This week’s good climate news

With so much still to do to slow warming and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, it’s important to fortify ourselves by celebrating wins along the way.

By
The Fat Bear Week champion, bear 747, stands in a stream

Meet your Fat Bear King, long may he reign

The internet has spoken! On Tuesday, Bear 747, affectionately known as Bear Force One, was crowned the winner of Fat Bear Week 2022. We’re already counting down to next year’s week of chonky lads and lasses!

This is 747's second win; his first was in 2020. The Otis Fund, named for previous champion 480 Otis, raises funds for the Katmai National Park and Preserve, and the first $200,000 will be matched by explore.org. 

A row of wind turbines

Winds blowing strong in Scotland

Scotland produced record-breaking renewable electricity figures. With windier conditions and greater capacity, the nation generated a 36% increase of renewable gigawatt hours in April, May and June compared with the same time period in 2021.

This record-setting power generation is seen as a great opportunity for Scotland on its path to being a net-zero nation.

A large solar panel array

Greece goes 100% renewable (for a bit)

For one shining moment that lasted at least five hours, Greece ran entirely on renewable energy and met 100% of its electricity demands. By powering the country with clean energy sources, Greece reached a record high of 3,106 megawatt hours. 

Greece is aiming to have a 15 gigawatt increase in renewable energy capacity by 2030, and after this incredible success, some analysts think it may be reached even sooner. 

An electric delivery truck driving down a road

Amazon making electric deliveries a Prime priority

Amazon announced a $970 million investment to electrify its European fleet. The investment will finance additional electric delivery vans and long-haul electric trucks, plus the company expects to rely more on e-bike and on-foot delivery in populated cities.

This will increase the European fleet's electric delivery vans to 10,000 and add more than 1,500 long-haul electric trucks.

Along the banks of the River Thames

Fish find the Thames mainstream

A two-year restoration project is complete and a new channel of the River Thames reopened to wildlife. For the first time since the 1890s, fish populations can once again swim and spawn at the Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve. 

“It would be hard to overstate the importance of this project,” Chief Executive Estelle Bailey said, calling it a “beacon of hope in the fight against climate change.” 

Let’s take action on climate together