Positive News About Our Environment

We know how it feels to be at a complete loss with climate change, pollution, and our environment. With an overwhelming amount of negative news, it can make us feel helpless in the fight for our planet. What we want you to take away from this is that we’re not at all helpless, and our actions certainly matter.

That’s why we thought it would be important to shed light on the positive news about our environment! Consider this to be your gentle reminder to continue living a sustainable lifestyle, making an effort to do good for our planet, and understand that you’re making a difference. 

There Has Been a Spike in Conscious Consumerism

From 2019 to 2020, there’s been a 15% increase in the Conscious Consumerism Spending Index. Essentially, this index measures the importance that people place on purchasing from socially responsible companies. 

Beyond just finding ethical companies important, the index also reflects the actions that consumers are taking to support them! Although 2020 has taken a toll on all of our lives, the demand for responsible shopping and business looks very promising!

 

Stricter Regulation of Greenwashing

As a result of the surge in conscious consumerism, more companies have been using “eco-labeling” to market their products, but are often guilty of greenwashing. 

Although more work still needs to be done to ensure transparent labeling, governments are becoming stricter by imposing fines for businesses that intentionally use misleading labeling to deceive their customers.

In the U.S, Walmart has paid over $900,000 in civil penalties for marketing products as “biodegradable,” when, in fact, they weren’t at all. For the eco-friendly business and consumer world, this is a huge step towards normalizing a fully transparent relationship between companies and shoppers.

A Decrease in Carbon Emissions Since March 2020

Once most countries went into a full lockdown at the beginning of March, it seemed as if the entire world stopped. In some ways, it technically did. As unsettling as it felt for most of us, the environment actually benefited from months of no traffic or airplanes! 

Some of the large cities, like New York, reported a 50% decrease in carbon monoxide levels, which is usually produced by cars. Other countries like Italy and China have reported similar findings in better air quality and lower air pollution levels since the beginning of March. 

New Plans for Reforestation

You’ve probably heard the terrifying news of deforestation, but we’re happy to share some positive news about the new plans to restore our forests. The UK announced its government-led project to create a national forest, in efforts to improve biodiversity and preserve nature for both us and animals!

 

An Increase in Citizens Volunteering to Clean Up Beaches

As you might have already heard, a Dutch engineer named Boyan Slat made history when he recently removed two shipping containers worth of trash from The Great Pacific Garbage Patch! One man can’t do it alone though. Instead of only laying out on the beach, more people are getting active and taking walks on the sandy shores as they collect garbage. 

Now that places like the beach are typically off-limits, people are beginning to appreciate what nature has to offer. Between the spike in conscious consumerism and more compassion for the earth, we’re moving in a positive direction towards better environmentalism.

You can read much more on this topic in this great blog post as well. It is packed with usefull information: https://www.beeco.green/blog/greenwashing/

The year 2020 has undoubtedly come with a long list of bad news, but it’s vital that we pay attention to the good things that are happening simultaneously. 

• The Woron Team