Latest / Mostly Good Environmental News / Mostly Good Environmental News #21
Transcript
- Lenny: Hi, this is Lenny Librizzi, along with Dominique Borrel, Mark Latour, and Charlie Olson. Welcome all of you listeners to the Mostly Good Environmental News Report, where we cover positive local and global environmental issues, milestones, and activities that you may not hear about. Very often the news about the environment is not good. We hear about climate chaos and all of its manifestations. Drought, wildfires, floods, species loss, or the weakening of environmental regulations. But there are good things happening in the environment we will share with you in this podcast. We hope you enjoy listening. For those of you who enjoy looking as well as listening, there is something new in the mostly good environmental news world. Thanks to our co-podcaster Charlie Olson, one of our most popular segments about beavers is now a five-minute video on the Environment TV YouTube channel. It is listed as ⁓ G-E-N ⁓ Wetlands restored by beavers like And now for our first good news segment, the same Charlie Olsen will tell us about the environmental benefits of dam removal. Charlie? charlie olson: Thanks, Lenny, and hope everybody gets to see the videos that we're doing too. Okay. Dams have often been referred to as temples of the modern economy since so many activities are supported by them, like Agriculture, irrigation, water storage, flood control, industrial processes, and of course electricity generation. Considered symbols of economic prosperity, dams were constructed with great gusto. Yet this approach disregarded the ecological footprint of these massive reservoirs. Dams are often responsible for some problems, among them are soil erosion, species extinction, spread of disease, sedimentation, salinization, and water logging. Dams can lead to massive shifts in water distribution across major river systems. As the world tries to make economic sustenance And environmental sustainability work together, we must accept the fact that dams may be detrimental to this attempt. When dams block the flow of water across a river, they trap sediments in their reservoirs. Underwater microbes feed on the organic matter and produce methane, a greenhouse gas that adds to global warming, and dams lead to the fragmentation of rivers and the destruction of surrounding forests. Eliminating valuable carbon sinks. Despite the growing understanding of the adverse impacts of dams upon rivers and declining species, governments around the world are still building hundreds, that's hundreds, of dams across the world's major rivers. From the Amazon and the Yangtze to the Ganges and the Congo. But dams alter the natural flow of the river, fracturing the migratory routes of most fish. As fish are unable to spawn, predators like wading birds, eagles, osprey, herons, egrets, and including bears, big cats, otters, turtles, pike, and dolphins go hungry, and countless other threatened species depend on undisturbed river ecosystems for survival. As dams impede the flow of rivers, they also deter the flow of vital nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, silicone, and phosphorus. Sediment in the reservoir leads to increased nutrient retention upstream, depriving the downstream areas of nutrient rich sediments altogether. The Amazon River, which supports the largest rainforest in the world, is expected to have two hundred new dams in the next decade. This will have disastrous impacts on the Amazonian ecosystem. As the downstream areas receive fewer nutrients, the soil gradually loses its fertility and is unable to support the flora and fauna of the region. Supporters of these projects argue that dams allow for the preservation and storage of water. But dams and reservoirs have a much greater surface area than the rivers that feed them, and the nutrients Nutrient-rich water in reservoirs promotes plant growth. The water exposed to the sun and the plants' transpiration speed up evaporation, leading to immense loss of precious water. Some would argue, though, that economic growth should be a nation's foremost priority, and that any means to achieve that stands justified. However, as the world currently deals with global warming, pollution, and loss of biodiversity, among the most Most challenging battles in human history, it is imperative that we work towards a more sustainable relationship with Mother Nature. The irreparable damage inflicted upon the environment will ultimately befall humanity in the years to come, and will reverse decades of economic growth. In the United States, people are beginning to see the environmentally destructive aspect of dams and are working to remove. Move obsolete dams. Recently, four major hydroelectric dams on the Klamat River in Oregon and California were dismantled in the biggest dam removal project in history. While dams that are critical for flood regulation, water storage, or irrigation must stay in place, many no longer serve any purpose whatsoever and are at risk of collapse. In fact, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, 17,000 US dams, that's 17,000 just. In the United States, are high hazard risks. And there are hundreds of thousands of smaller, unregulated, privately owned dams that block waterways. Hydropower dams have long been a source of inexpensive energy, but they destroy reparian ecosystems, fragmenting habitat, reducing biodiversity, reducing groundwater, lowering water tables, and depleting aquifiers. And the cost of repair Can outstrip the many, many benefits. Fewer than 3% of the country's dams even generate power. Last year, most sections of the country's rivers were reconnected thanks to dam removals than at any other time in our history. In twenty twenty five, more than one hundred dams were dismantled in thirty US states, reconnecting five thousand miles of waterways. The resulting free flowing waterways are healthier, they're cooler, they're less prone to algae blooms, and serve as vital habitat for migratory fish and other aquatic lands. Life. Once dams are removed, migratory fish like the chinnick, the salmon, the river herring, the shad, and striped bass can freely swim upstream to reach historic spawning grounds. Fortunately, more elected officials, bankers, environmentalists, and engineers are getting the message that these older, functionalist dams need to be removed. So the undaming of America has begun. And with dam removals, river oxygen is boosted, water temperatures are lowered, connectivity is restored, fish and wildlife return, and the rivers begin to flow freely again, the way Mother Nature intended. And that is very good news for fish, and very good news for the environment, and very good news for us. And now Linny will report on mangrove forest recovery. Lenny: Thanks, Charlie. The good news is that coastal mangrove forests throughout the world are coming back. For those of you not familiar with mangrove trees and forests, they can be found in tropical and subtropical areas along the coast, and they grow in salty or brackish water. They are an important tree species for the environment as they can store up to five times. as much carbon dioxide as a typical forest, and their complex root systems protect coastal communities from storm surges and tsunamis, while providing habitat, food, and protection for many fish species. A new study shows that since 2010 the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing. This is happening for a number of reasons, and again, public awareness and action has played a role. Mangroves showed their value in the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 as coastal areas and islands with intact mangrove forest experienced little damage. While areas where mangrove forests have been cut down for fish farming or to expand coastal cities suffered extensive damage. After that, tsunami mangrove forests began to receive legal protection spurred by the increased public awareness of their importance. In some places, restoration efforts have helped the forest grow and recover, but In another example of the resilience of nature, the mangrove forests regenerate on their own once humans stop cutting them down. This has allowed mangrove forests to expand in Myanmar thanks to a logging ban in 2016 and to have no net loss in Indonesia. There are still some issues in certain parts of the world as petroleum. Pollution in West and Central Africa has had negative impacts on mangrove forests in those areas. And some mangrove recovery, especially in Brazil, can be traced to increased nutrients in the Amazon Delta due to the destruction of forests further upstream. A double edged sword, if you will. The recovery of the mangrove forests is good news for the communities they protect, good news for the marine life they support, and good news for their ability to sequester carbon and combat climate chaos. For all of these reasons, the recovery of mangrove forests is good news for the environment. And now Mark Latour will share a couple of short snippets of good news. Mark? Mark: Thank you, Lenny. I'm gonna mention a couple advances in the solar power and then a couple advances in the land conservation. So the first, Creek Energy, just closed on a $3.5 billion financing for one of the biggest solar and battery projects in the U.S. this year. The funding supports construction of the first two phases of the Steel River Energy Center in Arkansas. The project will deliver over one and a half gigawatts. ⁓ of solar and about two gigawatt hours of battery storage. A large technology company is already in place as the buyer. The deal underscores how solar power remains a key part of the nation's energy mix, despite President Trump's attacks against clean energy. In the first quarter of this year, solar and battery storage made up 91% of new U.S. power generation capacity additions. The European Union is betting that the future of its energy system lies under the North African sun. In recent months, the European Commission pledged $30 billion to renewable projects in North Africa. Which could feed electricity back into Europe's grid. The dream is that solar panels in sun-soaked Sahara Desert and wind turbines along the southern shores of the Mediterranean generate electricity that is then sent through high-voltage transmission lines under the sea and into Europe's grid. One of these undersea transmission lines would go from Morocco into Spain. And the other major transmission line would go from Tunisia into Italy. That electricity would replace imported fossil fuels, helping Europe meet its electrification and climate targets. The conflict with Iran has once again exposed the risks and expense of over-reliance on fossil fuels. With respect to land conservation, in May of 2026, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced that the state had acquired the 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch in the Western Hill Country, paving the way for what will become the second largest state park in Texas after Big Bend Ranch State Park. The property features rugged canyons, spring-fed streams, and sweeping hill country vistas. Once opened, the new park will provide opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, and wildlife viewing. The majority of funds for the purchase came from the private Moody Foundation, which is based in Galveston. The rest of the investment came from the state's Centennial Parks Recreation Fund, which is in turn funded by a state sales tax on sporting goods. The sales tax became law and Through a statewide ballot initiative in 2023. The $1 billion fund designates money to create and expand state parks across Texas. It would be great if more states would use a ballot initiative like this to fund the creation and expansion of parks. But this acquisition is great news for people and for wildlife in Texas. Closer to home, New York State has become active in conserving lakeside parcels in the Finger Lakes. In 2025, the state purchased a 90-acre Boy Scout camp on Cayuga Lake. The parcel, now named Three Falls State Park, contains three waterfalls and a half mile of shoreline. And just this past month, the state's Department of Environmental Conservation purchased a 284-acre Boy Scout camp. with a half mile of shoreline on Seneca Lake. The purchase was made with funds from the state's Environmental Bond Act, which was passed by voters in a ballot initiative in 2022. The parcel includes cabins, lodges, a mess hall, a shooting range, a fully stocked pond, and a dock on Seneca Lake. The state will manage the parcel for recreation, protection of drinking water, And ecosystem reliance. By permanently conserving the campground, the lake will be protected from nutrient and sediment inputs that come with development. These recent land conservations are really good news for the environment. And now to Dominique and Black Rhino Conservation in southern Africa. Lenny: Thank you for listening to the Mostly Good Environmental News Report. We hope you enjoyed hearing some good news. If you like what you heard about dam removal, land preservation, or mangrove forests, or our other good news items, please share with your friends and listen to more episodes of the Mostly Good Environmental News Report wherever you listen to podcasts. A special thank you to Fred Duca for the original music compositions we are using in this podcast. Here is a little bit of that music. Bye for now.