Good News! 7 Positive Environmental Stories from February 2022

In partnership with AstraZeneca, the Global EverGreening Alliance and Greening Australia, we will plant 25 million trees across Australia by 2025. One of the largest-ever privately funded restoration projects in the country, it will cover approximately 20,000 hectares of land. That's equivalent to one-quarter of the city of Canberra in size, and will create habitat for dozens of endangered species. Establishing the 25 million trees will also sequester approximately 4.25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over a 25-year crediting period, equivalent to the emissions produced by 920,000 cars running for an entire year.

If the photo above gave you the "icks", you may need to assess how connected you are to nature! A new study has found that phobias of spiders and snakes are less common in people who have a strong connection with nature. The study was conducted by researchers from universities in Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic. They implemented a Nature Relatedness Scale to collect data from participants that evaluated their feelings towards nature and how connected they feel. They also found that age and living in a rural areas were strong factors affecting the outcome (unsurprisingly, these people were less afraid of our "creepy" critters).

The amazing thing about trees is that from above the ground to underwater, they solve so many problems. Organizations in Scotland are rallying to plant millions of trees along rivers and streams in an effort to reverse the effects of climate change. Water temperatures are becoming too warm for native salmon to spawn in, which drastically affects their population levels over time. Planting trees in riparian areas can help lower water temperatures, slow flow, filter out pollution, reduce erosion, and so much more. 

With climate change at the forefront of the global conscience, new solutions are arising every day that can make a big impact. Case in point: urban planners and architects in Singapore are integrating more and more nature into their city. They're doing everything from implementing more greenery into structures via green roofs to creating cascading vertical gardens and verdant walls. The benefits are endless! This green way of living provides benefits like cooler and cleaner air, better mental health, pockets of urban habitat, reduced temperatures, even carbon absorption, and more.