💚 A ‘Green Bank’ for Climate Action 🏦
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 Friday 👋
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- The new ‘Green Bank’ that helps accelerate climate action 🏦
- The new solar cells that convert sunlight at a record efficiency 🌞
- How South Africa plans to end captive lion breeding 🦁
- And more… 💚
How does giving out $20 billion for solar installations, electric delivery vans, and multifamily housing weatherization sound to you?
Like a massive lottery win for Earth? At least to me it somewhat sounds like this!
Either way, this is climate law’s biggest grant program and it has the potential transform community lending and green the US economy!
🏦 How a ‘Green Bank’ Could Be a Game Changer for Climate Action
1️⃣ The big picture: The US government has unveiled a substantial $20 billion grant program under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund—informally titled as the ‘Green Bank.’ This initiative is set to empower eight nonprofits to distribute funds aimed at projects like solar installations, electric delivery vans, and energy-efficient housing. The move is part of a broader effort to foster community lending and drive a green transformation in the US economy.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: That this funding is specifically designed to reach communities often overlooked by traditional financial systems. With the majority of these grants directed toward enhancing energy efficiency and reducing emissions in underserved areas, the initiative promises to lower utility bills, improve air quality, and increase access to clean technology. This approach not only tackles climate change but also supports economic growth in low-income areas, making it a significant stride towards environmental and social equity.
3️⃣ What’s next: The nonprofits, including major players like Climate United and Coalition for Green Capital, are gearing up to roll out these projects over the next seven years. They aim to change the landscape of community lending to focus more on sustainable and energy-efficient investments.
📢 Three More Good News
🌞 The new solar cells that convert sunlight at a record 16.94% efficiency:
- Researchers have developed a new type of solar cell that has two photoactive layers to capture both high and low-energy photons.
- Together, these two layers work in tandem to absorb more sunlight, resulting in a more efficient conversion of solar energy into electricity. The solar cell can convert sunlight into electricity at 16.94% efficiency, which beats previous records.
- The researchers aim to further refine and optimize this design, in the hopes of using the solar cells for solar power and developing sustainable energy processes.
🚫 The EPA sets rules to reduce cancer risks from chemical plant pollution:
- The Biden administration has introduced a regulation requiring over 200 chemical plants to cut and limit their toxic air pollutants.
- Carcinogens emitted by these plants, such as ethylene oxide, are a major health risk to those who live near chemical facilities. However, this new regulation will annually reduce 6,200 tons of these air pollutants, benefiting local communities and overall air quality.
- Facilities must now monitor and reduce their emissions of toxic chemicals, as well as regularly submit their data to the EPA for public review.
🦁 How South Africa plans to end captive lion breeding:
- South Africa will soon bring lion breeding for hunting purposes to an end by shutting down the breeding sector.
- Sadly, it is common practice for novelty animals, like lions, to be bred for trophy hunting. Fortunately, the South African government has received approval to close the breeding sector.
- Breeders have two years to stop and move away from captive breeding while the government’s recommendation awaits translation into formal law.
📢 Even More Good News Headlines From This Week
🦠 How scientists develop plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself using bacteria
🐅 The public sightings that suggest the long-extinct Javan tiger may still be alive in the wild
👚 The Competition and Markets Authority clamps down on greenwashing in the fashion industry
🧱 Why Lego is investing in direct air capture technology
🏙️ The 5 cities aiming to make the world a more sustainable place
🌳 How leadership changes in Brazil and Colombia are combating deforestation
🤝 Important Awareness Events At a Glance
- Autism Acceptance Month was founded in 1970 by psychologist and autism researcher Bernard Rimland Ph.D. to improve public perception of autism through education.
- Today, Autism Acceptance Month is a global event providing more opportunities for people with autism and dispelling the myths surrounding the condition.
👩🏽🤝🧑🏻 April 12, International Day for Street Children:
- Street Children are some of the most vulnerable children in the world.
- The aim of International Day for Street Children is to raise awareness of the plight of street children, rally support for laws protecting them, and ensure access to the same essential services as every other child.
🌱 April 13, International Plant Appreciation Day:
- International Plant Appreciation Day is dedicated to recognizing the beauty, diversity, and importance of plants.
- Occurring during Earth Month, organizations typically use this day to highlight the many benefits that plants provide to the environment, including improving air quality and supporting wildlife habitats.
🧢 April 14, Children with Alopecia Day:
- Initiated by the Children’s Alopecia Project in 2010, Children with Alopecia Day seeks to raise awareness about the condition and its impact.
- Children with alopecia often face bullying and social isolation due to the associated stigma. This Sunday is an important opportunity to increase awareness and understanding of the disease and learn how to best support children suffering with alopecia.
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 12, 1945: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, passed away at age 63. In his lifetime, he introduced the New Deal Programs to provide relief and recovery during the Great Depression, signed the Social Security Act into law, supported labor rights, and signed the National Labor Relations Act. Additionally, Roosevelt helped issue the declaration for the United Nations, which still stands today as a global organization for international cooperation, peace, and security.
👨🏾 April 12, 1983: Harold Washington was elected the first African American mayor of Chicago. As a great advocate of education and a supporter of the construction of libraries, the central library for the Chicago Public Library System was named in his honor, and stands today as Harold Washington Library.
💭 Quote of the Week
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt; 32nd president of the United States and instrumental person in the creation of the United Nations
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society!
Stay impactful 💚
