Ministry for Earth Newsletter
April 2024: The Good Climate News Issue

Don’t despair! There is a lot of positive climate news happening! 
Here are just a few of all the positive actions that are helping to save the planet:!

Can you imagine an America
without the Bald Eagle? Without the American Bison?  Without the gray wolf? And green sea turtles? Whooping cranes? Humpback whales? California Condors? Grizzly Bears? Black Footed Ferrets?

GOOD NEWS!  You don’t have to!  All of these animals have been saved from extinction by the Endangered Species Act! (ESA).  The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been primarily responsible for doing the work of saving endangered species and their habitats over the 50 years since the ESA was passed.  During that time, 99% of the protected species of plants and animals have been saved.  WOW!  The USFWS states that, “It has also helped to create a better understanding of how human activities can impact the environment and how we can work together to protect it.”  With regard to the species of plants and animals that it has protected it says, “Each of these species is a part of the web of life, each with a unique cultural and biological community, performing services that are essential to our combined well-being.   By conserving them, guided by the best-available science, we help protect healthy air, land, and water for everyone.”

It is comforting to know that one of our state symbols, the Virginia big eared bat, is on the list of endangered species and thus under protection.

Submitted by Johanna Woodchild

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Good Government News

• The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a $20 billion initiative to support clean-energy projects nationwide, focusing on reducing pollution and advancing climate action, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
• The Biden administration earmarks $6 billion for projects aimed at slashing emissions in heavy industries, marking a major step in the battle against climate change.The Biden administration introduces strict emissions standards for cars, encouraging a shift to electric vehicles.
• Congress shows a unified front in backing fusion energy, aiming to integrate this zero-carbon source into the national energy strategy within a decade.
• In the midst of unyielding downpours, Los Angeles’ innovative “sponge” infrastructure successfully captured 8.6 billion gallons of water, providing enough resources to support more than 100,000 households for an entire year.
•  President Joe Biden’s administration recently finalized a range of reforms designed to boost returns and address environmental harms from drilling on public lands, a move that will increase fees for oil and gas companies that operate there. Oil and gas companies will pay higher bonding rates to cover the cost of plugging abandoned oil and gas wells as well as increased lease rents, minimum auction bids and royalty rates for the fuels they extract. The rules also limit drilling in sensitive wildlife and cultural areas.

Good International News

• Japan, leveraging its technological prowess, has become the first country to issue sovereign bonds specifically for funding climate change initiatives and green technology.
• The German city of Mannheim heats thousands of homes using ice-cold water.
• China spent much more than any other nation on the energy transition last year,
• By 2020, the International Energy Agency announced that solar energy was officially the cheapest electricity in history – less expensive than both coal and gas in most major countries.
• In a global movement, cities are replacing stretches of concrete with natural landscapes to foster environmental resilience.
• In Spain, flights with a rail alternative that takes less than two and a half hours will no longer be allowed
• A company in New Zealand is turning discarded wood chips into synthetic graphite that can be used in EV batteries. CarbonScape makes ‘biographite’ by heating byproducts from the forestry industry using a process called thermo-catalytic graphitisation. This produces charcoal, which can be catalyzed and purified into battery anode-quality graphite.
• The government of India has streamlined the rooftop solar approvals process, made it easier for people to claim subsidies and pushed mountains of cash – including $9 billion (€8.3 billion) announced this month – to encourage faster adoption of technology that’s seen as critical for India to reach its clean-energy goals.

Good Business News

• Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S., has begun supplying power to the Massachusetts grid, marking a significant step in renewable energy.
• Activist investors secure early wins in reducing plastic use among major corporations like Disney and Hormel, spotlighting the growing influence of shareholder advocacy on environmental practices.
• Nearly half of the largest companies in the US now recognize that it is everyone’s responsibility to tackle climate change and preserve our planet for future generations.
• A Texas-based oil company has agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement to tackle air pollution in America’s top oil-producing area, with measures aimed at reducing emissions.
• A versatile fern called azolla could revolutionize food production by offering a sustainable source of nutrition and aiding in carbon capture, according to recent research.

Good Citizen News

• A third of U.S. adults report reducing their use of plastic products, highlighting growing concerns over plastic pollution and its environmental impact.
• Communities and scientists are teaming up to replenish oyster populations, utilizing recycled shells and lab-grown larvae to combat ecosystem loss and bolster coastal defenses.
• In a compelling movement, ordinary citizens are stepping up to tackle environmental challenges through citizen science, significantly contributing to research and data collection efforts worldwide.
• D.C. student activists successfully pushed the school board to adopt a “Green New Deal for Schools.” Now, they’re taking the proposal to the city council.

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The Green Scene for KIDS  

Would you like to get to know a wild animal on a personal basis and become its sponsor?  You can do that through “Adopt an Education Animal” at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.  

The Center is a place that is “Teaching the world to care about and to care for wildlife and the environment.  A teaching and research hospital for native wildlife.”  They also take care of orphaned wild babies.  Sometimes an animal they care for is so badly injured that it cannot go back to the wild, such as a hawk that has lost an eye.  These animals live at the Center and are trained so that they can visit schools and other groups to educate people about Virginia wildlife.  You can adopt one for $25 for 6 months or $50 for a year.  You get a picture of them along with their story and information about their species.  You can also ask your teacher or school principal to ask the Wildlife Center people to come to your school to do a program.  In the late summer the Wildlife Center will have an open house program for the public and you can go and see the education animal you are sponsoring.  To find out when it will be, look on the Internet for Wildlife Center of Virginia every month or call them at 1-540-942-9453.  On the website you can see all the animals that can be adopted, including hawks, opossums, and snakes. 

If you don’t have $25 and you are 18 or younger, you can get a free grant to sponsor an animal by calling Johanna Woodchild at 434-293-5000.

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We hope you have enjoyed reading our newsletter and it inspires you to act!  if you want us to cover a topic, contact us at environment@uucharlottesville.org