Happy Monday 👋

Health is important for everyone!

But did you know that too many men view seeing a doctor as a sign of weakness?

And this kind of negative stereotype unnecessarily negatively affects their overall health…

So, let’s use this week to open a dialogue about (men’s) health in our local communities to spread awareness!

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

• How to bring men’s health to the forefront of society ♂️
• How eggshell waste can sustainably extract green energy sources from water 🥚
• The new green method to create hydrogen ⚛️
• And more… 💚

♂️ Event of the Week: Men’s Health Week

👉 Did you know that this week (June 10-16) is Men’s Health Week? This awareness event was founded to get men to understand more about their health and take steps to improve their overall well-being. 

1️⃣ The big picture: Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year during the week ending on Father’s Day to heighten awareness of preventable health issues that are more likely to affect men and boys. The event was founded in 2002 after representatives from 6 leading men’s health organizations, led by the Men’s Health Network, met at the 2^nd World Congress on Men’s Health in Vienna. Today, the event is a time for organizations to encourage men to think more about their health and put routines in place to turn their health issues around. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: The overall mortality rate for men compared to women is 41% higher, with 8 out of the 10 leading causes of death disproportionately affecting men, including stroke, cancer, and heart disease. Furthermore, 31% of men suffer from depression at some point in their lives yet only ¼ of those speak to a health professional about their mental health and just ⅓ take medication for it. Due to traditional stereotypes of men as tough and self-reliant, many men feel that seeing a doctor is a sign of weakness, which negatively affects their overall health. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: One of the best ways to get involved in Men’s Health Week is to open a dialogue about men’s health in your local community through awareness events, community groups, and fundraising activities. You can also get involved by spreading awareness through your social media channels or taking part in the CAN DO Challenge. In addition, numerous organizations hold awareness events during this week to ensure men have the information they need to make informed decisions about their health. 

You can also consider donating to one or more charities that are working to promote health equality:

• 9 Best Charities That Advance Mental Health
• 9 Best Charities That Promote Health and Well-Being
• 9 Best Charities That Fight Heart Disease

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

📢 Three Good News

🥚 Eggshell waste can be used to recover rare earth elements for green energy:

• A team of researchers at Trinity College, Dublin, have discovered that the calcium carbonate in eggshells can be used to sustainably remove rare earth elements (REEs) from water, which are increasingly in demand for use in green energy technologies. 
• REEs are required for many green energy solutions, such as wind turbines and electric cars but they are in short supply, with current extraction methods being unsustainable and harmful to the environment.
• The researchers placed eggshells in solutions that contained REEs at various temperatures up to 401^oF (205^oC). They found that the elements could be absorbed by the eggshell via diffusion. 

⚛️ Engineers develop a new method to make hydrogen from solar power and agricultural waste:

• Engineers at the University of Illinois, Chicago, have unveiled a new method for sustainable hydrogen production using a carbon-rich substance, called biochar, to reduce the amount of electricity needed to convert water into hydrogen. 
• Hydrogen-based fuels are one of the most promising sources of green energy. However, currently, the production of pure hydrogen is an energy-intensive process that often requires the use of coal and large amounts of electricity.
• This new method reduces electricity requirements by 600%, creating more opportunities for sustainable chemical production. 

🚿 New study shows that ‘rewetting’ can restore tropical peatland:

• Researchers have studied a 4,800-hectare plot that was retired in 2015 by Indonesian company Asia Pulp & Paper. They found that soil emissions had reduced and native trees were regrowing after the company dug canals to drain the waterlogged soil. 
• At least 1.2 million hectares of plantations have been established on peatlands with similar characteristics. The study shows that these areas can be effectively restored, should plantation owners no longer need them. 
• The creation of 257 dams over the area also reduced carbon emissions by 6.4 to 23.6 metric tons per hectare per year because of lower peat decomposition.

🤝 Three More Important Awareness Events

🚲 June 10, Family Health & Fitness Day:

• Family Health & Fitness Day encourages families to take advantage of their local parks and get active.
• Parks and recreation departments in many places put out activities and initiatives for families to use the parks to their full potential. 

 🐈 June 11, International Lynx Day:

• International Lynx Day celebrates the return of the lynx to European forests.
• It also promotes conservation and reintegration efforts to help ecologists to return the lynx to its former population. 

🍼 June 10-16, Infant Mental Health Awareness Week:

• Infant Mental Health Awareness Week highlights the often overlooked mental health of infants and encourages parents to start thinking about their children’s mental health from birth.
• The week draws attention to some of the mental health concerns of infants, related to a yearly theme. 

Related: You can discover all the 119 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for June 2024!

📜 These Days in History

🎶 June 10, 1865: Tristan and Isolde, the earliest example of “music drama”, was first performed. It later went on to become the greatest German Opera of the late 19th century.

📽️ June 10, 1922: American actress and singer Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She is most famous for her portrayal of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, as well as other films such as Meet Me in St Louis and Easter Parade.

🎤 June 11, 2002: The reality competition TV series American Idol aired its first episode, becoming one of the most-watched TV shows in the US.

💭 Quote of the Day

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be a little more gentle with each other, and a little more loving, have a little more empathy, and maybe we’d like each other a little bit more.”

— Judy Garland, American actress and singer

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

Stay impactful 💚