Thought you might enjoy some good news on the green front (courtesy of Abbie Barrett in Body & Soul )…

• Due to conservation efforts, the U.S. has gained forestland at an average of 392,898 acres per year.  This estimate is based on data from the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations between 2000 & 2005.

• Many animal populations are on their way to recovery due to protection provided by the Endangered Species Act… including grizzly bears, bald eagles & gray wolves.

• The construction industry is spending $464 million every business day on projects that register with LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design).  By 2010, it’s estimated that 10% of new commercial construction will be green.

• The organics market has grown nearly 20% per year over the past seven years. There is organic farmland in every one of the 50 U.S. states, which totals more than four million acres.  About 75 million acres of organic production are supported globally.

• Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), which use 75% less energy than incandescents, now represent 20% of the lightbulb market. In 2007, Americans bought nearly twice as many CFLs as they did in 2006.

• In April the EPA announced that carbon dioxide & other greenhouse gases do pose a threat to public health.  Under the Clean Air Act, that means the EPA now has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide & other greenhouse gases along with other pollutants.

• Thanks to reduced air pollution, life expectancy has increased by five months in 51 cities across the U.S. In cities with the most pollution but the best cleanup efforts, the average life expectancy of their residents has increased ten months.

• And, in more good air news, a 2006 study suggests that the ozone layer has stopped eroding in some areas. It’s even been suggested that it’s showing signs of improvement.  This recovery is attributed partly to the Montreal Protocol of 1987, which phased out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons.

Sooooo… We can make a difference.  Small changes can have large results & big changes can change our world!