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'For me, this is paradise': life in the Spanish city that banned cars

Stephen Burgen

September 18, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Spain, Pontevedra

Rather than attempt to change traffic flow, the city of Pontevedra cut straight to the source of their congestion frustrations; they eliminated cars from their streets entirely. The city center, which now fills to the brim with walkers and bicyclists each day, has seen a massive reduction in traffic accidents and carbon emissions since closing the streets to cars.

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The First Quieter Megacity, Thanks to Electric Vehicles

Blake Schmidt

August 30, 2018 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: China, Shenzhen

Massive investment in electric vehicles has reduced noise and air pollution in China. The megacity of Shenzhen, for example, is surprisingly quiet with its fleet of electric buses and ban on gas-powered motorcycles. However, the country’s reliance on coal means that EVs still plug into a dirty grid.

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In a posh Bangkok neighbourhood, residents trade energy with blockchain

Rina Chandran

August 28, 2018 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Thailand, Bangkok

In Bangkok’s Sukhumvit neighborhood, solar panels generate renewable energy, which is traded using blockchain between an apartment building, a mall, a school, and a dental hospital. The pilot project demonstrates the potential of decentralized renewable energy systems.

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Paradise lost? What happened to Ireland's model eco-village

Killian Fox

August 10, 2018 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Ireland, Cloughjordan

Admittedly by no definition perfect, members of Ireland's model eco-village have learned many lessons since the community first came into existence and are vowing to use these lessons to improve. Over the last ten years, the Cloughjordan village has built 55 houses on the settlement as well as "a working farm, an array of well-tended polytunnels and a bakery" which offers those living there food year-round.

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The Upside of Underpasses

Rob Turner

August 01, 2018 |

Sactown Magazine |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto

After the success of New York City’s High Line, several cities have tried to emulate that success with a twist--by transforming underpasses below highways into activated space for the community. Toronto’s Bentway offers an ice skating rink, art, and music, and Seattle’s I-5 Colonnade has a mountain bike course. Miami is on an ambitious plan to launch the Underline, a 10-mile stretch of bike and walking trails. Cities like Sacramento are hoping to emulate these success stories.

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So You Recycled Your Old Laptop. Here's Where It Might've Gone.

Dominique Mosbergen

July 20, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: China, Shanghai

As technology advances, so does the electronic waste that it produces as people throw out their old products to make way for the new ones. To reduce their e-waste footprint and keep the materials out of landfills, companies such as Dell are pushing for closed-loop recycling – a process that reuses the recycled product to make the same product again.

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Vienna's Affordable Housing Paradise

Adam Forrest

July 19, 2018 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Austria, Vienna

Unlike America’s struggle to provide high-quality affordable housing in sufficient quantities, Vienna has achieved an affordable housing system worthy of envy. The government-subsidized housing projects in Vienna need to meet certain design and sustainability requirements, and a competitive design process leads to quality buildings. An estimated 62 percent of citizens in Vienna live in some form of social housing, the European name for public housing. The success of social housing in Vienna has also helped it remain “one of the most affordable major cities in the world.”

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The man who paves India's roads with old plastic

Kamala Thiagarajan

July 09, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Madurai

Dr. Rajagopalan Vasudevan, a chemistry professor in India, has a new approach to plastic. "It's time we stop seeing plastic as the enemy and turn it into our biggest resource," Dr. Vasudevan says. By adding molten used plastic into a mixture of bitumen, a substance that binds roads, the professor found a solution that stuck. India has since paved over 16,000 km of roads since 2002 using plastic as part of the process.

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Can plastic roads curb waste epidemic?

Katy Scott

July 02, 2018 |

CNN |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Scotland

Aiming to improve road conditions and cut down on plastic waste, a Scottish engineer found a way to blend the two. After testing a series of different recipes, he found the perfect recipe that is now being used across United Kingdom and the Gulf, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

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A World Cup for the people in Russia

Angelina Davydova

June 16, 2018 |

The Hindu |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Russia, St. Petersburg

Around 30 Russian activists created a campaign for the World Cup called “Cup for the People.” It includes guided tours, a map of responsible consumption, and exhibitions that revolve around topics like LGBTQ rights, environmetal justice, and harassment. “Big sport events are a chance to speak about human rights, about the role of minorities, about diversity – both on the soccer field and elsewhere in society. I see it as an instrument for positive social change.”

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