💚 Renewable Energy From Waste? 🌱
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Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
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Stay impactful,
Happy Tuesday 👋
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- Sugar cane waste hailed the new biofuel 🌱
- The world’s first sustainable brewery 🍺
- International cat day 😺😻
- And more… 💚
Which side are on when it comes to sugar and sweets?
Personally, I’ve stopped eating anything sweet many years ago. But I also know that many can’t start their days without a coffee or tee with a spoonful of sugar in it…
And no matter which side you are on, growing sugar cane (or growing pretty much anything else) creates a tremendous amount of waste that’s often burned or otherwise contributes to pollution.
But wouldn’t it be great if that could instead be converted into energy that we could then use otherwise?
🌱 Discovered: How Sugar Cane Waste Can Be a Revolutionary Source of Biofuel
1️⃣ The big picture: Researchers at the University of Queensland have found a way to more efficiently convert sugar cane waste, also known as bagasse, into aviation fuel and electricity. In collaboration with the Technical University of Munich, the team has targeted a specific enzyme, which can be processed into large quantities of a chemical called isobutanol. It’s thought that this chemical can provide a cost-effective solution for energy companies because it reduces the need for harmful fossil fuels. Furthermore, isobutanol can also be used to make rubbers, plastics, and food additives.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Over 279 million tons of sugar cane waste are burned or left to decompose every year, contributing to air pollution. With such large amounts being produced, this waste can translate into a huge amount of biofuel. Moreover, it gives farmers an extra revenue stream because they can sell the sugar cane waste to energy companies.
3️⃣ What’s next: The team’s next steps will be to further refine the process of converting sugar cane waste into isobutanol. In particular, efforts need to be made to implement clean technologies and recycling options that will allow for up-scaling of this biofuel, while minimizing negative effects on the planet.
👉 Related: You can already help to support farmers around the world by contributing to the best charities that help farmers!
📢 More Good News…
🐄 Feeding daffodil extract to cows could reduce methane emissions: A four-year trial has been approved in the UK to research the effects of feeding grazing cows a daffodil extract from the native flower grown in the Black Mountains, Wales. This plant produces galantamine; a compound that has been shown to reduce methane emissions by 96% in artificial cow stomachs. Farm animals, including cows, produce 14% of human-induced methane emissions. So, this study has huge implications in the fight against climate change.
🚰 Newly developed mussel-membrane can clean wastewater: The mussel-inspired membrane created by a group of engineers has been shown to effectively remove chemicals and other byproducts from wastewater. The nanoporous membrane, known as TFC NPM, could pave the way for more sustainable wastewater management across a range of industries, replacing more energy-intensive processes such as electrodialysis.
🍺 First sustainable brewery in the world: What better way to end a long day than with a nice cold beer? Well, if it comes from a sustainable brewery of course! 70% of the climate impact of a liter of beer is in the packaging and transportation. Yet, one brewery in Germany has come up with a solution. The Neuzelle Brewery has developed a powdered form of beer that simply needs to be mixed with water. The innovative beverage is much quicker to produce than regular beer and transportation costs are 90% less.
😺😻 Event of the Day: International Cat Day
👉 Did you know that today, August 08, is International Cat Day? This event was created in 2002 to celebrate our beloved feline friends and is run by International Cat Care.
1️⃣ The big picture: Cats are one of the most popular pets worldwide, with over 373 million feline companions recorded in 2023. There are also 480 million stray cats in need of our help. The purpose of International Cat Day is to raise awareness for cats and learn more about how we can care for and protect them.
2️⃣ Why is this important: Great strides have been taken in recent years to understand the behaviors and needs of cats. Yet, they are still often misunderstood by pet owners, earning them the reputation of being aloof and unloving. Furthermore, it’s estimated that 3.2 million cats are languishing in shelters across the US. International Cat Day is a time to celebrate our feline companions and raise awareness of their unique needs.
3️⃣ How can you get involved: This year, International Cat Care is encouraging feline owners to spend an extra five minutes a day playing with their cats to improve mental and physical well-being. If you don’t own a cat, perhaps you can raise awareness in your own community or even consider adopting a new feline companion yourself.
In addition, check out the organizations below that protect cats and promote animal welfare worldwide:
- 9 Best Charities for Domestic Cats
- 9 Best Charities to Adopt a Pet Animal
- 9 Best Animal Rescue Charities
- 10 Best Charities for Big Cats
📜 This Week in History
🌎 August 08, 1975: The term ‘global warming’ first appeared in print with the publication of Wallace Smith Broecker’s paper ‘Climatic Change: Are We on the Brink of a Pronounced Global Warming?’. In this article, published in the journal ‘Science’, Broecker hypothesized that temperature fluctuations in the ice caps could cause global temperature rises.
🐯 August 08, 1936: The Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve was founded in Uttarakhand State, India. This was the very first national park established in India. It is also the place where Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to protect the endangered Bengal Tiger.
🖤 August 09, 2014: Unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. This event sparked outrage, causing riots to break out across the state and propelling the Black Lives Matter Movement.
💭 Quote of the Day
“The paleoclimate record shouts to us that, far from being self-stabilizing, the Earth’s climate system is an ornery beast which overreacts even to small nudges.”
— Wallace Smith Broecker, American Geochemist
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society together!
Stay impactful 💚
Dennis
