One World (108)

The Extra Mile is a charity that collects frequent flyer miles from those that don’t use them or donate them, so that friends and family of terminally ill people can visit their loved ones back home.

Matt Dimmer came up with the idea after he had to travel back and forth when his father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2011. He realised that not everyone would be able to afford this, so he set up the Extra Mile to make it easier for families to embark on emergency visits to see ill relatives. Those with frequent flyer miles who don’t need them are encouraged to donate them to them.
 

Why it matters

Frequent travellers can often earn a hefty number of miles that sometimes go to waste if they expire before they could be used. The Extra Mile project is a great way to give a new life to those forgotten miles, while helping people who really need them. It’s a very emotional project, so it will be interesting to see if airlines would want to be part of it and get closer to their consumer’s hearts. What other brands could be part of  such a worthwhile project? And what other concept could be developed with unused loyalty points?
 

France’s Eole Water has created a turbine that can condense water in the air and make it safe for drinking.

Aside from the obvious environmental benefits a wind turbine offers, the company’s WMS1000 sucks in passing air that goes through a cooling compressor in the generator compartment, which then condensates passing airborne moisture. The water is then collected, filtered to World Health Organization drinking standards and delivered through a tap at the bottom of the turbine. According to Eole Water, the turbine can produce up to 1,000 liters a day.  
 

Why it matters

Today, 150 million of people worldwide live in remote areas without any access to safe drinking water. For communities situated in regions where there are low water supplies, the turbine could prove to be a vital resource. When it comes to social causes, should brands partner with existing sustainable innovative company to be more efficient?
 

Dharhara, a small village in India has found a novel way of tackling declining sex ratios, global warming and climate change all in one go.

The birth of a baby girl in this village is welcomed by planting at least 10 fruit trees, which the child inherits when they grow up. The trees are an asset base for her, which can be utilised by the family to finance her education and future development, with a marginal investment.
 

Why it matters

Today Dharhara is nestled in the midst of more than 20,000 fruit bearing trees. ‘Trees for Girls’ has the potential to keep in check the country’s declining sex ratio. It also gives the daughters of poor villagers a measure of financial independence. Furthermore, this practice has obvious environmental benefits. How can such simple thoughtful ideas of addressing social issues be leveraged to create a long lasting change?