This week, the future got a little greener: one brick, one sip, and one pen at a time. Meet the Bee Brick: a clever new building block giving vital solitary bees a home right in city walls. Did you know 90% of bee species don’t live in hives? It’s a small shift with a big buzz for urban biodiversity. Meanwhile, scientists discovered that bottled water can contain up to 370,000 plastic particles per liter, spotlighting the need for safer hydration habits. And Tom’s Studio introduced a refillable pen with lids made from discarded pens, a single one could save 100 disposables from landfills in a decade. Want to see change at the global level? This week’s Deep Dive explores the new “Constitution for the High Seas”, and why it matters for you ⬇️

🌍 Bee Bricks Support Solitary Bees

Key Discovery: Green&Blue has developed the Bee Brick, a building material that provides nesting sites for solitary bees within urban environments.

Solitary bees, which make up over 90% of bee species, are vital pollinators facing habitat loss due to urbanization. The Bee Brick is designed to integrate seamlessly into construction projects, replacing standard bricks or blocks to offer nesting spaces for these bees. Each brick features small cavities where solitary bees can lay eggs and rear their young. Priced at £30 per brick, with discounts for bulk purchases, the Bee Brick offers an affordable solution for developers aiming to enhance biodiversity. Since its launch in 2014, the Bee Brick has been incorporated into various projects across the UK, contributing to the preservation of solitary bee populations. Green&Blue is conducting a large-scale study to assess the effectiveness of these habitats and plans to share findings in the near future. (ukgbc.org)

Quantified Benefit: Provides nesting sites for solitary bees, supporting their populations in urban areas.

🌍 Nanoplastics Detected in Bottled Water

Key Discovery: A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that bottled water contains between 110,000 to 370,000 plastic particles per liter.

Researchers at Columbia University developed advanced technology to analyze nanoparticles in bottled water, uncovering significant quantities of plastic particles. These include both microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics, which can penetrate human cells and tissues. The health implications of ingesting these particles are not yet fully understood, but concerns include potential endocrine disruption and other adverse effects. While bottled water remains a convenient source of hydration, this study highlights the need for further research into the safety of consuming beverages from plastic containers. Consumers may consider alternatives such as using reusable glass or stainless steel bottles to minimize exposure to plastic particles. (eatingwell.com)

Also, as seen a couple weeks ago, you could save 120 Kg CO2 / year for a family of four by choosing tap water over bottled water !

Quantified Benefit: Raises awareness of potential health risks associated with consuming bottled water containing up to 370,000 plastic particles per liter.

🌍 Recycled Plastic Pen Reduces Waste

Key Discovery: Tom's Studio has introduced "The Wren – Write Off," a refillable pen featuring lids made from upcycled plastic waste, primarily discarded pens.

Each year, approximately nine billion disposable pens are discarded globally, contributing significantly to plastic pollution. Addressing this issue, UK-based Tom's Studio partnered with local schools to collect used stationery and collaborated with design team Brothers Make to transform these materials into pen lids for their new product line. The process involves sorting, chipping, and injection-molding the plastic waste, resulting in unique, durable lids. The Wren – Write Off maintains the features of the original Wren pen, including an infinitely refillable ink reservoir and replaceable fiber tip, ensuring longevity and a premium writing experience. Users can customize their pens with various color combinations, promoting both sustainability and personalization. By repurposing existing plastic waste into functional writing instruments, Tom's Studio offers a practical solution to reduce landfill contributions and combat the environmental impact of single-use plastics. (happyeconews.com)

Quantified Benefit: A single Wren – Write Off pen can prevent over 100 disposable pens from entering landfills over a 10-year period.

Deep Dive: A Constitution for the High Seas

After decades of negotiation, the world has finally created a unified legal framework to protect the vast, lawless expanses of our shared global ocean—a monumental win for life on Earth.

1. Problem Solved (The Big Idea): The new Global Ocean Treaty (also known as the BBNJ Agreement) provides the first-ever comprehensive legal mechanism to establish marine protected areas in the high seas, shielding critical ocean ecosystems from destructive human activities.

2. The Planet's "Community Garden" (A Food Metaphor): What exactly are the "high seas," and why do they need a treaty? Imagine your town has a massive, beautiful community garden that doesn't belong to any single person; it belongs to everyone. For years, anyone could take as many vegetables as they wanted, use any kind of fertilizer, or even dump their trash there without any shared rules. Some people were careful, but others over-harvested and polluted, and the whole garden began to suffer.

The high seas—the ocean beyond any country's national waters, making up nearly two-thirds of the total ocean—have been exactly like that lawless community garden. The new treaty is essentially the garden's first-ever set of community rules. It creates a fair process for the whole town to vote on which plots to fence off and let recover (marine protected areas), requires everyone to report what they plan to do before they do it (environmental impact assessments), and ensures that any amazing new seeds (marine genetic resources) discovered in the garden are shared for the benefit of all, not just the person who found them.

3. Global Potential (The Ripple Effect): This treaty is the essential tool we need to achieve the global goal of protecting at least 30% of our planet's oceans by 2030 (the "30x30" target). The high seas are not just empty water; they are home to millions of species, absorb about 30% of the CO2 we produce, and regulate our climate. By enabling the creation of vast marine sanctuaries, the treaty will build ocean resilience against climate change, protect biodiversity, and regulate vital industries like fishing and shipping. But the treaty only enters into force once at least 60 countries have formally ratified it into their national laws. The race is on, and you can follow along with a fascinating ratification tracker to see which countries are leading the way.

4. Wisdom from the Source: As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated, this is a historic moment that demonstrates our collective ability to tackle global challenges: "Today marks the culmination of more than a decade of preparatory work and international negotiations... With the agreement on the UN High Seas Treaty, we take a crucial step forward to preserve the marine life and biodiversity in the high seas... It is a historic moment for the Ocean."

Why is this important for you? This treaty proves that global cooperation on overwhelming problems is still possible. It transforms the abstract idea of "saving the oceans" into a tangible, coordinated action plan. When you support leaders and organizations who champion this cause, you are doing more than just a small part. You're helping to build the fence for our planet's community garden. Just as eating one healthy salad can inspire you to hit the gym, advocating for this treaty helps build the momentum needed for governments to ratify it, turning a historic agreement on paper into meaningful protection for the blue heart of our planet.

Search Sources
➡️ greenpeace.org
➡️ ec.europa.eu
➡️ highseasalliance.org
➡️ highseasalliance.org treaty ratification tracker

5 Quick Wins

🔌 Turn Off Your Oven Fan and Lights After Use: Saves 30kg CO₂/year
After baking or roasting, many of us leave the oven’s fan and lights running—minutes at a time, several times a week. Switch them off right away, and you’ll cut as much energy as running a blender every day for a year. Why is this important? Even the smallest habit tweaks, when repeated, can mean real annual savings!

🔌 Dry Laundry on a Rack Instead of the Dryer Just 1 in 4 Loads: Saves 100kg CO₂/year
Even if you love soft towels from the dryer, switching just one out of every four loads to air drying dramatically cuts electricity use—about the same as unplugging your TV for 4 years. What does this mean for you? Lower bills and longer-lasting clothes, with one simple adjustment.

🥦 Use Leftover Cooking Water for Plants: Cuts 35kg CO₂/year in Water and Food Waste
Save water used for boiling veggies or pasta, let it cool, then use it to water houseplants or the garden. You reduce wasted hot water (and the energy it took to heat it) and return nutrients to your soil—a small act with a multi-layered win for climate and home.

🥦 Freeze Herbs and Greens Before Spoilage: Cuts 60kg CO₂/year in Food Waste
Before your parsley or spinach wilts, chop and freeze them in ice cube trays with water or oil. You’ll toss less, buy less—and every handful not wasted means less wasted energy from farm to fridge.

✈️ Opt for Overnight Train or Bus Instead of Red-Eye Flight (If Available): Shrinks CO₂ by up to 80% per Trip
An overnight train or coach for intercity journeys isn’t just less stressful—it emits a fraction of the carbon of overnight flights. Each swapped trip is like skipping a month’s worth of driving. Why is this inspiring? Your travel choices can turn into a climate-saving adventure.

Why does this matter? Each move is quick, proven, and keeps your progress tangible. Think about your next week: close a door, defrost some bread, tap instead of twist a bottle cap, or fly with pixels, not paper. Small steps—big influence when multiplied!

🚀 Plot twist: You just became part of the antidote! While everyone else is drowning in disaster porn, you savvy humans who joined us this week chose the radical act of informed optimism. You're not just readers—you're the early adopters of a healthier way to stay connected to what matters. Welcome to the community that proves good news isn't fake news!

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