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 197 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

In London, Electric Trucks Are Helping UPS Make ‘Eco-Friendly' Deliveries

Stanley Reed

September 21, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

UPS has converted about one-third of its diesel vehicles to electric power, a move backed by the British government to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution in London. While making the switch to electric reveled challenges with the city’s power grid, officials said they have been encouraged by the results of the pilot program, which could also be applicable to other modes of transportation like buses and ambulances in other cities around the world.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The Movement for Urban Tree Expansion Is Growing

Maria Dolan

September 18, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Austin, Texas and King County, Washington are both participating in a new experiment by non-profit City Forest Credits (CFC) that uses creative financing to fund green spaces and tree-planting in cities. More specifically, CFC is piloting a new way that private entities can "offset their carbon emissions by buying credits for tree planting or preservation." Although the work is costly at the beginning, organizers hope the public benefits of more urban trees will make the program a worthy investment.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The entire city of Paris will be car-free for a day

Adele Peters

September 14, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

Car use in Paris has dropped 45 percent since 1990. To combat air pollution and reduce its carbon footprint, the city has invested in bike lanes and redesigned intersections for pedestrians. An annual car-free day demonstrates how the city could function entirely without cars.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Fighting Fire with Fire: California Turns to Prescribed Burning

Jane Braxton Little

September 05, 2018 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Shaver Lake, California

In California’s wildfire-prone Sierras, forest managers are turning to an ancient, if not quite intuitive, tool: more fire. In 2019, the Forest Service will manage 250,000 acres with controlled burns and “mechanical thinning,” using equipment to take out small trees. Though such plans face some hurdles, states across the country are adopting them, reducing wildfire severity while often benefiting ecosystems.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Cool Ways of Keeping Things Cool

Tom Colls Harriet Noble

August 20, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom

Inventors have come up with energy-efficient refrigeration options. A fridge uses water and ice to protect vaccines in places with irregular access to electricity. An engine that runs on liquid nitrogen reduces fossil fuel dependence in food shipping.

Read More
Go to Original Story
UPS Trucks Don't Turn Left and Neither Should You

Cailey Rizzo

August 17, 2018 |

Time Magazine |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

By having its drivers eliminate most left turns on their routes UPS has saved millions of gallons of fuel and reduced the output of tons of carbon dioxide. The company put the policy in place in 2004 after its vehicle routing software in all its trucks determined left turns wasted time and money stopping them also reduces accidents. These gains could increase exponentially if every driver eliminated left turns but that is probably unlikely.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Forecasting Models Are Changing the Way We Fight Fires

Jenessa Duncombe

August 17, 2018 |

Eos |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

The National Weather Service has been helping firefighting crews better prepare for and fight wildfires. They’ve developed a model called the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh-Smoke (HRRR-Smoke) to show where there’s higher smoke density and what direction it’s heading toward. The agency is hoping to continue their work to become better at preventative measures so that towns and cities can prepare ahead of time.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How This Community Fought for $70 Million in Cleanup Funds — and Won

Johnny Magdaleno

August 13, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fresno, California

Fresno sits in right in the middle of the Central Valley of California. The region is known for its vast agriculture and farming communities, but to locals, it's also known for its horrid air quality. This is especially true in the southwest territory of Fresno, where some of the most economically disadvantaged also reside. After a series of failed attempts by local government, the community took matters into their own hands, joining forces and fighting for the right to design their own plan for better air quality.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Planting Trees to Help Dallas Breathe

Katelyn Newman

August 07, 2018 |

U.S. News & World Report |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

In 2016, the Texas Trees Foundation and federal Trust for Public Land partnered to use GIS technology in greening Dallas, Texas, and plant some 1,000 trees to start. Not only does the initiative reduce respiratory problems like asthma--over the next 40 years, the new tree cover is expected to create about $2.9 million in environmental benefits, sucking around 250 tons of CO2 from the air and capturing around 4 million gallons of stormwater.

Read More
Go to Original Story
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.

Read More
Go to Original Story