Happy Halloween 👋

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

• Celebrating Halloween the sustainable way 🎃
• Algae that help the fight against climate change 🌞
• Celebrating World Vegan Day 🥕
• And more… 💚

Pumpkins, scary stories, skeletons, and plenty of candy, what could be more fun than Halloween?

Ok, I’d knew a few more things, but let’s pay tribute to the holiday here 😉

When you think about Halloween—the costumes, the decorations, and all the treats—have you ever considered the sustainability aspects of it all? Considering that most Halloween decorations are made from unsustainable materials like plastic…. 

I have to admit that it’s somewhat hard for me to come up with ideas for a more sustainable Halloween, whilst still making it the entertaining holiday I remember from my childhood.

Fortunately, social media influencers could give us a helping hand!

🎃 How Social Media is Promoting More Sustainable Holiday Decorations

1️⃣ The big picture: Social Media has experienced an unprecedented boost in recent years, making it a powerful tool that influences our lifestyle choices, from the clothes we wear to more sustainable holiday decorations. Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest have become the go-to resources to decorate our homes. However, they can also be used to help us celebrate the holidays in an environmentally conscious way. 

2️⃣ Why is this good news: Halloween is one of the most popular holidays worldwide. In the US alone, people spend over $6 billion on Halloween. As a result, 7 million costumes are thrown out every year, which is the equivalent of 83 million plastic bottles! In addition, 8 million pumpkins end up in landfills and $10.8 billion of Halloween decor ends up in the bin. Many of these are made from unrecyclable materials such as plastic and glitter. Sustainability has become a big concern in recent years, so consider looking to social media to find inspiration for more environmentally friendly ways to celebrate Halloween (and Christmas!). 

3️⃣ What’s next: The sustainability movement on social media is growing. In fact, 77% of people say that they are more likely to make greener living choices if they are promoted by a social media influencer. So, this year, look to social media for your Halloween influences. From using twigs and pinecones to finding unique craft items from local markets, there are many ways you can celebrate the holidays without the high carbon cost. 

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

📢 More Good News…

🌞 Microalgae can be an effective weapon against climate change:

• Scientists at the University of Houston have discovered the hidden potential of microalgae to help achieve net-zero carbon emissions. 
• The research, published in the Green Chemistry journal, has shown that certain types of microalgae can sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transform it into beneficial bioproducts for human kind.

🚼 Diapers can be recycled 200 times faster with UV light technology:

• Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have found a way to improve the complex recycling process of diapers. They use UV radiation to degrade the chemical chains that join the diaper polymers together. 
• The innovative recycling process requires no chemicals and is 200 times faster than traditional recycling methods.
• Once the polymers have been recycled, they can then be used to create new adhesives and dyes. 

💦 New modular dam design could boost the use of renewable energy:

• Scientists at the Southwest Research Institute have developed a new modular steel buttress dam system designed to resolve energy storage and cost issues.
• The dam system, called the m-Presa, uses a process called closed-loop pumped storage hydropower (PSH) to pump water from a lower-elevation reservoir to a higher reservoir, using off-peak surplus energy power to run the pumps.
• During times of high energy demand, the stored water is transferred back to the lower reservoir, which runs turbines to produce electrical power. This process has the potential to reduce construction schedules by half and construction costs by one-third. 

🥕 Event of the Week: World Vegan Day

👉 Did you know that tomorrow, November 1, is World Vegan Day? This event was founded in 1994 to promote the many benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

1️⃣ The big picture: World Vegan Day was set up by vegan rights activist Louise Wallis to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Vegan Society and draw attention to the fact that the word ‘vegan’ had finally found its way into the English language. The specific date of November 1 was chosen because it sat between Halloween and the Mexican Day of the Dead to give vegans a day to promote their own lifestyles. Today, World Vegan Day is marked around the world through educational and awareness events, as well as to promote animal welfare.

2️⃣ Why is this important: Over 91% of vegans cite animal welfare as the top reason why they made the switch to a vegan diet. Considering that 900,000 cows are slaughtered for their meat every day worldwide, it’s not hard to see why! Farm animals have the lowest welfare standards of any animal in the world, often living in cramped, dirty conditions where they suffer from stress and harmful health conditions. Both the British Dietetic Association and the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also recognize the health benefits of veganism for human health, such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

3️⃣ How can you get involved: One of the best ways to get involved in World Vegan Day is to cook up a vegan dish for your friends and family. Maybe you can even set up your own vegan street party! Vegan associations also tend to hold a variety of awareness events on this day or you can set up a fundraising event of your own. 

Additionally, you can check out the organizations below that work to improve farm animal welfare and promote healthier nutrition worldwide: 

• 10 Best Charities That Advance Healthy Nutrition
• 21 Best Charities for Helping Farm Animals
• 9 Best Charities That Help Farmers

📜 This Week in History

⛰️ October 31, 1941: After 15 years of work, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was finally completed in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

📜 October 31, 1517: Legend has it that priest and scholar, Martin Luther, nailed a piece of paper to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, containing the 95 revolutionary opinions. These are believed to have begun the Protestant reform. 

📽️ November 1, 1997: James Cameron’s Titanic, had its first public screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The movie would go on to be one of the highest-grossing films of all time. 

💭 Quote of the Day

“Nothing good ever comes of violence.”

— Martin Luther, German Priest and theologist

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

Stay impactful 💚