This story was originally published by Reasons to be Cheerful
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at [email protected].
Power up
RTBC Contributing Editor Michaela Haas has written many great stories for us about climate change solutions, from recycled glass restoring coastlines to carbon farming to “energy villages.” Naturally, she was thrilled to share some good climate news coming out of her home state: As the New Yorker story’s headline put it, “California Is Showing How a Big State Can Power Itself Without Fossil Fuels.”
“Beginning in early March, for some portion of almost every day, a combination of solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower has been producing more than a hundred per cent of the state’s demand for electricity,” writes Bill McKibben. “California has the fifth-largest economy in the world and, in the course of a few months, the state has proved that it’s possible to run a thriving modern economy on clean energy.”
Deep roots
The forests of Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound, full of trees that have been around for about a millennium, have a storied history. And now, they have a promising future: Thanks to the creation of 10 new conservancies, more than half of these old-growth forests are now protected, according to a story Editorial Director Rebecca Worby shared from The Narwhal.
Becca says:
I have to admit I was not familiar with the 1980s-90s “war in the woods” that kicked off this fight. But it’s a conservation success story long in the making, requiring the collaboration of five First Nations — and a possible “model for other nations and communities looking to improve forestry practices as available old growth dwindles.”
What else we’re reading
And the Winner Is … the Slowest! — shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas from the New York Times
More states enact salary transparency laws to fight gender, racial pay gaps — shared by Rebecca Worby from Stateline
‘It needs to stay in the loop’: German reuse schemes turn shopping upside down — shared by Michaela Haas from The Guardian
In other news…
We’re delighted that RTBC contributor MaryLou Costa has now got her whole household scouting out reading material for us — this week, she sent along a BBC story her husband recommended about how tourists in Copenhagen can take part in activities like litter picking to make their visit more environmentally friendly, and receive discounts and rewards.
“We are avid travelers and would love to take part in something like this to help offset the impact of our trip, as well as engage our kids in a meaningful activity,” MaryLou says.
In case you missed MaryLou’s latest for RTBC, check out her story about how an iconic jam maker got smart about water use.
The post What We’re Reading: California’s Clean Energy, Thousand-Year-Old Trees and More appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.
