Happy Friday!

From scientific discoveries to activist wins, here are the latest news stories showcasing the people taking on climate change and nature loss.

🧟‍♀️ The zombie plants that come back to life

Some plants have a special talent for surviving prolonged droughts, miraculously springing back even after six months without water. Only 240 out of 352,000 known species of flowering plants have this extraordinary ability. The secrets to bouncing back from drought are embedded in their DNA, and it’s hoped they can be applied to crops in order to help them adapt to climate change. Doing so might not even require genetic modification – if the right genes are dormant within common crops, scientists may be able to flip the switch and unleash this superpower.

♻️ Turning the tides

Deep sea turbines in France are set to provide clean electricity for 15,000 people, saving 57,878 tonnes of greenhouse gases. The four turbines are harnessing the strongest tidal stream in Europe – so powerful that harnessing it fully could supply renewable energy to 8m people. Installed 38 metres under the sea, the turbines won’t cause any harm to marine life.

🧱 From CO2 to building block

Scientists from Northwestern University have created a new carbon-negative building material using seawater, electricity, and CO2. It can replace the sand (typically sourced through harmful mining practices) that’s a key ingredient in concrete, cement, plaster, and paint. As well as sequestering CO2  – one metric ton of the material can store half a metric ton of carbon – the process releases the clean fuel hydrogen as a byproduct.

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