Australia is planting a billion trees to fight climate change
The government estimates that the project, which will run until 2050, will eventually remove 18 million tons of greenhouse gases per years.
Environment
This archive covers environmental progress from across the globe — habitat recoveries, clean-energy advances, pollution rollbacks, and policy wins that show ecosystems and communities adapting and improving. Each story is rooted in evidence, focused on what’s working, and drawn from sources doing the actual work.
Earth has more tree and leaf coverage now than in 2000, thanks to China and India
According to U.S. NASA, there are now more than 2 million sq miles of extra leaf area per year, compared with the early 2000s — a 5% increase. The greening effect stems mainly from ambitious tree-planting and intensive farming in China and India.
Wilmar International, the world’s largest palm oil trader, officially ramps up zero-deforestation efforts
Greenpeace, which has long pressured the palm oil giant to monitor its suppliers across all of their operations, hailed the move as a “potential breakthrough.”
U.S. Court restores federal protections for Yellowstone-area grizzly bears
A U.S. District Court judge restored federal protections to grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park, overturning a Trump administration finding.
Investor coalition joins manifesto to halt deforestation in the Cerrado region of Brazil
A coalition of investors managing over US$5.6 trillion in assets joined a coalition of more than 70 large food companies in calling for zero deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado region.
The world’s first ocean cleanup system launched from San Francisco
The cleanup system is heading to a location 240 nautical miles offshore for a two-week trial before continuing its journey toward the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
The Belize Barrier Reef – the world’s second largest coral reef – is removed from endangered list
The World Heritage Committee credited Belize’s safeguarding measures as the cause for the historic conservational victory.
Chile set to become first American country to ban plastic bags
In a historic decision, Chile’s House of Representatives voted this Wednesday to ban the usage of plastic bags in all types of shops across the entire territory, making it the only country to prohibit them in the American continent.
New facial recognition software tracks and protects endangered primates
Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) developed a facial recognition software program that could help save the lives of endangered primates.
Scientists test revolutionary plastic-eating enzyme in bid to fight pollution
It is a world first in an effort to find a solution for the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced every year.