It’s a good time to give thanks for the good news on the environmental front. Easy enough to find the bad news — Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, global warming, endangered species and bio-tech crops invading fields of organic food. But there are rays of hope on the horizon!
1. Population growth is down! Slower population growth means less stress on the planet’s resources, less pollution and more habitat protection.
2. The Siamese crocodile was nearly wiped out between habitat loss and poaching. Twenty years ago they were listed as extinct in the wild. Now experts believe 250 Siamese Crocodiles are living in the wild, thanks to a combination of efforts.
3. Climate talks in Copenhagen in December will involve over 65 world leaders. While it’s possible that they’ll continue to spin their wheels about resolving global warming, they’re willing to keep working at it, which is something.
4. The Dutch cabinet approved a driving tax that will attempt to keep drivers off the road, reducing emissions and congestion. The U.S. has kicked around this very idea, but the auto industry has lobbied heavily against it. Perhaps, if this tax is effective, the U.S. will reconsider it once again. At least other nations are actively dealing with traffic and transportation issues.
5. Speaking of good news for species, the grey wolf was taken off the U.S. endangered species list. A combination of efforts in several states helped the grey wolf rebound to numbers reaching an estimated 15,000.
6. While the economy and high gas prices are being blamed, emissions are down in America and holding steady. Hopefully people have adopted new habits and this trend isn’t temporary.
I’ll take any good news I can get. I am heartened by #6 and hope that it will stick, even after the economy rebounds.