Happy Friday 👋

Did you know that very day last week, one Regional Winner of The Earth Prize 2025 was revealed?

And the impact of these youth-led innovations is nothing short of inspiring!

 From water purification with plasma, to eco-packaging, food waste reduction and reimagined climate education, these students are showing what bold, scalable climate action looks like…

Now that all seven regional winners have been revealed, it’s your turn to vote for the global winner of the Earth Prize 2025!

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

• Vote now for the global winner of the Earth Prize 2025 🌎
• How a human chain relocates books in a Michigan town 📚
• America’s first energy island powers 12,500 homes 🏝️
• Discussion of the week: educational access for all 💬
• And more… 💚

🌎 Earth Prize 2025: Seven Youth Innovations Driving Global Environmental Change

1️⃣ The big picture: The Earth Prize 2025 has revealed its seven regional winners, each representing innovative youth-led solutions to pressing environmental challenges. The projects range from PURA’s light-and-plasma water purification system in Europe to Kiriboard’s origami-inspired eco-packaging in North America. Other winning innovations include urban green spaces in Africa, a food waste reduction app in Southeast Asia, AI-powered sustainability education in the Middle East, electricity-free medical refrigeration in Asia, and AI-guided urban cooling in South America. You can now vote until Earth Day (April 22^nd) to determine which project becomes the global winner.

2️⃣ Why is this good news: Young innovators across the globe are creating practical, scalable solutions to urgent environmental problems. These projects tackle critical issues like antimicrobial resistance, plastic pollution, food waste, and urban heat islands. The solutions are designed to be cost-effective and easily implemented in real-world settings. Each regional winner receives funding to advance their project, potentially impacting millions of lives while protecting the environment. The combination of youth innovation, practical solutions, and immediate action shows how the next generation leads positive environmental change.

3️⃣ What’s next: The public voting period runs until April 22^nd (Earth Day) to select the global winner from among the seven regional champions. Each team plans to use their initial funding to scale their projects, from building new prototypes to expanding their reach and impact. Several teams are already working to establish partnerships with businesses, schools, and communities to implement their solutions. The winning innovations stand ready for real-world application and expansion.

📢 Three More Good News

📚 How a Human Chain of 300 Relocates 9,100 Books in Michigan Town:

• 📰 The quick summary: A small Michigan town demonstrated remarkable community spirit by forming a 300-person human chain to move 9,100 books to a local bookstore’s new location, completing the move efficiently while strengthening neighborhood bonds.
• 📈 One key stat: 300 residents moved 9,100 books in under 2 hours, proving that community collaboration can be more efficient than traditional moving methods.
• 💬 One key quote: “It was a practical way to move the books, but it also was a way for everybody to have a part,” Michelle Tuplin, the store’s owner, said.

🏠 How US Appliance Standards Are Cutting Emissions by 2 Billion Metric Tons:

• 📰 The quick summary: Energy efficiency standards for appliances help Americans save hundreds of dollars annually on utility bills while significantly reducing pollution and carbon emissions.
• 📈 One key stat: The government estimates that appliance efficiency standards saved American consumers $105 billion in 2024 alone, with typical households saving $576 compared to having no standards.
• 💬 One key quote: “71% of Americans support the idea that the government should set and update energy efficiency standards for appliances” according to a Consumer Federation of America survey.

🏝️ Block Island: America’s First Energy Island Powers 12,500 Homes:

• 📰 The quick summary: America’s first energy island, Block Island Wind Farm, generates clean wind power for an entire island plus 12,500 mainland homes while creating new marine habitats and boosting local tourism.
• 📈 One key stat: The wind farm generates 18,342,000 kW of electricity annually, meeting 100% of Block Island’s energy needs plus powering thousands of mainland households.
• 💬 One key quote: “44% had said that there was a noticeable increase in fish species near turbines with another 36% of mussel colonies establishing themselves on the turbine structures“

📢 Even More Good News Headlines From This Week

🌡️ The innovative sand batteries that can transform renewable energy storage:

🚗 Hyundai reveals new hydrogen car that extends range to 700 km:

🦠 The development of protein-rich food sources from microbes to address global hunger

🚢 The world’s first zero-emissions ferry route

🌿 How the Caribbean is turning seaweed into fuel

🦠 Increasing our understanding of soil microbes

💬 Discussion of the Week: Educational Access For All

Welcome to our new section, where we spark meaningful discussions about everyday topics that can create a real positive impact in our lives!

This week’s discussion topic: How can we support educational access for all?

• How important is education for addressing global challenges, and what role can we play in supporting this?
• What are some ways we can help improve educational opportunities for underserved communities?
• Do you know of any effective organizations or resources that focus on expanding educational access that you’d recommend looking into?

I’d love to hear your stories and tips, so we can help make education accessible for everyone!

For our founding community members, keep the conversation going in our forum here.

Want to join our community when we reopen? Just reply to this email—I’d love to personally add you to our waitlist so you’ll be the first to know all about it 💚

🤝 Important Awareness Events at a Glance

✝️ April 18, Good Friday:

• Good Friday is a holy day in Christianity as it commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ at Calvary, highlighting the sacrifices and suffering in Jesus’ life. It is also known as Black Friday, Holy Friday, Great Friday, and Friday of the Passion of the Lord. 
• This event is a widely instituted legal holiday around the world, including most Western countries and 12 US states. 
• Although it marks the same sacrifice of Jesus for humanity, traditions of this day are different across the world, reflecting the cultural and religious diversity of Christianity.

♾️ April 18, Adult Autism Awareness Day:

• During Autism Acceptance Month, thousands of awareness events are planned to garner support for autistic children, but little attention is given specifically to adults with autism. 
• Adult Autism Awareness Day celebrates the contributions of autistic adults to fields like the arts and science, and also highlights the support and resources that are available to autistic adults- and draws attention to resources that are lacking.

🏋️ April 18, National Exercise Day:

• The benefits of regular physical activity include preventing obesity, increasing heart health, and improving mental health. 
• On National Exercise Day, health-minded groups organize events to motivate and encourage people to make a habit of daily exercise.

Related: You can discover all the 123 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for April 2025!

📜 These Days in History

🚨 April 18, 1906: In the early morning hours, a massive earthquake estimated at close to 8.0 on the Richter Scale struck San Francisco, California. Ultimately, about 3,000 people died as a result of the event, making it the deadliest earthquake in US history.

💣 April 19, 1995: A truck bomb exploded outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing over 100 people instantly and trapping dozens more in the rubble. The final death toll reached 168 people, including 19 children.

🔬 April 20, 1902: In Paris, Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radium salts from the mineral pitchblende, revolutionizing the way we approach radioactivity. The following year, they would be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work.

💭 Quote of the Day

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

― Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, known simply as Marie Curie; was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity and won the Nobel Prize in both Physics and Chemistry

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

Stay impactful 💚