God Save The Planet 🇬🇧👑

After a frustrating announcement of a new coal mine to start the year, the United Kingdom is back to pushing for climate action – and so are other nations around the globe. Keep reading to learn how climate justice is being served in an Appalachian community, why Scotland is making planning reforms, where Indonesia is expanding marine protected areas, and more.

Slew of Single-Use Plastics Banned In England

😊  The Good News - Following similar bans in Wales and Scotland, English officials announced a laundry list of single-use plastic items that will be banned starting this October. This includes everything from plastic cutlery to plates, trays, and cups. Officials hope it will help reduce the billions of single-use items the nation uses every year.

🥾  Follow This Path - Between the climate impacts of fossil fuels (which is what plastics are traditionally made of), the plastic waste crisis, and the emerging concerns about microplastics pollution, banning single-use plastics is a great way to protect the planet. Of course, there are many people who rely on them for accessibility purposes, but this ban in the U.K. should not impact their ability to purchase them.

Scotland Pushes For 20-Minute Neighborhoods

😊  The Good News - Scotland recently approved a series of planning reforms that will help create “20-minute neighborhoods”, where most shops and services are within a 20-minute walk or bike ride. These reforms are aimed at reducing car use in order to address climate change and will include expanded sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit.

🥾  Follow This Path - As a former city planner, I had a huge smile on my face while reading about these reforms because it proves that we can decrease our dependence on cars and turn existing neighborhoods into sustainable ones. I hope other communities, including my own, pass similar planning reforms to prioritize density and pedestrians instead of cars and sprawl.

UK Is Turning To Green Steel

🥾 Follow This Path - Green steel will be vital to addressing climate change, as steel manufacturing contributes to around 8% of total emissions. I remember posting a video back in 2021 about the first production of green steel, and I can’t believe governments are already incentivizing the switch less than two years later.

More Marine Protected Areas Planned For Indonesia

😊 The Good News - Indonesia will establish new marine protected areas (MPAs) around the island of Buru this year. This announcement comes less than a year after the nation designated five other MPAs, and now Indonesia is a step closer to achieving its goal of protecting 10% of its waters.

🥾 Follow This Path - MPAs help protect biodiversity by restricting or eliminating activities that harm the ecosystem, and experts agree they are needed to address both climate change and fight the biodiversity crisis. I hope other nations establish more MPAs this year because only 8% of our oceans are currently protected. 

Coal Company To Pay For Mine Cleanup In Virginia

😊 The Good News - A&G Coal Corporation, which is owned by the Governor of West Virginia’s family, is being forced to clean up three surface coal mines in Southwest Virginia following a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club. The mines are now closed and were at risk of being abandoned, but now the land will be restored to protect the surrounding communities from landslides and pollution.

🥾 Follow This Path - This story hits close to home, as I live just over the mountains from these mines and have seen firsthand what happens when companies file for bankruptcy to avoid cleaning up their waste. Far too many companies have gotten away with it, but I’m glad that seems to be changing with this settlement.

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