The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for February 28, 2022

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How Two Tech Entrepreneurs Are Trying to Make Your Move to Sustainable Fashion Easier

Guest post by: Ben Heinkel, co-founder of Ethical Clothing

For a number of years now, the effect we as consumers have on the planet has gained increasing attention resulting in us demanding that the companies we support with our hard-earned money stop treating people and the planet the way they have in the past, with complete disregard. Organic, fair trade, and “kilometer 0” are no longer just tiny market niches, but have received attention from even the biggest brands due to increased consumer demand for them. Historically, the industries most brought into the limelight by this shift to a more sustainable way of living were related to food production (organic, no GMO, produced close to home) as well as automobiles moving away from carbon emissions and towards cleaner energies. However, we’re now seeing that this spread of demand for sustainable products is making an impact on how clothes are produced, moving sustainably produced clothing across Europe and the US into our fields of vision…[read more].

Studying Polar Bear Dens in Svalbard

Guest Post By: BJ Kirschhoffer, Director of Field Operations at Polar Bears International

Last week, while most of my colleagues at Polar Bears International were busy preparing for International Polar Bear Day on February 27th, I was in a frenzy of packing for a polar bear den study in Svalbard. The sheer amount of gear required for staff working in subzero Arctic temperatures always boggles my mind—from warm boots, gloves, and parkas to fur-lined hats, thermal underwear, and high-energy chocolate bars.

This year marks the 8th year that we’re partnering with the Norwegian Polar Institute and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research to study the behavior of polar bear moms and cubs when they emerge from their dens in spring. The long-term study is designed to add to our understanding of the needs of polar bear families during this vulnerable time in their life…[read more].

The Happy Eco News Weekly Top 5

1. Walmart Expands Sustainability Effort by Investing in Vertical Farming Company

Takeaways:

• Walmart is now investing with an indoor vertical farming company called Plenty to produce sustainable produce for stores in California.
• Plenty says that its technology improves on traditional agriculture’s use of water and land whereby they can produce 350 times more food per acre.
• Walmart’s sustainability efforts also include a $2 billion green bond which will help the company to achieve total renewable energy…[read more].

2. The State of Hawaii’s Environmentally Sustainable Tourism

Takeaways:

• Stakeholders from around Hawaii have come together to form the Aloha+ Challenge which is a statewide commitment to help support Hawaii’s communities and businesses while also respecting, nurturing, maintaining, and developing Hawaii’s natural, cultural, and human assets.
• So far many hotels on the island have implemented green techniques, there are recycling centers, and more food is being produced and consumed locally.
• Things tourists can do to protect the lands are staying on the trails, not interfering with the animals, and promoting eco-friendly tour operators…[read more].

3. Europe is Beating Its Renewable Energy Targets. Which Countries are Leading the Charge?

Takeaways:

• In 2020, almost a quarter of the European Union’s electricity came from renewable sources including hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal energy, and air heat pumps.
• The EU sourced an average of 22% of their energy from renewables which is two points higher than the goal they set out in 2009.
• Of the 27 EU members states, the ones that generated more than a third of their electricity from renewables were Sweden, Finland (44%), Latvia (42%) Austria (36.5%), and Portugal (34%)…[read more].

4. Major Railroad Buys 20 Battery Powered Locomotives for Its Trains

Takeaways:

• President Joe Biden announced that Union Pacific has purchased 20 battery-powered locomotives.
• This purchase is said to be the largest-ever investment in battery-electric technology by a major railroad.
• The trains will arrive in 2023 and will be tested in California and Nebraska under cold and warm temperatures and will eventually be used for long-haul travel…[read more].

5. The Deep Seafloor is Filled with Entire Branches of Life Yet to be Discovered

Takeaways:

• A new study has found that two-thirds of life on the seafloor has yet to be discovered.
• The seafloor has a more complex environment due to microhabitats and underwater volcanoes that species can adapt to and then specialize.
• The researcher team also learned more about the role the deep ocean plays to absorb carbon from the atmosphere…[read more].