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A simple solution to help cities fight overheating: more trees

Adele Peters

July 20, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

Trees are an effective bulwark against summer heat, providing shade and cooling the air as water evaporates from leaves. A collaborative project mapped heat and other considerations in Dallas and picked the neighborhood of Oak Cliff to plant more than 1,000 trees. The ultimate goal is to revegetate the entire city.

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How Luxury Hotels And Restaurants In Developing Countries Fight Food Waste

Laura Ratliff

July 20, 2018 |

NPR |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India

Luxury hotels collect and reuse food waste. The hotels audit their waste, then useful ways to give it new life—as compost, animal feed, or even biogas.

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Why didn't this program aimed at boosting teacher effectiveness help students?

Madeline Will

July 20, 2018 |

PBS NewsHour |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's teacher-evaluation reform initiative failed to generate the expected improvements in student performance, according to a recent study published by RAND. Critics point to the program's singular focus on teacher improvement as a reason for its shortcomings. Frederick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute summarizes, "It was an expensive experiment, but it was a reasonable hypothesis. ... For good or bad, we've learned a lot."

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Flexible work saving government millions annually, study finds

David Donaldson

July 16, 2018 |

The Mandarin |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

Flexibility allows employees to “work smarter and better.” The productivity payoffs of offering part-time hours and remote work outweigh the administrative costs of such policies, according to a study in Australia.

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After a 400-Year Absence, A Rare Ibis Returns to European Skies

Christian Schwägerl

July 16, 2018 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany

The bald ibis is an endangered bird that was once found abundantly in various parts of Africa, Asia Minor, Arabia, and Europe. Extinct in the majority of these places now, a German group has set out to reintroduce the species in Europe using specially designed aircraft to lead migration patterns. Although not met without protest from some researchers and zoologists, the attempts of the group have successfully lead to an increase in numbers for the birds.

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How San Francisco sends less trash to the landfill than any other major U.S. city

Katie Brigham

July 14, 2018 |

CNBC |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

San Francisco is aiming to achieve zero waste by 2020. Thanks to the implementation of public policy that made recycling and composting mandatory and a focus on city-wide awareness, however, the Californian city has already been able to divert 80 percent of its waste from landfills. It diverts more waste from landfills than any major city.

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Bail reforms moving slowly in Missouri

Eddie Roth

July 13, 2018 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Under a large grant St. Louis County is working to reduce jail confinements in the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting, following several national models. There is also progress toward reducing fines and fees for small issues, with a focus on addressing racial disparities in arrests. But the efforts face challenges that include thousands of outstanding warrants under the old system and a shortage of public defenders.

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Farmworkers Feed Us. How Do We Support Their Kids?

Tennessee Watson

July 13, 2018 |

Wyoming Public Media |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Manvel, North Dakota

Children of farmworker families, many of whom travel seasonally during the school year, often need help filling gaps in the curriculum. Since the 1960s, the Migrant Education Program has been providing states with access to federal education funds meant to assist the children of migrant families with meeting educational requirements.. The money is used to provide different levels of support, from summer instruction to specialized curricula, in the states that continue to accept funding.

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Bugs and Birds: New Residents of a Greener Madrid

Jaime Velazquez

July 13, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Spain, Madrid

With a little strategic planning, cities can nurture biodiversity in the urban environment. “Sometimes, small actions can bring incredible results,” says Antonio Morcillo, deputy director for conservation of green areas and urban trees in Madrid. The city is allowing the Manzanares River to flow, spontaneous vegetation to grow, and opening hundreds of birdhouses and insect hotels to counteract habitat loss.

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Will dumping plastic straws lead to more environmental progress, or complacency?

Jason Margolis

July 12, 2018 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Plastic straws are a big problem for the environment. They end up in the streets, in the oceans and often impacting wildlife in a negative way. Companies like Starbucks have recently announced they will be phasing out their use of straws and a few other companies have since followed suit. Although seemingly a small step, it's a significant one that has propelled a cut in costs for businesses as well as awareness of alternatives for consumers.

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