• How 2 kids used social media to raise thousands of dollars for the Brazilian rainforest
• Two-way charging allows electric vehicles to feed back to the grid
• How to equip buildings to better cope with high temperatures

How 2 kids used social media to raise thousands of dollars for the Brazilian rainforest

We have seen the power that young people have in trying to take action on climate change. But not every sport involves the mobilization of large numbers of people. Sometimes, it only takes two motivated children—perhaps with a little support from their parents—to make a meaningful contribution to the planet.

A few years ago, 10-year-old Marcello Marini Ferraz (Marcello Marini Ferraz) read a book called Help the earth At his school in Toronto. Marcello’s mother Paola Frumento Ferraz said that her son went to a friend’s classroom the next day and told people what he had learned about the threats to forests and green spaces around the world. He promised to do something about this and asked the children to contribute to this cause.

The boy was only 8 years old, but his speech persuaded his peers to donate some money-a total of 8 dollars. When he went home and told his mother about this, she said they could work on a project together.

“Of course, I’m not that serious,” Ferraz said. “But he is.”

Ferrazz knew they would go to Brazil with friends for a holiday later this year, so she assured Marcelo that they would go to the forest when they got there. The seeds have been planted.

In January 2019, the Ferraz family went to the countryside of southeastern Brazil to reunite with the family of Christiana Marquez Gomes. There, Marcelo met Gomez’s 13-year-old daughter Olivia (pictured above), who has been reading books about the rich biodiversity of the tropical rainforest. The two children are closely linked because of their common interests, the importance of caring for the environment, and their desire to take action.

Ferraz and Gomes saw that their children were making plans and decided to support them by contacting SOS Mata Atlântica, a Brazilian non-governmental organization focused on protecting the Atlantic forest biome in different parts of the country.

The Amazon is the largest and most famous tropical rainforest in South America, but the Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlântica in Portuguese) is also home to incredible biodiversity-like the Amazon, it is also threatened.The Atlantic Forest is home to 70% of Brazil’s population, but in December 2020 Learn It was found that as many as 85% of the trees in the original Atlantic Forest were lost due to deforestation.

Kelly De Marchi, environmental education coordinator of SOS Mata Atlântica, took Marcello and Olivia to a space in the Atlantic Forest where she explained how to plant trees.

“They asked a lot of questions, such as,’What do I need to plant seeds? How much do I need to plant the entire forest?'” De Marchi said. When teaching children what a hectare of land looks like, De Marchi said it is the size of a football field.

The children want to make a video, and their focus is to write a script asking people to donate to their cause-Olivia in Portuguese and Marcelo in English. Their goal? In order to plant enough trees to fill the entire football field, they later called it the “land of dreams.” A friend of Marcello’s mother volunteered to create visual effects and edited them together into YouTube video By the adults involved.

A year later, this video helped the children raise approximately US$4,500 (or approximately BRL 23,000). “We only help edit the video and share it on our social media,” Ferrazz said, and Gomez added, “The idea is entirely theirs.”

The children donated money to SOS Mata Atlântica. The 1,400 trees that Marcello and Olivia helped plant were from 89 species native to the Atlantic Forest biome, covering an area equivalent to one hectare. In May, volunteers from SOS Mata Atlântica completed the planting of all seedlings.

Due to COVID-19, Marcelo was unable to reunite with Olivia and witnessed tree planting activities in Brazil. However, Marcelo watched it on his mother’s mobile phone. Olivia asked her brother to plant Marcelo’s tree for him.

De Marchi said that this proves that children have the potential to do great things when they receive support and guidance from those around them.

“They not only funded the planting of these seedlings, they also funded the formation of the forest,” De Marchi said.

— Tesgrandisoli

Reader feedback

Efforts to inspire climate action are becoming more and more obvious. In this spirit, we want to know: Are there any murals or other art displays with environmental themes in your community? If so, we are happy to advise them.

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There is also a radio show and podcast! So far, wildfires, extreme heat, droughts and floods have occurred in the summer of 2021. Not exactly the summer of your childhood. this week, what happened Learn how “normal” changes, what challenges it poses, and what actions you can take to help. what happened It will be broadcast in Newfoundland on Sunday at 12:30 pm and 1 pm.Subscribe to your favorite podcast app or listen on demand at Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Big picture: Two-way charging

To be able to travel hundreds of kilometers on a single charge, electric vehicles need huge batteries. Until recently, these batteries could only be used for driving. But more and more people are beginning to have the ability to charge in both directions-that is, the stored electricity will be fed back to the building or even the grid. The earliest adopter was the Nissan Leaf, which acquired this superpower in 2013. But it is becoming more and more common. Both Volkswagen and Ford have recently announced this feature for upcoming electric models. At the same time, two-way charging stations are being put on the market, making practical use of this capability possible. Proponents say that using cars as energy storage can help integrate more wind and solar energy into the grid and use it more efficiently-vehicles can be charged during windy and sunny days but low power demand, and then when there is no wind or Sunshine and demand are high.Nova Scotia Electricity Company is running Electric vehicle grid integration pilot project Work with federal funds to understand how utility-controlled charging and two-way charging can help add more renewable energy and make the grid more resilient, preventing or mitigating blackouts.you could Read more about it here.

Popularity and annoyance: provocative ideas from the Internet

• Every country is considering what it is willing to do to combat climate change. this week, EU responds to challenges by enacting a Green New Deal, Articulating the steps to be taken to achieve its ambitious goal of reducing emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. These include imposing tariffs on certain products from countries that are not very climate-conscious, and some observers say this could have a huge impact on global trade.

• For the first time in 400 years, Beaver is born Exmoor in South West England Hunted to extinction in England in the 16th century. Small kit, it lives in a fence The Holnicote Manor in Somerset is the product of the Eurasian beaver that was introduced to the area a few years ago.

• If you have been on social media this week, you may have watched the Utah video Throwing fish from the planeThis is part of a long-term practice of restocking lakes that have run out of fish, even though they have only recently been done from the air. Drop about 35,000 fish per flight (not to mention spray of hundreds of liters of water).

How to equip buildings to better cope with high temperatures

Brenda Perez believes that the recent heat wave in BC is nothing compared to the summer in her hometown of Mexico. However, because her high-rise apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows and baking at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, the health of the 25-year-old and her pets began to be affected.

“I really vomited. I woke up and I really felt like I was going to faint,” the Coquitlam resident said.

Perez said her priority is her dog Lola. They took the shower nearly 12 times a day just to keep it cool, and then she finally found an air-conditioned dog sitter. But her two pet fish and frog died due to the high temperature.

“It changed the way I see the world,” she said.

When southern British Columbia was roasting under record, Lethal temperature In the days of late June, residents like Perez have been worried about their living conditions — and whether these unprecedented events will become More common in climate change.

Akua Schatz, vice chairman of the Canadian Green Building Council, said that many buildings in British Columbia lack cooling due to the expected milder climate in the province.

“So you will end up with these… glass towers are basically baking people because they are designed to neither open airflow nor really absorb heat.”

During the heat wave, some British Columbia residents had to buy air conditioners and new HVAC systems—but most of them sold out quickly. BC Hydro pointed out that portable air-conditioning units are the most energy-efficient models on the market and generally consume 10 times more energy than central air-conditioning systems or heat pumps.

The experts did not focus on quick fixes, but outlined several long-term and more effective solutions.

Heat pump

Schatz said that, unlike air conditioners, installing a heat pump (see picture above) can cool and heat the home. When it cools, the heat pump extracts the heat from your home and moves it back outdoors.

According to BC Hydro, the energy efficiency of the heat pump is increased by 50% compared to a typical window air-conditioning unit. On average, their purchase and installation costs range from US$4,000 to US$10,000.

Radiant cooling

Adam Rysanek, assistant professor of environmental systems at the University of British Columbia, said that radiant cooling uses special panels with chilled water to cool walls and ceilings.

When a person stands next to or under them, their body heat will radiate to these cool panels.

Rysanek said that compared to a typical central air conditioning system, radiant cooling can save 25% to 60% of energy.

More mid-rise buildings

Experts said that as a larger choice, developers should reconsider the size and design of our buildings. Urban design expert Patrick Condon said that although high-altitude landscapes are popular, it is wise to give priority to mid-rise buildings.

“Buildings are easier to shade each other, especially on the west side, and they are not so high that you can’t do simple things like planting trees,” said Condon, a professor at the school’s school of architecture and landscape design. University of British Columbia.

Condon said that trees are essential for cooling, because the air temperature in the canopy can reach up to 5 degrees.

Perez said that as the heat wave subsided, she finally felt a cool breeze, and she actually started to cry.

“Like, I’m very happy.”

In order to cope with future heat waves, she plans to buy one when she has a portable air conditioner. If she continues to experience heat-related discomfort, she says her next step is to consider moving to a building with a better cooling system.

-Arm plate

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