The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for December 6, 2021

The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for December 6, 2021

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Somehow it’s already December, the last month of the calendar year. A time where things can get a little hectic – your to-do list triples while you try to jam everything you didn’t do all year into one month. In all the hustle and bustle that comes with December, it’s easy to lose sight of the things that did happen.

And this year, like we’ve seen for the past three years at Happy Eco News, we saw many good people doing good things for our planet. That’s why starting December 7, we’re sharing the Top 25 Positive News stories from this year on our Instagram account to remind you of all of the good things that happened in 2021. So follow us, like and share so we can help reach more people around the world!

This week, we have a guest post by Dana Wright, PhD Candidate in the Marine Science and Conservation Program at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. She tells us everything we need to know about the North Atlantic right whale and what we can do to protect them. We also have stories about the new regenerative cotton program initiated by fashion designer Ralph Lauren, North Carolina’s big clean energy plan, a biodegradable and edible packaging, the truth about buying a real Christmas tree, and outdoor clothing companies’ plan to phase our PFAS.

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Why the Recent Sighting of Right Whales off Alaska is Such a Big Deal

Guest post by: Dana Wright, PhD Candidate in the Marine Science and Conservation Program at the Duke University Marine Laboratory.

You’ve probably heard of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, but did you know that a different species of right whale lives off Alaska? With only 31 animals left in the population that swims in the northeast Pacific and sub-Arctic, the North Pacific right whale is one of the whale species most likely to go extinct in our lifetime. It’s also a whale with a perplexing mystery.

The mystery of the North Pacific right whale

Even though tens of thousands of right whales were hunted and killed in the North Pacific by commercial whalers in the 19^th century, we know surprisingly little about them. The population that swims near Alaska, known as the eastern population, has a perplexing mystery – the whales disappear for half the year. We know that they look for food in the summer months in cold, productive waters at high latitudes, but we do not know where they swim to in winter. Finding where they go in winter is essential to their conservation and recovery because winter is when we believe females are giving birth and nursing their calves…[read more].

The Happy Eco News Weekly Top 5

1. New Regenerative Cotton Program Introduced by Ralph Lauren

Clothing designer Ralph Lauren, under a Corporate Foundation, has teamed up with the Soil Health Institute to launch the Institute’s US Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF). The science-based initiative will support farmers with long-term, sustainable cotton production in the US. The goal is to eliminate one million metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2026…[read more].

2. North Carolina’s Big Clean Energy Plan An Example For Battleground States

Governor Roy Cooper signed into law, the Energy Solutions for North Carolina Act. This green breakthrough allows for all reasonable steps to reduce carbon emissions from the electric sector with targets of 70 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050. Read on for details about the impact of this important legislation.…[read more].

3. Notpla is a Biodegradable Material Designed “To Make Packaging Disappear”

Edible and biodegradable packaging seems like an excellent alternative to traditional plastic, which takes a very long time to break down in the natural environment. Applications of this sustainable alternative look promising…[read more].

4. Getting A Real Christmas Tree This Year? Here’s What You Should Know.

Due to global supply chain issues, this year may prove difficult to buy an artificial tree. But, will the alternative of a real tree also be challenging to find due to climate change? While there have been challenging growing conditions to contend with, farmers across the US are not experiencing the same headwinds. As well, since trees take many years to mature, most farms can adapt. Read on for some additional considerations this holiday season. … [read more].

5. Major Fashion, Outdoor Wear Companies to Phase Out PFAS

Voluntary phase out of PFAS will benefit the environment, is an ethical choice and lets companies take a preventive measure before future regulations. Dubbed the ‘forever chemicals’, it will take time to find alternatives with a better environmental profile and which work in terms of performance. It is a wise decision to begin the transition sooner, rather than later… [read more].

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