5. Keystone XL oil pipeline was canceled in Canada, led by Indigenous communities and alliances. | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Featured

10 Great Wins For The Environment In 2021

Let’s review some of the world’s greatest wins for the environment in 2021!

1914
10 Great Wins For The Environment In 2021
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

In This Article:

I'll admit it - recently watching "Don't Look Up" felt like an eerie reflection of the pandemic and climate change that made my stomach turn a bit. So instead of me doing a review on that more depressing film, here are some of my favorite wins for the environment in 2021, from everything like Indigenous peoples taking back their land to animals making a comeback!

1. Pandas are now off the endangered list after their population increased by 17% in a decade, according to the ​World Wildlife Fund.

2. The United States rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, creating a higher priority of restoring regulations and new goals that curb emissions.

3. The Biden Administration signed three proclamations restoring protection for Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Seamounts National Monuments — national monuments that are sacred to Tribal Nations.

4. 41 countries have passed laws to limit or ban cosmetics animal testing — which can subject animals to stress and pain. 

As more countries plan to prevent this pain and suffering, more animals will be able to live happier and healthier lives!

5. Keystone XL oil pipeline was canceled in Canada, led by Indigenous communities and alliances. 

Furthermore, according to EcoWatch, Indigenous-led resistance to 21 fossil fuel projects in the United States and Canada has prevented or delayed the equivalent of one-quarter of those countries’ climate-warming pollution.

6. In May, a Dutch court ordered Shell to cut its emissions by 45% from 2019 levels by 2030. In August, the company agreed to pay $111 million to the Ejama-Ebubu community in Nigeria for an oil spill that occurred in the 1970s. 

Not only are we seeing wins in cases of cutting emissions, but we’re also seeing wins in Indigenous and impacted communities of climate disasters!

7. Michelle Wu became the first person of color and the first woman elected as mayor of Boston, but also has the opportunity to become the first climate mayor, with plans to electrify school buses, incentivize building retrofits, and introduce a transformative transit policy!

8. More than 20 countries committed to stopping public financing for fossil fuel projects abroad by the end of 2022 and focusing on spending on clean energy instead at COP26.

9. 9 organizations have joined together and pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to support the expansion and monitoring of protected and conserved areas of land, inland, and water — making this the largest private funding commitment ever to biodiversity commitment.

10. There are more positive trends in the animal communities worldwide — Nepal is on track to double its wild tiger population in 2022, gorilla populations are bouncing back in sub-Sarahan Africa, and jaguars are returning to forests in Colombia.

Although climate change and injustice continue to loom over society, it’s clear that diverse communities and organizations around the world are working to make up for aspects of humanity’s destructive impact on the environment. In 2022, let’s work together and take steps in our own lives to improve the state of the environment!

Report this Content
April Ludgate
NBC Universal

Everyone who is in college right now, or has ever been, knows the struggle of pulling in the strings at the last second. It seems impossible, and you have to do a LOT of things in order to assure your future for the next semester.

April Ludgate, historically, is a very annoyed person, and she doesn't hide it. Of all the times that I binged and re-binged "Parks and Rec," her attitude relates more and more to me.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

To The Cheerful Person On Their Rainy Days, You Are Valid

The world is not always sunshine and rainbows, and you do not have to be, either.

369
pug covered with blanket on bedspread
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Ask friends of mine to name a quality about me, and one a lot them will point out the fact that I am almost always smiling. I like to laugh and smile -- not to quote Buddy the Elf in April, but smiling is my favorite! It is probably my favorite go-to expression. However, what a lot of people do not see is that I have my down days. I have days when smiling and laughing is a real struggle, or when I have so much on my plate that going out of my way to behappy takes more effort than I have stored in me. Be it a symptom of college and growing up or a facet of life, I cannot always be content.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Struggles of Packing for College

It would be so much easier to just pay someone to do it for you

418
a room with boxes and a window

1. Figuring out when to start

Timing is key, you don’t want to start too early or too late.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times 'Parks and Recreation' Has Summed Up Your Life

Relatable moments from one of the best shows I have ever watched.

310
parks and rec
Liz Keysmash

Amidst my hectic college career, I always find time for one thing, even on the busiest weeks: Parks and Recreation. This show has made me laugh and has made me cry, but most of all I have related to this show more than I would like to admit.

Here are some "Parks and Rec" moments that relate to life struggles that just about everyone faces.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

11 Ways To Live The Best Life You Can

Life is full of twists and turns, but you have to keep going.

90
girl bike

Life is all about twist and turns, sideways and which ways. Nothing is permanent, so we should take risks, and chase our dreams. We are taught at a young age many lessons that will follow us into adulthood. What we aren't taught is how to feel, and how we handle those emotions. We just have to figure them out ourselves, and that's not fun. In my 21 years of living, I have come to know that way too many people can't handle emotions, or the fact that not everyone is dead inside like them. When you're like me, and you have zero control over your emotions, it's hard to feel comfortable around people who aren't so in touch with themselves. As much as I would like to feel nothing at times, I've accepted who I am and the fact that I can cry over practically nothing. So, there are some things in life that you just have to do.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments