What's a pangolarium?

Hey fam,

Adding the final touches to this email a few hours later than normal because I moved! Stressed, tired, and very excited to be starting this new chapter... I'm still in NYC though!

This week's stories include a pacemaker the size of a sesame seed, the world's first "Pangolarium", clean energy records, Sweden's Great Moose Migration, and much more...

Take a few deep breaths, enjoy these stories of progress, and have an amazing weekend.

Friday, April 11

🗺️ Indonesia is launching a “reuse road map” to end unnecessary waste by focusing on reusing items through practices like eating from ceramic bowls instead of plastic containers, refilling items in bulk, and returning packaging to be cleaned and used by someone else (Hans Nicholas Jong|Mongabay)

🫀 The world’s smallest pacemaker was made by researchers which is smaller than a grain of rice and about the same size as a sesame seed and it dissolves when it’s no longer needed, with its intended use to be a temporary aid after heart surgery, particularly in children (Amanda Morris|Northwestern Now)

🔋 A pilot home upgrade program for several dozen low income households is underway in Massachusetts installing rooftop solar, batteries, and electric heat pumps in a package that amplifies cost savings together which can hopefully become a more accessible model to replicate around the nation (Sarah Shemkus|Canary Media)

🪴 solepaints (from our community) is setting up a free seed and plant cutting library in their lawn to educate neighbors on rewilding and help local pollinators.

Monday, April 14

🇿🇦 The first Pangolarium in the world was created in South Africa to help save all four species of African pangolin which are the most trafficked animals, providing veterinary care and reintroducing these walking pinecones into the wild that are featured in a documentary coming out this month made by the director of My Octopus Teacher (Meghan Cook|GoodGoodGood)

🏄 Old surfboards are being turned into cinder block substitutes to help reduce waste and address housing issues in Hawaii, taking the foam inside the boards that usually gets thrown away and pressing it into lightweight Surf Blocks used to create steel reinforced walls (Surf Block Maui, Thomas Heaton|Honolulu Civil Beat)

🌪️ Anirudh Rao invented a better way to detect tornadoes at just 12 years old by using a network of drones that can sense infrasound at frequencies below what humans can hear, improving on the current radar techniques, showing that humans can make incredible differences at any age (Adele Peters|Fast Company)

🥤 thebradwindom (from our community) brought reusable metal cups to their office to reduce waste and people are actually using them.

Tuesday, April 15

🪧 Protests work, according to science, based on a review of 50 studies from the past few years that found strong evidence of public opinion and media coverage being influenced by climate activism, and some evidence it also influences voting behavior and policymakers, strongly hinting that public resistance creates positive change (Kate Yoder|Grist, Yale Climate Communications)

🐻 A little village in Italy learned to live in harmony with critically endangered Marsican brown bears by installing bear-proof bins, putting up gates, and educating neighbors on best practices like not leaving food out, which decreased bear raids by 99% protecting both the town and these beautiful wild animals (Phoebe Weston|The Guardian)

🔌 For the first time, clean energy sources generated more than half of electricity in the US over a whole month, with wind and solar generating about 25% of power in March and the rest coming from other renewables and nuclear, despite the pushback trying to end this positive momentum (Ember)

🧵 Jen’s Creations (from our community) started selling natural and unused fabrics called deadstock to combat fast fashion.

Wednesday, April 16

🫎 Sweden’s Great Moose Migration is underway with a 24-hour livestream for 20 straight days filming some hundreds of thousands of moose walking the same 300 kilometer path they have for thousands of years towards grazing pastures, considered “slow tv” since long periods show nothing spectacular besides peaceful nature (Stefanie Dazio|AP)

☀️ Scotland’s largest community solar project is being built where people become members and get shares of a solar farm that benefits local residents and businesses, and this one should power about 1,250 homes while allowing sheep to graze between the panels (Paige Bennett|Ecowatch)

🚢 After 10 years of negotiations, the world’s first global shipping emissions limit has been approved by the UN International Maritime Organization of 108 nations covering 97% of the world’s shipping, with the deal forcing a decrease in emissions or hefty fine, and while many agree it doesn’t go far enough, it’s a step in the right direction (Jennifer McDermott & Sibi Arasu|AP)

🆓 aeriselove (from our community) has a "free" table in their work break room where people drop off items they don’t want like paint, yarn, and earbuds to reduce waste.

Thursday, April 17

🦏 Critically endangered black rhinos are riding to safety on Vietnam war helicopters, moving the 3,000 pound animals to safety in South Africa for poaching protection and to increase local diversity, which does look crazy but this is faster, can reach remote locations, and they’re unconscious which avoids bumpy road travel in scary crates (Riley Farrell|BBC)

🚫 The EU just agreed on a ban of forever chemicals called PFAs in children’s toys to protect young ones from the exposure-linked health harms like reduced immune system response and cancers, with the 27 European countries taking a stand against these chemicals and their unnecessary risks (Le Monde)

🐶 Researchers struggling to find the endangered rusty patched bumblebee are using conservation detection dogs, specifically two Labrador Retrievers named Ernie and Bettie whose noses can smell things that humans can’t find to help collect more data and advise on practices like avoiding chemicals and planting native wildflowers (The Guardian)

🦋 wh0_is_e (from our community) is planning to plant milkweed on their property in the coming months to benefit monarch butterflies

Bonus!

📈 A "green stock exchange" may begin trading next year.

🛣️ Dublin is bringing back its car-free streets program.

👽 Did we finally discover life on another planet?

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This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. 900,000+ people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Bluesky. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by emailing jacob@jacobsimonsays.com.