Happy Thursday 👋

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

• From saltwater to drinking water with a solar-powered system 🫗
• Pope Francis calls for urgent global climate crisis 🙏
• Ozone layer comebacks that help cool our oceans 🌎
• And more… 💚

Did you know that access to fresh drinking water is still a major problem for way too many people around the world?

With all the salt water in our oceans, I always thought that this should be a problem that scientists should have solved by now… Maybe I’m naive, but isn’t the “only real challenge” that this desalination still requires a lot of energy?

I bet that this would have been solved by now if there was a bigger financial incentive behind…

That’s why I’m especially happy to share that scientists have made a massive step forward that could help us to efficiently transform saltwater into drinking water!

(Btw, you could already support those in need of clean and safe water by supporting charities like charity: water.)

🫗 How A Solar-Powered Desalination System Offers Freshwater Cheaper Than Tap Water

1️⃣ The big picture: Engineers at MIT, in collaboration with researchers in China, have unveiled a groundbreaking solar-powered desalination system. This innovative device efficiently transforms seawater into potable water, potentially at costs even lower than traditional tap water production. The system employs a process known as rapid flash Joule heating, which heats saltwater using natural sunlight. The design of the device promotes water circulation in patterns reminiscent of the ocean’s “thermohaline” circulation, facilitating efficient evaporation and salt rejection.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: Access to clean drinking water is a global challenge, and desalination offers a promising solution. However, many existing methods are energy-intensive and costly. MIT’s new design not only addresses these challenges but also offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution. The system’s ability to operate passively, without the need for electricity, and its extended lifespan mean that the overall operational cost could be cheaper than producing tap water in many regions.

3️⃣ What’s next: The team’s vision is for a scaled-up version of the device to passively produce sufficient drinking water to cater to the daily needs of a small family. Such a system could be particularly beneficial for off-grid coastal communities where seawater is abundant. With the potential to produce drinking water at a rate and price more affordable than tap water, this innovation could play a pivotal role in addressing global water scarcity challenges.

👉 Related: Help provide safe and clean water to those in need by supporting the best charities that fight for clean water!

📢 More Good News…

🙏 Pope Francis calls for urgent global climate crisis at UN summit:

• Pope Francis issued a new call for climate change action on Wednesday, when he slammed the United Stated in particular as “irresponsible” on emissions
• “The world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point,” the pope wrote
• Now that even the head of one of the leading religious institutions fully acknowledges the climate crisis, hopefully those in power follow suit before it’s too late

🌎 The ozone layer’s comeback brings a chill to Antarctica’s ocean: 

• As a result of the healing ozone layer, this could cool some of the world’s southernmost waters and reduce the amount of heat that they store. 
• If this healing continues, researchers at Baltimore say this could reduce the amount of heat stored in the ocean below 40º by 2100.

💧 Waterfleas hold the key to a cleaner environment and better human health: 

• Daphnia, a type of waterflea, filters out pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals from wastewater.
• Because they are resistant to pollution, they can help detect bioactive components and provide early warning systems for chemical pollution.

🐯 Event of the Week: World Animal Day

👉 Did you know that this Wednesday, October 3, was World Animal Day? This event was set up to raise awareness of how animals are treated. It’s a day to celebrate all animals and animal lovers around the world.

1️⃣ The big picture: World Animal Day was founded in 1925 by Heinrich Zimmermann, publisher and writer for the German magazine Mensch und Hund (Man and Dog). He launched an event on March 24, 1925, in Berlin to raise awareness of animal welfare, which drew 5,000 attendees. In 1929, the event was moved to October 4 to coincide with the Feast Day of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals. Today, World Animal Day is celebrated through organized awareness events to improve standards of animal welfare around the globe. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: Despite advances in animal welfare in recent years, it’s estimated that one animal suffers from some form of abuse every minute. Most of these relate to farm animals. However, over 6.3 million pets enter animal shelters across the US every year, and more than 115 million animals are used for cruel laboratory experiments annually. Wild animals fare no better, with an estimated 35,000 elephants killed for their ivory and 73 million sharks illegally slaughtered every year. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: You can get involved in World Animal Day by attending a local awareness event or you can even consider setting up your own. Alternatively, you can visit an animal shelter or zoo to improve your knowledge of animal welfare. Perhaps you can even consider adopting a new pet; many shelters run adoption events around World Animal Day. So, it might be the perfect time to consider whether you can provide for an animal in need. 

Additionally, you can check out the organizations below that fight to protect animals and improve animal welfare on a global scale:

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

📜 This Week in History

🏆 October 5, 1983: Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Poland’s Solidarity union, received the Nobel Prize for Peace.

👨🏾 October 7, 1943: Amiri Baraka, originally named Everett Leroy Jones, was born. Later, he became a poet, novelist and essayist, and wrote of the experiences and suppressed anger of African Americans. He also eventually became the founder of the Black Arts Repertory Theatre.

💭 Quote of the Week

“Thought is more important than art. To revere art and have no understanding of the process that forces it into existence, is finally not even to understand what art is.”

― Amiri Baraka; American poet, playwright, novelist, and founder of the Black Arts Repertory Theatre

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

Stay impactful 💚