Happy New Year one and all. We’re drawing a line under 2020 and moving on. But before we pack it away altogether, let’s focus on the silver linings.
Whatever 2020 was to you, it was a good year for the environment, and we should all take some comfort from that. So, with a new horizon ahead we thought we’d take a moment to cherish the light in the dark.
- In the UK a Beaver Built his First Dam.
Beavers, once native to the UK, haven’t lived in this country for the best part of half a millennium. But a program to reintroduce them, by the National Trust, has been super successful. So much so, that in the last year the industrious rodents built the first dam in 400 years.
- The Great Fox Spider Found Alive and Well
Sighted again this last year, the Great Fox Spider was last seen in 1999, and so considered to be extinct in the UK. Mike Waite, from the Surrey Wildlife Trust, found the 2-inch-long arachnid on Ministry of Defence lands. Its discovery is great news for conservationists and arachnid lovers… if less good news for the Surrey beetles on which the webless predator feeds.
The impressive new benchmark of 67 days, 22 hours and 55 minutes is the longest period without coal-fired energy since the industrial revolution. The new figures show beyond doubt that coal-burning power stations now teeter on the edge of obsolescence.
- Scholars in Toulouse Nurture an Enzyme Which can Break Down Plastic Waste in Hours
Discovered on a compost heap, the enzyme, has mutated in such a fashion that it makes short work of plastics. Studies at the University of Toulouse found that it was able to degrade an entire tonne of plastic waste in only ten hours.
- Painted Wind Turbines Lessen Bird Strikes by 70%
They say the simplest solutions are often the best and this was certainly the case for a new project by The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Their studies demonstrate that the simple act of painting one of a wind turbine’s blades black makes them easier for birds to see. Their research demonstrated that seven out of ten birds were able to avoid the turbines. The project thus lessens one of the few legitimate concerns surrounding wind power.
Every year, we human folk edge closer to a sustainable future. As long as we celebrate and share the good news and triumphs there’s every reason to believe we’ll turn the vital corner. From us all here at Duvet Hog, we want to wish you a very happy new year. We also want to thank you for everything you’ve done to help in the climate fight. Together we can face our climate emergency, and with diligence, sacrifice and hard work we can defeat it.
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