Art & Good News 11-25-2023
Weekly roundup for November 25th, 2023 with art and uplifting stories.
Starting with some art…
When I was young I hated mushrooms. I thought they were disgusting and I remember thinking they were very rubbery and weird to eat. In my ignorance, I didn’t really understand all the deliciousness that this food was and I am very glad I have learned to value them for the superfood they are. Just remember to be careful when picking them in the wild, because they can be poisonous. Hopefully your week was full of family fun if you celebrate thanksgiving and if not then at least it was hopefully wonderful week.
Now to the Good News…
New York calls PepsiCo’s plastic pollution a ‘public nuisance’
In a first of its kind lawsuit, the state of New York is suing Pepsi Co. for its plastic pollution. Why Pepsi and not other plastic producers? because their plastic was found to be the most significant producer to be clogging the Hudson River in upstate New York. This is the first time a state is suing a company for its lies related to plastic recycling under the “public nuisance’ statutes. The precedent it would set if Pepsi is held accountable for lying to the public about what they are doing to reduce plastic waste and whether it is actually recyclable at all (spoiler plastics isn’t) should put all plastic producers on edge. It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit shakes out, and I hope it gets all people to see that plastic is an awful waste and is hurting us and the planet.
Dominica takes a bold step to protect sperm whales and the environment
The Caribbean island of Dominica has taken a huge leap forward in marine conservation by creating the first marine preserve that is designed to protect sperm whales. These animals behaviors are essential to the protection of ocean ecosystems whose health sequesters carbon, and they need our help because every loss of a calf can destroy a whale family unit. The island nation is doing this by creating special fishing reserves which limit boating accidents, as well as encouraging adherence to their strict whale tourism regulations. Taken together, these steps should allow for a safe haven for the whales while still allowing for respectful tourism and interaction of the animals. The country is being hailed for their efforts and hopefully more countries will follow suit in protecting endangered species that are so valuable to the balance of our ecosystems.
12 obvious ways to reduce emissions that nobody is talking about
Positive News is one of my favorite sources for good news stories that often also include ideas for solutions along with the stories. This particular article compiles twelve different ways we are missing the boat on emission reductions. Here is the list of the twelve ways:
Fixing Methane leaks
Phasing out SUVs
Tax aviation fuel
Get rid of frequent flier programs
End unnecessary domestic or short haul flights
Mandatory solar on new builds
Allowing onshore wind farms
Recycling infrastructure
Adjusting our eating habits to a more sustainable diet
Regenerative farming practices
Make cloud storage greener
and Make your voice heard
And do not forget to check out their full article for expanded explanations of all these surprisingly simple solutions.
Thank you so much for joining me on my journey through the good news this week. We need to remember that there is light at the end of every tunnel and that together we can make the world a better place.