The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for September 19, 2022

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The Economist Effect

Founder Blog by: Grant Brown

In 2009, at the end of the worst financial crisis since the great depression, my company was featured in The Economist.

For those who don’t know, The Economist is a very old, influential and respected economics-oriented print magazine. I was the defacto marketing guy at my startup tech company, and after the article about us was published, I was a hero – at least in the company.

An article in The Economist immediately gave our little lithium battery startup a legitimacy that could not be bought for any price. I know; I later tried in vain to get them to do a follow-up story.

Sure, we were a young, scrappy bootstrapping Greentech startup. But that story isn’t so unique, especially in Vancouver, the home of high-profile companies such as Ballard and Plug Power, not to mention the myriad of other tech startups vying for attention and funding. We did not stand out very much – until The Economist feature…[read more].

The Biggest Challenges of Buying Second-Hand and How to Overcome Them

Guest Post by: Declan Wiseman, Content Manager for Green Heart Collective 

Fast fashion can be terrible for the environment. Not only does a brand new T-Shirt take 2,700 litres of water to produce and manufacture, but it also costs the equivalent of driving 35 miles in a car (Oxfam).

Thankfully, if you love fashion and still want to change up your wardrobe, you can. The best alternative if you’re looking for new-to-you eco-friendly clothes is to shop preloved. It saves a lot of virgin materials, water and CO2 emissions simply because no production or manufacturing process is involved.

We probably all borrowed something from a friend or family member. But to commit to only shopping at your local charity shop, second-hand store, or online can take some getting used to. And there are a few challenges you’ll face, including sizing, quality and price…[read more].

Saving Sharks is Important!

Guest Post by: Maija Elizabeth, creator of Sustainably Maija 

Hi everyone and welcome back to Happy Eco News! My name is Maija Elizabeth and I am a sustainability content creator, otherwise known as Sustainably Maija. I have previously written two other articles for Happy Eco News, “7 Ways We Can Help Protect the Oceans” and “Saving The Turtles During Nesting Season”. My biggest passion is ocean conservation and I believe you cannot be a true ocean lover without being an advocate for sharks. Movies like Jaws and 47 Meters Down have been at fault for spiking people’s fear of sharks. Today, I am hoping to make you less scared of sharks and instead more appreciative of them. Happy reading!

Quick Shark Facts!

First things first, let’s get you interested in sharks! Did you know that sharks are older than trees and dinosaurs? Sharks evolved about 450 million years ago, while dinosaurs evolved 250 million years ago and trees evolved 390 million years. There are 500 different species of sharks and over 140 species are listed as endangered…[read more]. 

Travellers have a new option with WayAway: reducing the damage of their carbon footprint

 Sponsored Post by: WayAway

Clean up the sky after your vacation: reduce your carbon footprint with WayAway

You’ve all heard that сlimate change is our new reality. It influences not just nature but people’s everyday life – just check the recent hotter-than-ever air temperature levels or the weather disaster news on a TV near you.

Travelling without impacting planets’ ecosystems doesn’t exist; that’s an unavoidable fact. According to Sustainable Travel International, travelling contributes around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with nearly half (49%) of the industry’s footprint coming from transport alone. In 2020 aviation’s share of climate change impact was around 3.5% (including CO² emission and non-CO² influence) of all human activity, according to Our World in Data statistics.

How can any conscious-minded vacationer compensate for this? Here’s one new solution: WayAway has launched ‘A Green Way To Travel’ initiative to help reduce the carbon footprint damage of flying by purchasing carbon credits…[read more].

Happy Eco News Top 5

Takeaways:

• From 2020 to 2022, Microsoft successfully reduced their CO2 emissions by 17%.
• The company plans to reduce its water use intensity, particularly the water it uses per megawatt of energy used for its operations.
• Microsoft will also divert at least 90% of its solid waste and convert it to 100% recyclable packaging…[read more].

4. Beaver Dams in East Devon Create Area of Wetland Amid Drought

Takeaways:

• Despite a drought in the South West in the UK, beavers have built a network of dams to help maintain an area of wetland.
• The beavers were found to use sticks and mud to create several dams in the area in less than a year.
• As a result, the wetlands have helped birds and other wildlife, providing flood prevention and carbon capture benefits to the area…[read more].

5. The Botanic Matchmakers that Could Save Our Food Supply

Takeaways:

• Research teams are looking at the ways indigenous crops are surviving despite unpredictable climate conditions and without the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
• They want to understand how we can utilize these crops to feed the population as climate change worsens.
• Plant scientists also stress the need for cooperation with official government or tribal representatives to ensure that wild relative discoveries are applied to climate-resilient cultivation of domesticated crops in their centres of origin…[read more].

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