#climatepositive

In a historic vote in May, 141 countries supported a UNGA (UN General Assembly) resolution affirming that states have a legal duty to prevent the climate crisis from getting worse. Only 8 voted no (of course including big emitters and warmongering countries like the US, Russia, Israel and Saudi Arabia), with 28 abstentions.

The resolution builds on the ICJ’s (International Court of Justice) landmark 2023 advisory opinion the biggest climate case ever heard which found that governments must act on the “existential threat” of climate change under international law. But while the advisory opinion did not come with any legal pressure, the new UNGA resolution does.

Vanuatu, the Pacific nation that championed the case, called it a win for frontline communities. Their climate minister: “Today the international community affirmed that climate change is not only a political and economic challenge, but a matter of law, justice, and human rights.” 

The US had reportedly lobbied hard against the resolution, but it passed decisively anyway.

This isn’t just politics anymore it’s law. Fossil fuel giants and governments can no longer treat climate action as optional.

Pilot projects in Germany & France show that the combination of solar panels and vineyards are both a solution to generate more renewable energy and make good wine! Great news for the sometimes brought up conflict of agriculture VS solar power generation.

How it works:

Panels mounted high to leave room for vines + machinery

Semi-transparent, with a tracking system to follow the sun

Rotate to let in more light on cloudy days

Insulate ground by ~2°C—protects against late frosts AND heatwaves

The benefits:

higher yields:

Chardonnay: +61% 

Marselan: +31%

Grenache Blanc: +18%

better quality:

1% lower alcohol (with better acidity balance)

Fruitier taste profile

preserving the typical taste of German Riesling

harvesting at optimal maturity

Bonus perks:

60% less irrigation water needed

15% reduction in vine death

Even though the focus on top crop quality reduces the yield from solar panels you get better wine and power for several hundred homes. And if electrification of agricultural machinery progress it could even lower the carbon emission on growing the wine!

Ecosia, the nonprofit search engine, just hit a HUGE milestone just before Earth-Day: 250 million native trees planted worldwide. That makes them the largest planter of native trees on the planet.

Started in 2009, they’ve built a global network of 200,000+ local planters & 125 orgs. The concept ist simple:

Your clicks & searches = ad revenue = trees.

They’ve planted 1,600+ native species, including 144 endangered ones. No greenwashing, no profit, just a company legally set up so no one (not even the founder) can take dividends. The only shareholder? The planet.

They even have a CTPO (Chief Tree Planting Officer) the only company in the world with one.

Convinced to switch? I wouldn’t advertise if it wasn’t literally making the planet better. 

So yeah, ditch googleing and try ecosiaing. It costs nothing and grows forests. 🌲🌲🌲

more info: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/250-millionth-tree-planted-by-this-tree-planting-search-engine-just-ahead-of-earth-day/

🌍🌿 New study reveals: Plants store 37 billion more tons of CO₂ than we thought! 🌿🌍

This means that planting trees 🌱 and protecting rainforests 🌳 are even more essential to fight climate change! 🌡️💪 Every tree planted now helps 31% more in CO₂ capture, bringing Earth back into balance faster. 🌎✨

The more forests we protect, the more CO₂ gets stored – especially in tropical rainforests! 🌴🍃 And if we stop burning fossil fuels, nature can absorb CO₂ even quicker! 🌞💨

🌱🌍 Let’s work together for a greener future! 🌍🌱

Terrestrial photosynthesis inferred from plant carbonyl sulfide uptake - Nature

Bush Heritage Australia manages 3 million of those acres, after nearly doubling the amount from 2022 to 2023. These private lands often hold fragile ecosystems that aren't protected by national parks, so this work is genuinely huge.

Meanwhile in the US, groups like American Prairie have protected over 600,000 acres in Montana, and the Land Trust Alliance says 61 million acres of private US land are already conserved amounting to more than all the national parks.

And while, wealth and property ownership can absolutely cause harm especially for the ecosystem and the planet, it's also kind of beautiful to see that some people, choose to use what they own as a responsibility, deciding to leave the world better than they found it, one acre at a time. A very human sentiment.

🌍💨 Climate Protection Reduces the Severity of Hurricanes 💚🌪️

As the climate crisis intensifies, so does the power of storms. Hurricanes are fueled by warmer ocean temperatures, and climate change has made these temperatures rise more rapidly than ever. 🌊🔥 This means more intense, destructive hurricanes — but there’s good news: we have the power to make a difference.

When we take action to protect the climate — reducing emissions, conserving energy, transitioning to renewables 🌱☀️ — we’re not just helping the planet stay cooler; we’re also reducing the energy hurricanes can draw from. A cooler planet means less fuel for these storms, potentially reducing their frequency and severity.