Here are some positive news stories from around the world this week:
– In Europe, the European Union passed landmark biodiversity legislation that requires member states to begin restoring a fifth of the bloc’s land and oceans by the end of the decade. The legislation also aims to mitigate climate change and the effect of natural disasters. Regions with the most potential to capture and store carbon will be prioritized under the legislation, as well as habitats in poor health and in Natura 2000 sites. Environmental activists have welcomed the move, and Greenpeace has hailed it as a “ray of hope for Europe’s future.”
– In Thailand, lawmakers have backed a marriage equality bill that will make Thailand the first nation in south-east Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. The legislation gives LGBTQ+ and straight couples the same legal rights and follows two decades of campaigning by activists. The bill still needs rubber-stamping by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, but his endorsement is considered a formality, meaning the legislation will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
– In Scotland, beavers that were reintroduced to a rainforest 15 years ago have engineered a habitat boost for threatened water voles, paving the way for the latter’s return. Flooding caused by beaver dams in Knapdale, Argyll and Bute has created a natural ‘edge habitat’ along the banks of watercourses, which would enable water voles to shield their burrows from predatory mink. Scottish water voles have plummeted population-wise by 90% since 1950. Pete Creech from the Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation said water voles were themselves important ecosystem engineers and helped wildflowers to flourish. “We’d love to see water voles return to Knapdale, and the beavers have been busily creating the complex wetlands they favour,” he said.
– In Wales, thanks to a reintroduction project led by conservationists, the marsh fritillary butterfly, one of Europe’s most endangered butterflies, is back from the dead in a quiet corner of the south Wales valleys. The region has traditionally been a stronghold for the butterfly, but overgrazing has left it clinging to survival. Following a captive breeding programme, caterpillars were released on Llantrisant common in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Marsh fritillaries have since been recorded mating and laying eggs there for the first time in 20 years. The next phase of the rescue mission will be to restore the butterfly’s ‘rhôs pasture’ habitat of wildflower-rich, marshy grassland. “It’s thrilling to see this iconic species back in Llantrisant,” said Rob Parry, CEO of Initiative for Nature
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