August positive news
Ten positive environmental news stories from this month.
Article by: Eveline Vouillemin
As summer comes to an end, there’s plenty of great environmental action to look back on. From rainforest restoration, to activist nuns, August saw lots of positive news for the planet.
1. Plan to restore west Wales' Celtic rainforests
Rainforests used to cover much of the west coast of Britain, but were destroyed over hundreds of years. Today, only a few remain. But thanks to Wales' rainy weather, some could be returned, with the latest restoration project planned in Pembrokeshire. The proposal has the potential to improve habitats for wildlife in the area.
Find out more on the BBC website.
2. First barn owl chicks hatch in conservation scheme
The first chicks have hatched as part of a project to boost barn owl numbers in North Yorkshire. More than 50 specially-designed nesting boxes have been installed across the Howardian Hills National Landscape in a link-up with farmers and land managers.
Find out more on the BBC website.
3. A small group of nuns are vexing big companies with their investment activism
Among corporate America's most persistent shareholder activists are 80 nuns in a monastery outside Kansas City.
The Benedictine sisters of Mount St Scholastica have taken on the likes of Google, Target and Citigroup - calling on major companies to do everything from AI oversight to measuring pesticides to respecting the rights of Indigenous people.
Find out more on the Euronews website.
4. Countries' climate obligations could be legally defined at top UN court in December
A date has been set for public hearings at the International Court of Justice which could help define countries' legal obligations to fight climate change.
The top United Nations court announced that public hearings will open on 2 December in a landmark case seeking a non-binding advisory opinion on "the obligations of States in respect of climate change."
Find out more on the Euronews website.
5. River reconnected to floodplain to boost habitats
Work to reconnect a river with its floodplain, in order to improve wildlife habitats, has been completed. The improvements, which took place in Ullswater, in Cumbria, were made by incorporating natural features within the river and floodplain, including lowering artificial embankments, blocking ditches and creating ponds.
Rebecca Powell, from the National Trust, said the project would improve the "long-term resilience of Ullswater's rivers, wildlife and communities".
Find out more on the BBC website.
6. A conveyor belt road could help Japan slash transport emissions
The latest plans for a 500 km conveyor belt road between Tokyo and Osaka were unveiled last month. It could help Japan tackle two problems at once: greenhouse gas emissions and a shortage of lorry drivers.
They show goods being transported either on belts running down the middle of highways, alongside hard shoulders, or through underground tunnels in automated, driverless electric vehicles.
Find out more on the Euronews website.
7. Local children campaign for cleaner river
The River Wye is one of the longest rivers in the UK, stretching across England and Wales. But like lots of rivers in the UK it has a problem with pollution.
A report published in April this year said that the river had "excess nutrients" that harm the plant and animal life in the water. Now. children in Herefordshire are campaigning to protect the river and keep it clean.
Find out more on the BBC Newsround website.
8. The world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger ferry comes to San Francisco.
On San Francisco Bay, the world's first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger ferry will start operating. It will transport up to 75 passengers along the waterfront between Pier 41 and the downtown San Francisco ferry terminal. The service will be free for six months while it's being run as part of a pilot program.
Find out more on the Euronews website.
9. Citizen scientists test Thames pollution
Water companies that pollute the River Thames have "no accountability", a group of citizen scientists who monitor the waterway have said.
The group, which includes individuals from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and Water Testing River Thames (WTRT), have been testing at 24 sites between Oxford and Teddington, west London, between mid-March and mid-August.
Find out more on the BBC website.
10. Artists get creative to help centuries-old tree
Artists are helping preserve one of the largest and oldest London plane trees in the UK. About 90 creatives have produced works based on the tree in the gardens of the King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire. Their work will be shown at an exhibition next month to help raise the £60,000 needed for work to protect the tree.
Find out more on the BBC website.