Good morning!

From scientific discoveries to activist wins, here are the latest news stories that showcase the people who are taking on climate change and nature loss, and winning.

1. Individual actions count more than you think

Beyond recycling or eating local, joining collective action – through pressuring governments and businesses to adopt greener policies and practices – is undoubtedly the most impactful way a single person can tackle climate change. But, as this article highlights, while a shift in focus away from siloed individual action is a good one, your own choices are still valuable in moving the dial.

This is because if you put solar panels on your roof, start cycling to work, or stop eating meat, it’s likely that you’ll influence people around you and set off some kind of chain reaction, one that is largely unaccounted for in conversations about individual climate action. And, far from being separate from or detriment to collective action, encouraging lifestyle changes can actually make it more likely people will push for better public transport in their area, demand incentives on solar panels, etc.

2. Helping tropical forests regrow

A new study has found that an area of degraded tropical forest larger than Mexico has the potential to regrow, and could store 23.4 gigatons of carbon over 30 years. This regrowth can occur using natural restoration techniques, without the need for expensive tree planting projects that start from scratch.

Much of the land researchers identified is currently lying unused, so facilitating regrowth could bring huge benefits like improved water and soil quality, and bringing back biodiversity. But like with all restoration projects, what’s most important for it to work is that power is put in the hands of local communities.

3. Making water from air

A new technique called ‘cloud milking’ is being used to extract water from fog with zero energy use. Where landscapes have been ravaged by forest fires, like in the Canary Islands, this system keeps new trees alive without the need to dig wells or build new infrastructure. In the cloud milking system, inspired by pine needles, sheets of plastic mesh trap moisture from fog and allow it to flow into containers that irrigate the trees. This method even works to supply drinking water, as it’s being used in a Chilean village, and the information to create the system is all open source.