23. 33. 47. Numbers swirl around inside my car these days. A few weeks ago, my daughter asked if I could teach her how to count to 100, so every time we're in the car to go to school or Nana's and Grandpa's or to the restaurant with the special festive pancakes, we practice.Â
Progress can feel elusive. We make it to 33 one day but only 23 the next. Starts and stops. Climate action can feel the same, especially in a sea of doomsday headlines. Some days, it can feel like we've already lost, but humans are driving global warming, which means we can change it. And while we haven't made enough progress, we are making progress, and we can make more.
Here, in no particular order, are 23 things to inspire as we head into the new year.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is offering funds for residents and businesses who want to convert their lawns to meadows.Â
For the first time, investment in solar power surpassed investment in fossil fuels.
Travelers will no longer find water sold in plastic bottles at Los Angeles International Airport.
Fridays for Future, the global climate strike started by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, marked its fifth anniversary in 2023. According to researchers, the strikes have raised awareness about the climate crisis and influenced action.
On Cape Cod, the group Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage has removed thousands of pieces of trash from Massachusetts ponds.Â
For the first time, a Norwegian research group found evidence that beach clean-ups rapidly and dramatically reduce the amount of microplastics in the environment. Proving that what can seem like small actions do, in fact, matter.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award $100 million in competitive grants for projects that advance environmental justice.
U.S. electric vehicle sales surpassed 1 million in a single year.
It will soon get easier to charge those vehicles with the new standardization of EV charging station rules.
A new workforce training and service initiative, the American Climate Corps, will provide skills-based training for young Americans in clean energy and climate resilience jobs.Â
Renewable energy production in Portugal exceeded the country's electricity needs for 149 hours straight, the longest period ever.
Oklahoma has restored nearly 100 unhealthy streams thanks to water monitoring and regenerative agriculture.Â
In 1987, countries adopted the Montreal Protocol, pledging to phase out chemicals that deplete the ozone layer. The ozone layer over much of the world is now on track to be restored to 1980s levels by 2040.
India has reduced emissions by 33 percent in 14 years, putting it on track to reach UN goals.
Norway is rewilding the former site of a massive coal mine, building a new town for polar bears.
A former vacant lot outside of Boston has been turned into a food forest where anyone in the community can harvest food for free.
Australia blocked the creation of a coal mine under environmental laws.
Deforestation in the Amazon fell to a 5-year low.
More and more school buses in the U.S. are going green.
France announced a plan to subsidize repairs to clothing and shoes to reduce fashion waste.
In California, the City of San Diego banned styrofoam.Â
For the first time ever, COP ended with a deal that finally recognized the most significant driver in climate change: fossil fuels.
Starting January 1, 2024, gas-powered leaf blowers and other small gas-powered engines will no longer be sold in California.Â
What's your favorite climate solution and why?
~ Bridget
P.S. If you're looking for ideas of what to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays, here are some tips from The Nature Conservancy's Forest Ecologist Andy Finton:
Look up your local pick-up schedule or designated drop-off location, and your tree will live on as earth-friendly mulch, soil, or compost.Â
Provide mulch for parks and gardens: You can join a growing number who practice "tree-cycling" by chipping your tree into mulch for parks or gardens. Â
Help improve fish habitat. Fisheries biologists have learned that Christmas trees submerged in a pond or lake are great for providing fish habitat. Dozens of state and federal programs around the country collect used Christmas trees, anchoring them to the bottom of selected ponds to improve fisheries. Contact your local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service, or other similar agency to find out if there is a collection program near you.
Use it in your fire pit. People in rural areas can use old Christmas trees as firewood for outdoor burning as long as the wood is well-dried out. Because of the high sap content, they should never be used for indoor burning – it's a fire hazard. Â
Keep your tree from decomposing on your property. Once spring comes, forest pests and pathogens can infest the surrounding trees. Â