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Human remains found at Multnomah Falls identified after 42 years

Samantha Swindler

February 15, 2021 |

The Oregonian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oregon

Oregon law enforcement agencies partnered with a Virginia laboratory, Parabon NanoLabs, to use genetic genealogy to learn the identities of people whose remains were found long ago but never identified. To give peace of mind to families who never knew for sure of their loved ones' deaths, researchers use DNA samples taken from the human remains to compare to publicly available DNA profiles shared by people using home DNA tests. This can identify a victim's family tree. So far, Parabon has identified six of the 10 people it has tested for Oregon. The state has more than 150 unidentified skeletal remains.

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Soil: The Dirty Climate Solution

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

January 07, 2021 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Redwood Falls, Minnesota

More and more farmers are turning to regenerative agriculture techniques as a way to cut down on costs, increase crop yields, and sequester carbon into soil as a way to reverse the effects of climate change. One farming family in Minnesota switched to no tillage farming and also planted cover crops and used animals to fertilize their land. Some people question their methods, but these farmers saw their cost of production decrease and increased the amount of organic matter in their soil compared with their neighbors.

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After 3 years and $1.5 million devoted to testing rape kits, Alaska made one new arrest

Kyle Hopkins

December 30, 2020 |

Anchorage Daily News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Alaska

Despite hopes that testing a backlog of rape kits would reveal many new serial-rape suspects, Alaska's three-year push to test 568 kits under the federally funded Sexual Assault Kit Initiative led to only one new prosecution. The reasons the program fell short of expectations include a lack of usable DNA samples, errors by investigators, cases in which victims and suspects had died or victims no longer wished to proceed, or the kits revealed no evidence that wasn't previously known. Alaska is now footing the bill to test more kits, which contain physical evidence collected after a rape.

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A Bold Plan to Save the Last Whitebark Pines

Jim Morrison

December 24, 2020 |

Wired |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Montana

After a fungus has nearly wiped out the whitebark pine species in North America, scientists and conservationists are coming together to restore the species. The trees offer food to various animal species and are important to drinking and agricultural water supplies. A pilot project in Montana has planted up to 125 acres each year of whitebark pines, but the restoration process is expensive and time consuming. By combining traditional seed collecting efforts with gene sequencing, scientists hope to make these trees resistant to the fungus.

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Could Seaweed Help Save Us From Climate Catastrophe?

Nadra Nittle

December 21, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Marshall, California

Seaweed aquaculture is a growing field that scientists are investigating for a number of climate-related uses, from reducing methane emissions in livestock to replacing plastic in packaging. Governments, startups, and researchers around the world are getting into the algae business that is also helping to create new jobs. There are challenges with scaling many of these products, but recent research for many of these initiatives have shown signs of early success.

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Cross fostering helps Mexican wolf population boost genetic mix

Christopher Howley Dylan McKim Michael Hannan

December 15, 2020 |

Cronkite News - Arizona PBS |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Alpine, Arizona

As the Mexican wolf population neared extinction, the Arizona Game & Fish Department and the Endangered Wolf Center have been placing pups born in captivity in wild dens. This effort, known as cross-fostering, has been successful in not only increasing the number of wolves in the Southwest, but also improving the survival skills of cross-fostered wolves. While the Mexican wolf population hasn’t completely rebounded, more people are understanding the importance that the species has on the ecosystem.

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Saving Slovenia's "Human Fish"

Katie Jewett Luka Dakskobler

December 15, 2020 |

bioGraphic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Slovenia

Scientists in Slovenia are working to understand the mysteries of salamanders — known as olms — that live in natural caves and how best to protect this vulnerable species. Industrial pollution infiltrates the water systems where these creatures live, however more research is needed to understand how climate change and humans impact them. Recent efforts with captive breeding and rescue programs have shown success, but more international collaboration and funding are needed to fully understand this unique species.

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When a Virus Is the Cure

Nicola Twilley

December 14, 2020 |

The New Yorker |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Carlsbad, California

A new sort of medical therapy, known as bacteriophage therapy, uses viruses that attack bacteria to treat and potentially cure drug-resistant infections. Although this type of treatment is "a long way from being a standard treatment," it has been shown to work in a handful of cases.

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Powrót wilka

Krzysztof Story

December 14, 2020 |

Tygodnik Powszechny |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Poland

Współpraca naukowców, organizacji pozarządowych, ekologów i rządu pozwoliła na przywrócenie naturze polskiego wilka, gatunku, który był na granicy wyginięcia. Metody takie, jak lokalizacje GPS i badania genetyczne pomogły politykom podejmować decyzje redukujące konflikty ludzi ze zwierzętami oraz zapewniające zwierzętom siedliska bez presji oddziaływania człowieka. W rezultacie tych działań populacja wilka w Polsce w ciągu ostatnich 50 lat wzrosła 50-krotnie.

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An unusual snack for cows, a powerful fix for climate

William Neff Tatiana Schlossberg

November 27, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Prince Edward Island

A farmer on Prince Edward Island fed his cows seaweed and noticed that they produced more milk and had better pregnancy success. A study of his cows found that they also reduced methane emissions by about 18 percent, a decent amount that could be beneficial in combating climate change. The farmer is now part owner of North Atlantic Organics, which produces seaweed supplements for livestock. Now, other companies around the world are popping up to do the same thing and scale this climate solution.

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