💚 Hitting Sustainable Energy Targets 🌍
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Stay impactful,
Happy Thursday 👋
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- EU countries already hitting some of their sustainable energy targets 🌍
- Removing forever chemicals from food packaging 🥡🚫
- Happy International Women’s Day ♀️
- And more… 💚
I like it that we’ve committed to sustainable energy goals. But do you know what I like even better?
When we are also on track to achieving our sustainable goals 🙌
Ok, and do you know what’s even better than that? When we are on track to achieving them ahead of schedule!
Let’s take this as a precedent for international climate action…
🌍 How EU’s Early Achievements Set a New Pace for Sustainable Energy Goals
1️⃣ The big picture: A recent study highlights that several European Union countries have already met some of their 2030 sustainable energy targets, a decade ahead of schedule. This “systematic progress” towards the UN’s seventh sustainable development goal—affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030—was particularly notable in the 2010s. Countries like Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Austria lead the pack, with Malta showing the most improvement.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The early achievement of these targets demonstrates the EU’s commitment to transitioning towards cleaner energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This progress is crucial for the EU’s ambition to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent. The significant reduction in gas demand, by 18% between August 2022 and December 2023, underlines the EU’s successful shift from Russian gas to renewable energy sources and enhanced energy efficiency measures.
3️⃣ What’s next: Despite these achievements, the study underscores the need for continued effort and vigilance. The European Commission’s recommendation for member states to voluntarily reduce gas demand by 15% from pre-invasion levels indicates a strategic approach to energy conservation and independence. As the EU moves forward, the focus will be on maintaining momentum, closing the gaps in sustainable energy targets, and fully ending gas imports from Russia. This collective effort towards sustainable energy not only strengthens the EU’s position on the global stage but also sets a precedent for international climate action.
📢 Three More Good News
🇫🇮 🏘️ Finland’s journey to end homelessness:
- Up until the 1990’s, Finland used the “treatment first” method and provided housing only to those who have received treatment for their ailments. However, they are now using the “Housing First” principle, which prioritizes and provides shelter first.
- Many homeless people struggle with the treatment first method. Because of the Housing First approach, they can now address other personal challenges and receive treatment while also having a safe space and roof over their head.
- Finland intends to eradicate homelessness by 2027. Thanks to this new principle, homelessness in Helsinki is also likely to disappear by 2025.
🥡🚫 FDA to officially remove ‘forever chemicals’ from food packaging:
- PFAS are often used in US food packaging to prevent oil and liquid leaks. They can be found in take-out containers, wrappers, popcorn bags, and more. However, these man-made chemicals do not easily break down, hence the nickname “forever chemicals”, and can contaminate food and water.
- Thankfully, the FDA intends to phase out the usage of PFAS in food packaging to reduce the public’s overall exposure to the chemicals.
- While it could take 18 months for PFAS-containing packaging to be completely eliminated, this is a major step forward in protecting our health and environment from PFAS.
👩🏻⚕️👩🏽💻 Speeding up medical software design with ChatGPT:
- In NYU Langone Health, researchers are designing a new software program to support diabetes patients and promote healthier habits through text. This recent study examined the capabilities of AI, specifically ChatGPT, to help speed up the process.
- After uniting medical experts and engineers together with AI, they were able to reduce the time required in the software creation process from over 200 programmer hours to just 40 hours.
- This new approach can change our current healthcare programs by empowering medical professionals to actively contribute and help develop medical software.
📢 Even More Good News Headlines From This Week
🪴 Common water plant could reduce food insecurity
🦞 Scientists discover environmentally-friendly way to reuse seafood waste
🪿 Seabird poop can help coral recover from climate-driven bleaching
☢️ How a nuclear fusion experiment broke the energy generation world record
👖🟢 A greener way to dye denim could reduce the environmental impact of jeans
🌍🇪🇺 The European Union criminalizes acts of environmental damage
💳💸 Debit card incentivizes sustainable purchases
🤝 Three Important Awareness Events For This Week
- This month celebrates the social, political, cultural, and academic achievements of women throughout history.
- The goal is to draw attention to the prevalence of gender bias and eradicate it through education, empowerment events, and fundraisers.
♀️ March 8, International Women’s Day:
- Observed since the early 1900’s, International Women’s Day is a celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
- Around the world, organizations hold events to honor women and rally for gender equality.
💧 March 10-16, National Groundwater Awareness Week:
- In the US, more than 44% of the population depends on groundwater as a primary water source.
- This week was established in 1999 to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater.
Related: You can discover all the 115 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for March 2024!
📜 This Week in History
♀️ March 8, 1911: Today is International Women’s Day! Observed since the early 1900’s, International Women’s Day is a celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Today, organizations all over the globe will hold events to honor women and rally for gender equality.
👭 March 9, 1947: Carrie Chapman Catt passed away after leading the women’s rights movement for over 25 years. In the year 1890, she started to dedicate four months each year purely to work for women’s suffrage. She was later elected president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).
👩🏻💼 March 10, 1903: Clare Boothe Luce was born in New York. Although she was born into poverty, Clare attended private schools, became an editor in Vogue, wrote several plays, and was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican. She is typically attributed for the common saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
💭 Quote of the Week
“Courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount.”
― Clare Boothe Luce; American playwright, statesman, and awardee of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society!
Stay impactful 💚
