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Climate Solutions: Upgrading the Energy Grid

Positive Climate News

You are here: Home / Archives for Climate Change / Positive Climate News

Climate Solutions: More Regenerative Agriculture Facts

by TaMara|  May 3, 20259:56 am| 41 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News

I’m off to get some gardening done. A few things to put in the ground that will be okay with our still very cool nights. Transplanting the tomato plants to bigger containers while we wait for the threat of frost to pass.  Then pray for me, it’s time to give those beasts a bath. Fun times will be had by no one.

Meanwhile, here are a few climate solutions items I ran across this week:

***

Peter Byck has started a long-form video/podcast for more in-depth discussions of the benefits they are seeing across the board for regenerative agriculture.

I know I’ve been focusing heavily on this topic, but the data suggests we have all we need to reduce humans’ carbon footprint. It’s a matter of time and perseverance.  In Europe and China, more miles are driven by EVs than ICE vehicles. China (among others) has been making huge strides in EV batteries.  EVs and their batteries* are lasting 18 years and are expected, as data continues, to last longer. Heat pumps, magnetic cooling systems, efficient, small wind turbines, and on and on, are up-and-coming technologies designed to reduce carbon output.

show full post on front page

While there are people/industries/companies who work to stall progress, there are many more people out there determined to solve the climate crisis despite the current political climate.

What stands out, though, is that regardless of how much and how soon we reduce carbon output, we still have to resolve the problem of the excessive carbon in our atmosphere. Sure, there are people researching mechanical ways to do that, and others who want to spray toxins into the atmosphere to block the sun (!) because I’m sure that will end well.

But research is showing that regenerative agriculture is not only healthier for ecosystems, but also captures more carbon than originally expected. Research is ongoing, but so far the results are promising and most importantly, fast. Add to that the water savings and increase in beneficial wildlife, plus the economic benefits to farmers.

Peter’s work focuses on grazing, but I do have other resources on how this is also used in food crop production that I will post when time permits.

***

In a more political vein, David Roberts has a discussion with IL Gov. JB Pritzker. I’ll be listening to it while I garden today, but I thought some of you might be interested.  Listen here.

A conversation with JB Pritzker.

In this episode, I speak with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, one of the depressingly few Democratic leaders showing real fight in the face of Trumpism. We get into the weeds on how Illinois is defending its climate laws, advancing clean energy and manufacturing, and tackling thorny challenges like the housing crisis, the transition away from natural gas, and the looming “fiscal cliff” facing transit agencies. Oh, and the governor explains what quantum computing is.

 

***

*Too much battery news to report here – but recycling, reusing, and less toxic batteries are all in the mix.

This is a climate solutions thread. Love to hear of any innovations you have come across.

Despair only limits future action – Simon Clark

Climate Solutions: More Regenerative Agriculture FactsPost + Comments (41)

Climate Solutions: Small Things Become Big Things

by TaMara|  March 11, 20252:30 pm| 39 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News

Hank Green just posted a video of all the eco-friendly products they are introducing to their Good Store website (where most of the proceeds go to various causes).

Mar 11, 2025
https://good.store/collections/ecogeek

Just thought I’d share. If you know of any other good eco-products share a link.  I’ll be interested to know how well their detergent works – I’ve tried others and haven’t been pleased. But I trust Hank, so I’m willing to give these a shot.

The soap refill cubes are really appealing – I go through a lot of liquid soap refills. Most of my other cleaning products are reusable scrubbing cloths and vinegar.

In car news, KIA released a bunch of new car models, unfortunately, many will not be available in the US – but if you’re overseas, there are some good looking, affordable, high-mileage EVs coming soon.  Their van is a game-changer for sure. Especially the fact it can be purchased as a wheelchair accessible w/o modification, it’s one of the platforms available.

Feb 27, 2025

Jack takes a first look at Kia’s new PV5 van in cargo and passenger form. With 16 different variants, cutting edge EV tech and a staggering starting price, could this be the shot in the arm the electric commercial vehicle segment sorely needs?

That’s it from me; I just thought you could use a little good news from good people…

Climate Solutions: Small Things Become Big ThingsPost + Comments (39)

Climate Solutions: There Is Much Progress

by TaMara|  March 1, 202511:27 am| 36 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News

Saturday is my day to catch up on my renewable energy and climate solution videos and articles. I thought Simon Clark’s latest video was comprehensive enough to share. Not to mention, the model he created is mesmerizing.

****

And a reminder, if you need some feel-good viewing, Roots So Deep is now a $10 rental for 90 days. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. Good science, good people, good news.

 

It’s probably a fool’s request, but try and keep the doom and gloom out of this thread.  Honestly, I don’t care. I won’t be around to referee, but I really think there are folks out there who need a respite from the constant, unrelenting comments on how awful everything is right now.

Everything is NOT awful. There is still beauty in the world and good people in the world.  It takes discipline to find it and encourage the goodness.  Give your souls a break, take a breath, and find something good to focus on, if just for today.

 

Climate Scientist Michael E Mann & historian Timothy D Snyder:
Doomerism is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.
It is how authoritarians win. Let’s try to fight the doom

 

Not an open thread

Debbie Maner Artwork in Support of Ukraine a sunflour on a demin blue background
Debbie Maner Artwork in Support of Ukraine

Climate Solutions: There Is Much ProgressPost + Comments (36)

Climate Solutions: Much Good News

by TaMara|  January 12, 20252:56 pm| 32 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News

Timing is everything. I just finished watching the four-hour documentary Roots So Deep as my friends worry about having to evacuate from fire-ravaged areas around Los Angeles. To say I needed the hopefulness is an understatement.

So, I know everyone is feeling a lot of hopelessness around many things, including climate change. It seemed like a good time to bring in resources highlighting what is good and positive.

Climate Solutions: Much Good News 1

Let’s start with Roots So Deep.  I’ve shared many of the YouTube shorts and recommended the first of Peter’s documentaries, Carbon Nation, so I’m not going to do a big sell here. I’m going to tell you that if you want to see a fact-filled documentary with solid science and watch people who you might think would never change how they view the world and absolutely embrace regenerative farming, this is worth your time. The fourth hour is the solid payoff. If you can watch it and not get teary, you’re better than I am.

It’s worth the rental fee, if only to give your soul a break from all the bad news. Rent it here.

==========

In other good news, several areas in the African Sahel region, where food often comes in the form of aid, people are taking back and healing the land. Creating an abundance where it used to be barren – and not that long ago.

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Nov 13, 2024

Permaculture instructor Andrew Millison journeys with the UN World Food Programme to the country of Niger in the African Sahel to see an innovative land recovery project within the Great Green Wall of Africa that is harvesting rainwater, increasing food security, and rehabilitating the ecosystem.

 

May 14, 2021

In Mauritania, communities work hand in hand to make their land fertile again. A traditional technique called “half-moons” is used to reduce water runoff and trap the scarce rain inside the half-moons, thereby increasing water infiltration and improving food and fodder production.

 

Friends introduced me to an amazing woman in California who has been doing regenerative farming for decades, and she has sent me a link to a bunch of educational videos. Including their success in using AMP grazing in their vineyards to reduce chemical/water usage. Once I’ve waded through all those, I’ll share the ones I think will be of most interest.

====

In the EV transformation across the world, there is so much good news, I really don’t have time to link to it all. But there are some good sources to follow.  Electrifying, Fully Charged Show, Ecotricity NZ  – I’m sorry to say, I don’t have a good resource for U.S. EV news. If you have one, put in the comments.

That’s it for climate news from me. I’d ask you to keep the comments positive or at the very least, don’t post your “theories and beliefs” without links to actual factual information. But I know that’s a fools errand these days.

I’m cross-posting this in several places, so hopefully people who may have wandered away from here and are interested might see it elsewhere.

Time to put the second coat of paint on the walls…

NOT an open thread

 

Climate Solutions: Much Good NewsPost + Comments (32)

Climate Solutions: Rewilding and the Woolly Mammoth

by TaMara|  July 13, 20241:24 pm| 54 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News, This Is A Doom & Gloom Free-Zone

I thought we could use some news about good people doing good things in regard to climate change. And I wanted to clear out my mammoth files, LOL

I know, I’m obsessed with the idea of bringing back the woolly mammoth – but I believe the research is leading to hopeful solutions for the de-extinction of more recent ecological disasters, as well as making people more aware of the crisis in the permafrost.

The science is pretty interesting, but there are also groups who are not waiting on a giant pachyderm. They are reintroducing reindeer,  Yakutian horses, musk ox, and European Buffalo among many others. One of the best known is Pleistocene Park, pretty much the project of one amazing man  – more info and a full movie at HERE

From the archives: With Arctic permafrost thawing too quickly, scientists in Siberia are considering drastic measures. See this week’s full 60 Minutes interview with George Church, here: https://cbsn.ws/34ZhuTs

 

Deep in the frozen north of Russia’s Sakha Republic lies a place where time is being reversed and a once extinct environment is being brought back to life. How is something like this possible and what impact could it have on our world?  All their resources for the video are listed at this link.

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Mar 24, 2024
Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotechnology company, says it has developed the technology necessary to bring the woolly mammoth back from extinction. NBC News’ Morgan Chesky reports on the opportunities this new technology could bring as well as the concerns some scientists are raising.

 

Jun 8, 2022

In the quest to understand how evolution basically built the woolly mammoth, we may have found the blueprints for building them ourselves. Thanks to Julio Lacerda (  / juliotheartist  ),Roman Uchytel (https://prehistoric-fauna.com), and Dmitry Bogdanov for the mammoth art featured in this episode!

There’s a longer video on the science and techniques for bringing back extinct species here.

Okay, I think I’ve covered all my mammoth info here. It is part of the bigger picture of rewilding to enhance carbon capture. A necessary step in solving the current climate crisis -but also in making a healthier environment all around.

===========

Here is Mossy Earth – which leads extensive efforts in rewilding (see all their videos here) – on rewilding Iceland and why it’s important:

Aug 4, 2022

We are helping reforest Iceland with our latest rewilding project! This is a special place to plant trees as they help fight against desertification and help with the much-needed habitat creation.

 

I looked for a follow-up video because I read a story on how the entire “planting trees movement” is not based in science and many of the areas where thousands of trees were planted have resulted in very little long term growth – most trees die in the first few months from neglect, poor soil and climate issues.

These folks seem to be doing it right – here’s an update on the tree planting, a year and a half later:

Dec 18, 2023

We’ve decided to broadened our Icelandic projects to include restoring deserts and wetlands and in this video we lay down the plan for the coming years.

=============

That’s enough for today. I’ve gotten that entire mammoth thing out of my system (ok, not really, but unless one is born, I think we’ve covered the topic, LOL). Now I can move forward on more rewilding success stories, some cool EV and battery stories and on and on. Plenty of good news coming out of the climate solution community to share.

Climate Scientist Michael E Mann & historian Timothy D Snyder:
Doomerism is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.
It is how authoritarians win. Let’s try to fight the doom

This is a doom and gloom (and election) free thread.

Post any good climate news you have in the comments and I’ll check it out.

Climate Solutions: Rewilding and the Woolly MammothPost + Comments (54)

Climate Solutions: More On Regenerative Farming

by TaMara|  July 6, 202412:01 pm| 37 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Climate Change Solutions, Positive Climate News, This Is A Doom & Gloom Free-Zone

I have so much information tucked away – including some dramatic changes in cooling – which as the planet heats, becomes a bigger problem and emissions contributor. There is also a lot of news out on batteries, new EVs and everyone’s favorite – fixing the grid (if you’re not following David Roberts Volts podcasts, I highly recommend, he covers most of those innovations) I really have not had time to aggregate any of it properly for posts.

But, there are two documentaries out that address regenerative farming. There is more and more data that if we heal the soil, carbon capture solutions reveal themselves.

This one is free to watch on YouTube:

=============

The Roots So Deep Documentary is now available to rent. It’s on my list, though I wanted to wait until I knew I could watch it uninterrupted.

show full post on front page

They have a plethora of free video excerpts and interviews with folks who have moved to AMP grazing or are thinking of it, and their research so far, here:  Roots So Deep videos

================

And for those of you who watched Kiss The Ground (still available on Netflix) and found it thoughtful, they have a follow-up coming soon:

It has some limited showings, but I suspect it will have a streaming home soon.

==================

And finally, I LOVE everything about this project. And it can be replicated anywhere.

That’s my quick hit for today. Busy ahead, I’ll check in when I can.

Despair only limits future action – Simon Clark

This is a doom and gloom free thread. Share any climate solution stories you have encountered, and I’ll bookmark them for future posts.

 

Climate Solutions: More On Regenerative FarmingPost + Comments (37)

Afternoon Beat Down Open Thread: Buttigieg On Fire

by TaMara|  June 27, 20242:01 pm| 174 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Positive Climate News

I can’t wait to post this in a climate post, I needed you to see it now

Pete Buttigieg is live fact-checking republicans in Congress right now pic.twitter.com/vjNbrHpcuf

— chyea ok (@chyeaok) June 27, 2024

Here’s the full testimony (ongoing, I believe)

Kick them harder, Pete, kick them harder.

Open thread

ETA: Since this is technically about climate – and I follow David Roberts pretty closely, he just posted this about their new pup. As the mom of Great Danes, I can sympathize, but will say, at least he didn’t EAT the couch (I’ve had two couches eaten by Danes, and a half wall and a porch railing).

So, this is how my day started. How is yours going? pic.twitter.com/uWxSxVSJ57

— David Roberts (@drvolts) June 26, 2024

Afternoon Beat Down Open Thread: Buttigieg On FirePost + Comments (174)

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