surplus power to the National Grid, I'd not previously heard that community solar power schemes apparently can't do so. If they have to give it to the Grid or invest in sizeable batteries to manage the excess, it must be much harder to make these schemes financially viable.
I don't agree with pestering MPs in person about this when a letter will suffice but there's every reason to sign up and get involved.
https://powerforpeople.org.uk/#sign-up -
Positive News from some UK Councils
https://www.positive.news/society/councils-leading-on-climate-action/
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New initiatives in the circular economy (Edited)
Some really positive ideas here being put into practice. You can vote on the initiative you like best if you wish. You do have to give your email address but hopefully it’s just to send you a code to confirm your vote. https://www.positive.news/society/circular-economy-class-of-2023-meet-the-fresh-crop-of-waste-busting-startups/
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HS2 Ltd miscalculating impact on nature - Wildlife Trusts https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64558664
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Can you put your pizza box in the cardboard recycling?
Previously people would say no because of the grease marks from the pizza. But a section in The Guardian a few days ago about how you can recycle almost everything nowadays suggests its perfectly ok to put your pizza box in the recycling bin. A few grease patches makes no difference.
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Garden pesticides contribute to British songbird decline
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/06/garden-pesticides-british-songbird-decline-study
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I found this article interesting. https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/blog/too-much-of-a-wood-thing-caution-and-consideration-when-planting-trees?
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Tree planting target slashed after lobbying by NFU
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/defra-trees-lobbying-national-farmers-union-land-value-trees/?utm_source=tw
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https://www.planetmark.com/sustainability-trends-shaping-organisations-in-2023/
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I think we had a post about this low-tech approach to marine pollution many moons ago. Well, it’s being rolled out more widely now.
https://www.positive.news/environment/the-bubble-barriers-that-stop-rubbish-reaching-the-sea/ -
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/news/trending/shoppers-to-soon-pay-a-deposit-when-buying-drinks-in-plastic-280801/
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Outside the very centre of London, air quality is apparently improving somewhat - but clearly not along major transport routes. An extra reason to walk along back streets wherever possible.
https://londonair.org.uk/london/asp/AnnualMapsFullScreen.asp?species=NO2&LayerStrength=75 -
Single-use plastic: Takeaways face ban in October https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64253130
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Animal Agriculture (Edited)
Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, habitat destruction, deforestation & human-wildlife conflict, and is one of the leading causes of our climate emergency. And it's totally unnecessary. Shifting to plant-based diets drastically reduces our individual and collective negative environmental impact & helps mitigate climate change.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth
(note: the media constantly conflates 'plant-based diets' with 'veganism' - they are not the same thing at all.)
Also: Our planet is not dying. Its ability to support life as we know it is being compromised. -
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/myth-buster-china-and-indias-carbon-emissions?fbclid=IwAR15d6KREHVCIHnd6lZupeMW6V5pJISQQ5PyHfCVvDiiLFoAAO034G_SQJg
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Citzens assembly on climate change-Barnet
Probably not many Barnetonians here but for those that are this may be interesting to participate in or at least to follow.
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/news/barnet-council-launches-its-first-ever-citizens-assembly-climate-change?fbclid=IwAR2-4XsZxcSMhELDq6mIMZak78G_KbPOwFlTCM1tOl4DAvzXuGgtyvFcUR0 -
A change in tactics for the fight against climate change. Time to support the action?
https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2022/12/31/we-quit/? -
Mayor of London Warmer Homes Scheme
Hatty has just posted about this in another loop. I think it’s a useful link.
https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/housing-and-land/improving-quality/warmer-homes?