Water We Doing About Climate Change?

I’ve had the Home Depot theme song stuck in my head all week and to find out why, keep reading. We’re only two weeks into 2023, and climate action is already ramping up! Stay tuned to learn what Indonesia is doing to help a critically endangered species, why selling water leases for the Colorado River basin is a good thing, how the Big Apple is going electric, and more!

January 12, 2023

Indonesia Moves To Help Endangered Dolphins

😊 The Good News - Indonesia is set to ban fishing with gill nets on a stretch of the Mahakam River because the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin often gets caught in them. This stretch of river is home to 90% of Indonesia’s Irrawaddy dolphin population, and the local fishing industry is in support of the move.

🥾 Follow This Path - We often forget that we can protect the environment while reaping its benefits, but true sustainability is good for the people, planet, and pocket. This proposed ban is a great example of it — the Irrawaddy dolphin gets protected without severely impacting the livelihood of so many who live along the shores of the Mahakam River.

Home Depot Makes Orange Green

🥾 Follow This Path - We hear a lot about climate goals from corporations, but we rarely see progress being made towards those goals. That’s why I get excited every time I see a retail chain, especially one I use often, make the effort, and unlike other announcements from corporations, this isn’t greenwashing because of National Grid’s reputation as a well-known provider of large-scale renewable energy projects.

New York Goes Electric

🥾 Follow This Path - In an ideal world, public transit should be the main mode of transportation in urban areas, but this is different. We need government fleets, even in cities, to perform the services we rely on, and I’m excited to see that electrifying big fleets is now possible.

Oysters Get Boost In Hong Kong

😊 The Good News - Hong Kong is restoring oyster reefs along its coast to protect the area from climate change, and one method that has been successful is the utilization of abandoned oyster farms. This cuts down on time and money because juvenile oysters don’t need to be raised in hatcheries —there are enough at these abandoned farms.

🥾 Follow This Path - I had no idea how important oysters are to Hong Kong until I started writing this week’s edition. I’ve known that protecting and restoring oyster reefs can improve water quality, provide habitat for other species, and protect coastlines from storms, but I didn’t realize that UNESCO has named Hong Kong oyster farming as “an intangible cultural heritage”. That’s why I believe projects like these are incredibly important — they don’t just protect the planet, they protect our culture and history too.

Biden Helps Tribes By Allowing Water Leases

😊 The Good News - President Biden signed legislation last week that will allow several tribes to lease their Colorado River water rights in Arizona. In a time when the Colorado River is in dire trouble, this may not sound like good news, but these leases will allow tribes to secure funding for their reservations and help residents in Arizona get access to water.

🥾 Follow This Path - The situation in the Colorado River basin is incredibly complex and concerning, so believe me when I say I was not expecting to hear good news about it. Indigenous reservations are notoriously underserved when it comes to critical infrastructure and development, which is why I’m excited about these leases. One thing to note, however, is that there could be long-term negative impacts depending on to who these leases are sold.

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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.