Friday 9th September //
Positive news round-up
Ubuntu Thoughts / 5 Min read
September 9, 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.
It's been a busy news week on the sustainability front: From a new PM here in the UK offering few environmental policies, to yet more wildfires spreading across the world including China.
But there have also been some positive stories—many of which have gone unreported. Here are our top three to kick-start your weekend.
But there have also been some positive stories—many of which have gone unreported. Here are our top three to kick-start your weekend.
Orca-strating a new home
One of the oldest Orcas in the world could soon be released from captivity back into the wild to be reunited with her family.
Tokitae (also known as Lolita), has spent 52 years in a pool at Miami Seaquarium. However activists and campaigners have spent years campaigning for her release: “We owe all these captive animals an opportunity to live in an environment as close to their natural environment as we can possibly provide,” said Charles Vinick of the Whale Sanctuary Project, a project set up to help free captive whales around the world.
Tokitae’s mother is believed to still be alive despite being over 90 years old, and numerous sightings of her leading a pod of killer whales in the Salish Sea have resulted in calls for Tokitae to be introduced into the group.
There have been questions raised about how well Tokitae would fare in the wild after so many years of captivity. However recent orcas releases have shown positive results, so expectations are high for Tokitae.
Tokitae (also known as Lolita), has spent 52 years in a pool at Miami Seaquarium. However activists and campaigners have spent years campaigning for her release: “We owe all these captive animals an opportunity to live in an environment as close to their natural environment as we can possibly provide,” said Charles Vinick of the Whale Sanctuary Project, a project set up to help free captive whales around the world.
Tokitae’s mother is believed to still be alive despite being over 90 years old, and numerous sightings of her leading a pod of killer whales in the Salish Sea have resulted in calls for Tokitae to be introduced into the group.
There have been questions raised about how well Tokitae would fare in the wild after so many years of captivity. However recent orcas releases have shown positive results, so expectations are high for Tokitae.
Car-bon killer
A Dutch team of students under TU/ecomotive has developed a sustainable electric passenger car that captures more carbon dioxide than it emits. The prototype, called Zem, purifies the air through a special filter and subsequently stores the captured CO₂.
Once the CO₂ filter is full (after about 320 kilometres of driving), it can be removed and cleaned at special charging stations. In the future, the aim is for the captured CO₂ to be recycled into alternative forms of electricity. The students are now looking into how they can produce a standalone filter that can be used in existing vehicles.
The team has set a goal to install CO₂-capture filters in every car as a basic part of everyday transportation.
Once the CO₂ filter is full (after about 320 kilometres of driving), it can be removed and cleaned at special charging stations. In the future, the aim is for the captured CO₂ to be recycled into alternative forms of electricity. The students are now looking into how they can produce a standalone filter that can be used in existing vehicles.
The team has set a goal to install CO₂-capture filters in every car as a basic part of everyday transportation.
Germany goes green
Berlin’s disused Tegel airport will soon become an environmentally-friendly residential community and research hub.
The five-million square metre ‘Tegel Projekt’ renovation will include a 5,000-apartment community to house around 10,000 people. The city is designed to prioritise pedestrians, with cyclable and walkable pathways, with electric buses and a tramway slated as future developments.
Early renders show depictions of vertical gardens on the apartment blocks designed to keep buildings cool without resorting to energy-guzzling air conditioning, as well as grassy parklands.
Each rooftop will be fitted with solar panels for domestic electricity, while ‘sponge city’ technology like permeable pavements and rain gardens will help the city soak up as much water as possible. Nearly half of the airport space will be set aside as a nature reserve.
The five-million square metre ‘Tegel Projekt’ renovation will include a 5,000-apartment community to house around 10,000 people. The city is designed to prioritise pedestrians, with cyclable and walkable pathways, with electric buses and a tramway slated as future developments.
Early renders show depictions of vertical gardens on the apartment blocks designed to keep buildings cool without resorting to energy-guzzling air conditioning, as well as grassy parklands.
Each rooftop will be fitted with solar panels for domestic electricity, while ‘sponge city’ technology like permeable pavements and rain gardens will help the city soak up as much water as possible. Nearly half of the airport space will be set aside as a nature reserve.
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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.
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