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Betting on a new way to make concrete that doesn't pollute

Stanley Reed

December 02, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Piscataway, New Jersey

Solidia, a cement and concrete technology company, is changing the chemistry of how cement is created that could make the building material cheaper and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Cement plants create more carbon dioxide than any other manufacturing process, so the American-based company is testing how to use the greenhouse gas to incorporate it into the mixture instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. So far, it can reduce as much as 70 percent of CO2 that is normally emitted from the process and it's faster to make than normal concrete.

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Forget autonomous cars — rural Japan is betting on self-driving buses

Fergus Peace

September 25, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan

Japan is taking major steps to putting autonomous buses on the roads in rural areas because there is a need for reliable transportation and not enough funding as more young people move to the cities. It has the potential to save labor costs and provide more reliable transportation options while delivering necessary data to companies looking to expand driverless technology. However, this also requires more detailed mapping, which is often not available for smaller and more rural roads.

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What are coastal nuclear power plants doing to address climate threats?

John Vidal

August 08, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Somerset

The World Nuclear Association counts 50 nuclear power plants being built, with 150 more in the planning stages. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, nuclear plants on coasts began to be built with contingencies that account for sea-level rise. But new studies suggest that many such plans rely on outdated climate change projections.

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Wastewater treatment is a problem in the rural South. Who is working to fix it?

Melissa Brown

July 26, 2018 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Haynesville, Alabama

In the South's rural Black Belt, wastewater management is an issue, but local activists, government officials, and civil engineers are working together to create a new type of sanitation system that works for the geography. The approach also includes public information campaigns to educate people about proper maintenance and stop rumors that can prevent that maintenance.

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The Bricks Helping to Rebuild Gaza

Elizabeth Davies Harriet Noble

July 02, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Palestine, Gaza Strip

To rebuild Gaza, Green Cake manufactures construction blocks out of locally-available ash and rubble. It’s a low-cost and reliable alternative to importing supplies from Israel.

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Paris is building the eco-community of the future right now. Here's how.

Susannah Shmurak

May 23, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Clichy-Batignolles, Paris

Setting the bar high for environmental sustainability can encourage innovation and experimentation. Developers of Paris’ new Clichy-Batignolles eco-district are reducing the neighborhood’s carbon footprint in nearly every way imaginable. Solar panels and vegetation cover the energy-efficient buildings, the water table under the 10-hectare (25-acre) park provides geothermal heating, deliveries are directed to a central drop-off site, and much more.

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Adaptation to Global Water Shortages

Raisa Scriabine

May 16, 2018 |

KCET-TV |

Video |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Morocco, Id Soussane

Two very different part of the world – California’s Central Valley and Western Morocco – are learning to adapt to water shortages. In the Central Valley, finding and treating water in a notoriously drought-ridden state has been challenging, but a series of connected water districts experimenting with processes like reverse osmosis has showed promise. Halfway across the world, they’ve been using fog collection as a non-traditional method of capturing water so that the rural villages in Morocco can have access to water after decades of water shortages.

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Anacostia Rising: What's Next For D.C.'s 'Forgotten' River

Jacob Fenston Tyrone Turner

March 26, 2018 |

American University Radio (WAMU) |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

The Anacostia, which has long been one of the most polluted rivers in the country, has been given a new lease on life, thanks to cleanup efforts and a recent sewer upgrade in D.C. Since water quality has improved, there's been renewed interest in waterfront recreation and development. Now local groups are working to mitigate displacement from gentrification, with some success.

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Here's one idea to make ‘Storrowing' a thing of the past

Matt Rocheleau

February 08, 2018 |

The Boston Globe |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

A persistent problem in Massachusetts of trucks going through tunnels or underpasses that are too low for safe clearance has prompted officials to look to Sydney, Australia for a possible solution. Officials in that city worked with a private company to develop a system where if a truck is too tall, it triggers a warning so officials can activate a sheet of water at the tunnel entrance upon which is projected the holographic image of a giant red Stop sign. It's proven successful in stopping drivers before they enter the tunnel.

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In Medellin, cable cars transformed slums—in Rio, they made them worse

Anoush Darabi

January 10, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Medellín

In the 20th century, Colombia’s city of Medellin was a center for drugs and violence. Then the city developed a cable car system that enabled cheap transportation for people to find employment. The cable car system revitalized the economy of the city and made it much safer. However, other cities have tried cable cars for revitalization and found less success, even failure.

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