Happy Tuesday 👋

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

• Improving the efficiency of EV battery recycling 🔋
• The first-ever community-led conservation congress 🇳🇦
• Solar space farms as a viable clean energy source 🛰️
• And more… 💚

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a major step in the fight against climate change because they decrease our reliance on fossil fuels.

Okay, I’m happy riding my bicycle for all daily commutes, but that’s a story for a different time…

However, did you know that recycling EV batteries has been a significant barrier that prevents EVs from being completely sustainable?

Well, researchers in Sweden may have the answer…

🔋 How Researchers Are Improving the Recycling Process of Electric Car Batteries

1️⃣ The big picture: Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed an innovative recycling method that allows for the recovery of 100% of the aluminum content and 98% of the lithium in electric car batteries. The process doesn’t require the use of any harmful chemicals and allows for better recovery of valuable metals compared to more traditional methods. Research leader Martina Petranikova and her team used finely ground black powder and oxalic acid to dissolve aluminum and lithium whilst leaving the other metals as solids. These materials can then be used to make new batteries.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: In current recycling methods of electric car batteries, known as hydrometallurgy, all metals in an electric car battery are dissolved in inorganic acid. This process requires multiple purification stages which can cause a lot of the lithium to be lost. The new method reverses the process, recovering the lithium and aluminum first, and uses environmentally friendly ingredients. This breakthrough means that the recycling process can be refined, whilst retaining a high quantity of valuable metals needed to make new batteries.  

3️⃣ What’s next: The Swedish research team is currently collaborating with well-known brands such as Volvo and Northvolt. The next step for the team is to further explore ways to effectively separate lithium from the rest of the metals efficiently. They are also looking into how to scale up the process so it becomes a viable alternative to traditional methods on an industrial level. 

👉 You can already help to improve sustainability worldwide by contributing to the Best Charities That Promote Sustainability!

📢 More Good News…

🇳🇦 Namibia hosts first-ever community-led conservation congress:

• Last month, hundreds of indigenous community groups, conservation organizations, governments, and policymakers gathered to discuss how local communities can play a bigger role in African conservation efforts.
• The three-day event covered topics such as human-wildlife conflict and also gave communities from 43 African countries a platform to demonstrate their conservation knowledge and practices. 
• The congress has been described as a great starting point to elevate community voices across Africa.

🍺 New eco-beer brewed from wastewater:

• American Brewery Devil’s Canyon and start-up company Epic Cleantec, have created a beer by using wastewater from showers, laundry washing, and the bathroom sinks of a San Francisco apartment block.
• The innovative wastewater processing system has been proven to reduce water demands (and household bills) by 95%.
• The project was launched to raise awareness of alternative potential water sources that may not initially seem appetizing. 

🛰️ Innovative solar space farm can harvest the sun’s energy:

• Technology firm Space Solar has developed a floating solar farm that could be in operation as soon as 2035.
• The technology could become a vital clean energy source for the UK, providing 13 times more renewable energy than both terrestrial solar farms and offshore wind farms.
• The company’s ultimate goal is to deliver 20% of the world’s energy supply with 600 satellites that will float 36,000 km (~22,000 miles) above our Earth’s surface.

📚 Event of the Week: Children’s Book Week

👉 Did you know that this week (November 06-12) is Children’s Book Week? This event was founded in 1919 to celebrate books for children and promote a love of reading.

1️⃣ The big picture: Children’s Book Week was set up by Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, to promote higher standards in children’s books. The event was later sponsored by the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association but eventually it was taken over by the charitable organization Every Child a Reader in 2008. Today, hundreds of awareness and fundraising events are organized across America to engage children in reading. You can also download a variety of activities and resources to celebrate Children’s Book Week with your family and friends. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: Approximately 250 million children around the world lack basic literacy skills because of poverty and a lack of access to resources. Furthermore, just two in every five children aged 8-18 said they enjoyed reading in 2023, with only half saying that they were encouraged to read by their parents or carers. Research shows that reading has many benefits for children, including better academic performance, stronger vocabulary skills, and improved mental well-being. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: This year’s theme for Children’s Book Week is ‘Read Books. Spark Change.’ to promote the power that books and stories have to inspire positive change. So, consider joining the Find Your Spark Challenge which includes plenty of downloadable materials and activities to make reading fun for children and help them find their ‘spark’. Alternatively, most libraries hold reading events during this week, such as author visits and themed dress-up celebrations. 

Additionally, you can check out the organizations below that work to improve literacy worldwide and inspire a love of reading:

• 9 Best Charities That Promote Reading
• 9 Best Charities That Promote Children’s Literacy
• 9 Best Charities That Promote Literacy

📜 This Week in History

🪖 November 07, 1659: The Treaty of Pyrenees was signed on Pheasant Island, ending the Franco-Spanish War.

🖤 November 07, 1989: L. Douglas Wilder became the first African American governor in US history, as elected governor of Virginia.

🩻 November 1, 1895: Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays (electromagnetic rays) at the University of Würzburg, Germany. 

💭 Quote of the Day

“There will be those who will tell you that you can’t make it because of how you look, because of the way you talk. We all have heard that – I almost listened.”

— L. Douglas Wilder, former US governor

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

Stay impactful 💚