LSN : Daily Signals : Stat: US schools are switching to solar power

Biking Bandits celebrates cycling communities in South Africa

Friends with Purpose series by Klipdrift in partnership with Biking Bandits, South Africa

South Africa – Merging sport with socialising, cycling brotherhood Biking Bandits has teamed up with brandy company Klipdrift on a campaign spotlighting the benefits of ‘social riding’ for South African communities.

Part of Klipdrift’s Friends with Purpose series dedicated to powerful tales of friendship, the campaign showcases cycling in a different setting from the typical media portrayal. The film follows the founders of Biking Bandits in the streets of Soweto as they explain how they created a community dedicated to 'bringing cycling back to the hood' to mitigate the pandemic-induced loneliness.

Biking Bandits actively promotes freedom of movement and aims to shake up the stereotypes around cycling’s representation in the media. ‘The face of cycling in South Africa has been predominantly white and [Biking Bandits] is reinforcing that this is an activity everyone can participate in, wearing what they want and cycling in whatever spaces they want to,’ says Dylan Davies, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi South Africa.

Speaking to Neo-collectivists, the initiative shows how next-generation communities can redefine and decolonise the shape of sports like cycling.

Strategic opportunity

Taking cues from Biking Bandits’ joyful and inclusive approach to sports, make sure your storytelling isn’t perpetuating gatekeeping within communities but making room for all stories

Vivienne Tam brings wallet wear to fashion week

Vivienne Tam, US

US – As the race to court the newly moneyed crypto class heats up, fashion brand Vivienne Tam has unveiled a collection that incorporates non-fungible tokens (NFTs) into its clothing. The collection, which was released during New York Fashion Week, features imagery from blue-chip NFT projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks.

Bringing digital assets to life with luxury craftsmanship, the gender-neutral collection includes delicate embroidery and accessories. This isn’t Vivienne Tam’s first venture into the Web3 space. The designer is also participating in the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA’s) 60th anniversary NFT activation, where she’ll be designing digital tokens to commemorate the event.

By including NFT imagery in her clothing, Vivienne Tam is taking the concept of Neo-wealth Wears up a notch. As we have previously seen with fine jewellery company Tiffany & Co, digital luxurians are keen to buy products that allow them to flex their digital wealth in offline spaces.

Strategic opportunity

Instead of launching an NFT, companies should consider collaborating with existing projects that already have a following and community engagement

Airbnb outlines the benefits of remote workers

Global – Airbnb has released a guide outlining how governments and communities can benefit from the rise in remote workers. With the rise of remote working, many people are making the decision to combine travel and work, creating huge socio-economic opportunities for both city destinations and rural communities.

The introduction of a remote worker incentive programme in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for example, generated £18.5m ($20m, €20.7m) in gross domestic product, according to Airbnb, demonstrating an opportunity for local governments and communities to create policies that attract remote workers. According to Airbnb's report, long-term stays continue to be the platform's fastest-growing category.

Encouraging remote workers with local policy and integration schemes will unlock economic growth for small businesses. This has the potential to turn local communities into destination hubs for remote workers.

Airbnb

Strategic opportunity

Create incentives for remote workers to immerse themselves in local communities in a way that's mutually beneficial and bespoke to the locality

Stat: US schools are switching to solar power

Solar Mountain is a shortlisted project for The Burning Man Project and Land Art Generator's (LAGI) Fly Ranch, US

US – The use of solar power by US schools has risen sharply, according to the Brighter Future report by Generation180, a non-profit organisation that promotes clean energy.

The study found that American schools’ solar energy capacity has nearly tripled since 2015. Solar schools are now generating enough power to cover the electricity needs of a city the size of Boston or Washington, DC. In some instances, schools end up with a surplus of solar energy, which they can sell back to their communities.

The savings made from switching to solar energy allow schools to upgrade facilities, give back to their communities and increase teachers’ wages without spending taxpayers’ money.

Beyond the obvious sustainability benefits of turning away from fossil fuels, solar schools are also seeing their bills plunge and building much-needed energy resilience in the face of the cost of living crisis.

Strategic opportunity

Slashing both the cost and the environmental impact of energy, solar power’s adoption by US schools can show the way for other educational institutions