5 Monumental Developments for Nature (so you can feel good about the future)
Too often in “environmentalism” we hear that things are doom and gloom. “Climate Crisis to End World by 2030.” Perhaps, “Mass Extinction Coming to a Neighborhood Near You.” Or even “Pacific Garbage Patch Now Approaching Size of Asia.”
There are truly many negative developments going on out there, it’s impossible to deny. And yet, many positive developments are going on at the same time. So we’ll review some of them together and maybe you can rest easy for a bit about the future of our planet.
- Reforestation
That’s right — reforestation. The Earth actually has more tree cover than it did back 50 years ago. We’ve dealt with devastating forest fires, cutting down of the Amazon for farming, and countless other environmental disasters, but this has been more than offset by gains in forest cover everywhere but the tropics.
In fact, warmer climates are allowing forests to climb north over time.
Now, this doesn’t mean the problem is solved. We are still dealing with severe deforestation in the Amazon, which is the world’s most biodiverse ecosystem. It would be more than a shame to lose that environment.
But it ain’t all doom and gloom — as time goes on, we move in the right direction.
2. Decrease in Global Poverty
We’ve seen a pretty significant decrease in global poverty over the years, which is an undeniably positive change. You may ask — how does this relate to the environment at all? It’s in a somewhat roundabout way, but it does. Global “extreme” poverty has fallen from ~36% in the 90s to ~12% today.
That’s over 1 billion people in a generation.
Extreme poverty is designated as living on less than $1.90 a day, which is still an incredibly small amount. But here’s the connection — guess what you have to worry about when you live on so little? Food. Water. The safety of your children.
Guess what you don’t have time to worry about when you have so little?
The environment.
It’s proven that as people grow wealthier, and they need to dedicate less time, effort & resources to feeding their families, they can think longer term. They can think about the future of their families. And they begin to care a little more about the environment and the future of our world.
Is it any wonder that some of the most notoriously polluted places on Earth are also the most impoverished? We have poor South American farmers cutting down the Amazon for farmland to feed their families. Can you blame them? Fixing global poverty fixes these things, and we’re moving in the right direction.
Keep the chains moving and we’ll get there !!
3. The Ozone Layer is Healing
Sound the bells !!! The Ozone Layer is healing !!! Something I remember hearing all the time as a kid is that we (humans, not myself) were destroying the Ozone layer, allowing harmful rays in and giving everyone cancer.
At the time, it was probably not untrue.
And remember kids — a little too much time in the sun is still bad. But it looks like the Ozone layer is…healing? Thanks to severe cutbacks in ozone reducing chemicals that were historically used in AC units, fridges, etc., we are on pace to have several key areas of the ozone layer restored by the 2030s and the Southern Hemisphere & polar regions done by the 50s and 60s.
Not particularly soon, but progress is slow. In human history, that’s the blink of an eye. Appreciate the progress, and here’s to keeping it up !
Oh, and repairing the Ozone layer is also reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Ain’t that some shit.
4. We’re figuring out how to clean plastics from oceans
This one is still a work in progress, but it’s on the list. We are developing technology capable of going out into the ocean and rescuing trash. Not only is this a huge positive for the environment, but it’s also just cool. And it’s happening everywhere, from Baltimore MD to Europe and Asia.
You have a Dutch company, RanMarine, which invented something called the “WasteShark” to…well…eat trash and bring it back. You have AlphaMERS in India developing mesh fences to hold plastic from even entering the oceans at river entry points.
And you have “Mr. Trash Wheel” in Baltimore, pictured below:
Who brings the trash to a local power plant to be combusted for energy. Let the big dawg eat. Environmentally positive impact on the horizon, on all fronts.
P.S. I have met the operator of Mr. Trash Wheel. He’s a nice guy.
5. Technologies are saving the Great Barrier Reef
This one may be too early to call, but we’ve seen some real positive news on the Great Barrier Reef being restored. For context, the reef has been in dire straits lately due to large storms & rising water temperatures, causing corals to bleach and die off. This has negative implications for the local wildlife.
However, new technologies are showing promise to restore these incredible reefs.
Scientists are transferring eggs from areas of the reef where coral is growing to areas where it isn’t, regrowing (love that) areas that have been the most devastated. Additionally, scientists are growing corals at higher water temperatures, hopefully adapting them to the warmer climate they may face.
Coral reefs are home to the vast majority of the ocean’s biodiversity, similar to the Amazon on land, so it’s important that we get in there and save it. But we are, and progress is being made.
So obviously there’s quite a long way to go. Still chemicals to reduce the use of, still more efficient ways to utilize energy, still more habitats to preserve, etc.. There’s always more work to do. Important to do your part rather than sit on your hands and wait.
Having said that, relax a bit knowing that great developments are being enacted as we speak. Nature always wins.
Oh wait — I’m hearing there’s one last hugely positive environmental development?? Coming in at the buzzer???
Is that RGP’s music ????
Uh oh, that’s a lot of bags, and even more impact. And I heard he’s collecting another one later today.
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