We are in the midst of an environmental crisis which needed to be dealt with decades ago. But sadly, we didn’t take as big steps as were required. But again, all is not lost. 2022 was a year of hope, thanks to some positive environmental wins all around the world. Here are some of them.
1. US made a $369 billion investment to fight climate change
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the US invested $369 billion in clean energy projects to fight climate change. This amount would be used for clean energy projects and incentives for energy-efficient technology such as electric vehicles. According to NatGeo, by the end of the decade, 81 per cent of the US’s energy could come from sources such as wind and solar power.
2. US introduced the nation’s first-ever fee on a greenhouse gas
In the IRA, the US also introduced the country’s first-ever fee on a greenhouse gas – methane, which is a more potent planet-warming pollution source as compared to carbon dioxide.
3. Scientists are trying to use the technological power of plants to fight climate change
Humans pump carbon dioxide pollution into the atmosphere, plants help to remove it from the air and push it underground. Scientists are trying to hack into this process by using the CRISPR gene editing technology to use this power of plants.
4. The EU struck a deal to impose carbon border tariffs on polluting products
The European Union in December 2022, struck a deal to impose a carbon dioxide emissions tariff on imports of polluting goods such as steel and cement. Known as the “Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism” (CBAM) will target the highest polluting products first.
5. A global treaty to curb the flow of plastic
In March this year, 175 United Nations delegates agreed to negotiate a global treaty to end plastic pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024.
6. Renewable energy will produce more energy than coal in the US
In the US, renewable energy like hydropower, wind and solar will contribute to more energy production than coal by the end of 2022. According to figures from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), more than a fifth of all electricity by the end of 2022 will be generated from renewable energy.
7. Jonathan the tortoise celebrated his 190th birthday
The oldest living land animal, Jonathan the tortoise, celebrated his 190th birthday this year. Born in 1832, Jonathan is now also the oldest tortoise of all time.
8. France bans short-haul domestic flights
As a part of France’s 2021 Climate Law, The European Commission approved the move to ban flights between cities that are linked by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours to aim to reduce the country’s carbon emissions.
These environmental wins give us hope for a better future.
