This Valentine’s Day we wanted to write a love letter to the planet, to share some of the good news sustainability stories that don’t always make the headlines!
Tahiti’s Untouched Coral Discovery
A 3km coral reef has recently been discovered off the coast of Tahiti, French Polynesia. Found at depths of 30km below sea level, this is one of the largest coral reef’s discovered at this depth. And what’s even better about this discovery?! The newly discovered coral reef shows no signs of damage from pollution or climate change!
China’s Vertical Forest City
Designed by Italian architect Stefano Boeri, the Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is the first of its kind to open in China. Boeri used 404 local species of tree to clad the building, as well as over 4,000 shrubs and 2,400 square metres of grass, flowers and climbing plants. The studio claim that the building will absorb 22 tons of carbon dioxide per year and produce 11 tons of oxygen per year….not bad for one five storey tower block!
Panda’s no longer classed as ‘Endangered’
Over the last 20 years, the Chinese government have been working to grow the Panda population and protect this beautiful animal from extinction. Since 2003, the Panda habitats in China have grown by over 2,000 square kms which is approximately the size of Yosemite National Park. This has been possible by allowing farming fields to grow back into forests, and planting trees and bamboo to help the habitats recover. As a result of restoring habitats and introducing stricter laws on Panda hunting, the Panda population has grown from 1114 in 2003, to 1864 in the wild which is great news for these cute bundles of fur!
Ecuador expands protected marine area around the Galapagos Islands
Ecuador have expanded its nature reserve around the Galapagos islands by 60,000 square kilometers. The reserve, which is already one of the largest globally, will be 50% larger with the addition of the new expansion. The reserve will be split into two sections, one section will be completely banned from any fishing activity, and the other section will be no-line fishing only. The Galapagos waters are home to lots of different plants and animals which can only be found in these waters. With the expansion of this nature reserve it should continue to protect and nurture this idyllic area of the world to help wildlife thrive!
Photo Credit: Giant pristine coral reef discovered off Tahiti - BBC News
Photo Credit: Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex | Stefano Boeri Architetti