💚 From Coffee Waste to Stronger Buildings ☕
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Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
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Stay impactful,
Happy Friday 👋
Did you know your morning coffee could help build stronger cities?
Scientists found a way to turn used coffee grounds into a material that makes concrete up to 30% tougher…
It’s a win for both construction and the planet, turning waste into something solid. Literally!
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- How coffee grounds make concrete 30% stronger and reduce waste ☕
- The global task force that pushes for trillion-dollar climate finance reform 🌍
- How repurposed undersea cables help save endangered orcas 🐋
- Discussion of the week: sustainable fashion 💬
- And more… 💚
☕ Coffee Grounds Make Concrete 30% Stronger While Tackling Waste Crisis
1️⃣ The big picture: Australian scientists have discovered a remarkable way to repurpose coffee ground waste by turning it into a concrete-strengthening material. By heating coffee grounds to over 350°C without oxygen, they created a carbon-rich biochar that can make concrete up to 30% stronger. This innovation tackles two environmental challenges simultaneously – the massive disposal of coffee waste (about 10 billion kilograms annually) that releases greenhouse gases in landfills, and the environmentally damaging extraction of sand for concrete production. The process demonstrates how circular economy principles can create value from waste while conserving natural resources.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This innovation turns a widespread waste problem into a valuable resource for the construction industry. The 10 billion kilograms of coffee grounds produced annually now have potential use beyond landfills where they would emit harmful greenhouse gases. The technique helps preserve natural sand resources by providing an alternative strengthening component for concrete. By applying circular economy principles, this technology reduces environmental impact on multiple fronts – less waste in landfills, fewer emissions, and reduced sand mining damage. The research connects Indigenous perspectives of sustainability with modern engineering to create truly sustainable materials.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers need to complete thorough testing of their coffee-enhanced concrete for long-term durability, including resistance to freeze/thaw cycles, water absorption, and abrasion. The team is also exploring creating similar biochar products from other organic waste sources like wood, food waste, and agricultural byproducts. Commercial scale-up will require additional testing and industry partnerships.
📢 Three More Good News
🌍 Global Task Force Pushes for Trillion-Dollar Climate Finance Reform at World Bank and IMF:
- 📰 The quick summary: Global economists urge the World Bank and IMF to overhaul their lending frameworks to help developing nations transition from fossil fuels and build climate resilience, potentially unlocking trillions in much-needed climate finance.
- 📈 One key stat: Developing countries (excluding China) will need up to $2.5 trillion annually by 2030 for clean energy, adaptation and loss and damage funds, highlighting the massive financial gap in addressing climate challenges.
- 💬 One key quote: “The big economic challenge right now is that capital flows are going in the opposite direction. They’re going from South to North,” Kevin Gallagher, director of Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center and a leading member of the task force that produced the report, said in an interview with Inside Climate News.
🐋 Undersea Internet Cables Repurposed to Save Endangered Orcas:
- 📰 The quick summary: Underwater fiber-optic cables are being tested in the Salish Sea as continuous microphones that can monitor endangered orcas, potentially creating a vast ocean monitoring network that provides real-time data on marine mammals.-
- 📈 One key stat: The world’s 870,000 miles of existing undersea cables could be transformed into a comprehensive marine monitoring system, dramatically expanding our ability to protect ocean wildlife.
- 💬 One key quote: “It transforms cables into continuous underwater microphones that can pinpoint whale locations and track their movements.”
🌸 Rare Underground Orchid Gets Lifeline as Scientists Perfect Conservation Methods:
- 📰 The quick summary: Scientists are working to conserve the rare underground orchid Rhizanthella that lives its entire life below soil, helping preserve one of the world’s most unique plant species that’s threatened by habitat loss and climate change.
- 📈 One key stat: Five species of Rhizanthella exist worldwide, making them among the rarest orchids on Earth and highly vulnerable to extinction.
- 💬 One key quote: “Rhizanthella is an extraordinary orchid that lives its entire life underground. It flowers below ground, has no leaves and survives by feeding on nutrients from a fungus that gets its food from the soil and by connecting with roots of the broom bush, Melaleuca uncinata.”
📢 Even More Good News Headlines From This Week
🔒 World’s first-ever large-scale carbon storage site successfully injects CO2 below seabed
🐋 French Polynesia declares the world’s largest marine park to protect ocean life
🧂 Revolutionary molten salt energy storage technology transforms renewable power
✈️ How Sweden is creating the first fossil-free skies
🐢 A breakthrough in giant tortoise conservation efforts
🐻 Incorporating indigenous people into the future of conservation
💬 Discussion of the Week: Sustainable Fashion
Welcome to our new section, where we spark meaningful discussions about everyday topics that can create a real positive impact in our lives!
This week’s discussion topic: What’s your approach to sustainable fashion you’ll actually keep?
- Do you buy less, buy better, thrift, rent, or repair—what works?
- How do you check claims (materials, certifications, transparency)?
- Any care/repair tricks that make clothes last?
Your style choices can shift the industry, one outfit at a time!
For our founding community members, keep the conversation going in our forum here.
Want to join our community when we reopen? Just reply to this email—I’d love to personally add you to our waitlist so you’ll be the first to know all about it 💚
🤝 Important Awareness Events at a Glance
🎗️ October 17–23, Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week:
- Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week aims to raise awareness about how men are also able to get breast cancer, a somewhat lesser known fact.
- Though it is less common, men who get breast cancer deserve as much attention and treatment as women.
💲 October 17, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty:
- The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty dates back to 1987 and promotes an end to poverty worldwide.
- This day uplifts economies and encourages fair distribution of wealth for all people.
👚 October 18, Wear It Pink Day:
- The pink ribbon has come to symbolize support for breast cancer treatment, research, and survivors.
- Thus, Wear It Pink Day was created to raise money and awareness for this disease. It occurs once a year on October 18.
Related: You can discover all the 124 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for October 2025!
📜 These Days in History
🕊️ October 17, 1979: Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Her contributions to charity work helped and inspired millions all over the world.
⚖️ October 18, 1945: The Nuremberg Trial indictment was announced, holding a number of Nazi leaders responsible for their war crimes during World War II. This trial set an important precedent for human rights and accountability.
🏛️ October 19, 1789: John Jay was sworn in as America’s first chief justice on the Supreme Court. This was the beginning of the modern Supreme Court system we know today.
💭 Quote of the Day
“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”
— Mother Teresa; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, 1979
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society!
Stay impactful 💚
