Positive human impact on the environment – yes, it’s possible

1. Wildlife conservation really can work 

Efforts to protect endangered species and restore their habitats are among the most important steps we can take to make a positive impact on the natural world. And they work. A 2024 study published in Science, provides encouraging evidence of the success of these interventions, with two-thirds of the cases examined revealing that conservation either improved the state of biodiversity or at least slowed declines. But to truly address the global biodiversity crisis, these efforts must be scaled up, the study concluded.

That’s why initiatives like the Great American Outdoors Act are so important. Passed in 2020, it awarded public lands nearly $10 billion – the most money that Congress has spent on national parks since the 1950s. The act also reserves funds for forests, refuges and future land purchases. 

Successful conservation stories, such as the rebound of the bald eagle in North America and the reintroduction of the European bison in Romania, further underline the impact of these efforts. 

2. Agriculture’s impact is huge – and it doesn’t have to be negative

Agriculture currently accounts for around a quarter of the world’s carbon emissions. It also uses huge amounts of water, drives deforestation, and creates pollution in the form of pesticides and fertilisers that end up in waterways, affecting sea life. But agriculture has huge potential to make a positive impact on the environment too. Sustainable practices such as organic farming, decrease the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, lower greenhouse gas emissions and enhance soil health. They also help farmers adapt to and mitigate climate change effects.

Regenerative agriculture is a form of sustainable agriculture that goes a step further. By working with nature to restore soil and ecosystems, this farming method aims to ensure positive human impact on the environment now and in the future. The idea is that when soil is healthy, it produces more and better food, stores more carbon dioxide and boosts biodiversity.

3. Ingenious solutions are helping clean the oceans

Plastic pollution in the oceans is a massive and growing problem for marine wildlife and ecosystems, which play a critical role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Animals can become entangled in plastic bags or ingest microplastics that may eventually enter the human food chain. 

Dutch nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup project has set the ambitious aim of removing 90% of ocean plastic by 2040. Other initiatives, like the Great Bubble Barrier, a surprisingly low-tech solution that creates a screen of bubbles across canals and rivers, aim to stop plastics from ever reaching the ocean.

By far the most important step to protect the oceans from plastic would be to stop producing so much plastic in the first place. In 2022, 175 countries committed to negotiating a global treaty that would curb the flow of plastics, but three years later, they’re still working on coming up with a deal they can all agree on.

4. Renewables are our chance to replace fossil fuels

Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gasses. Solar farms and wind turbines are now common sights, reflecting a significant shift towards sustainable energy. In 2023, global capacity of renewable energy increased by 50%, the fastest growth rate in the past two decades.

Renewables don’t have a positive impact on the planet themselves, but when we use them to replace fossil fuels, they are part of a positive and necessary trend. In 2024, renewable energy growth outpaced fossil fuels for the first time, and the UK even closed its last coal power plant. However, the world still continues to burn fossil fuels at record levels – the transition needs to go much further, much faster.

5. Cities are getting greener

Cities are working to become greener, cooler, healthier to live in and more resilient to climate change. Singapore, which regularly ranks among the world’s 10 greenest cities, has risen to the climate challenge. Its Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme has helped install green roofs and walls, edible gardens and recreational rooftop gardens on over 110 existing buildings since its launch in 2009. It’s a mindset that has taken root: any new developments must include plant life on them now too.

As the majority of the world’s population now lives in cities, city leaders are taking steps to reduce urban heat islands, lower energy consumption and improve air quality. Measures include creating green spaces, promoting public transportation and implementing energy-efficient building codes.  They also support urban biodiversity by offering habitats for birds, insects and other wildlife.

6. Natural solutions are getting a helping hand

Fungi, algae and other living organisms have the remarkable ability to absorb or break down toxic substances like pesticides and heavy metals. This process of using living organisms to remove or neutralize pollutants is called bioremediation. 

Bioremediation is relatively inexpensive, sustainable and can be applied to clean up various contaminated environments without introducing additional chemicals. This is typically done on a large scale, for example at oil spill sites or abandoned mines. But community organizations are also increasingly using bioremediation. 

Upland Grassroots in Limestone, Maine is bioremediating Loring Air Force Base. The site is one of several in the United States with PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) in the soil, which can cause cancer and other negative health effects.   

The site has since been taken over by the M’ikmaq Nation, the Indigenous Tribe of Aroostook County. Tribal members joined forces with scientists to plant fiber hemp to pull the PFAS out of the ground. Although fiber hemp cannot remove all contaminants, the scientists found that a significant number of PFAS chemicals cling to water molecules as they are drawn up the hemp’s stem and leaf tissue. These can then be harvested and moved to a designated waste site, where there is less chance of the chemicals ending up in water sources and spreading to other areas.

7. Countries are coming together to restore nature

In June 2024, the European Council passed the nature restoration law. The landmark law goes beyond protecting nature to bringing it back to places where it has been all but lost. European Union countries will have to restore at least 30% of habitats such as forests, wetlands, rivers, lakes and coral beds from a poor to a good condition by 2030. That target rises to 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050. As part of this, an additional three billion trees will be planted and at least 25,000 km of rivers restored.

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