A Dose of Climate Optimism

We know there’s only one reason you look forward to a Friday – your weekly dose of five radically optimistic climate stories.

Climate activists to the front ^[1]Introducing the 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners (The Goldman Prize, 2022)

The winners of The Goldman Environmental Prize have been announced. The award celebrates individuals for their climate action taken on the frontlines of the greatest issue humanity faces. The winners included indigenous land protectors, people defunding coal, community activists and more. Shout out to all the winners!

Brazilian Amazon best protected by indigenous and traditional communities ^[2]In Brazilian Amazon, Indigenous lands stop deforestation and boost recovery (Mongabay, 2022)

A study of plants and trees  in the Brazilian Amazon has confirmed that areas protected by Indigenous and traditional communities are 17 times richer than unprotected areas. We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again – back people living in rainforest to protect it.

The village of Urakuza, in Amazonas, Peru.

Senior safety consultant ditches Shell ^[3]Shell consultant quits, accusing firm of ‘extreme harms’ to environment (The Guardian, 2022)

Caroline Dennett quit her 11 year consulting role with oil giant Shell, calling them out publically for their “disregard for climate change risks”. Dennett has also urged others in the oil and gas industry to get out while there’s still time to save the planet. A fossil fuel exodus? Yes please.

Flying in the right direction ^[4]Qantas Says Synthetic Fuel Could Power Long Flights by Mid-2030s (Inside Climate News, 2022)

Australian airline, Qantas, announced it will start powering its aircrafts with synthetic fuels.The switch from petrol based fuel to plant-based biofuels and the possibility of a synthetic hydrocarbon would create a sustainable alternative powering long haul flights by the mid 2030’s.

Cities take centre stage with clean energy ^[5]3 Ways US Cities Broke Clean Energy Records in 2021 (World Resources Institute, 2022)

Cities in the US broke clean energy records in 2021 thanks to a strong momentum of renewable energy purchases and turning ‘ brownfields’ into ‘brightfields’, which sees contaminated land and closed landfills transformed into functioning solar farms.

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