Positive News for a Positive Planet: No 6

This weeks a little late with the inspiration post but with so many incredible sustainability and environmental activities and positive news stories to share, I thought it only best to do a quick mid week round up of things we should all be happy about.

UK Parliament becomes the first globally to declare a Climate Change Emergency 

Probably the best, and most exciting news I will share this week, following weeks of peaceful protests the UK government have declared a climate change emergency. Although this declaration is not legally binding in any form, it is a start to what will hopefully see a wave of positive action across the globe as other countries recognise the need to change our ways before its too late.

London Marathon reduces plastic use

To all those who took part and raised money for incredible causes in the London Marathon a huge well done to you! This year the marathon took a greener turn when instead of water bottles, water in seaweed membrane pouches were handed out to runners. The initiative saved a crazy 200,000 plastic bottles from being wasted and although some plastic bottles were used, that large events in the future may not have to have a gigantic environmental impact as well!

Oxford city council creates a citizen assembly for Climate change

Oxford city council were way ahead of the government as they are getting ready to create the first citizens assembly in the UK regarding climate change. The first meeting will be held in september. Fingers crossed we will start to see this trickle through the rest of the country as soon as possible as well!

Why B Corps are the new way of doing Business

Most people haven't heard of B Corps, in simple terms "Certified B Corps are businesses that are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment" meaning they are looking at far more than profit during every decision that they make. The brands, always ethical and most often sustainable demonstrate that businesses can succeed. Companies already B Corps include Abel&Cole, innocent Drinks, Toast Ale, Propercorn, Finisterre, Rebel Kitchen, Divine chocolate, Pukka herbs, Qbic Hotels and bulb energy supply just to name a few!

The UK can reach net zero by 2050

The Committee on Climate Change released their new report which states that the UK could hit net zero greenhouse gases by 2050. However this is only possible if clear and forward thinking policies are created to reduce emissions across the economy as soon as possible. Funding will also have to be shifted to make this happen. With growing momentum and demand that governments act around carbon emissions lets hope that industry and government come together in time to make this a reality!

New York City introduce a new green Bill

New York recently passes a bill that which will mean all new residential and commercial building across the city will have to have either solar panels, mini turbines and plants (or all three if they fancy), following in the footsteps of San Francisco, Toronto, Portland and Denver. It's hoped that the move will reduce emissions to the equivalent of removing 1 million cars off the road by 2030!

Johnathan Pie explains why protests in London matter

Watch the video, it covers it all, from media portrayal of climate change to fast fashion!

Cycle paths are proof people want to cycle

A new report released shows that when bike lanes are built, people will come and use them. It may sound simple but goes to show that there is demand for the infrastructure and it could also show that people are more willing to cycle when separate lanes are created for them to do so and the numbers of people using these routes are only increasing.

Consent explained with tea

Probably one of the most British videos possible, I recently rediscovered how making a cup of tea can be discussed like consent. It's an oldie but matters just as much now as it did when it was first made. No means no!

So there you have it a round up of news, some big and some small but all of them pretty darn positive.

Now lets all go and enjoy our bank holiday weekend, and hope for some sunshine even if its just for an hour or two!

Love
Erin

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Positive News for a Positive Planet; No 5

 

With a new week comes news positive news covering all elements of life; from beach cleans and shopping to inventions and Earth Day. Sometimes we just need to dig a little deeper to pull out the incredible things that are happening all around us!

So without further a do, lets begin...

Second hand fashion is booming

It is no surprise to me that the second hand industry is absolutely smashing expectations recently but did you know that although currently work £18 billion, its expected to over double in value to 39 billion in the next 5 years. Check out the article to find out more!

The 'Do Good' market just can't be ignored 

The doing good market is worth a wopping $23 trillion and banks are finally offering incentives for those companies being socially responsible. L&Q a property developer last year was awarded a huge £100 million loan with a discounted interest rate as long as the company met its annual target to help 600 unemployed residents find work. It's exciting to see that this maybe come the norm and that those companies helping communities not destroying them will benefit!

The Big Spring Clean 

Over the last 2 weeks Surf Against Sewage have rallied volunteers all over the country to join the biggest ever UK Spring Clean, with more than 600 river, mountain and beach cleans taking place. It's an incredible feet and fantastic to see so many people willing to help clean up our local areas!

Ribena are changing to be more sustainable

In a bid to be more sustainable beverage giant Lucozade Ribena Suntory have announced plans to redesign the bottle and change the flexible shell to be smaller and more transparent allowing for easier recycling. It's a small step but anything that makes bottles easier to recycle is a good thing.

NorthFace have a new collaboration 

I love North Face, and their recent collaboration with RÆBURN is a testament to the innovation of the brand as they are starting to consider the circularity of their products more and more! If you fancy grabbing one, the new bag range, made out of old tents will be available in the Carnaby store as well as online 

Reforestation is the answer to climate change 

It's simple really. Something many of us have been banging on about for years but trees really could be the savours of us all with findings confirming that the cheapest way to avert the climate crisis is to restore and replant degraded forests so that they can return to being the lungs the earth so desperately need.

image from ndlink

Small farms are leading the change with sustainable farming

Farming is one of the biggest emitters globally and how they run has altered vastly over the last 50 years. What you may not know though is that small farms are often those most heavily impacted by climate change and with around 475 million small farms globally or 12% of the worlds farming land being part of a small problem how those farms are able to manage in changing conditions is vital for the farming future. With challenges comes new solutions though and these small farms seem to be leading the change to more sustainable farming practices, have a read of the article to find out a little more about what they're doing, from pest control to reducing losses it's all pretty remarkable!

Marine plastic pollution is costing up to $2.5 trillion a year

I was expecting this number to be gigantic but 2.5 trillion is an absolutely absurd and terrifying amount that plastic is costing our oceans. This article tells you a little more about what has made up the calculations , but with an estimated 1-5% decline in the benefits humans direve from the oceans due to plastic polution, the number is only likely to increase as plastics find thereway onto our plates and into our bodies. Scary, but it provides even more motivation that we need change and fast!

Why its never cool to copy 

I believe I'm up there as one of Veja's biggest fans and the recent news that their distinct design has been copied by Primark raising questions of brand integrity, copying fashion students designs (cough cough zara) and why companies, who have questionable ethics and unsustainable methods think it's OK to be unoriginal, especially when copying a brand which places both ethics and sustainability at the heart of everything they do. 

In the words of Veja's CEO... 

“It is very sad to see this. The first question that comes to my mind is: Where are those nice counterfeit shoes made? I think @Primark got it wrong. They should not copy the style of our shoes, they should copy the way we make them. With organic cotton, with recycled plastic, with more ecological fabrics, in factories where workers are paid decently, and are working in secure conditions. We will explain everything to them in court.”

Scientists have invented a transparent wood 

With all the incredible man made materials that we use for buildings now adays, it's quite remarkable that scientists have only just created transparent wood but they have! The material is both sturdy, transparent and able to release and store heat. Although plenty of work still to be done on the material its hoped that it will be able to be used in construction and help increase recyclable and reusable material use.

 © Justin Brice Guariglia

Earth Day at Somerset House  

Earth hour is being celebrated at Somerset House for two weeks with a wide variety of activities and talks taking place that will inspire and enlighten. Be sure to check out lots of their free events and if you're in the centre on Saturday why not head along and take part!

This week I couldn't not give a quick mention to Wills Vegan Sustainable Shoe Brand, a brand with not only fantastic ethics but also vegan products made well which was shared with during our inspiration...

and finally, the fact that I got to witness Eleanor Graceful get married at the weekend also needed a quick positive celebration. There is nothing like spending a weekend surrounded by those you love and those in love to give you a positive outlook for the week!

I hope you enjoyed this weeks round up, have you come across any positive news stories this week?

Love
Erin

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Positive News for a Positive Planet; No 4

It's safe to say the past few weeks have been a little bit chaotic and so I sadly haven't had time to compile the positive news stories but this week I'm back with stories covering all sorts from alcohol to LGBT.

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Positive News for a Positive Planet; No 3

It's that time of the week where I round up the positive news stories from the week. There are lots of positive things happening from festivals banning plastic, to retailers needing to discuss sustainability more seriously! Enjoy...

Refill lunches to make a comeback #LongLivetheLunchBox - Numerous independent cafes and restaurants in the UK are allowing people to bring their reusable lunchboxes to help tackle single-use plastic. Places taking part will display a pink 'we accept containers here'. To find your nearest follow the map here

Water-free system dyes fabric with CO2 - Did you ever think it would be possible to dye clothes without water? I certainly didn't but a Dutch company have created a new dying technique using compressed CO2 instead of water. Check out the video in the link.

Glastonbury bans single use plastic - This year Glastonbury will ban the sale of all single use plastics. That includes backstage, dressing rooms or production. In 2017 a staggering 1.3 million bottles were used at the festival so diverting this many products from use is absolutely incredible!

Restaurants need to get on board with waste - A study has revealed that if restaurants invested £1 into cutting food waste they could make up to £7 profit. Proving that there really is a business case for all businesses to help reduce their food waste.

Etsy to offset global shipping emissions - Etsy have made the commitment to offset all of their carbon emissions from shipping its products which make up 98% of Etsy's total emissions.

Australia plan to plant 1 billion trees - Although Australia are doing some seriously shady stuff around the coral reef at the moment they have recently pledged to plant 1 billion trees by 2050. The scheme is part of a new National Forest Industries Plan to help remove green houses gases. 

Meghan Markle tackles race in University - Did you know that of the 19.000 professors recorded in Britain only 90 were black men and 25 were black women. TWENTY FIVE! The numbers are horrendous but Megham Markle is taking on the academic system and calling for change. 

Zipcar reach 250,000 members - Zipcar which has over 2,600 electric vehicles in the UK has reached over 250,000 members. With such success, especially in the cities who knows if shared services may be the future of how we use vehicles, bikes and electronics.

Retailers admit to needing to do more around sustainability - UK and Irish retailers have admitted there is "more to do" surrounding sustainability in fashion following the publication of the environmental audit committees report. And its about time!

5 foods you can regrow at home to cut back on waste - There are lots of reasons to grow your own vegetables, from reducing your food miles to getting to experience growing what you like. Here are 5 easy foods to regrow from your food waste.

Algae may be used in future construction  - French architech have designed a new tower black for the Chinese city of Hangzhou which uses algae to absorb CO2. The feature called biofacade is a little like double glazing but instead of air between 2 glass panes there is algae and water. The use should help offset the buildings environmental impact. Although the project is yet to be approved there is a similar one in Paris that has been given the go ahead. 

A fat rat got stuck 😊 - because sometimes you just need to see a little fat rat in Germany being rescued after it got stuck in a hole!

Hope you enjoyed this week. Do you have any positive news?

Erin

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Positive News for a Positive Planet; No 1

There are many inspiring news stories that we come across on a weekly basis. Some are squished in between other depressing stories so we don't really have the opportunity to absorb the fact that something good has happened. Others, make the front page spread. Then there are those that unless you look in the correct place you will never find. In a world that seems so full of hate at the moment though I thought it was about time to cheer up those Monday evening blues.

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