Positive News about Climate and What You Can Do Now
By Dava Stewart
When was the last time you heard anything positive about climate change? Can you even imagine it?
So much feels like doom right now. The political divide. The world being on fire. The economy. Fear and worry every which way you look.
For the next few minutes, put all that aside and enjoy a little bit of good news.
Some positive facts:
We, collectively, solved the ozone problem. If you’re old enough, you probably remember the hole in the ozone layer and how we were all going to burn to crisps because of it. Here’s a post about what happened, but in case it’s too long, or you don’t feel like clicking a link, the summary is that Ronald Reagan had skin cancer, which made the problem one of national interest, then a bunch of scientists got together in Montreal and made a plan. Countries and companies around the world followed the plan and now the hole in the ozone is steadily shrinking.
Electric flight is already happening, and it’s pretty amazing. The link leads to the website of a company called Beta, where electric planes are already being built and used. Currently, they’re for regional use with small loads, but plans are in place for how these regional planes can be used for all sorts of things.
In 2024, solar and storage (batteries) accounted for 84% of all new electric generating capacity. That is an amazing number! The growth is expected to continue, too, because it makes good business sense, no matter what the current administration says. In fact the states that added the most solar capacity include Texas, Indiana, and Florida, which are all solidly conservative. Internationally, in places like Pakistan, it’s hard to track new solar arrays because they are cheap and easy to install and more reliable than the grid, so people are putting them up very quickly.
In California, batteries are being paired with solar, which overcomes one of the long-held barriers to widespread use of solar power. Opponents like stop say, “What are you supposed to do when the sun goes down?” Batteries are the solution. Grid-scale battery storage can keep the lights on at night or during a crisis, or it can be used to supplement the grid during high-use times.
The 151-year old banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui, is recovering following the devastating fires there in 2023. Experts are cautiously optimistic because the tree continues to put out new growth, though it’s still fragile.
The list could go on, because all around the world, people are working to mitigate climate change. Individuals, companies, and entire industries are making strides that once seemed impossible. Even with all the progress, though, we’ve reached a point where there’s going to be some amount of climate change. Even if tomorrow, the world stopped burning all fossil fuels, the planet would continue to warm for a period of time—and it’s already hotter than it’s ever been.
This plays out in ways that affect all of us in our day-to-day lives. Floods like those in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee last year, wildfires like those in California this year, the increasing number and intensity of hurricanes each year, and the increasing number of tornadoes hitting Mississippi and Alabama are all attributable to climate change. It’s terrible to think about your family being affected by something like a huge, raging, uncontrollable fire, but a little bit of preparation goes a long way both in easing your mind and in protecting your family in case of a climate-related emergency. Here are some things to think about:
- Pack a “go bag” in case you have to evacuate. You don’t have to go into full prepper mode, but having a pack with some nonperishable food, bottles of water, a supply of medications, first aid supplies, and other essentials is a good idea.
- Talk to the people you’d stay with if something happened to your house. You don’t really need an elaborate plan, but having the conversation is helpful. Think about where your family would sleep, whether your pets would be welcome, and other practical, logistical considerations. Make sure the people you depend on know your plan, and make sure the people you’d welcome if they needed a place to stay are aware they can come to you.
- Check your insurance coverage. Can you add flood insurance? Would your coverage be adequate in case of a total loss? Are there clauses regarding natural disasters? Insurance isn’t the perfect solution, but it’s really important to know if you can count on it if you need to.
- Think about physical safety and what you can do. For example, the houses that survived in the Maui fires didn’t have vegetation planted within five feet. If you have storm windows, are they accessible? Do you have a place to shelter in case of a tornado?
- Keep a weather radio so you can get updates even if your power or cell service is unavailable.
The power of community
When it comes down to it, your community is the most important factor in survival. If your house is on fire, your neighbors are probably going to be the ones to call the fire department. That seems simple enough, but in the US right now, it may well be more complicated.
Taking part in community potlucks and picnics, waving at your neighbors, volunteering on committees and in beautification projects has an outsized impact, because it strengthens your ties to the people around you. When all is said and done, humans have survived as long as we have because we band together and take care of each other.
Even though things feel so divided and terrible in the current moment, we can also find many examples of the power of community. In California, government response, volunteers, and communities came together immediately to help victims of the wildfires. In North Carolina the response was so great, some organizations struggle to store supplies before they could be distributed. Grassroots efforts tackle everything from poverty and hunger to voting rights and climate change, and though those issues are all huge and overwhelming and the work can feel thankless, the fact is it works. The Civil Rights movement brought about massive change, the Anti-Apartheid movement ended segregation in South Africa, LGBTQ+ activists have motivated many countries to legalize same-sex marriage, and the list could go on.
The problems civilization faces now are enormous, but not insurmountable. When everyday people come together, we see powerful results. Whatever your personal cause is, find the community working on it. You’ll make friends and drive change.
