Kicking Off Earth Month With Some Climate Justice

United Nations Adopts Climate Justice Resolution

😊 The Good News - The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the International Court of Justice to determine what legal consequences member states face for their role in driving climate change. Vanuatu, a small island nation experiencing some of the worst impacts of climate change, introduced the resolution, and it is the first time the United Nations has called for legal action against climate injustices.

🥾 Follow This Path - If we want to address climate change we must recognize climate injustices and take action against them. Vanuatu is one of the first countries to push for this through the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and the climate justice resolution because their nation is sinking into the ocean due to climate change. I am hopeful this resolution will help push forward more climate justice initiatives because the International Court of Justice has a good record of holding member nations accountable.

Tennessee City Approves Climate Action Plan

😊 The Good News - Once labeled as the dirtiest city in America, Chattanooga has now become the third city in Tennessee to adopt a climate action plan. This plan, introduced by Mayor Tim Kelly, includes the goals of making the city zero waste by 2040 and net zero by 2050. Despite opposition from some of the community, the plan passed with a 5-2 vote.

🥾 Follow This Path - As a former resident of Chattanooga, it warms my heart to see the city commit to climate action. Climate change is still a taboo subject across much of the state, and I understand better than most as a former government employee how difficult it is to get climate legislation passed because of it. Mayor Kelly has a long history of supporting green initiatives, and it is encouraging to see how he used climate action's financial and health benefits to convince skeptics to support the plan.

Elderly Women In Switzerland Sue Government Over Climate Inaction

😊 The Good News - A group of elderly women in Switzerland have sued their government over climate inaction, and their case is the first climate case to be heard by the European Court of Human Rights. A verdict is not expected until 2024, but if successful, it will set a precedent for governments to address climate change on the basis of human rights.

🥾 Follow This Path - Far too often older generations are left out of discussions around climate action. I applaud the women in Switzerland for using their power and experience to fight for future generations. We’re going to need everyone to work together if we want to solve this crisis, and I’m confident these women will help prove in court that climate action is a human right.

Louisiana Communities Building Microgrids To Help With Power Outages

😊 The Good News - A non-profit called Together New Orleans has partnered with a coalition of religious congregations and community groups to install solar microgrids in low-income neighborhoods across Shreveport. The project aims to reduce power outages caused by hurricanes and provide a base of operations for emergency responders.

🥾 Follow This Path - Between climate change worsening natural disasters like hurricanes and the fossil fuel industry continually poisoning communities in the state, Louisiana is home to far too many climate injustices. These microgrids won’t undo these wrongs, but will still help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change.

Researchers Find Way To Turn CO2 Into Bioplastics

😊 The Good News - Researchers in South Korea have successfully turned carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into bioplastics using the bacterium Cupriavidus necator. This isn’t the first time C. necator has been used to create bioplastics. However, this new process produces around a hundred times more bioplastics per hour than previous experiments, and the researchers believe it can be scaled up cost-effectively.

🥾 Follow This Path - The world is expected to have 26 billion tons of plastic waste by 2050, and we can’t simply recycle our way out of that because plastics can only be recycled a few times and they shed microplastics as they break down. Because of this, we must scale down the production of petroleum-based plastics while at the same time finding biodegradable alternatives, and I’m hopeful this breakthrough of using C. necator will help do just that.

Send me a story!

Submit it below and you just may see it in the newsletter next week.

Written in partnership with Pique Action. Tired of doom-scrolling? You've found your people. Find Pique's positive, educational climate content on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.