Happy Monday 👋

Did you know that 2,000 units of blood per 100,000 people are needed to meet current demand? 

Reliable access to blood is crucial for the provision of affordable, safe, and timely surgical care…

Yet, severe blood shortages exist around the world, from Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa.

So, today, I’d like to share an awareness event with you that encourages blood donation and honors voluntary blood donors!

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

• Saving lives through blood donation 🩸
• A new, more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries 🧑‍🔬
• How New York is holding polluters accountable for their actions 💸
• And more… 💚

🩸 Event of the Month: National Blood Donor Month

👉 Did you know that January is National Blood Donor Month? This event was founded to honor voluntary blood donors, educate about the importance of blood donation, and encourage people to regularly donate.

1️⃣ The big picture: In 1969, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation designating January as National Blood Donor Month to encourage more people to give blood at a time when it was desperately needed. Today, campaigns and activities are held throughout January to encourage more blood donations and highlight the work of the blood community to ensure the continuity of the blood supply across the US and beyond. Many medical organizations and non-profits such as the Red Cross also get involved in the celebrations. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: Blood donations are always needed but the winter and summer months in particular, often bring a critical shortage. Furthermore, the crisis has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic as many vital supply chains were disrupted. As a result, billions of people live in so-called “blood deserts” in which the clinical need for blood can’t be met in at least 75% of cases, leading to thousands of needless deaths every year. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: The best way to get involved in National Blood Donor Month is to donate blood if you are able. You can also get involved by spreading the importance of blood donation through your social media channels or you can make a financial donation to charitable organizations, such as the American Red Cross, who have made it possible for people to donate blood for many years. You can also consider helping to organize a local blood drive in your town or city. 

If you are looking for inspiration, you can find a wide range of charitable causes to support in our charity support blog.

📢 Three Good News

🧑‍🔬 Researchers develop a more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries:

• A team of researchers at the University of Houston has developed a new type of material for sodium-ion batteries that could make them more efficient and boost their energy performance.
• Lithium-ion batteries have been the go-to technology for everything from smartphones to electric cars but there are growing concerns about the future because lithium is relatively scarce, expensive, and difficult to source.
• The new material, sodium vanadium phosphate (NaxV2(PO4)3) improves sodium-ion battery performance by increasing the energy density – the amount of energy stored per kilogram – by more than 15%.

💸 New York commits to fining polluters billions with new climate law:

• New York has become the second state to require fossil fuel companies to pay $75 billion over 25 years for climate damage, based on their emissions from 2000 to 2018.
• Known as the Climate Change Superfund Act, this act follows similar efforts in Vermont and is inspired by the federal Superfund law, which forces companies to clean up toxic waste.
• The funds raised from the initiative will help cover the costs of climate-related damages and preparedness for future extreme weather events.

🐌 UK zoos bring endangered snail species back from the edge of extinction:

• Two species of tiny Desertas Islands snails have been bred at the UK’s Chester Zoo and released back into the wild onto one of Portugal’s islands.
• Believed to have already disappeared from the planet, a team of experts was surprised to find roughly 200 of the creatures living on a remote island in the Madeira Archipelago. The species had not been recorded living for more than 100 years.
• As a collaboration between Chester Zoo, Bristol Zoo, and France’s Beauval Zoo, staff were able to reproduce around 1,300 of the snails, saving the species from the edge of extinction.

🤝 Three More Important Awareness Events

🕊️ January 1, Global Family Day:

• This day welcomes the new year with a message of peace and harmony. 
• Inspired by the United Nations Millennium Celebration, the purpose of this holiday is to remind people around the world that we are one global family.

🎉 January 1, New Year’s Day:

• In many cultures, New Year’s Day symbolizes a fresh start as people resolve to make better choices than the previous year, from eating healthier to saving more money. 
• While celebratory traditions differ, the idea of hope for a new beginning is universal.

🥦 January 1-7, Diet Resolution Week:

• One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions is to lose weight and get fit, and that all starts with eating healthier. 
• Organizations utilize this week to support people as they transition to a healthier diet, with an emphasis on avoiding crash diets.

Related: You can discover all the 47 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for January 2025!

📜 These Days in History

🏌️ December 30, 1975: American golfer Tiger Woods was born in Cypress, California. He dominated professional golf in the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming the first player to win the game’s four major tournaments consecutively; the Masters, the US Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. 

✒️ December 30, 1993: Israel and the Vatican signed a mutual agreement to end over 2,000 years of unfriendly Christian-Jewish relations. 

💡 December 31, 1879: Thomas Edison provided the first public demonstration of his electric incandescent lamp at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

💭 Quote of the Day

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

Thomas Edison, American inventor

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

Stay impactful 💚