{"id":5418,"date":"2018-12-26T15:21:22","date_gmt":"2018-12-26T20:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecooptimism.com\/?p=5418"},"modified":"2020-07-19T15:29:20","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T20:29:20","slug":"ecooptimistic-news-for-the-end-of-an-environmentally-crappy-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecooptimism.com\/?p=5418","title":{"rendered":"EcoOptimistic News for the End of an Environmentally Crappy Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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We can all use some positive news these days, especially on the environmental front in which science is considered political opinion, denial is an alternative fact and the word “protection” in the Environmental Protection Agency’s name is a cynical leftover from its original mission. And while I don\u2019t want to gloss over the issues \u2013 there isn\u2019t enough paint in the world to do that \u2013 I offer here The Distillery, a weekly (or thereabouts) selection of posts to help offset the PTSD of our current nightmare.<\/em><\/p>\r\n

The posts I pick will be \u201creal\u201d in the sense that they aren\u2019t pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, as fun as those can be, but are evidence of EcoOptimism.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yeah, we\u2019ve all heard about the UN IPCC report<\/a> that gives us 12 years<\/a> to get our shit together. And then we got that surprisingly frank White House \u201cNational Climate Assessment\u201d<\/a> that, despite the Trump regime’s best efforts to bury it, made headlines. Plus, of course, there was devastating evidence of climate change already rearing its head in the form of a sometimes record-breaking series of hurricanes and typhoons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

But fortunately for the holidays \u2013 and perhaps for our sanity and our therapy sessions \u2013 we can snag some happier news. So I started compiling EcoOptimistic articles a few months ago, though some of it is from earlier in the year, when I realized that, now more than ever, we need to counterbalance the daily litany of the-end-is-nigh headlines.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t believe those headlines. Rather, it\u2019s that I won\u2019t give in to the fatalism of them. Many of us, sometimes\u00a0 – OK, often – including me, feel the despair coupled with the frustration and anger at those who avert their eyes, who won\u2019t listen to fact or reason, who pursue blind self-interest, or who rationalize it in desperate ways. (No, it won’t cost jobs.) But letting them rule the news is infuriating and letting them determine our future is unacceptable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

FIRST, A SUMMARY…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

From Earther<\/span><\/strong>
Dec 4, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“The Rare Environmental Victories of 2018”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take: <\/span>The headline, I think, is self-explanatory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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source: https:\/\/ocasio2018.com\/<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Perhaps one of the most (eco)optimistic events of the year was the surprise election of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the House of Representatives. Her \u201cGreen New Deal,\u201d which combines environmental issues with job issues, is creating a politically appealing scenario that\u2019s garnering more and more support with both local officials<\/a> and voters<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

And combined with this poll, perhaps the political \u201cclimate\u201d may have turned a corner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

From Yale Environment\u00a0360:<\/b><\/span><\/span>
April 18, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Americans Who Accept Climate Change Outnumber Those Who Don\u2019t 5 to 1”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take: <\/span>C<\/span>hew on that, Fox News.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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From the Washington Post:<\/span><\/strong>
Dec 13, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“The Energy 202: Why 2020 candidates will be talking a lot more about climate change”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

And then there’s this:<\/p>\r\n

From the Guardian:<\/span><\/strong>
Dec 19, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Environment, Jaffa Cakes and Kylie Jenner star in statistics of the year”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take:<\/span> Um, OK<\/span>.<\/span> Not entirely sure what to make of this, but nevermind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While it\u2019s a bit clich\u00e9 to refer to the younger generation taking the reins, there has been some notable news on that front, too. The suit by a group of teenagers against the federal government is continues to move forward despite the administration\u2019s efforts to get it thrown out of court. A Swedish 15-year-old made headlines at the recent UN climate change conference, lecturing the officials<\/a>, \u201cYou are not mature enough to tell it like it is.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

I\u2019ve mentioned before<\/a> that Teen Vogue has been consistently taking up environmental topics, most recently taking up the issue of ocean plastics here<\/a> and here<\/a>. (See more on that topic below.)<\/p>\r\n

RENEWABLE ENERGY IS COMPETITIVE WITH – AND SOMETIMES CHEAPER THAN – FOSSIL FUELS…\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

One of the first items in that Earther post above notes the falling prices of renewable energy. \u201cBeautiful, clean coal\u201d is not cutting it financially despite the administration\u2019s best efforts. And there are some significant milestones accompanying it. It\u2019s been happening all year, not just in the last few months.<\/p>\r\n

From Business Insider:<\/b><\/span>
May 8, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“One simple chart shows why an energy revolution is coming \u2014 and who is likely to come out on top”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

From Earther:<\/b><\/span>
June 14, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Solar Just Hit a Record Low Price In the U.S.”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

A Same-Day Twofer from Forbes:<\/b><\/span>
Dec 3, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Plunging Prices Mean Building New Renewable Energy Is Cheaper Than Running Existing Coal”<\/a>

“Coal Power Plants Lose Their Cost Advantage Over Clean Energy”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take: <\/span>So much for “The sun don’t always shine and wind don’t always blow.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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By David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n

We’re seeing some of the results<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

From EcoWatch:<\/b><\/span>
Nov 6, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Britain Achieves the ‘Unthinkable’ as Renewables Leapfrog Fossil Fuel Capacity”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

From Yale Environment\u00a0360:<\/b><\/span>
Oct 15, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“10 States Now Get At Least 20 Percent of Their Electricity from Solar and Wind”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

From Think Progress:<\/b><\/span>
Apr 24, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Wind, solar deliver stunning 98 percent of new U.S. power capacity in January, February”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

AND RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS ARE BEING MET AHEAD OF SCHEDULE…\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

From Gizmodo:<\/b><\/span>
July 12, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“California Is Way Ahead of Schedule for Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

From Treehugger:<\/b><\/span>
Aug 24, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Sweden to reach its 2030 renewables target 12 years early!”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take: <\/span>Yes, we may need our rose-colored glasses here, but it’s evidence of – don’t get too choked up here – “yes, we can.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n

SINGLE-USE PLASTICS ARE IN THE CROSSHAIRS…\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

In some previous years, I\u2019ve nominated a word of the year. (2012<\/a>, 2013<\/a>, 2014<\/a>) This year, Collins Dictionary did it for me, choosing<\/a> \u201csingle-use.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Spurred by a graphic and very disturbing video of a turtle having a plastic straw removed from its nose, the nascent movement to regulate or ban SUPs got a jump start. EcoOptimism has been charting the international movement<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Along with bans have come alternatives. We\u2019re not talking about bioplastics, which while interesting have their own issues, but about reducing or replacing demand.<\/p>\r\n

From EcoWatch:<\/b><\/span>
Dec 4, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Corona Becomes First Big Beer Brand to Trial Plastic-Free Rings”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

And from The Guardian:<\/b><\/span>
Sept 6, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Carlsberg to replace plastic ring can holders with recyclable glue”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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Images: Beverage Daily<\/p><\/div>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take: <\/span>We know\u00a0<\/span>Brett Kavanaugh “likes beer,” though probably not for this reason.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

AND FINALLY…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n

The subtitle of this blog is \u201cFinding the Future We Want.\u201d A great example of that is \u201cturning lemons into lemonade.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

From The Washington Post:<\/b><\/span>
Oct 24, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“Where does your recycled plastic go? Perhaps into future highways.”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

EcoOptimism’s take:\u00a0<\/span>There isn\u2019t a much bigger lemon than all that plastic waste and, while we may have mixed feelings about roads (unless they\u2019re for non-fossil-fueled vehicles and don\u2019t encourage more sprawl), here\u2019s some lemonade.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From Yale Environment 360:<\/b><\/span>
Nov 23, 2018<\/p>\r\n

“A Former UK Coal Plant is Being Redeveloped Into an Eco-Village”<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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EcoOptimism’s take:\u00a0<\/span>Re-use of decommissioned power plants may be emblematic of the possibilities, making this a good story to end on.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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