Friday 16nd December //
Positive news round-up
Ubuntu Thoughts / 5 Min read
December 16, 2022
Callum Berry
Content & Media Manager
Content & Media Manager
About PNR
From reports of rising temperatures to increased natural disasters, climate news can sometimes come off as all doom and gloom. So we’ve committed to sharing a weekly update called the ‘Positive News Roundup’ (PNR) that showcases just some of the stories of hope for our planet.
If you’d like to contribute or have ideas for upcoming articles, get in touch with PNR editor Callum at callum@ubuntustudio.co.uk.
If you’d like to contribute or have ideas for upcoming articles, get in touch with PNR editor Callum at callum@ubuntustudio.co.uk.
Welcome to our second positive news report of December!
Every week, we bring you the latest and greatest good news from around the world. This week, we have some truly inspiring stories to share — from scientific breakthroughs to acts of kindness, these stories will remind you of the amazing things that people are capable of. So sit back, relax, and let’s get into it.
A first for fusion
This is a big one, as a future with almost limitless “clean” energy is closer than it’s ever been.
Nuclear fusion — the energy-producing process that our sun and every star in the universe uses — is described as the "holy grail" of energy production. In simple terms, it works by taking a pair of light atoms (photos) and forcing them together with the subsequent "fusion" releasing energy that can be harnessed to heat water and drive turbines or generators.
One of the main challenges in fusion is that forcing and keeping the elements together requires very high temperatures and pressures. Until now, no experiment has managed to produce more energy than the amount put in — a term known as “ignition”.
On Tuesday however, scientists in the US announced they had overcome this major barrier for the first time — firing 2.05 megajoules of energy at a tiny cylinder holding a pellet of frozen deuterium and tritium, heavier forms of hydrogen. In a tiny blaze lasting less than a billionth of a second, the fusing atomic nuclei released 3.15 megajoules of energy — about 50 percent more than had been used to heat the pellet.
There remains a lot of work to be done before this process can be used to power commercial processes traditionally reliant on high fossil fuel usage, such as steel production. However, it shows that a future driven by clean energy is on the horizon, and scientists believe we should be able to grow and scale the technology over the next century and use it to tackle major problems such as climate change.
Nuclear fusion — the energy-producing process that our sun and every star in the universe uses — is described as the "holy grail" of energy production. In simple terms, it works by taking a pair of light atoms (photos) and forcing them together with the subsequent "fusion" releasing energy that can be harnessed to heat water and drive turbines or generators.
One of the main challenges in fusion is that forcing and keeping the elements together requires very high temperatures and pressures. Until now, no experiment has managed to produce more energy than the amount put in — a term known as “ignition”.
On Tuesday however, scientists in the US announced they had overcome this major barrier for the first time — firing 2.05 megajoules of energy at a tiny cylinder holding a pellet of frozen deuterium and tritium, heavier forms of hydrogen. In a tiny blaze lasting less than a billionth of a second, the fusing atomic nuclei released 3.15 megajoules of energy — about 50 percent more than had been used to heat the pellet.
There remains a lot of work to be done before this process can be used to power commercial processes traditionally reliant on high fossil fuel usage, such as steel production. However, it shows that a future driven by clean energy is on the horizon, and scientists believe we should be able to grow and scale the technology over the next century and use it to tackle major problems such as climate change.
Sydney’s seawalls
Living Seawalls is looking to shake up how we think about building in the ocean.
Wanting to make sure that new and existing foreshore developments are ecologically sustainable, the Australian company has created 3D printed panels that mimic rockpools and mangroves with plenty of crevices and holes for wildlife to thrive in — providing a habitat for kelp, crustaceans, fish and other marine life.
Around 50% of Sydney harbour has been drastically transformed by coastal sea structures. The flat surfaces offer poor structures to support marine life however, decreasing the local biodiversity.
With the new seawalls in place, it only takes a few months for marine life to colonise the panels, and as a lot of the organisms are filter feeders, it also helps to improve the quality of the water!
Wanting to make sure that new and existing foreshore developments are ecologically sustainable, the Australian company has created 3D printed panels that mimic rockpools and mangroves with plenty of crevices and holes for wildlife to thrive in — providing a habitat for kelp, crustaceans, fish and other marine life.
Around 50% of Sydney harbour has been drastically transformed by coastal sea structures. The flat surfaces offer poor structures to support marine life however, decreasing the local biodiversity.
With the new seawalls in place, it only takes a few months for marine life to colonise the panels, and as a lot of the organisms are filter feeders, it also helps to improve the quality of the water!
Win-sulate Britain
After multiple protests by Insulate Britain, the UK has announced a billion-pound home insulation programme.
Insulate Britain led a series of protests last year by blocking roads and motorways in a bid to get the government to fix the UK’s subpar housing stock in an effort to reduce energy consumption.
Despite the negative press they received, the protestors remained undeterred and now the UK has announced £6 billion of funding that will go towards insulating homes.
Some members of Insulate Britain will go on trial this week for blocking the M25 as part of their 2021 campaign — something that feels slightly perverse to us. This is another reminder that whatever side your views lie on, civil resistance often ends in results, and we are all in line to reap the benefits of their activism.
Insulate Britain led a series of protests last year by blocking roads and motorways in a bid to get the government to fix the UK’s subpar housing stock in an effort to reduce energy consumption.
Despite the negative press they received, the protestors remained undeterred and now the UK has announced £6 billion of funding that will go towards insulating homes.
Some members of Insulate Britain will go on trial this week for blocking the M25 as part of their 2021 campaign — something that feels slightly perverse to us. This is another reminder that whatever side your views lie on, civil resistance often ends in results, and we are all in line to reap the benefits of their activism.
About Ubuntu Studio
We're not your average, run-of-the-mill creative agency. We were founded and built on a passion for helping companies do better - for themselves, for people, and for the planet.
We appreciate that all life on earth is under threat, so we’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it. Reducing the negative impact on people and the planet.
If you're looking to make a change in how you market your business, we'd love to chat. Find out more.
We appreciate that all life on earth is under threat, so we’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it. Reducing the negative impact on people and the planet.
If you're looking to make a change in how you market your business, we'd love to chat. Find out more.
Solving the climate emergency starts with us all.
Customers
Reading
A Studio Nine company.
© 2023 Ubuntu. All rights reserved.