Happy Thursday 👋

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

• Green hydrogen could become the new standard 🌞
• New Australian homes won’t rely on gas anymore ⛽
• Let’s celebrate Black Business Month 👩🏾‍💼👨🏿‍💼
• And more… 💚

Imagine a world where we could harness the power of the sun even more to produce other clean energy! 

Well, I’ve always been fascinated by every progress scientist make when it comes to the future of energy. Everything that helps us create a future that’s independent of fossil fuels is a win in my books.

That’s why I’m super excited to share another win with you, where scientist have made a significant leap in using sunlight to “manufacture” hydrogen—at a record breaking efficiency!

🌞 Breakthrough: How Green Hydrogen Technology Might Become the New Standard

1️⃣ The big picture: Engineers at Rice University have developed a device that can convert sunlight into hydrogen with record-breaking efficiency. This device combines next-generation halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts into a single, durable, cost-effective, and scalable unit. This technology is a significant advancement in clean energy, as it can serve as a platform for a wide range of chemical reactions that use solar-harvested electricity to convert feedstocks into fuels.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: This breakthrough is a game-changer for the clean energy sector! The device, known as a photoelectrochemical cell, absorbs light, converts it into electricity, and uses that electricity to power a chemical reaction, all within the same unit. Until now, the production of green hydrogen using photoelectrochemical technology was hindered by low efficiencies and the high cost of semiconductors. But this device has record-breaking efficiency and uses a very affordable semiconductor, making it a standout in the field.

3️⃣ What’s next: The researchers are optimistic about the potential of this technology. They believe that with further improvements to stability and scale, this technology could open up the hydrogen economy and change the way we transition from fossil fuel to solar fuel. The team’s next steps will involve refining the technology and exploring its practical applications in the clean energy sector.

📢 More Good News…

🏢  4-day workweek makes workers happier and more efficient: New data from a year-long trial with US and Canadian companies have shown that workers were more efficient and able to maintain a better work-life balance. Companies were also happy to note that their employees were less likely to experience burnout and leave, increasing overall productivity.

⛽ Australian government bans gas in new Victorian homes from 2024: Starting January 1, 2024, new homes will only use electricity for heating and cooking. New public buildings in Victoria, such as schools, hospitals, and police stations, will also become all-electric to help the state reduce overall gas consumption.

💧 UK approves massive new “water battery” to store green energy: The Scottish government has given the green light to expand a hydro storage plant in the west of the country. This hydropower expansion scheme is hugely important in helping the UK meet net-zero targets by 2050.

👩🏾‍💼👨🏿‍💼 Event of the Month: Black Business Month

👉 Did you know that throughout August we celebrate Black Business Month? This is a time to recognize and celebrate the many Black-owned businesses across America.

1️⃣ The big picture: Despite the many strides taken towards equality in recent years, black business owners still face a multitude of obstacles, including racism and a lack of access to vital funding. Not only does this awareness event encourage the public to support black businesses but it also provides owners with a platform to promote and grow their businesses, while creating a more prosperous America for future generations of Black Americans.  

2️⃣ Why is this important: Just 10% of American businesses are owned by Black people. Furthermore, 53% of Black-owned businesses have seen a dramatic fall in revenue since the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 37% of white-owned businesses. Black communities have historically been the victims of hate crime, poverty, and unemployment. So, this month reminds us that we need to continue working towards a world where all people, no matter their color or race, are accepted and given equal opportunities to thrive.  

3️⃣ How can you get involved: One of the best ways for you is to visit and purchase from a Black-owned business in your area and to get involved in the #BlackFoodFridays event. In addition, check out the organizations below that fight for a more systemic change:

• 9 Best Charities That Support the Black Lives Matter Movement
• 9 Best Charities That Fight for Racial Equality
• 9 Best Charities That Fight for Racial Justice in America

📜 This Week in History

🤵🏾 August 4, 1961: Barack Obama is born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He became the first African American to hold the office. In 2009, he won the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

🚀 August 4, 2007: The US space probe Phoenix makes its launch. It lands on Mars one year later. While attempting to collect and analyze soil samples, Phoenix discovers the existence of water ice beneath the planet’s surface.

👩🏾 August 5, 2019: Toni Morrison, born Chloe Anthony Wofford, dies at age 88. Earlier in life, she earned a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993 for her novels on the Black experience (particularly Black female experience) within the Black community.

💭 Quote of the Week

“I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.”

― Toni Morrison; American novelist, essayist, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize (1988) and the Nobel Prize (1993)

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

Stay impactful 💚

Dennis