The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for June 27, 2022

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Brick Walls 

Guest Post by: Sharon Michelle, MSc Psychology

Talking to a brick wall…?

I don’t know about you, but I continue to see more evidence of the acceptance of climate change. I still see too much denial and often feel like banging my head against a brick wall. Particularly around the issues around the human “right” to dominate nature, which we can’t change – but if we do, it can’t be anytime soon because it’s too difficult to manage.

I don’t know about you, but I am really fed up with raising issues and offering ideas/actions for a way forward and hearing the reply “, but the problem with that is….” batting off meaningful discussion as to how we implement solutions or start the work of addressing what needs to be addressed, and proactive voices are silenced.

Then there are family members. You may have a sibling who sometimes enjoys pushing your buttons. Mine told me once he was glad of climate change as it meant he would get more time to sunbathe and refused to make any changes at all (… deep breaths.. I must not slap my brother… I must not slap my brother… ). That was until he had a single conversation with his best mate, who convinced him, and he saw the light. Infuriating for me, but he needed the message to come from someone other than his sister before he would listen…[read more].

Condos vs Houses: Which Is Better For The Environment?

Guest Post by: Kylie Martin, Freelance Content Writer

Environmental awareness has recently become a trend, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 study by Mastercard revealed that 58% of adults are now more mindful of their impact on the environment. Another 42% said the pandemic made them more aware or conscious of their purchases.

These new consumer behaviours are not only linked to purchases in retail but also to investments like real estate. Prospective homeowners, many of whom are millennials, now prefer to move into green properties, and it is easy to see why.

Studies show that the real estate industry accounts for 39% of total global emissions, a small portion of which come from manufacturing construction materials. The rest of the emissions are from buildings and when generating power for these buildings.

Considering these harmful effects, prospective homeowners are now faced with a dilemma: which is the smarter move, investing in a small property like a condominium or a large one like a house? This article will dive deeper into both environmental prospects and impacts and discuss other ways homeowners can help save the planet…[read more].

The Happy Eco News Weekly Top 5

1. Cost Of Renewables Falls As Installed Capacity Increases

Takeaways:

• Researchers have found that people operating renewables like solar and wind farms are learning to do it more efficiently, which is lowering the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)
• The LCOE comprises several components, the most important being the upfront installed cost of the plant.
• The researchers determined that LCOE-based learning rates were 15% for wind and 24% for solar…[read more].

2. 3 Oil Companies Pull Out of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Takeaways:

• Three oil companies have cancelled their leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Environmental groups have responded favourably to the news as they have previously argued that drilling in the refuge would be dangerous both to the local ecosystem and the global fight against the climate crisis.
• “Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is not worth the economic risk and liability that results from development on sacred lands without the consent of Indigenous Peoples,” said the Gwich’in Steering Committee…[read more].

3. Google Cloud Accelerates Wind Energy Development

Takeaways:

• Google Cloud has partnered with ENGIE to develop an Artificial Intelligence-based energy solution.
• This project will facilitate transactions for wind asset developers and create benefits for wind power producers, accelerating the energy transition.
• The main goal of this pilot project is to predict how much wind power should be sold on which power market and at what price…[read more].

4. Spring Salmon Spotted for 1st time Since 1930 in B.C.’s Columbia River

Takeaways:

• Since the Grand Coulee Dam construction in the 1930s, the Chinook Salmon have not been seen.
• Recently, they have been spotted in recreational fisheries in the Columbia River between the US-Canada border and the Hugh Keenleyside Dam.
• This is a result of the “Columbia River Salmon Restoration Initiative” initiated by the provincial and federal governments and the Syilx Okanagan, Ktunaxa, and Secwepemc Indigenous Nations…[read more].

5. Vertical Forest Apartment has an Astonishing 404 Trees

Takeaways:

• The Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is the first Chinese vertical forest apartment building.
• The vertical forest covers an area of 4.54 hectares and consists of five separate towers.
• The complex consists of 404 trees, including ginkgo Biloba, osmanthus fragrans, Acer griseum, ligustrum lucidum and Chimonanthus praecox…[read more].

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