Fwd: [Digests of SEU International] Positive news №78
Mark Haubner
From: Svet Zabelin <svet...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 11, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Subject: [Digests of SEU International] Positive news №78
To: Goldman Prize Winners Network <goldma...@googlegroups.com>, Digests of Socio-Ecological Union International <digest-eng_seu...@googlegroups.com>, Living earth <livin...@googlegroups.com>, Elena Kruglikova <rseu....@gmail.com>
Dear friends and co-fighters!
Welcome to the next issue of Positive News.
You can see it with photos on our webs https://ecodelo1.livejournal.com/149833.html
Let you spread it among your friends and co-fighters in your countries and around the Earth.
We will be glad to receive and publish your positive news from the fields and offices.
Welcome to send us photos of your country's Nature Reserves.
Sviatoslav Zabelin, SEU coordinator
Digest of Socio-Ecological Union International for December 11, 2025. №78
The Golden Mountains of Altai is the name under which UNESCO inscribed three sites of the Altai Mountains in Russia on the World Heritage List on December 5, 1998:
• Altai Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of Lake Teletskoye (965,753 ha);
• Katun Nature Reserve and Belukha Mountain Buffer Zone (392,800 ha);
• Ukok plateau (252,904 ha).
The choice of these territories is due to the fact that they collectively represent the most complete alternation of zones of alpine vegetation in Siberia: steppe, forest-steppe, mixed forests, subalpine and alpine belts. In addition, the importance of these areas for the conservation of populations of such rare animals as the snow leopard, Siberian ibex and Altai argali was taken into account.
A dramatic rebound in clean-tech stocks has investors in the green economy hoping they can finally turn the page on years of punishing underperformance. The S&P’s main gauge tracking clean energy is up about 50% this year, significantly outpacing most other stock indexes, due to factors such as demand for energy to power data centers and China’s drive to build out its low-carbon economy. Despite the rebound, some investors are cautious, warning that the rally may be tied to AI and that some clean-tech stocks may be overvalued, with concerns that a bursting AI bubble could drag down the alternative energy sector. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-02/green-investors-enjoy-huge-returns-that-defy-trump-attacks?srnd=phx-green
In 2024, global investments in the "energy transition" amounted to 2.4 trillion US dollars, which is 20% more than the average annual level of 2022/2023. About a third of this amount, or 807 billion US dollars, was allocated to renewable energy sources. Investments in renewable energy-electric power, networks and energy storage systems exceeded investments in "fossil energy", including electricity generation, exploration, production, transportation and processing of oil and gas, coal mining and related infrastructure. Global investments in solar energy reached a record 554 billion US dollars in 2024 (69% of investments in renewable energy), an increase of 49% year-on-year. "Solar photovoltaic installations are the only renewable energy technology, the current level of investment in which practically corresponds to the IRENA 1.5°C Warming scenario, and the investment level in 2024 is close to the average annual level required for the period up to 2030," the report says. Cost reduction and increased political support around the world are the main drivers of growth. Combined, solar photovoltaic, onshore and offshore wind power accounted for 93% of total investments. https://www.irena.org/Publications/2025/Nov/Global-landscape-of-energy-transition-finance-2025
Pakistan’s solar revolution continues to reshape global energy markets through an unprecedented grassroots adoption that defies conventional wisdom about the transition of developing nations. What began as an economic necessity in 2024 has evolved into the world’s most compelling example of bottom-up renewable energy transformation, positioning Pakistan as an unexpected leader in clean energy deployment. According to Renewables First & Herald Analytics, in its study, “The Great Solar Rush in Pakistan,” published in 2024, the market dynamics, rather than climate concerns, drive this solar rush. Electricity prices that jumped 155% over three years created unbearable financial pressure on Pakistani households and businesses. Grid electricity costs exceeded rent payments for many families, forcing consumers to seek alternatives that traditional energy policy never anticipated. Grid reliability problems that plagued Pakistan for decades also created perfect conditions for this solar boom. Rolling blackouts lasting 12 to 14 hours daily in some rural areas forced communities to seek reliable alternatives. Even in grid-connected areas, frequent power disruptions made solar-plus-battery systems economically attractive. Chinese solar panel oversupply provided the perfect solution at the perfect time. Pakistan became the third-largest destination for Chinese solar exports as manufacturers competed for new markets amid domestic overproduction. The absence of import tariffs on solar equipment accelerated this Pakistan solar revolution by keeping panel costs low for desperate consumers. https://happyeconews.com/pakistans-solar-revolution/
Since New York City introduced congestion pricing in January 2025, the state has heralded significant reductions in traffic and rush hour delays, fewer crashes and noise complaints, and toll revenue projected to hit $500 million by the end of the year. Now, Cornell researchers have tallied the environmental benefits. In the first six months of the program, air pollution—in the form of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller—dropped by 22% in the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), which encompasses all local streets and avenues at or below 60th Street in Manhattan. The team also reported declines across the city's five boroughs and surrounding suburbs. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-nyc-congestion-pricing-air-pollution.html
Germany has quietly become home to over one million tiny solar power plants hanging from apartment balconies and mounted on terraces across the country. These plug-and-play solar systems, called “Balkonkraftwerke” in German, reached this milestone by late June 2025, showing how regular people are taking clean energy into their own hands. Official registration numbers show 975,582 systems by mid-2025, but experts believe the real total exceeds one million when you count delayed registrations and systems people haven’t officially reported yet. This German balcony solar revolution represents a major shift in how Germans generate their own electricity, especially for the millions who rent their homes. German balcony solar systems are simple enough for anyone to install without calling an electrician. Each German balcony solar system typically includes two solar panels and a small device called a micro-inverter that converts the sun’s energy into electricity you can use in your home. The whole thing plugs into a regular wall outlet, just like plugging in a toaster or television. German regulations limit each system to between 600 and 800 watts of power. That might not sound like much, but an 800-watt system produces about 760 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. That’s enough to run your refrigerator, charge laptops, power LED lights, and handle other small appliances throughout the year. https://happyeconews.com/german-balcony-solar-balconkraftwerke/
After a record number of proposals focused on sharks, this year’s meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) ended with new protections for basking and white sharks, reduced catch limits for South Atlantic shortfin makos, and procedural advances for enforcing shark measures. For the seventeenth year, efforts to strengthen ICCAT’s shark finning ban were thwarted. “New retention bans for basking and white sharks will close gaps in the protection of these globally threatened species by bolstering national bans and helping countries to fulfill obligations under environmental treaties,” said Ali Hood, Director of Conservation for the Shark Trust. “We’re hopeful that the new commitment to ensure fishermen promptly and carefully release these sharks will spark development of safe handling protocols for maximizing survival. We thank the UK for carefully shepherding these safeguards to final adoption this week.” ICCAT scientists are updating population assessments for shortfin mako sharks and report that fishing mortality remains excessive. Advice for rebuilding the South Atlantic population led fishing countries to agree a 50% reduction in the region’s total allowable catch (accounting for landings and mortality from discarding), down to 1000 metric tons annually. https://sharkleague.org/2025/11/24/shark-conservation-advances-at-international-atlantic-tuna-conference/
A Hawaii federal judge has reinstated a ban on commercial fishing in one of the Pacific Ocean’s largest protected areas, blocking industry access and reaffirming U.S. conservation laws. The decision safeguards nearly half a million square miles of ocean that remain some of the planet’s last truly pristine waters. The ruling applies to the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, an expanse of 490,000 square miles that was first set aside more than 15 years ago to preserve biodiversity and cultural heritage. The decision prohibits commercial fishing in waters between 50 and 200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll, Jarvis Island, and Wake Island, restoring the protections that had been stripped away under a 2025 Trump administration proclamation. These waters contain ecosystems that are exceptionally rare in today’s ocean. Vast coral reefs, some dating back 5,000 years, provide habitat for sharks, rays, marlin, and tuna. Sea turtles, including endangered leatherbacks, use the area as critical nesting and feeding grounds. Millions of seabirds migrate through these skies, including the world’s largest known colony of red-tailed tropicbirds. For conservation groups, the court’s ruling is a vital safeguard for species and habitats already stressed by climate change. https://happyeconews.com/commercial-fishing-ban-in-protected-pacific-area/
England extended its ban on burning in peat bogs on September 9, 2025, protecting an area the size of Devon from a practice that releases vast stores of carbon and destroys fragile ecosystems. The new rules, taking effect on September 30, now cover 676,628 hectares of deep peat, up from 222,000 previously, and aim to safeguard some of the nation’s most important natural carbon sinks. For decades, controlled burning in peat bogs has been used to manage grouse shooting estates by promoting heather growth, providing food and cover for red grouse. But this traditional land-management method has come at an immense ecological cost. Burning dries out peat soils, releasing carbon stored for thousands of years and eroding habitats vital to birds, insects, and rare plants. https://happyeconews.com/englands-ban-on-burning-in-peat-bogs/
Norway has halted its plans to open large Arctic areas for deep-seabed mining after the opposition Socialist Left Party (SV) secured a pause in a late-night budget agreement with the government. The decision suspends all licensing for seabed mineral exploration and extraction through 2025, marking the most significant political shift yet in Norway’s emerging deep-sea mining ambitions. Announcing the deal, SV leader Kirsti Bergstø said there would be “no licensing round and no announcement of one.” The halt applies to all planned licensing processes in Norwegian waters, including areas in the Arctic where the potential environmental impact has drawn international concern. https://www.arctictoday.com/norway-freezes-plans-for-arctic-seabed-mining-after-budget-deal/
Kenya’s Environment and Land Court has upheld a 2019 ruling that revoked the environmental license for the proposed 1,050-megawatt Lamu coal-fired power plant, effectively halting the controversial project. Justice Francis Njoroge dismissed an appeal from the Amu Power Company, finding the project’s environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) was inadequate and public participation deficient. The decision caps years of litigation and local resistance to the plant slated for Kenya’s Lamu archipelago. The group of islands are home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site with mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs that underpin fisheries and tourism. Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) issued Amu Power the original license for the plant in 2016. It immediately met opposition from Save Lamu, a coalition of some 40 civil society groups, and the deCOALonize campaign, a regional movement opposed to coal development. They argued that the ESIA overlooked risks to health and biodiversity and failed to adequately consult the public. In 2019, the National Environmental Tribunal (NET) voided the license, citing poor disclosure and inadequate outreach to potentially impacted communities. NET declared that, “public participation is the oxygen that gives life to an ESIA report.” https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/kenya-court-upholds-cancellation-of-1050-mw-coal-plant-license/
Spain’s marine protected areas have grown by 17,000 square kilometers as the country designated five new ocean reserves and one special zone for seabirds. That’s an area roughly the size of Kuwait or about four times larger than Rhode Island, now off-limits to destructive fishing and industrial activities. The move brings Spain’s marine protected areas to 22.45 percent of its ocean territory, putting the country within reach of its target to safeguard 25 percent of its waters by the end of next year. The expansion directly supports international ocean protection goals set by the European Union and the United Nations. The newly protected sites include underwater mountains in the Mallorca Channel, the canyon system near Capbreton, special geological formations called pockmarks at Seco de Palos, underwater banks in the Alboran Sea, and coastal waters along central Catalonia. These areas contain rare deep-sea corals, unique marine creatures, and critical feeding grounds for endangered species. https://happyeconews.com/spains-marine-protected-areas/
Establishing the first Indigenous protected area in the Bolivian Amazon took years and involved local communities, NGOs and the government. This natural reserve is home to five Indigenous peoples of the Bolivian Amazon, who act as the guardians of Loma Santa. Imperiled by illegal logging, communities hope new tools will make combating the exploitation of their natural resources more effective. The protected area emerged from the first Indigenous territorial autonomy in the Bolivian Amazon, where the communities have their own system of self-governance. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/loma-santa-marks-first-indigenous-protected-area-in-the-bolivian-amazon/
The beaver’s return to Portugal marks a pivotal moment in the country’s environmental recovery and rewilding efforts. After more than five centuries of absence, signs of the Eurasian beaver have been recorded along the rivers of northern Portugal, thanks to improved waterway conditions and habitat reconnection with neighbouring Spain. This milestone comes as part of the broader rewilding movement supported by conservation group Rewilding Portugal. Their goal is to restore natural processes and help ecosystems become more self-sustaining. The beaver’s natural ability to engineer landscapes by building dams, cutting trees, and creating wetlands makes it a valuable ally in river restoration and biodiversity protection. Once native to the region, the Eurasian beaver disappeared from Portugal more than five centuries ago due to overhunting and habitat loss. At the time, beavers were widely targeted for their fur, meat, and scent glands, which were used in traditional medicine. Centuries of human activity, particularly riverbank development, deforestation, and pollution, made it nearly impossible for the species to survive in the wild. https://happyeconews.com/beavers-return-to-portugal/
When only seven wild crested ibises were recorded in Yangxian county, Shaanxi province, in 1981, it was thought they were the last of their kind. Immediate action was taken to save these long-legged wading "oriental gems" from extinction, and after years of conservation efforts, the formerly critically endangered bird species has a global population surpassing 10,000, with roughly 6,000 of them in Yangxian. Crested ibises have a striking appearance, standing at around 75 centimeters, with a white to salmon-pink plumage, and a dense white crest sitting atop the head. This significant achievement in conservation has come about due to the consistent efforts of local authorities to enhance in situ conservation for the species, according to Wang Chao, a senior expert with the Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve. Hanzhong is a prefecture-level area that oversees Yangxian. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/08/WS69362ba0a310d6866eb2d600.html
Far beneath the ocean's surface, researchers have found bacteria that can digest plastic, using specialized enzymes that evolved alongside humanity's synthetic debris. A large-scale global study by scientists at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) revealed that these marine microbes are widespread and genetically prepared to consume polyethylene terephthalate (PET) -- the tough plastic used in everyday items like drink bottles and fabrics. Their remarkable ability stems from a distinct structural feature on a plastic-degrading enzyme called PETase. This feature, known as the M5 motif, acts as a molecular signature that signals when an enzyme can truly break down PET. "The M5 motif acts like a fingerprint that tells us when a PETase is likely to be functional, able to break down PET plastic," explains Carlos Duarte, a marine ecologist and co-leader of the study. "Its discovery helps us understand how these enzymes evolved from other hydrocarbon-degrading enzymes," he says. "In the ocean, where carbon is scarce, microbes seem to have fine-tuned these enzymes to make use of this new, human-made carbon source: plastic." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013023.htm
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