💚 A Case of Climate Justice 🇪🇺
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
Happy Wednesday 👋
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- Why a European Court declared climate change a violation of human rights 🇪🇺
- How Amazon is using AI to increase sustainability 📦
- Why the US has put limits on chemicals found in drinking water 💧
- And more… 💚
If you are like me, then you are probably also frustrated with our governments’ inaction on climate change…
Lucky for us, there is a group of Swiss women who sued their government over and won the case!
This is not just big news because previously, similar climate cases were thrown out by judges…
…but this is also a landmark decision that holds governments accountable!
🇪🇺 European Court Declares Government Inaction on Climate Change a Violation of Human Rights
1️⃣ The big picture: The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in a case brought by an association of older Swiss women, known as KlimaSeniorinnen, who were concerned about the impact of climate change on their health. The court found that the Swiss government’s failure to take adequate action on climate change violated Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) and Article 6 (right to a fair trial).
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This decision is significant as it establishes that the right to a healthy environment, including protection from the adverse effects of climate change, falls within the framework of human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ruling sets a precedent for future climate-related cases, and highlights the obligations of European states to take effective measures to address climate change under Article 8 of the ECHR.
3️⃣ What’s next: This decision represents a significant step forward in recognizing the link between climate change and human rights and underscores the urgency of taking effective action to address the climate crisis. It also puts pressure on future governments to recognize the severity of and combat climate change.
Related: If you want to learn more about how you can mitigate climate change, check out these articles:
- 4 Main Reasons Why Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Is Important
- Best Carbon Offsets
- Which Energy Sources Have the Lowest Carbon Footprint?
📢 More Good News…
How wind turbines can be made more environmentally friendly:
- Swedish company Modivon is pioneering a greener approach to wind turbine towers by using laminated veneer lumber instead of steel.
- Wind turbine blades are typically made from steel, the production of which emits significant amounts of CO2. By using wood, Modivon reduces a turbine’s life cycle emissions by over 25%, with the tower component alone seeing a reduction of up to 90%.
- Modvion plans to scale up its operations and six-megawatt turbines by 2027. There is also the potential to make wooden turbine blades, which addresses the environmental concerns associated with conventional fiberglass.
📦How Amazon is using AI to increase sustainability:
- More than 50% of Amazon’s shipments in Europe are now shipped in recyclable, lightweight packaging or with no additional packaging at all.
- Amazon’s “Ships in Product Packaging” program uses artificial intelligence to identify products that can be shipped without any additional packaging. This reduces resource consumption, transportation emissions, and costs.
- Amazon plans to introduce 120 pieces of AI technologies across Europe in 2024 and continue their sustainability efforts into the future.
💧Why the US put limits on chemicals found in drinking water:
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized regulations that limit the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as toxic “forever chemicals”, in drinking water.
- PFAS have been linked to numerous health risks in both humans and animals including cancer, hormone disruption, liver and thyroid problems, interference with vaccine effectiveness, reproductive harm, and abnormal fetal development.
- These regulations mark a significant step in addressing PFAS contamination in drinking water, but legal challenges and enforcement will determine how successful implementation will be in the long run.
🤝 Important Awareness Events At a Glance
⏱️ April 15, International Microvolunteering Day:
- International Microvolunteering Day was first held in 2014 by the Help From Home organization as a way to increase the uptake of volunteering tasks that benefit our planet and all its inhabitants by encouraging people to perform bite-sized volunteering activities that don’t take much time.
- The term micro-volunteering was first coined in 2008 by San Francisco-based company The Extraordinaries (Skills For Change) and has since grown into a powerful global force to connect people who want to become more impactful but find they don’t have much spare time.
🐈⬛ April 15-21, Animal Cruelty/ Human Violence Week:
- The third week in April is reserved for bringing awareness to the connection between animal abuse and human violence.
- The purpose of this week is to foster a deeper understanding of how animal cruelty often serves as a precursor to human violence, and how to support victims of any species.
🏋️ April 18, National Exercise Day:
- The benefits of regular physical activity include preventing obesity, increasing heart health, and improving mental health.
- On National Exercise Day, health-minded groups organize events to motivate and encourage people to make a habit of daily exercise.
Related: You can discover all the 109 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for April 2024!
📜 This Week in History
🧪 April 17, 1790: American statesman, printer, scientist and writer Benjamin Franklin dies at age 84 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Franklin was known for his influential role in the Revolutionary War era, his fight for American independence, his shaping of the US Constitution, and his numerous inventions.
🔬 April 20, 1902: In Paris, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radium salts from the mineral pitchblende, revolutionizing the way we approach radioactivity. The following year, they would be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work.
💭 Quote of the Day
“Well done is better than well said.”
― Benjamin Franklin; American printer, inventor, scientist, and statesman
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society!
Stay impactful 💚
