To me, spring is the season of hope--all the bright green new growth, the nest-building, the blossoms that will become cherries in the few months. So it's appropriate we celebrate Earth Day right now, with its hope for a greener and more sustainable future. And there is hope, as evidenced by these stories I "borrowed" from several editions of Future Crunch's newsletter (highly recommended.)
Good news for turtles in North Cyprus with nest counts of green turtles increasing by 162% and loggerhead turtles by 46% since 1993. Local conservation efforts began in 1983, with volunteers and scientists working tirelessly every nesting season to keep the nests safe from local predators and plastic waste. Mongabay
A team of French engineers have designed a yacht called ‘The Manta’ that feeds on plastic waste for power — the 56m catamaran scoops up plastic and converts it into fuel to power the boat. The vessel uses other several renewable technologies too, including solar cells and wind turbines. Take that Waterworld! Interesting Engineering
The bald eagle has quadrupled its population in the past decade with more than 300,000 birds soaring across American skies. The recovery is a testament to the relentless work of scientists and conservationists who fought to ban pesticides and put the eagle on the endangered species list in 40 states. AP
Thanks to progressive policies over the past 24 years, California has clocked up a 78% reduction in diesel particulate pollution, the toxic black stuff from car exhausts. Cleaner air has benefited public health, with 82% fewer deaths from heart and lung disease. Amazing progress, especially considering that California has more cars than any other state as well as the USA's two largest ports. Gizmodo
An Alaskan archipelago dubbed the "Rat Islands" have become a shining example of how quickly nature can bounce back. 18th century shipwrecks introduced rats to the islands, almost destroying their fauna and flora, but in 2008 conservationists started a removal program on one of them, Hawadax Island, and within 11 years the ecosystem had fully recovered. "We were surprised that the level of recovery unfolded so quickly -- we thought it would be longer." Science Daily
Wonder if one person can truly make a difference? Meet Sadiman!
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