This week's good news: Kpop4climate, 1 million protected acres & smart butterflies

Hey, happy Friday. What a week this was!

Despite several days of rain here in NYC, things are still shining. I had the chance to meet with several folks involved with New York Climate Week–one of the biggest climate gatherings in the entire world–and will be involved in a few exciting events (taking place in mid-September). If you live in New York or nearby... stay tuned!

And more good news from my personal life: my sister's getting married next weekend! Thankfully, I finished my speech already, so I'll still be able to write and send this newsletter out next Friday morning :)

How was your week? My inbox is always open, just reply to this email.

And now, enjoy all the good from this past week...

The good from Friday, August 4

A study from the University of California found that if grocery stores offer dynamic pricing, meaning fruits and veggies become cheaper when they’re about to expire, it will reduce food waste by at least 21% while actually making the stores more money.

👑 K-pop fans are fighting a coal power plant in South Korea that’s located by the beach from a famous BTS photo shoot for the sleeve to their hit song Butter, led by Kpop4planet who aim to utilize the massive power and influence K-pop fans have to spark climate action and protect our planet.

One of the biggest solar farms in the US will span 7,000 acres of a retired coal mine in Kentucky which will reclaim this harmful site and use it to generate hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars for the local economy, and partner with Rivian for the power behind their EV charging network.

A new $50 million fund from Global Conservation will protect endangered National Parks in developing countries through monitoring systems and community-based enforcement and give tools & training for these areas full of so much beauty and biodiversity.

The good from Monday, August 7

👑 The James Webb telescope took a photo of a scene from 1,470 light-years away that looks just like a question mark, made up of actively forming stars just a few thousand years old, helping researchers discover how our sun may have formed.

Light bulbs are entering a new era as the US will no longer allow the purchase of inefficient incandescent bulbs, patented by Thomas Edison in 1880, which are now replaced by superior LED lights that easily meet new efficiency standards.

There are only 2,500 endangered silvery gibbons left and after struggling to find funding for protection as they’re not considered a ‘sexy species’, the JPRC in Indonesia has managed to take in 71 gibbons and reintroduced 55 of them back into the wild!

A quarter century since the Faro lead-zinc mine in Canada was closed, a massive cleanup project has started growing native trees and plants on Kaska territory, a First Nations people who are leading this remediation.

The good from Tuesday, August 8

Cheetos, tortilla chips, roasted nuts, and any other foods cooked in large commercial ovens will undergo a big change under California’s new rule that requires zero nitrogen oxide emissions, making companies like Frito-Lay switch to electric ovens.

Opera houses around the world are cutting ties with fossil fuels and lowering their emissions largely due to consumer pressure with some going even further by installing their own wind turbines, conserving marine life, or converting their roofs into urban farms.

Deforestation rates have fallen substantially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Colombia, and Brazil, with experts saying if other countries get involved, it’s possible to halt and reverse tropical deforestation by 2030.

👑 Massachusetts will likely become the 9th US state to ban elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes, and bears in traveling exhibits and shows, to prevent animal cruelty.

The good from Wednesday, August 9

No one wants to work for oil and gas companies anymore. Despite their record profits and pouring money into fellowships to attract new talent, young people are concerned about their role in climate change and the pool for petroleum engineering has shrunk by 75%!

The White House has declared the 5th new national monument under President Biden, this one spanning 1 million beautiful acres of sacred land to tribal nations surrounding the Grand Canyon that will now be protected and conserved.

👑 A new study revealed that butterflies are more intelligent than we realized and are capable of spatial learning, meaning they can process information to perform complex tasks like learning the location of food in a 60-meter-wide maze.

A nuclear fusion reaction that produces more energy than is put into it was created again, this time with even more success than the achievement last December, meaning fusion is one step closer to reality.

The good from Thursday, August 10

There may be as much as 30 times less plastic in our oceans than we thought, according to a new study posted in the journal Nature Geoscience, reminding us that it’s really not too late to take action and save our oceans and marine species.

In every single one of the 50 US states, it’s now cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than to fill up a gas tank.

The Wari' people of Brazil have managed to protect themselves and the Komi Memem River by getting a law passed that grants the river personhood status, meaning it is now a living entity with expanded rights and protections.

Oregon passed two bills that end cosmetic testing on animals, and puppy mills that sell their cats and dogs in pet stores and shopping malls, becoming the 7th state to ban this unethical practice.

Bonus actions

• *Calculate how much money you can save through the Inflation Reduction Act! Rewiring America has made a handy calculator that helps you check if you're eligible for the big rebates & perks coming from the IRA passed almost exactly a year ago. These tax credits cover electric dryers, HVAC, water heaters, EVs, stoves, and more that make your home more energy efficient, better for the planet, and can save you money. Let's save the planet & our wallets!
• Check out more recurring actions you can take on Climativity (continuously updated).

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See you again soon,

Jacob

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