GOOD NEWS FOR ECO ANXIETY
Barbara Roberts
St. Andrew Green Team
I don't know about you, but I could use some good news these days. There is so much to be horrified about, concerned about, anxious about. And environmental news can seem as sad as everything else.
So I searched for some upbeat news about our environment that focuses on the successful work being done. After reading about the following, I immediately felt so much better.
For the first time in 2025, wind and solar overtook fossil fuels for EU power generation in Europe.
Norway has reached 97% electric vehicle sales and EVs now outnumber diesels on its roads.
After nearly 20 years of negotiations, a landmark international agreement to protect ocean life beyond national borders is now active.
Dr. Toby Kiers, a scientist, has won the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for her groundbreaking work on mycorrhizal fungi which move nutrients and carbon through the soil. This fungi is responsible for drawing down 13 billion tons of CO2 each year.
France has officially banned products containing PFAS, or forever chemicals. The new law also mandates expanded testing of drinking water and the ability to hold polluters financially accountable.
Vermont and New York have also passed laws to establish climate accountability from fossil fuel companies. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Main, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia have introduced bills to do the same.
Several states have made strides in tackling the food waste problem: Washington, Illinois, and New York.
California continues to break its own records for EV sales, and heat pumps are outpacing gas furnaces in sales.
The city of Sonoma now has a Sustainability Coordinator.
Realizing that there are people working hard to take care of Mother Earth is hopeful. Progress is being made and environmental education is changing our habits. Eco anxiety can be soothed by reading good news like this. But as always, we all need to do what we can, when we can. We are all in this together.
