Happy Tuesday 👋

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

• ‘Wind trees’ can improve renewable energy use in cities 🏙️
• A new tool that boosts conservation efforts in Asia 🌳
• Get involved in International Human Solidarity Day 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
• And more… 💚

Have you seen wind turbines in real life?

I personally love looking at them as they symbolize our progression toward more green energy.

But, I’ve also heard that some people find wind turbines not that attractive to look at and wouldn’t want them in their neighborhoods. Plus, they tend to be large, making them unsuitable for tight, urban spaces.

But, what if we could develop a small, unassuming wind turbine that looks just like a real tree but can provide all the power needed for a family home?

🏙️ Could ‘Wind Trees’ Be the Solution to Green Energy in Cities?

1️⃣ The big picture: French pioneering company, New World Wind, has developed micro wind turbines designed to look like trees as a new nature-inspired way to bring renewable energy into urban spaces. Each of these metal trees has finely inclined branches with small wind turbines that look like leaves using innovative ‘aeroleaf’ technology. These trees have no visual pollution and can easily fit into urban areas with limited space. Ranging from 5-10 meters (~16-33 feet)  in height, they can be ‘planted’ using just one bracket and 3 screws. One ‘leaf’ is capable of producing up to 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, giving a whole tree the power to generate around 18,000 kWh per year. This is enough to power a 4-person household, reducing a home’s annual carbon emissions by over 12 tonnes. 

2️⃣ Why is this good news: The development of eco-friendly renewable energy sources has grown exponentially in the last few years as the threat of climate change and biodiversity loss looms. However, these are often large facilities or giant wind turbines that are not suitable for urban environments. The new ‘wind trees’ are aesthetically pleasing to look at, seamlessly fit into busy cities with limited space, and run silently. In addition, their small size means that they will not be a threat to migrating birds which often collide with larger turbines. 

3️⃣ What’s next: The company responsible for the development of ‘wind trees’ is set to release a new design in January 2024, which will triple the power production of the aeroleaf technology. They are also considering the addition of solar petals to harness the power of the sun in addition to wind power. So far, the company has installed 130 devices around the world, with most of their clients being large corporations. However, the next step is to open them up to the residential market to make wind trees a more common sight in cities in the future. 

👉 You can already help to improve sustainability around the world by contributing to the Best Charities That Promote Sustainability!

📢 More Good News…

🌳 A new tool that helps to boost conservation efforts in Southeast Asia:

• A coalition of nonprofits has developed a new tool to help local communities in Southeast Asia secure funding for nature-based solutions (NbS), like conservation projects.
• This ‘NbS tool’ will help project managers to put together project documentation more easily, including data analysis.
• The coalition, including Conservation International and WWF, launched the new tool at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit in Dubai earlier this year. 

🦏 A critically endangered Sumatran rhino calf born in Indonesia:

• A male endangered Sumatran rhino calf was born to a female named Delilah in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung province.
• This is the second Sumatran rhino calf to be born in 2023 as Indonesia ramps up their conservation efforts for the species.
• Currently, less than 50 Sumatran rhinos remain in the wild, all of them located in Indonesia.  

🌊 Extracting uranium ions from seawater as a sustainable source of nuclear power:

• Researchers have developed a material to use alongside electrochemical extraction, which attracts uranium ions from seawater much more efficiently than previous methods.
• Currently, uranium is extracted from rocks, but the amount available is limited. The reserve in oceans is thought to be over 1,000 times larger but it has so far been difficult to extract.
• In tests, the new method, using a cathode cloth, extracted 12.6 milligrams of uranium per gram of seawater over 24 days.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑Event of the Week: International Human Solidarity Day

👉 Did you know that this Wednesday (December 20^th) is International Human Solidarity Day? This event was founded in 2005 to encourage the spirit of sharing to eradicate poverty around the world. 

1️⃣ The big picture: International Human Solidarity Day was founded by the United Nations General Assembly to encourage people and countries to work together to promote peace, human rights, and social and economic development, especially in poor countries. In December 2002, the General Assembly identified solidarity as one of the fundamental values that should underlined relations in the 21^st century. They then set up the World Solidarity Fund in 2003 to eradicate poverty and proclaimed December 20 to be International Human Solidarity Day in 2005. Today, the event is a time to celebrate diversity and support projects aimed at ending human suffering. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: Today, approximately 682 million people (8.5% of the human population) live in extreme poverty, which is defined as living below the international poverty line of $2.15/day. Roughly 62% of these people live in Sub-Saharan Africa. People living in poverty are among the most vulnerable in society, often lacking access to basic amenities such as water, healthcare, and a decent education. Children in poor communities are also more likely to suffer from stunted growth and high mortality rates. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: There are many ways you can get involved in International Human Solidarity Day, including setting up your own fundraising or awareness event in your community. You can also consider volunteering with a local group to help others, such as the elderly or families struggling to afford basic necessities. Consider helping out at a local food bank or homeless shelter to support those in need this Christmas.  

In addition, you can check out the organizations below that are working to eradicate poverty worldwide:

• 10 Best Charities Impacting Global Poverty
• 9 Best Charities That Support Low-Income Families
• 9 Best Charities That Combat Child Poverty
• 13 Best Charities for Helping Homeless People
• 9 Best Charities That Fight Hunger Globally

📜 This Week in History

🇰🇷 December 19, 2012: Park Geun-Hye became the first female to be elected president of South Korea, sworn into office the following year. 

🚢 December 19, 1997: James Cameron’s Titanic premiered, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio. It later became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

📖 December 19, 1843: English author Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, which became one of the most revered Christmas stories in modern literature. 

💭 Quote of the Day

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”

— Charles Dickens, English Author

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

Stay impactful 💚