This city is beating the heat using Green Corridors 🌳
This city is beating the heat using Green Corridors 🌳
Others can take a cue
Today’s eco snapshot👇🏽
Gone green: Beating the heat
Startup of the week: Airpaq
5 brands that sustainably stand out
Some good news from around the world
3 ways I can help you on your sustainability journey
🌳 This city is beating the heat using Green Corridors
Medellín is the second largest city in Colombia. It’s situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, so it maintains an ideal temperature of 22-24°C. But it’s warmer than the surrounding rural areas. The urban infrastructure in the city and the reduction in green areas did that, like any other city.
But Medellín didn’t give up! It began the Green Corridors Project in 2016. These are areas that are landscaped to promote biodiversity and provide natural shade for urban areas.
As of 2023, the city has grown 880,000 new trees, 2.5 million smaller plants, and 5000 m2 of vertical gardens. The temperature in these green corridors is 4.5°C less than surrounding areas.
It has brought the average temperature of the city down by 2°C and it is expected to fall by 4-5°C in the coming decade.
Not just that, air pollution and respiratory illnesses have come down and more people are cycling in the city.
I feel if Medellín can do that, so can Lahore, Delhi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing, and New York City.
Time for the quiz of the week ⌛
Answer at the end of the newsletter. No one (including me) can see your response so feel free to vote 😉
✨ Startup of the week: Airpaq
Revving up Recycling…The automotive industry produces a lot of waste including discarded seatbelts and airbags. They are usually treated as production waste. But since these are designed to perform in tough situations, why can’t we upcycle them to make other products?
Seatbelts and Airbags Get a Second Chance…That’s what Airpaq is doing. It is upcycling these seatbelts and airbags into bags. This prevents them from ending up in landfills.
Seat belts are known for their safety & woven design so they are used as shoulder straps and fasteners.
Airbags are designed to save lives. They are also visually appealing, functional & durable, making them ideal to be used in bags.
Car seat belt buckles are durable as well and are upcycled into fasteners.
Driving Sustainability…All of these bags are made in Europe under fair working conditions. This promotes sustainability and social equality.
✅ Brands that sustainably stand out
🇨🇦 Flashfood- This app helps you save money while fighting food waste
🇳🇱 Iron Roots- Plastic-free sportswear brand
🇮🇳 Ashaya | WITHOUT™- Making sunglasses from packets of chips that cannot be recycled
🏴 ENOUGH- Creating a sustainable protein to feed the world
🇺🇸 Tangible- Bringing down the emissions of the real estate sector
Engage with hundreds of sustainable brands like these by upgrading to a paid subscription. It comes with access to a database of planet-friendly brands from across the world.
😹 Some Good News
🛖 Weathering the storm: Resilient solutions for Bangladesh's climate crisis
Bangladesh, a highly vulnerable country to climate change, has been greatly affected by frequent natural disasters like cyclones and floods. Non-profit organizations such as Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) are helping displaced families by providing them with climate-resilient housing and alternative livelihood sources. Supported by grants from the Scottish government, initiatives like the YPSA project aim to tackle the climate refugee crisis and empower communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis in Bangladesh.
🌳 The Mangrove Grandparents of El Delgadito: Planting hope and growing forests for a decade
Ana María and David have dedicated over a decade to restoring desert mangroves in El Delgadito, Baja California Sur. Despite challenges from overfishing and climate change, they have planted 1.2 million mangrove propagules, transforming bare sand into thriving forests. These smaller-sized mangroves provide habitat, store carbon, and support local fisheries. Their work showcases the power of conservation and offers economic alternatives for the community, highlighting the importance of preserving these unique ecosystems.
💪 Cutting back, growing greener: Young people are embracing the degrowth movement
Amid the cost of living crisis and concerns about the environment, more people are embracing a "degrowth" mindset. They're consuming less, spending more sustainably, and transitioning away from fast fashion. They're renting, repairing, and buying secondhand or higher-quality items. They're also shopping locally and reducing their environmental impact. Some are extending the lifespan of clothing and prioritizing seasonal and local produce. These changes are helping alleviate the strain on the planet and their wallets.
🌎 3 ways I can help you
📞 Interested in chatting about sustainability and climate change? Book a free call here
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💁🏼 If you’re a planet-friendly brand, I can help you with your blogs, newsletters, case studies, and whitepapers
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Have a great weekend, and see you next week😊