Mission: Tackling deforestation
The What: What started as a curiosity about why solar panels were confined to roofs has propelled Naila Moloo to become an award-winning inventor, author and Podcast host–all by the age of 17. Soon after Moloo was developing flexible plastic-free solar cells leveraging nanomaterials to allow solar energy to be more portable, the Grade 11 student was encouraged by a mentor to focus more attention on the root cause of plastic pollution. Moloo began researching existing bioplastics that come from corn and sugar cane and quickly learned that they use fossil fuels, aren’t biodegradable and deplete necessary crops for humans and livestock. So the innovator began to look for other alternatives and discovered duckweed – the fastest growing aquatic species in the world. A duckweed-based bioplastic has many advantages: Duckweed grows quickly, (doubling its biomass in as little as 16 hours), humans don’t consume it, it is the smallest flowering plant known to Earth and it grows on every continent except Antarctica.
The Impact: Moloo’s flexible plastic-free solar panels have the potential to revolutionize the tech industry (think smartphones), and you could be wearing duckweed-based running shoes (or other fashionable plastic-free garments sometime soon.
A View from the Top: The youngest recipient of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women
Fun Fact: Moloo has written two fictional books: “Chronicles of Illusions: The Blue Wild,” and “Chronicles of Illusions: Bound by Dream” and is currently working on a third.
Sound Advice: “Get involved in your own projects in the climate space intersecting your interests whether it’s art, science, fashion, etc.”
What’s Next? “I see progress in fusion energy!”
The Call To Action: “Get involved in your own projects in the climate space intersecting your interests – whether they be art, science, fashion, etc.”
To See the other 2024 Change Maker Award Winner click on their name below:
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Having had the privilege of being at the helm of numerous national magazines, including Chatelaine and Today’s Parent, Karine is passionate about content and building strong communities. Her 30+years working in the magazine industry in Canada and the U.S. have allowed her to develop an editorial vision that focuses on exceptional story-telling, dynamic media packages, successful brand partnerships and robust digital strategies, all with the audience’s wants and needs top of mind. Karine enjoys collaborating with her team, clients and members of the community, so please do not hesitate to reach out to her.
