Environmental news often has a very negative tone. We read frequently about the negative impact of climate change , pesticides, waste, pollution, etc… Despite this, people still aren’t motivated to make changes in their life. Currently, plastic is filling our oceans, Donald Trump took the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Great Barrier reef is collapsing. It is easy to see that we have dug a massive hole for our community when trying to save our environment. We need to think about things differently for 2019. Let’s look at the other side, the positive side…glass half full. Instead of giving up on our world, there many things that societies are doing to help and will make a difference. America has more trees now than it did a decade ago. Food and Agricultural Organization revealed that because of sustainable lumbering, America’s trees are increasing. This is great, and there are a ton more things that people and groups have done to make a difference and help the environment. IKEA, a retail company, designed a garden that takes up little space but can feed a community. Deforestation has been a huge problem, and one of the primary reasons it is happening is because of farming. IKEA figured out an alternative. IKEA came up with something called a grow room. It is made of plywood and screws, and it is structured for building upwards instead of sideways. They said “Local food represents a serious alternative to the global food model. It reduces food miles, minimizes outward pressure on the environment, and educates our children of where food comes from. Lastly, NASA has found evidence that the hole in the ozone layer is recovering. NASA’s satellite observed chlorine levels around the ozone hole. Chlorine is the chemical that has caused the hole in the layer. Luckily, scientists have found that it is decreasing. You may be wondering why it is declining. It is because of the international ban of chlorofluorocarbons.
Hopefully, this positive news warms your heart and inspires you to action for 2019. Find something positive that you can be a part of. Please support and contribute to make the world a better place. Let’s DO THIS! KEAP Earth Green.
–Colin