Dear friends and co-fighters!

Welcome to the next issue of Positive News.

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Sviatoslav Zabelin, SEU coordinator

Digest of Socio-Ecological Union International for October 2024. №69

Banner image: The Crane Homeland is a state nature reserve in the Moscow Region. It was created 45 years ago. The area is 11,000 hectares. It is located on the territory of the Dubna marsh massif, the largest in the Moscow region. In spring, up to 8 thousand geese, various types of ducks and waders stop in the flooded meadows, swans and storks can be seen. In summer, more than 20 pairs of grey cranes (Grus grus) nest. In autumn, more than one and a half thousand gray cranes gather from other places from the north, forming a large cluster before flying south. And in winter, polar owls fly from the tundra. Moose is common here, maral and roe deer are found. Bear, lynx, otter and badger are not uncommon, and a wolf comes in.

Is it even possible to create an ecological and good life for all people on Earth? Empa researchers say yes. In a study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, they have shown that—at least technically—more than 10 billion people can live sustainably on Earth—and that a decent standard of living can still be achieved for everyone. For their calculations, Hauke Schlesier and Harald Desing from Empa's Technology and Society laboratory, together with Malte Schäfer from the Technical University of Braunschweig, used the so-called doughnut model. This model consists of two concentric circles. The outer circle represents the limits of key planetary resources, including biodiversity, climate, and land and water use, which, if exceeded, increase the risk of large-scale, abrupt and irreversible environmental changes. A filled inner circle means that basic human needs have been met and an adequate standard of living has been achieved for all. Read more

Then there’s “underconsumption core.” The new viral trend on TikTok encourages consumers to be a little less spend-happy and more conscientious about what they bring into their homes. It’s garnered plenty of attention off-platform, too: Google searches for “underconsumption core” have surged by 1150% in the last few weeks, according to the digital marketing firm Webbee. April Silva, a TikTok user and lifelong thrift store fan, is a big proponent of underconsumption core. She defines it as a more minimal approach to shopping: You don’t need five winter coats when you have one perfectly good one. You don’t need every color of Stanley cup or “massive Shein hauls just for content,” she said. Read more

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro on Monday hailed the country's lowest deforestation figures in 23 years, with a notable drop in the Amazon rainforest. Colombia still lost almost 80,000 hectares (197,700 acres) of forest last year, an area the size of New York City. However, this is 36 percent less than the amount lost in 2022. "It's the lowest level of deforestation in 23 years," Petro wrote on X. "We must get to zero to maintain the lungs of the planet." Deforestation in parts of the Colombian Amazon was down 38 percent. Read more

The Brazilian city of Linhares has legally recognized its waves as living beings, marking the first known time part of the ocean has been granted legal personhood. In early August 2024, the coastal municipality passed a new law that gives the waves at the mouth of the Doce River, which runs to Brazil’s Atlantic coast, the intrinsic right to existence, regeneration, and restoration. This means the waves should continue to form naturally and their water must be clean. The new law requires the city to protect the physical shape of the river, the ecological cycles that make the waves unique, and the water’s finely balanced chemical makeup through public policies and funding. It also codifies respect for the waves’ cultural and economic role in the community, explains Vanessa Hasson, an environmental lawyer and executive director of the Brazilian NGO Mapas, which advocates for the country’s nascent rights-of-nature movement. Linhares has also appointed guardians to watch over the waves and act as their representatives in public decision-making. Read more

A new study reveals that more than 40% of land across nine Amazonian countries is under some form of conservation management, significantly higher than the 28% reported in official records.   

Over 3,000 Indigenous from over 100 different communities marched in front of Brazilian Ministries in 2018 to bring a message to the government: “No more indigenous genocide – Demarcation Now!” Image by 350 .org via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

The research highlights the crucial role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation, with Indigenous territories covering 16% of the total land area of the nine Amazonian countries and community-managed conservation areas adding another 3.5%.  Despite these findings, the Amazon still faces serious threats from deforestation, fire and climate change, leading some experts to question whether the global “30×30” conservation target is adequate. Read more

40,000 hectares of West Papuan rainforest are safe! Seven Indigenous communities have finally been officially recognized, ensuring that their land will no longer fall into the hands of palm oil, paper and mining companies – a major victory after years of struggle. Many Indigenous Papuans are resisting this land grab because the forests hold a deep significance for them beyond mere commercial value. Activists like Hendrikus Woro – whose tireless campaign against palm oil companies in the Boven Digoel district we have previously covered – are putting themselves in the way of bulldozers, demanding their rights, and taking the government and companies to court. All the more reason to celebrate the success of seven Indigenous communities: In Sorong, West Papua, they received “recognition for the protection and respect of the rights of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous territories”. Together with our partner Pusaka, we have supported the Afsya people on their long journey. Read more

Canada said Thursday it had designated the country's largest marine protected zone off the coast of Vancouver, as it moves to shield a third of its oceans by the end of the decade. The 133 000-square-kilometer zone was announced in a joint statement by Canada's department of fisheries and oceans and leaders of four First Nations.

"Today we are taking a giant step forward in protecting Canada's oceans," said the department's minister Diane Lebouthillier. The new marine protected area brings Canada "halfway to our goal of conserving 30% of our oceans by 2030", Lebouthillier said. "The ocean has taken care of us, and we must look after it as well," said Judith Sayer of the Nuu-chah-nulth nation. Read more

Levels of harmful air pollutants have dropped significantly since the ultra-low emission zone was enlarged to cover Greater London last year, according to a report from city hall. Analysis covering the first six months since the Ulez expansion found that total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars across London were 13% lower than projected had the scheme remained confined to inner London, while NOx from vans was 7% lower. Levels of particulate pollution in the form of PM2.5 exhaust emissions from cars in outer London are an estimated 22% lower than without the expansion. The total change was equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road for one year, the report said. London’s air quality was continuing to improve at a faster rate than the rest of England, with the capital’s pollution rapidly approaching levels seen across the country, it found. Read more

Wind turbines and solar panels have overtaken fossil fuels to generate 30% of the European Union’s electricity in the first half of the year, a report has found. Power generation from burning coal, oil and gas fell 17% in the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period the year before, according to climate thinktank Ember.

Getting wind turbines on grid, such as these near Radom, Poland, are helping the EU move away from fossil fuels. Photograph: Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

It found the continued shift away from polluting fuels has led to a one-third drop in the sector’s emissions since the first half of 2022. Chris Rosslowe, an analyst at Ember, said the rise of wind and solar was narrowing the role of fossil fuels. “We are witnessing a historic shift in the power sector, and it is happening rapidly.” The report found EU power plants burned 24% less coal and 14% less gas from the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2024. Read more

The number of plastic bags washed up on UK beaches has fallen by 80% over a decade, since a mandatory fee was imposed on shoppers who opt to pick up single-use carrier bags at the checkout. According to the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual litter survey, volunteers found an average of one plastic bag every 100 metres of coastline surveyed last year, compared to an average of five carrier bags every 100 metres in 2014. The charity, which has monitored beach litter for the past three decades, said the drop was undoubtedly due to the introduction of mandatory charges, which can range from 5p to 25p, for single-use plastic bags. Lizzie Price, Beachwatch programme manager at MCS, said: “It is brilliant to see policies on single-use plastics such as carrier bags working.” Read more

The Dutch city of The Hague has become the first in the world to pass local laws banning advertisements for fossil fuels, petrol cars and long-distance air travel, officials said Friday. The administrative city of over 500,000 residents late Thursday adopted groundbreaking local legislation to outlaw ads including for cheap last-minute holidays and cut-price electricity contracts. The law comes into effect on January 1."The City Council of The Hague adopted two proposals to ban fossil advertising in outdoor spaces," council spokesman Jordy Kruse said. The first proposal will inform advertising agencies that fossil fuel advertising is not permitted, while the second completely banned all fossil fuel advertising in public spaces, Kruse told AFP. Read more

Vietnamese environmental advocate Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng was quietely released from prison Sept. 28, two years ahead of the end of her sentence. Hồng was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion, a charge frequently levied against environmental and human rights advocates in Vietnam.

Environmental activists protesting coal-fired power plants in 2017. Secong from left is Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng. Image by 350.org via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

Her release, which was not publicized in official Vietnamese media, coincides with a trip to the United States by Vietnamese General Secretary and President Tô Lâm. Read more

02.07 | В мире Digest of Socio-Ecological Union International for July 01. 2024. №68

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