💚 Solar Farms Are Making Waves 🌊
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Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
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Stay impactful,
Happy Tuesday! 👋
What comes to your mind when you think about solar energy? Big stretches of land with solar panels? Or maybe floating solar farms in the water?
Well, I would bet that it’s the far more popular land version. At least for now 😉
And while I personally like seeing solar panels (or also wind farms), they still do take up valuable space and are often greeted with objections from those living in the respective areas.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could “solve” both of these things at once?
That’s why I’m super happy to share this week’s story about the advancement of US-based floating solar farms with you!
🌊 Surge in Popularity: How Floating Solar Farms Are Making Waves in the US
Incredible news from the renewable energy sector! Floating solar farms, a technology already popular in Asian countries where land is scarce and expensive, are now gaining traction in the US and other parts of the world.
This innovative approach to generating electricity is a game-changer for our planet.
Floating solar panels are a simple yet ingenious solution to the land and water consumption issues associated with traditional energy production.
- These photovoltaic cells are attached to rafts on bodies of water, saving valuable land that could be used for agriculture or buildings.
- Not only that, but they also act as a lid, reducing water evaporation to almost zero – a significant advantage in areas frequently hit by drought.
Floating solar farms are not only saving land and water, but they’re also generating more energy due to the cooling effect of the water, making them more efficient than their land-based counterparts.
However, like any emerging technology, floating solar farms have their limitations.
- They can’t operate on fast-moving water, the open ocean, or on shorelines with big waves (yet!).
- Deep water can also increase installation costs, and covering too much of a water body’s surface can alter dissolved oxygen levels and water temperatures, potentially impacting aquatic life.
Despite these challenges, the potential of floating solar farms is immense.
A recent study published in Nature Sustainability found that thousands of cities across 124 countries could generate all their power from floating solar, while saving enough water each year to fill 40 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
📢 More Good News…
👉 Tiny Galápagos island birds make a promising comeback: Remarkable results have been obtained via efforts to restore Darwin’s flycatchers’ habitats, manage invasive species, and increase public understanding of the value of conservation. The once-dwindling populations have begun to recover, serving as a reminder that even the tiniest species may have a significant impact on their surroundings.
👉 3 smart ways how Seattle is at the forefront of reuse: Seattle is one of several communities across the world that have adopted the concepts of a circular economy, which emphasizes reducing wasteful consumption patterns and elevating models that focus on reuse, repair, refurbishment, or remanufacture.
👉 The power of photosynthesis for clean energy production: By utilizing bacteria to transfer electrons to a nanocrystal semiconductor photocatalyst, researchers hope to replicate the natural process of photosynthesis. The technology has the potential to replace present methods that manufacture hydrogen from fossil fuels by utilizing the special qualities of microbes and nanomaterials, changing the process and opening up a significant source of renewable energy.
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society together!
Stay impactful 💚
Dennis (Founder & Chief Ninja)
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🦻🧑🦯 Event of the Week: Deafblind Awareness Week
Did you know that we celebrate Deafblind Awareness Week the last week of June (June 26–July 2)? This awareness event seeks to raise awareness for the deafblind or multi-sensory impairment population. The week falls on the birthday of Helen Keller, one of the most important figures in deafblind history. One important focus for Deafblind Awareness Week is myth-busting about some of the assumptions many people make about the multi-sensory impairment community.
Below are our favorite charities that are especially relevant for this event:
- 9 Best Charities for the Blind
- 9 Best Charities for the Deaf and Hard of Healing
- 9 Best Charities for People with Disabilities
📜 This Week in History
📚 June 27, 1880: Helen Keller was born in Alabama, USA. She would go on to become an important voice for people with disabilities, mainly through her books, which were groundbreaking in documenting hearing and visual impairment.
🏳️🌈 June 28, 1969: The Stonewall riots broke out in New York City after a gay club was raided by the police. This uprising is considered a seminal moment in gay rights history and is the reason for June as Pride Month.
☮️ June 28, 1919: The Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending World War I. The treaty aimed to establish a just and ethical international order by holding accountable the nations responsible for the war and promoting peace.
💭 Quote of the Week
“The chief handicap of the blind is not blindness, but the attitude of seeing people towards them.”
–Helen Keller, author and activist
