Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 456 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Can Green License Plates Help Plug Electric Cars?

Feargus O'Sullivan

October 25, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

The United Kingdom has started cracking down on high-emission vehicle drivers by creating restricted zones that fine drivers of cars that emit a designated amount of pollution into the air; the carbon emissions in this type of zone in London has decreased by more than a third in six months. Now, the U.K. is taking their sustainability initiative a step further by labeling low-emission cars with green license plates that allow them to be easily recognized - and rewarded.

Read More
Go to Original Story
When Resilience Starts With the City's Most Vulnerable Youth

Linda Poon

October 18, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is coordinating its youth development, violence prevention, and climate adaptation efforts to help out-of-work and out-of-school youth earn their GED and secure jobs helping to shape the city's climate resilience plan. One of the ways the program works is by enrolling participants in apprenticeships within local public works departments and puts them on track to get the required licensing for employment. So far, 640 teens and young adults have participated in the program.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Facing unbearable heat, Qatar has begun to air-condition the outdoors

Steven Mufson

October 16, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Qatar, Doha

In Qatar, where temperatures have reached unbearably high degrees, an engineering professor at Qatar University has designed a way to provide air conditioning to the outdoors. Although the method is arguably not a solution for climate change and could actually have negative impacts, it is successfully allowing people in the country to be able to leave the their homes, which in turn benefits the economy of the country.

Read More
Go to Original Story
'A model of sustainable commerce': carbon footprint, grid concerns push SoCal weed industry to be more green

Melissa Daniels

October 10, 2019 |

Desert Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Desert Hot Springs, California

California-based cannabis company, Canndescent, has taken many steps toward low-carbon sustainability in its operations. The company uses commercial-scale solar energy, reverse-mounted ceiling fans, and microburst irrigation systems as a way of demonstrating “a model of sustainable commerce.” As legalizing cannabis grows in popularity, other states and cities are looking toward sustainable practices to off-set the high-energy needed for such growth.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Penn State Is Cutting Greenhouse Emissions In Half — And Saving Money

Dan Charles

October 04, 2019 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, State College, Pennsylvania

Enrolling administrators and financial planners in sustainable projects takes proving that investments pay for themselves. With the help of pressure from students and faculty, Penn State Universities administrators have adopted a long-term strategy to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and implement sustainable practices. Students produced the data that illuminated the university’s unsustainable practices; the numbers now show that their efforts are paying off.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Curing Our Plastic Problem

Tom Gibson Vicky Feng Leila Hussain

September 30, 2019 |

Bloomberg |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Thailand

A company in Thailand called Universal Bio Pack created biodegradable packaging made out of cassava starch and natural fiber that could reduce the amount of single use plastic that people consume. Another company in Spain called Plastic Energy takes mixed plastics that can’t be recycled and converts it into usable oils that make fuel. Both are different solutions that could be used simultaneously to tackle the world’s plastic pollution crisis.

Read More
Go to Original Story
What Does This Street In Zürich Mean?

Norman Garrick

September 30, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Switzerland, Zurich

In Zurich, Switzerland, urban planners designed streets that put pedestrians and streetcar riders first as an effort to cut back on car usage and promote sustainable transportation. While cars are limited to one lane and often wait in lines to get through the city, the tram carries nearly seven as many passengers as cars in a given hour, making the layout sustainable and efficient for urban travel.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Step by Powerful Step, Citizens Lead Puerto Rico into Its Solar Future

Melanie La Rosa

September 19, 2019 |

NACLA |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Puerto Rico

After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, knocking out power across the country, solar energy has stepped in to be a sustainable possibility. Such efforts have included lobbying local legislatures to incentivize communities to create their own solar project and training residents to install solar panels on their own. Many of the solar initiatives that have started have been community-led and hyper-local, meaning that what many deem a basic right – access to energy and electricity – are more accessible than ever.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Storing energy in compressed air could finally become cheap enough for the big time

Akshat Rathi

September 19, 2019 |

Quartz |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto, Ontario

To reduce carbon usage in electric grids, companies around the world have turned to new technologies that store wind energy that can be converted to electricity. One such company called Hydrostor, based in Ontario, Canada, traps compressed air in underground caverns to store energy without the use of fossil fuels.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Much Plastic Can You Eliminate From Your Life? Does It Make An Impact?

Kelley Griffin

September 16, 2019 |

Colorado Public Radio |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

At both the individual and corporate levels, action is being taken to eliminate the use of plastics. While many people have turned their attention to decreasing their own use of single-use plastics, many say that’s not enough. Instead, corporations bear the responsibility in creating and managing large-scale systems that eliminate the high use of non-reusable plastics.

Read More
Go to Original Story