Earth Day is an annual event that takes place on April 22nd of every year to show support for environmental protection.

This special day was first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970.

The idea for Earth Day came in response to the alarming pollution levels present in the United States during the 1960s! During that time, the absence of legal or regulatory safeguards for the environment left it vulnerable, devoid of the protection it so rightly deserved. Senator Nelson, recognising this critical gap, took it upon himself to elevate this cause to the national stage by establishing Earth Day.

Since then, the celebration has grown into a global event, with over a billion people participating in activities and events all around the world. People all over the globe use this day to come together to show their support for environmental protection and to take action towards creating a healthier planet for future generations.

How to celebrate?

• Get involved at home by divesting from unsustainable investments and businesses, work toward zero waste, and donate to organisations working to protect the planet, like Rainforest Trust UK

• Write letters to local officials and representatives demanding climate action. Write letters to companies demanding sustainable packaging and eco-manufacturing. Find your local MP

• Clean up the plastic in your neighbourhood or local park.

• Plant a tree or native plants and flowers.

• Commit to one green act per day, such as walking locally instead of driving or consuming less food from abroad and starting a vegetable planter. 

• Choosing products on a daily basis that will last, are easy to recycle or repurpose at the end of their life and will have less impact on planet earth. 

Let's look at the positives!

Top Headlines for April 2024 Happy Eco News >

There are so many great volunteers, companies, positive organisations and people trying to make the world a better place. Scientists, activists and everyone between working to make real change in the world... let's look at some great projects happening right now. 

1. A novel water based battery is said to be safer than lithium at half the cost.

A Boston-area startup called Alsym Energy has introduced a rechargeable water based battery that could match lithium-ion batteries’ performance at a fraction of the price.

In addition to using inexpensive, easily accessible materials like manganese and metal oxide, the novel battery is based on water, according to an initial report from Fast Company.

Being a water based battery means it avoids some of the main drawbacks of current batteries, such as the potential for lithium-ion battery fires and the negative impact of mining on the environment. And thanks to the use of non-toxic materials, the water based battery design is simpler to recycle, which is always a bonus.

The future of clean energy depends on economically viable, zero-carbon electrification, which requires a new approach to energy storage systems. Exciting development! 

Read More> 

2. A New Oak Tree Species Could Save Sumatra’s Orangutans

In the Batang Toru forest in Northern Sumatra, a new oak tree species has been shown to be closely tied to the survival of the critically endangered Tapanuli Orangutan. 

Biodiversity Defines Us 

Biodiversity is one of the key distinguishing features of our planet. The fact that Earth is home not only to life at all but also that there are so many different kinds of life on Earth makes it utterly unique in the universe, as far as we can prove! 

Yet, the very foundation on which our global civilisation sits is built upon the destruction and exploitation of our natural world. This hypocrisy that we live in is more apparent in some areas than others and working with Rainforest Trust often highlights to us the scale bio-diversity is up against, the fight for people in indigenous communities to protect their ways of life and how important it is to protect their habitats and share the world we live in, which is in such a delicate balance. 

“The Batang Toru ecosystem suffers from habitat fragmentation and habitat loss due to large-scale infrastructure projects, such as mining, agroforestry plantations, and hydropower in the surrounding forest.” This concern has been highlighted by the fact that Sumatra is one of the last refuges for many critically endangered species, and new discoveries are seemingly made daily. 

One of these new discoveries is that of Lithocarpus Tapanuliensis, a rare variety of new oak tree whose acorns are an important food source for the world’s most endangered great ape, the Tapanuli Orangutan. 

So What Can Be Done?

In other countries, creating wildlife refuges and government-protected wild spaces has effectively curbed damaging developments in the area. For example, off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, a marine sanctuary has been established, preventing commercial fishing vessels from operating in that area. This has resulted in a renewal of natural life in the marine reserve, even more than what was expected from the action. 

The Indonesian government could enact similar programs to curb the destruction of their environment. Read More >

3. The Hidden Potential of Planting Grasslands

Planting trees is one nature-based solution to combat climate change and absorb and store greenhouse emissions, but it isn’t the only thing we can plant to mitigate emissions.  

Planting grasslands, areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses rather than large trees or shrubs can help absorb and store billions of tonnes of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions and support native species that depend on them. 

Native grasses have deep, extensive root systems which help hold soil in place and prevent erosion. Grasslands can regulate water flow and improve water quality by filtering out pollutants and absorbing excess nutrients. They also help to decrease flooding and recharge groundwater supplies, Rainforest Trust supports saving grassland projects through the world, the UK Today, it's a very different picture. Our countryside fields might look green and vibrant, but many have lost the diverse nature they once held. Increasing development and pollution, as well as intensive farming methods and the government policies that shape them, have all played a part in their decline.

Rich in biodiversity, wild grasslands are an enormously valuable habitat.

Every plant, insect, bird and mammal they support plays an important role in our ecosystem. But these grasslands rich with species have almost disappeared, and we need to conserve what's left. This is why the Surrey neighbourhood plan is an utter disaster and despite huge calls from local people and letters to our MPs and government parties over the years the development of the Horsleys and other villages, removing land from the protection of the green belt is so upsetting. 

Yes we need more housing is one argument, but these grasslands, might look like un-used land hold an amazing array of food and nutrients for wildlife.

Read More >

Write to your local MP! & see Save Our Wild Isles for more ways to get involved. 

... but the good news is... UK's largest wildflower grassland is being planted right now!