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Take a second to recharge and celebrate recent victories.
Dear Reader,
Feel-Good Friday is my weekly reminder that there is so much good out there. Noting the victories matters; it gives us some relief from all the bad news and allows us to recharge. So, let’s take heart in the protections now afforded African Grey Parrots in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a landmark ruling has made it a criminal offense to capture, possess, kill, sell, and transport this highly intelligent species. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, “the move follows persistent advocacy by dedicated conservation NGOs that campaigned tirelessly to secure stronger protections for the bird.”
From there we move to Bordeaux, France, where the city is on a mission to “solarize everything we can,” sometimes using transparent panels in order to preserve the city’s stunning architecture.
Speaking of solar power eclipsing the status quo, Vermont and New Hampshire have introduced legislation allowing for small plug-in solar installations. “These systems — also called “portable” or “balcony” solar — generally come in kits that even a novice can put together at home. (And are already all the rage in the EU.) They plug into a standard outlet, sending the power they generate into a home’s wires, rather than drawing electricity out,” reports Canary Media. While they can’t provide for the entire energy needs of a home, they can offset usage and, therefore, save money.
And finally, there’s (good) drama on the high seas with the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, an achievement that required 60 countries to come to an agreement and that ensures cooperation around responsible development, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the protection of biodiversity, and more. “This is a super big deal, both for ocean protection and for proving that there’s still hope in multilateralism, that countries can come together and do big things, even in these times where there’s so much discord across the world,” Arlo Hemphill, an oceans project leader at Greenpeace USA, told Mongabay. Our oceans are crucial, not only because they help feed the 3 billion people who rely on seafood for protein, but also because they help regulate the temperature of our planet. It’s a Feel-Good Friday reminder that we can come together to protect a key ally in combating climate change.
Cooperatively,
Dot
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