Newsletter July

I’m delighted with myself this week for four reasons.

Firstly I’ve just landed a lovely new client, a European environmental NGO! Secondly, a fabulous circular economy furniture project that I’m working on was launched on Wednesday. Thirdly, I got an enquiry from a TV production company about a possible project and to top it all I received a lovely donation from a fan of the website. Happy days!

I thought the summer was the silly season when nothing happens. Not this year. Now for some more happy eco news ……

Nothing mentioned in this article has been sponsored. It’s all just my own personal opinion. If you like your sources to remain independent then please;

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Photo is of L Bar Ranch, adjacent to Marquez Wildlife Management Area

Eco Housing

Ilke homes in the UK build housing developments with zero energy bills

New public housing on Dominick Street Lower in Dublin will use rainwater for flushing toilets.

Canadians looking to make their home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly can now get an interest-free loan of up to $40,000 from the federal government.

Austria just passed legislation requiring all new or replacement heating systems to be renewable from next year. By 2035, all oil and coal heating systems must be replaced by renewable ones, and by 2040 all gas heating systems must also be replaced. People with low incomes will receive 100% of the costs.

Environmental Politics & Policy

Share your views on climate change and help shape Irelands 2022 Climate Action Plan. Closes 9th of Sept.

The Greek government has adopted the country’s first national climate protection law, requiring all coal fired generation be closed by 2028, and renewables to account for up to 70% of electricity generation by 2030. This is insanely ambitious.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament have voted to ban internal combustion engines in all new cars and vans by 2035

For the first time in 60 years, China’s population is about to decrease

Green Transport

E-bike rental app, Bolt, has now launched in Sligo

World’s first production-ready solar car is due in Nov 2022

Buick, the iconic American automaker, says it will only sell electric vehicles by the end of this decade. And Chevy just slashed the starting price of its Bolt EV by 27% to $26,595, making it the cheapest electric vehicle in North America.

Green Energy

India now has a town completely run on solar power

UK’s first solar and wind powered mobile phone mast was recently erected

Eco Kids

Looking for something to keep the kids occupied this summer. Here’s a list of low-waste kid-friendly activities

If you’re looking of for an environmentally focused book for young adults, here’s a book I saw recommended

Circular Economy

By Autumn 2024, the EU will require a range of rechargeable devices, such as phones, to use USB-C chargers, to reduce electronic waste.

Tree-less paper made from agricultural and mining by-products

Fish leather made from invasive species is making fashion headlines

Sustainable Shopping

Want to buy second-hand more easily? German website Faircado aggregates available offers from the biggest pre-owned marketplaces into one platform, comparing their price and sustainability score

A fantastic guide to online shopping that avoids Amazon

Need a new cossie? Here’s my guide to sustainable swimwear for 2022

and if you need to top-up on suncare products here is a list of the most eco friendly suncare products on the Irish market.

Eco Entertainment

According to environmental TV & Film production organisation Albert, in 2021 an hour of TV contributed approximately 5.7t CO2e.

Cork County Council are funding a Green Festivals Pilot Programme to help make Festivals in Ireland greener

And if it’s day trips you’re after, here’s a list of eco tourism destinations in Ireland

Sustainable Food

UK Supermarket Co-op and Microsoft to create a food-waste prevention platform ‘Caboodle’

The United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States just launched the world’s first global alliance to combat illegal, unregulated, and unregistered fishing.

Research indicates that air pollution reduces crop yields by up to 25%

Here’s which plant based butters on sale in Ireland are palm oil free

Sustainable Communities

The paint reuse network is offering 100 litres of reused paint to a community group. Entry deadline is end of July

Eco Inspiration

Haunting artwork made from waste salvaged from the most remote place on the planet, Henderson Island

Ethical Finance

The Catholic Theological Society of America, the world’s largest organization of theologians, just announced it’s divesting its financial funds from fossil fuels

Samsung, South Korea’s largest conglomerate, is requiring all its financial subsidiaries to stop investing in coal companies, and Sompo, one of Japan’s biggest insurers, says it will stop underwriting new and existing coal around the world.

Protecting Wildlife

The community run Kawawana conservation area in Senegal now has twice as many fish species as it had a decade ago and has now been expanded to 20,000 hectares.

Argentina has pioneered a private to public rewilding model that has successfully restored over 800,000 hectares of damaged land and reintroduced multiple species.

The Cofán community in the Ecuadorian Amazon have successfully saved 32,000 hectares of their ancestral land from 52 mining projects after winning a series of landmark cases.

54,000 acres of private ranch land in New Mexico will be added to the existing 4,000-acre Marquez Wildlife Management Area, making it the largest state-owned recreational property in the state.

The Pacific Island state of Niue is creating a marine park to protect an area the size of Vietnam spanning 317,500 km².

Reducing Toxins

Between 2013 and 2020 China’s air pollution dropped by 40%

Want to find if there is the toxic chemical PFAs in your food packaging? Here’s a simple test you can do

The ocean off Gaza is ‘crystal blue’ for the first time in years, after sewage treating facilities stepped up operations to stop untreated sewage flowing directly into the water. It’s good news for the 2.3 million Palestinians who can finally enjoy a swim this summer.

 

That’s it for this month. See you on Facebook or Instagram and if you want to read previous newsletters, just click the link.

Elaine