Progress in protecting our planet is being made everywhere, from city streets, to lakes across the world, and even in the stratosphere.
Companies, governments, and people here on Earth are constantly working toward — and succeeding in — creating a cooler future for us all.
Here are three huge wins to celebrate:
The hole in our ozone layer could disappear within the next 50 years
Scientists have predicted that the ozone layer, which acts as Earth's sunscreen by protecting us from too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation, could be fully healed by the year 2070. Since 1987, when the Montreal Protocol was signed by dozens of countries to ban the use of dangerous chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in manufacturing, industries were forced to find alternatives such as HCFCs in order to stop damaging our planet. Since then, over half of these ozone-killing substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.
Dogs are being trained to detect dangerous invasive species
As invasive fish threaten lake and river ecosystems throughout the world, an unlikely hero has come to our rescue: man's best friend. Dogs obviously have good noses, but recent findings suggest that Fido's sense of smell may actually be better at detecting invasive fish than some lab-grade equipment. Since invasive fish, like carp, can decimate aquatic plants and outcompete other animals, stopping their invasions is incredibly important. These highly trained dogs can actually identify bodies of water that have invasive animals before there are too many of them, helping us overhaul how we fight pests.
Ten cities across the globe will receive up to $1 million to become more bike-friendly
Although using bicycles as a mode of transportation can decrease air pollution, some cities just aren't built to be bike-friendly. The Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure has announced that it will be helping 10 cities of 100,000 people or more improve their bike infrastructure through grant funding. Winners of the grant will be chosen based on the ambition and impact of their plans to transform city streets to include safe and sustainable transportation options. These winners, which will be chosen in the spring of 2023, may receive up to $1 million to add bike lanes, which will help stop pollution, traffic, and car crashes.
Follow The Cool Down on Instagram and TikTok.
Cool Picks
