Happy Thursday 👋

Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:

• Cultivated algae accelerate carbon removal 🌿
• Endangered species are helped with a new biobanking program 🏦
• Gas-powered engines are phased out 🚫
• And more… 💚

What comes to your mind when you think about algae?

I have to admit that it’s the delicious Japanese seaweed salad for me!

But what I didn’t think about was how algae could be used to help us fight climate change with their ability to remove carbon from the air. That, paired with their crazy-fast exponential growth rates…

So, let’s dive right into it!

🌿 How Algae Cultivation in the Sahara Might Be the Answer to Carbon Removal

1️⃣ The big picture: Deep within the Sahara Desert, a solution to the climate crisis is rapidly taking root. Brilliant Planet, a London-based startup, has leased a vast area near the remote town of Akhfenir in southern Morocco to cultivate algae. This isn’t just any algae cultivation; the algae absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. The company has devised a method to grow algae at exponential rates, starting from a lab beaker and expanding to massive pools filled with seawater. In just 30 days, a test tube of algae can proliferate to fill pools equivalent to 77 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: Algae’s natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen has been known for ages. However, this new approach leverages this ability to combat the rising levels of carbon in our atmosphere. Once cultivated, the algae is extracted, dried, and then buried, effectively sequestering its captured carbon for thousands of years. This nature-based solution not only offers a sustainable method to remove carbon from the atmosphere but also positions deserts as potential hubs for environmental solutions.

3️⃣ What’s next: From their pilot site covering three hectares, they plan to expand to a 1,000-hectare farm, which could create around 250 jobs, primarily for skilled local workers. The company aims to fund its operations and expansion by selling carbon credits. Their ambitious goal? To remove the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions of 217,000 cars by the end of the decade. With potential sites identified globally, including in Namibia, the company’s vision could significantly impact carbon removal efforts worldwide.

👉 Related: In the meanwhile, you could already check out some of the best nature-based carbon offsets!

📢 More Good News…

🦪 10,000 wild oysters released onto human-made reef off coast of England:

• Conservationist group, the UK’s Wild Oysters Project, has released 10,000 native oysters onto a human-made reef off the North East Coast of England.
• This new oyster population will help clean and filter hundreds of liters of water a day, serve as storm and tidal barriers, and help prevent erosion.
• The conservationists hope the new addition of oysters will create a foundation for a new marine ecosystem.

🏦 The USFWS announces endangered species biobanking program: 

• The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced a new biobanking program in partnership with the nonprofit Revive & Restore. This is the first systematic biobanking initiative for endangered species in the US.
• What this new program will do is collect living cells and tissue samples, send it for cryopreservation, and then create a frozen library to permanently preserve the genetic information for endangered species. (Similar to how seed banks operate and preserve endangered plants.)
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced 24 endangered mammals to kick off the program.

🚫 CA’s plan to phase out gas-powered engines could change the landscaping industry, impact businesses: 

• California will no longer allow the sale of new gas-powered landscaping equipment in 2024.
• This helps to phase out all gas-powered “off-road” or landscaping equipment by 2035.
• Meanwhile, the California Air Resources Board says their $30 million Core program was successful in helping small businesses make the transition to zero-emissions equipment.

👩🏽 Event of the Week: International Day of Rural Women

👉 Did you know that this coming Sunday, on October 15, is International Day of Rural Women? This global event is dedicated to the millions of women living in rural places and celebrates all of their contributions towards agriculture and rural development.

1️⃣ The big picture: The International Day of Rural Women was first established in 1995. Because October 16 is celebrated as World Food Day, the International Day of Rural Women was created to recognize and show appreciation to the hardworking rural women that play a vital role in maintaining our food systems.

2️⃣ Why is this important: Around 2.37 billion people did not have enough to eat in 2020, making it 20% higher than the year before. And yet, despite their contribution in distributing food to people all over the world, rural women are less likely to obtain access to the necessary land and markets they need and tend to earn less money. Not only does this impact rural women, the global population is more likely to experience food insecurity, due to the structural and discriminatory social barriers that female rural producers face.

3️⃣ How can you get involved: One easy way that you can get involved is by spreading the word on social media and informing your friends and family. Most people are unaware of International Day of Rural Women and the struggles the women face. Additionally, you can take it a step further and team up with a charitable NGO (non-governmental organization) to directly assist and support female agricultural workers and rural women.

Check out these articles below to help support women and our agricultural heroines:

• 9 Best Charities That Help Farmers
• 9 Best Charities for Women’s Empowerment
• 9 Best Charities for Women’s Rights

📜 This Week in History

👩🏽‍💼 October 12, 1864: Kamini Roy was born in the village of Basunda. She quickly became a trailblazer in women’s rights and was the first woman honors graduate in British India. She worked as a Bengali poet, a social worker, and as a feminist, she later worked to help Bengali women win the right to vote in 1926.

🍯 October 14, 1926: British author A.A. Milne published his new children’s book titled Winnie-the-Pooh. Being published shortly after World War I, the gentle children’s books quickly became a beloved household name, providing a soft connection to the wonder of childhood to millions of children and adults alike.

🤵🏾 October 14, 1964: Baptist minister and social activist Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for his social justice and his key role in ending the legal segregation of African Americans in the US with non-violent tactics.

💭 Quote of the Week

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

― Martin Luther King, Jr.; American Baptist minister, social activist, prominent leader in civil rights movements, and winner of 1964 Nobel Peace Prize 

Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society!

Stay impactful 💚