Happy Thursday 👋

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

• The US takes a major step to slash fossil fuel emissions 🌍
• Nearly 120 nations agree to triple the world’s renewables output at COP28 🤝
• Brazil intensifies efforts to restore the Amazon rainforest 🌳
• And more… 💚

Did you know that methane is a greenhouse gas that is much more potent and harmful than carbon dioxide?

That’s because of methane’s unique structure: it traps more heat in the atmosphere per molecule than carbon dioxide (CO₂). To put it in numbers, this makes methane 80 times more harmful than CO₂ for 20 years after it is released.

The “good news” is that since much of the methane release is caused by our own (human) activities, its reduction is considered the low-hanging fruit of climate mitigation.

And I’m happy to share with you that we are taking some steps in the right direction of reducing methane from our own human-made activities!

🌍 US Takes Major Step to Slash Methane Emissions from Fossil Fuels

1️⃣ The big picture: The US administration has finalized a rule to significantly cut methane emissions from the US oil and gas industry. Announced at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, this rule is a major move to combat the potent planet-warming effects of methane. Methane, more than 80 times as powerful as carbon dioxide in warming the planet in the short term, is a major byproduct of fossil fuel drilling. The new rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims to reduce methane emissions by nearly 80% through 2038.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: This initiative represents a significant stride in addressing climate change. Methane’s high warming potential makes it a critical target for emission reduction efforts. The EPA’s rule includes measures like ending routine flaring of natural gas, stringent leak monitoring, and independent third-party monitoring using advanced technologies. These steps are expected to prevent about 58 million tons of methane from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to removing over 300 million gas-powered cars from the road for a year.

3️⃣ What’s next: The implementation of this rule is a key part of a broader commitment to climate action. Alongside this, the US has pledged another $3 billion to global climate action and aims to triple renewable energy by 2030. However, the rule’s success will depend on effective enforcement and compliance by the oil and gas industry.

Related: Did you know that you could already take a step and offset your own carbon emissions? Check out 19 Best Carbon Offsets to learn more about what you could do already now in the fight against climate change!

📢 More Good News…

🤝🏼 COP28: Nearly 120 nations agree to triple the world’s renewables output:

• 120 nations pledge to triple the output of renewable energy on the planet by 2030.
• This commitment was part of other announcements related to the decarbonization of energy, cutting down on methane emissions, expanding the use of nuclear energy, and ending private financing for coal.
• The pledge was led by the European Union (EU), the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Additional supporters include Brazil, Barbados, Chile, Nigeria, Japan, Australia, and Canada.

🧪 New catalyst completely breaks down durable plastic pollution in minutes:

• Northwestern University chemists have developed a new catalyst that quickly, cleanly, and completely breaks down Nylon-6 plastic in a matter of minutes—without generating harmful byproducts.
• The catalyst utilizes yttrium, a cost-effective metal, along with lanthanide ions. By heating Nylon-6 samples to their melting point and applying the catalyst without a solvent, the plastic disintegrated and returned to its original building blocks without leaving any byproducts.
• Lastly, the catalyst is highly selective and acts only on the Nylon-6 polymers without destroying other materials. This means the catalyst can be applied to large volumes of unsorted plastic pollution and selectively target Nylon-6.

🌳 Brazil launches $204 million drive to restore the Amazon rainforest:

• Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) has launched an effort to restore degraded or destroyed woodland amounting to 60,000 square km (23,160 square miles) in the Amazon rainforest by 2030.
• BNDES has also announced that the Arc of Restoration program, with funding of up to 1 billion reais ($205 million) through 2024, would also seek to capture 1.65 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere by 2030.

🐇 Event of the Week: International Animal Rights Day

👉 Did you know that this Sunday (October 10) is International Animal Rights Day? This event, which coincides with Human Rights Day, was founded in 1998 to recognize animals as sentient beings and respect their right to live free from cruelty, harm, and exploitation.

1️⃣ The big picture: International Animal Rights Day was set up by animal rights group, Uncaged, to encourage the world to see animals as sentient beings that deserve the same care and respect as humans. The date December 10 was intentionally chosen to highlight the connection between human and animal rights. Today, the event is marked around the world with animal rights demonstrations, and encourages individuals to reflect on their own attitudes and behaviors towards animals. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: Animal rights are vital for broader environmental health and to build a more compassionate society. Despite great strides in animal welfare legislation in recent years, an animal suffers some form of abuse every minute around the world. 97% of those are farm animals. In addition, there are still approximately 10,000 puppy mills still running in the US alone and more than 115 million animals are subjected to cruelty in laboratory experiments. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: There are many ways you can get involved in International Animal Rights Day, such as setting up a fundraising event or making the decision to eat fewer animal foods and use cruelty-free products. You can also spread the word about the importance of animal welfare on your social media channels by using the hashtag #InternationalAnimalRightsDay. 

In addition, you can check out the organizations below that are fighting to improve animal rights worldwide:

• 20 Best Animal Charities to Donate to
• 9 Best Animal Rescue Charities
• 21 Best Charities for Helping Farm Animals
• 9 Best Charities to Symbolically Adopt a Wild Animal in Need

📜 This Week in History

👩🏻🏆 December 10, 1909: Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf became the first woman and Swedish writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, a largely male-dominated landscape.

👨🏾 December 8, 1925: Sammy Davis, Jr. was born in the US state of New York. Although he faced racial prejudice throughout his career and even faced racist abuse in the military, he endured and broke barriers as a Black performer in the mid-20^th century. Davis later became a trailblazer for African-American entertainers, helping to confront racial issues, and has since served as a symbol of resilience in the face of intolerance.

📜 December 10, 1948: The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is often referred to as humanity’s Magna Carta by Eleanor Roosevelt and is responsible for making the notion of human rights nearly universally accepted.

💭 Quote of the Week

“You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.”

― Sammy Davis Jr.; African-American singer, dancer, entertainer, and author

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

Stay impactful 💚