Happy May, all! In the last month, a lot of us have been adopting several small, positive habits to reduce our impact in our communities and at home. Our own contributors are also doing everything from building a tiny home (it’s not a contest, but yeah, she wins) to creating a conscious closet. Now, it’s time to see what the rest of our region, country, and world is doing. Here are a few of our favorite wins for the environment from the past month. I think the fourth one is my absolute fave positive news story!
1. In April, NYC passed the Climate Mobilization Act, which includes 10 bills and resolutions dedicated to combating climate change. It’s the largest effort that a single city has ever put forward for carbon reduction.
2. California took a stand on conservation. Last week, they denounced the administration’s cruel plan to strip protections from gray wolves. These wolves have been saved from the brink of extinction only because of over four decades of conservation efforts, including ESA protections. This species has only recently returned to California, and now the federal government poses a threat to its livelihood. Luckily, California Fish and Game Commission and lots of passionate CA citizens are stepping up where they fall short.
3. Oregon’s House Bill 2883 narrowly passed, and heads to the state Senate. This bill would ban polystyrene takeout containers, AKA styrofoam, statewide. Many cities have similar bans already, including Portland, but this would bring the rest of the state forward. We’ll keep our eyes on this one to see if it becomes another positive news story!
4. London Marathon runners hydrated with edible water pods instead of plastic water bottles in last weekend’s Marathon, which saw more than 41,000 participants. These pods are made of seaweed extracts contained by a thin membrane that is edible and biodegradable. It’s an innovative product created by London-based Skipping Rocks Lab.
5. Another plastic bag ban. If you didn’t catch this news at the very beginning of April, New York became the 2nd state (after California) to ban plastic bags, though it won’t be enacted until next spring. There are over 350 city-wide plastic bag bans in the US, but this is still a significant move. While a plastic bag ban is in no way a complete solution (I lived in California during this time frame), the CA ban saw positive results pretty much immediately. It’s also worth noting that while Hawaii doesn’t have an official statewide ban, all counties have actually banned it. Byeeee, plastic!
Do you have a positive news story about the environment to share? Let us know in the comments below! And if you come across any positive news during the month of May, be sure to DM us on Instagram to get it added to the list!
your two cents