Forever Chemicals Get The Boot

EPA Proposes Limits On PFAS In Drinking Water

😊  The Good News - The U.S. EPA just proposed limits on PFAS in drinking water for the first time ever, and it will require water treatment facilities across the country to keep levels of PFOA and PFOS under 4 parts per trillion by 2027. PFAS are a class of chemicals that are harmful to humans, and they are known as “forever chemicals” because they can take thousands of years to degrade and are potentially carcinogenic to humans.

🥾  Follow This Path - Scientists have been raising the alarm about PFAS for decades, and I applaud the EPA for finally taking action on PFAS contamination because filtering devices are often far too expensive for the average person to afford. These limits are proof that change will happen if we don’t give up, and I’m curious to see what funding will be available for local governments to remove PFAS from their drinking water supplies.

First Nation Continues Legacy of Protecting Old Growth Forests

😊  The Good News - The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has long been stewards of the environment. In the 1980s, they became the first group in Canada to block a logging company from cutting down an old-growth forest, which led to the creation of the Wah-nuh-joost-Holthuis Tribal Park. Now 100% of their territory is protected from logging, and they teach other indigenous peoples from around the world how to do the same through an educational center they built there.

🥾  Follow This Path - Indigenous people protect much of the world’s biodiversity, despite only making up a fraction of the global population, and because of that we must listen to and work with them if we want to address climate change. The Tla-o-qui-aht model of using their land to teach others about environmental stewardship is just what we need to make this happen, and I hope they can expand their advocacy work to other continents as planned.

Two Lawsuits Filed Against Willow Project Approval

😊 The Good News - Environmental groups Earthjustice and the Trustees for Alaska have filed lawsuits against the Biden Administration for approving the Willow Project. These lawsuits claim the project violates federal law because it does not consider the impact of carbon emissions on endangered species and the ecosystem as a whole. Both groups have asked that work be temporarily halted as the lawsuits are deliberated, and if they win the lawsuits, the Willow Project could be permanently denied.

🥾 Follow This Path - Both groups have a long track record of successfully blocking harmful projects and legislation. I’m cautiously optimistic that something good will come out of their lawsuits, but if it doesn’t, we’ve at least proven to the world that social media can be used for good and young people want climate action more than ever.

Data Center Used To Heat Pool In England

😊 The Good News - Heat generated by a data center the size of a washing machine is being used to heat a public swimming pool in England. The project has been so successful that the swimming pool facility has been able to reduce costs even as energy prices have skyrocketed, and now seven other pools in England will be doing the same.

🥾 Follow This Path - Data centers are rapidly growing as our world is becoming more digital. The problem is, these centers tend to be energy and water intensive and they produce large amounts of heat. Finding ways to deal with these negative effects in a way that benefits local communities is what sustainability is all about, and it’s exciting to see the different ways this is being done around the world.

Sacred Forests Are Being Used As A Model For Restoration In India

😊 The Good News - Prior to colonization, tropical dry evergreen forests covered much of India’s coast, and portions of these forests are sacred to some Hindu groups. What remains of these sacred forests are protected by local communities, and scientists are working with these communities to learn how their work can be scaled up to restore other tropical dry evergreen forests across the country.

🥾 Follow This Path - Environmental restoration projects often fail because local communities tend to be left out of decision-making and implementation. This happens because traditional indigenous knowledge isn’t considered “scientific”, despite evidence of the contrary. But now scientists are recognizing the importance of this knowledge to combat climate change.

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