When it comes to the climate crisis we seem to be bombarded with news on just how bad things are. Whether it’s in a national news programme or all over Twitter, it seems almost inescapable and can lead to eco-anxiety and the feeling that there’s nothing we can do. But there are good new stories that are easily missed, and here are 3 from the last week!
Spain Leaving Coal Behind!
Announced this week, Spain will be closing the doors on its largest coal-powered in August 2024 with wind power set to fill the energy gap that will be left. By 2030, Spain hope to be producing 160GW of electricity from renewables as all coal power plants in the country will be closed by then – oil and nuclear will follow in 2035!
Whilst coal is still playing a roll in electricity generation in Asia, there is a decline in Europe and North America that is irreversible – renewables are filling requirements and will continue to do so!
Mobility Aid Recycling!
Despite the opportunities to recycle materials in mobility aids, approximately £14million worth of mobility aids are disposed of within the NHS alone. Add on those that are disposed of from care homes and households and there’s a huge opportunity to re-use and recycle these aids!
Step in Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks. With the goal of providing some circularity into the life cycle of mobility aids, Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks have put processes in place to refurbish and reuse (working with PhysioNet) mobility aids and recycle those that cannot be repaired. When items are purchased through Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks, customers will receive instructions and packaging for them to be able to send back when no longer required!
Bringing ‘Ecocide’ into Law!
Whilst many countries around the world have civil laws against damage to the environment, these often provide challenges in enforcement with vague language and limits on the penalties that can be enforced. However, the development of a law against ecocide will give countries and the international community greater opportunity to hold those that knowingly cause major damage to the environment. Whilst the wording differs in national laws, many have used the same definition below which has been developed and adopted by the International Criminal Court.
“Unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.”
– Legal definition now used by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mexico is joining the growing list of countries that will make ecocide a crime, holding those that intentionally cause damage to the environment to account. Countries like France, Ukraine, Russia and Vietnam have all introduced ecocide laws, but there are many ecocide bills being tabled in countries all over the world!
Would you support your country introducing an ecocide bill?
Well done for bringing 3 good news stories on sustainability 👍🌍🙏