Good News
Weekly Serving of Good News, July 22, 2023
Good news is a powerful motivator for action, & there‘s lots of good news about climate mitigation, adaptation/resilience, and justice.
Here are a few recent examples, refreshed weekly on Saturdays.
Biden making $20 billion available from ‘green bank’ for clean energy projects
European Union Approves Ambitious Nature Restoration Law
Renewable deployment surge puts world on track for net zero pathway
Decarbonization Is Happening Faster Than You May Think
Cambridge University solar farm to boost net zero target
Old electric vehicle batteries now store solar power
Oil Field Company Leads Innovation To Power Homes With Geothermal Energy In Oklahoma
‘Breakthrough’ geothermal tech produces 3.5 megawatts of carbon-free power
Western governors push for geothermal energy to be another boom in renewables
Scientists Are Growing Sustainable Buildings From Fungi Now
Regenerative agriculture offers sustainability, climate resilience to local ranchers
How A Swedish Tech Company Is Making Renewable Energy From Abandoned Mines
Genetically edited wood could make paper more sustainable
Harnessing Bacteria and Sunlight: A Revolutionary Path to Sustainable Energy
VW’s US Innovation Hub just revealed 4 EV breakthroughs
Faith-based Climate Action Opportunities
To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may anonymously also share other recent climate action.
The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>.
Ban toxic seeds that kill birds and bees. Just one small seed has deadly consequences for birds and bees. Millions of seeds are treated with neonicotinoid pesticides, contaminating the entire plant as it grows. Plus, most of the pesticides on the seeds don’t stay there — 95% gets rubbed off or washed away, contaminating the surrounding environment. That turns a cornfield into a toxic minefield for a tiny bee or a hungry bird. Tell Gov. Kotek to ban toxic seeds that kill birds and bees.
Save our oldest forests. Logging and other threats are encroaching on what little mature and old-growth forests we have left. Our oldest forests support a vast network of plants, animals and insects, sheltering the diversity of nature. And trees grow even faster the older they get, storing more carbon from the atmosphere and acting as a natural climate solution. Protecting our old-growth and mature forests is one of the best things we can do to help tackle climate change, save wildlife habitat, and keep our country beautiful. Tell the Biden administration: Save our oldest forests
The climate emergency demands an emergency-level response. The devastating effects of the intertwined crises of climate change and rapid biodiversity loss are here and affecting everyday life in stunning and undeniable ways. The United States must meet this moment and lead with unprecedented urgency to collectively steer the fate of life on Earth back to safety. We cannot meet the essential climate targets unless we leverage the power of nature to restore and protect lands and waters. Send your message to Congress
Of Note This Week
Of Note This Week is a source for current climate-change information at the local, state, and national levels. It is refreshed weekly on Saturday.
Friends of the Earth
Article: Gulf and Environmental Groups Call on Interior Department to End Routine Fast-Tracking of Offshore Oil Drilling Projects
Inside Climate News
Article: ‘Giant Methane Factories’: Hydropower Has Long Been Touted as Clean Energy. But Is It?
The Colorado Sun
Editorial: Scientists have given the ultimate warning on climate change. Will we finally listen?
UU Service Committee
Indigenous Lives and The Climate Crisis: A Photo Essay Series
Vtdigger
Article: Vermont’s flooding this week is historic. What role did climate change play?
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Save the Date
Thu 27 July 7:00 – 8:00 PM Zoom
Share and Discuss: The Climate Action Team invites UUFC members and friends to share and discuss actions we are taking to reduce our personal carbon emissions and to influence local, state, and nation policy and legislation. Questions: michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com
Mon 31 Jul, 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Franklin Square Park
(Between 15th and 16th Streets, and Polk and Taylor Avenues)
Home Energy Fair – Funding & Support for Everyone: This festive event is a great opportunity for both homeowners and renters who want to save money by lowering their monthly utility bills. Fair
exhibitors will help attendees find out about state and federal money that’s available now to make homes more energy efficient. Cool off with your friends and neighbors at one of our community’s loveliest parks to enjoy snacks and conversations with nonprofits and businesses who will be there to support you. Sponsors: Jobs Addition Neighborhood Association (JANA) and Corvallis Sustainability Coalition Energy Action Team.
Contact: greenstevens@gmail.com
Mon 7 Aug, 6:30 – 7:30 PM, In person, UUFC social hall, or Zoom
Home Retrofit Clinic: The Climate Action Team invites UUFC members and friends to participate in a Home Retrofit Clinic, presented by Nancy Everson, that will focus on the benefits, logistics, and incentives available for switching from fossil (aka natural) gas to electricity for heating, cooling, cooking, and water heating.
Questions: michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com
