Peru grants a record number of Indigenous land titles
Between June 2023 and May 2024, 37 land titles were secured in the Peruvian Amazon in record time, thanks to an innovative, low-cost, high-impact method for expediting the process. Land titles are proven to be the most effective way to protect Indigenous peoples’ land from deforestation, with titled land experiencing a 66% decrease in deforestation. Mongabay
Good news for threatened species in Australia
The populations of more than a third of the 101 threatened species in New South Wales are heading in the right direction. The number of endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies doubled to 144 between 2020 and 2022, and several locally-extinct species reintroduced into parks also increased, including three types of bilby, two types of bettong, bandicoots, and numbats. The West
China’s national park system is helping protect key species
Since 2012, the country’s national park system has helped boost the populations of several flagship species: the population of Tibetan antelope has risen to over 70,000, snow leopard populations have returned to over 1,200, the population of Hainan gibbons has increased from under 10 to 42, and 70% of wild giant panda habitats across the country are now protected. China Daily
A startup is cleaning up Guatemala’s longest river
The Motagua River is one of the most polluted rivers in Central America, pouring 18 million kilograms of rubbish into the ocean each year. In 2023, US-based startup 4ocean installed a floating fence-like barrier to catch debris before it enters the bay. Since then, the boom has saved 45,000 kilograms of debris from reaching the ocean, with plans to capture a lot more. CNN
An interactive atlas for animal migration
Scientists have unveiled the Atlas of Ungulate Migration to track the long-distance travels of hoofed mammals, like red deer in the central Alps, saiga antelope in Kazakhstan, and takin in China. The interactive atlas collects data on 20 species from a dozen countries, and researchers hope the resource will help governments, businesses, and wildlife groups when considering development projects. CMS
The Chumash Marine Sanctuary clears a final hurdle
The first Tribally-nominated national marine sanctuary in the history of the United States—and the first new sanctuary in California in over 25 years—is on track for finalization later this year. The 11,766-km2 sanctuary will protect many at-risk species, such as snowy plovers, southern sea otters, leatherback sea turtles, and blue whales. Chumash Heritage
My father, the late Chief Fred Collins, began the journey to protect these sacred waters many years ago and we have been so proud to continue his work. I am delighted to celebrate his vision, today’s success, and the future of our People who will always be connected to past, present, and future by this special stretch of coastline and the true magic its waters hold.
Violet Sage Walker, Chairwoman, Northern Chumash Tribal Council
Landmark nature law in Islamabad
The Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024 is a significant victory for the region’s biodiversity, supporting the long-term conservation of Margallah Hills National Park thanks to a provision for internal revenue generation. The new law also introduces fines and penalties to enforce the protection of the environment. The News
Brazilian city grants legal rights to waves
The city of Linhares has granted legal rights to the waves at the mouth of the Dolce River, marking the first time a part of the ocean has been given personhood. In 2015, the collapse of a tailings dam sent billions of gallons of sludge into the river, weakening the waves until a flood in 2022 cleared out the buildup. Hakai Magazine
Nigeria takes action to protect its elephants
The country has launched its first-ever National Elephant Action Plan to reverse the decline of its current population, which is estimated to be 300-400 elephants. The 10-year plan includes the protection of habitats and wildlife corridors, law enforcement to curb poaching, and enhancement of community-shared economic benefits generated by tourism. EPI
More music for those who will listen
- The Ocean Cleanup says they can clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in ten years, for the price of around 100 F-16 fighter jets.
- A village in Scotland saved the Abriachan Forest from development. 'It’s taken 25 years, but it’s a long game we’re playing. You have to be patient.'
- Meanwhile, rewilding efforts in the Scottish Highlands have led to black grouse numbers reaching their highest level in 17 years.
- A judge in Brazil has ordered slaughterhouses to pay for Amazon reforestation—the first of dozens of lawsuits seeking reparations for environmental damages.
- Gray wolves are making a historic comeback in California after being on the verge of extinction.
- A nonprofit in Borneo is getting illegal loggers to hand in their chainsaws in return for financial support to set up sustainable livelihoods.
- Autonomous and solar-powered robot boats are cleaning up Asia’s waterways, collecting 200 kilograms of garbage per hour.
- The largest wetland restoration in the history of Yosemite National Park is underway.
- A victory for the Balkan Rivers campaign, with a decision to halt construction of a hydro power plant on the Una river.
- Scientists are bringing the Santa Cruz River back from the brink—by adding sewage water!
- How 'good fire' is helping wildlife in Nebraska, especially cranes.
- Improvements in water quality in Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro are resulting in healthier sea turtles.
- In recent years, water buffalo have earned a reputation as ‘living tractors’, thanks to their crucial role in bringing nature back to wastelands.
If it bleeds it leads
About a month ago, Brazil's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change released their annual figures on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, showing that between August 2023 and July 2024, the area under deforestation alerts dropped by over 45%. This is the largest proportional drop ever recorded for a 12 month period, down to the lowest level since 2016.
If you compare these figures to the last full year under Bolsonaro, it means that the actions of Brazil's environmentalists, led from the front by Lula, have saved something like 6,000 km² of the Amazon, an area roughly equivalent to the entire Everglades National Park in Florida.
It hasn't been easy. The power of the agricultural lobby runs deep in Brazil, there's been heavy political opposition, internal strikes, cat and mouse games with illegal miners, and to make matters even harder, the worst fire season in the Amazon in 20 years. Nevertheless, it's an important story of progress happening in a place that matters more than almost anywhere else for the future of our planet.
If you go searching for stories about deforestation in the Amazon however, this is not what you will find. Instead, you will see wall to wall coverage about this year's record fires, a consequence of the most intense and widespread drought in Brazil's history. Rainforests are not supposed to burn. We are seeing the very real effects of climate change in real time, and it's scary.
Here's the question: what kind of story should the media be telling the world about what's happening in the Amazon right now? The 'race against time' story, which clearly describes the scale of the challenge, but also showcases progress, and explains what is being done about it? Or the 'we're all doomed' story, which uses apocalyptic language, lists one problem after the other, and finishes with a quote from a political scientist claiming we've reached 'the point of no return'?
One of these stories is disaster porn, and it's the story the whole world is hearing about the Amazon right now.
The other story is solutions journalism, and you'll be lucky if you can track it down.
More solutions journalism.
Less disaster porn.
Saving the world is cheaper than ruining it
Global clean energy transition hits new milestones
For the first time ever, zero-carbon sources made up 40% of the world's electricity last year. Hydro accounted for 14.7%, wind and solar reached 13.9%, and nuclear’s share was 9.4%. The momentum is all on one side now: wind and solar represented nearly 91% of net new power capacity additions, up from 83% the year before, while fossil fuels represented just 6%—the lowest level ever. BNEF
Both America and China may have already hit peak oil
The US, the world’s single-largest oil consumer, is now seeing falling demand and lower prices at the pump. 'On any reasonable view, US gasoline demand, accounting for one in every 12 barrels of oil consumed worldwide, has peaked.' Meanwhile, it looks like oil demand in China may have peaked in 2023; it is forecast to decrease by 1.1% annually between 2023 and 2025.
Net zero needs more metals—but less extraction—from the Earth
Read this sentence: the total amount of metals needed for the energy transition is far smaller than the total weight of fossil fuels we burn away each year. Now read it again. Alongside the primary energy fallacy, this is the thing we wish more people understood about clean energy. Renewables don't just stop climate change, they cut planetary destruction from fossil fuels—500 times over. Bloomberg
Welcome to the multi-use, renewable, and recycled energy system of the future, where the world traps solar and wind power with metals that are used again and again.
New records for clean energy in the United Kingdom
More than 130 wind, solar, and tidal energy projects representing 9.6 GW secured funding in UK’s latest auction for new renewable capacity, following changes introduced by the new government. This comes off the back of Great Britain’s 'greenest ever summer', after growing numbers of wind and solar farms cut the need for fossil gas power plants to fresh lows.
Clean energy is booming in the United States
Installations of wind, solar, and storage skyrocketed by 91% in Q2 (and there's another 73 GW under construction across 48 states); solar generation is doubling every three years; clean energy jobs are growing at double the overall rate of job growth; solar manufacturing capacity has nearly quadrupled in two years; and the government is spending $7.3 billion on the largest investment into rural electricity since the New Deal.
China's electric vehicle market continues to go gangbusters
Conventional combustion-engine car sales are plummeting, driving their share of the world's top auto market to record-lows. In contrast, new energy vehicles (hybrids and battery electric) climbed 43% year-on-year in August—and are up by 35% this year alone. They now account for 54% of the market. A year ago they were 40% of the market. Simon Evans
Australia reaches new clean energy heights, propelled by one state
The season of renewable records has begun early in Australia, sending average coal power down below 50% for the first time, establishing new records for wind output, and sending demand to new lows across the main grid. South Australia is out in front—more than 75% of its energy comes from renewables, and it's aiming for 100% by 2027.
Batteries are improving, and so are solar panels
A new analysis has shown that in 2019, EV batteries degraded, on average, at 2.3% per year. In 2024, they're only degrading at 1.8% per year. Meanwhile, nine in ten solar panels sold today are bifacial—they can capture sunlight on both their front and rear sides, and their price has fallen to $0.095/watt, which makes them cheaper than plywood.
Agrivoltaics finally gets some time in the sun
If you've been following us for a while, you'll know how enthusiastic we are about agrivoltaics. The idea is finally getting some mainstream attention—in the last week it's appeared in The New Yorker ('we have to deliver the most visually appealing, environmentally responsible projects possible') and The New York Times ('We have to address both challenges at the same exact time').
Whatever the opposite of doomscrolling is
- EV sales have not fallen, cooled, slowed, or slumped. Stop lying in headlines.
- Official data from the EU: in the first quarter of 2024, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 4.0% compared with the same quarter of 2023.
- Russia is pressing pause on several fossil gas exploration projects in the Arctic due to plummeting demand.
- Over the first seven months of 2024, renewables comprised 30% of Poland's electrical output—nearly double the levels seen just three years ago.
- Malaysia is aiming for net zero emissions in its aviation sector by 2050 with the launch of a decarbonisation plan.
- Buckle up for space solar! Anyone else getting SimCity 2000 vibes from this?
- At least one in nine students in the United States is now attending a high school powered by solar energy.
- Finland is building the world’s largest heat pump to keep as many as 30,000 homes warm in the winter while reducing carbon emissions.
- What slowdown? Hyundai's EV sales in America in August were up by 22% compared to a year ago, and Kia’s EV sales climbed by 27%.
- Planes, trains, and monster diggers: meet the vehicles pushing the limits of electric power. 'We are not sacrificing performance when you go electric.'
- If you've ever wondered why we don't love hydrogen, this should help. A new study shows that a hydrogen fuel cell car needs three times as much electricity generation than an EV does in order to move the same distance.
That's it for this edition—thanks for reading. We'll see you next week :)
With love,
Gus and Amy
