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Madagascar skirted famine – barely. Now, it's boosting resilience before drought returns.

Peter Ford

July 25, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Madagascar, Ambovombe, Androy

Drought in Madagascar grows worse each year as its minimal public infrastructure and extensive poverty slow efforts by the UN and various NGOs for food and water distribution. But in recognizing the severity of the cyclical water shortages, organizations are piloting new approaches. These include solar pumps from portable groundwater sources; distribution and cultivation of drought- and rot-resistant seed strains for staple crops; cash-stipends for "productive goods," delivered by phone to bypass the problem of damaged roads -- which are building newfound resilience among residents.

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In Ethiopia, model drought defenses are put to the test

Ryan Lenora Brown

July 24, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s cosmopolitan capital, has long been considered a world apart from surrounding rural communities, all of which suffer from reoccurring droughts and civil war. However, thanks to international aid and government intervention, things are looking up for the whole of Ethiopia, dubbed one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Success is particularly linked to a government program designed to predict natural disasters before they occur, and an innovative economic development program, which employs Ethiopia’s poorest in exchange for labor on public works projects. So far, these measures h

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How Mongolia's nomads are adapting to climate change

Jacopo Pasotti

July 24, 2017 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mongolia

Mongolia’s nomadic, pastoral families are banding together to strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change. With their economic livelihoods dependent on livestock production, they feel the effects of warming temperatures more than many. By combining their resources and communally managing their pastures, they’ve been able to be less vulnerable to severe weather.

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Keeping an Eye on What the Arctic Throws Down Iceberg Alley

Gloria Dickie

July 21, 2017 |

News Deeply |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador

Although many know the name of the Titanic, not many are necessarily aware of what happened in the aftermath of the devastating crash. To mitigate against another ship hitting an iceberg, the International Ice Patrol under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was created. This group monitors icebergs that obstruct the traffic in the trans-Atlantic shipping lanes via flyovers by airplanes conducting ice reconnaissance flights. Due to climate change, however, there has been a recent push for enhanced satellite coverage.

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Mexico launches pioneering scheme to insure its coral reef

Fiona Harvey

July 20, 2017 |

The Guardian |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Cancún, Quintana Roo

Climate change is a mounting threat to coral reefs, which serve not just as critical habitats for ocean life and a draw for the tourism industry, but also as a buffer to the increasing storms caused by changing weather patterns. In the first scheme of its kind, private businesses, nonprofits, and the government in Mexico's Yucatán Penninsula are combining financial resources to take out an insurance policy on their coral reefs. The insurance will help rebuild the reefs after storms and man-made damage, and fund new ways to keep them healthy.

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A Cheap Fix for Climate Change? Pay People Not to Chop Down Trees

Brad Plumer

July 20, 2017 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Hoima, Kibaale, Western Region

In a randomized experiment in western Uganda, scientists demonstrated the effectiveness of paying rural farmers not to chop down trees since deforestation contributes to CO2 emissions worldwide. They studied for two years the declines in forest cover between a control group (no payment) and the participant group (paid). Building on a United Nations project in which wealthy nations pay poorer ones in an attempt to equalize the costs of responding to climate change, the outcome of the project proves the existence of a low-cost environmental policy solution to stemming rising global temperatures.

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When You're in a Carbon Hole, Stop Digging

Robinson Meyer

July 01, 2017 |

Anthropocene Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

The burning of coal for fuel is one of the world's largest contributors to CO2 emissions, and continues to worsen the detrimental effects of planetary warming. But while many feel hopeless in light of an administration that denies climate change and the billion-dollar companies that continue full steam ahead with mining and burning coal, a few clever individuals present a simple and straightforward solution: buy up the coal while it's still in the ground, and pay the government to keep it there.

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U-Haul Invests in New England Wild Spaces

Leon Kaye

June 15, 2017 |

Triple Pundit |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Success, New Hampshire

U-Haul and supermarket supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers are striving to help offset their wood use by increasing donations to The Conservation Fund. This partnership has led to the promotion of the conservation of the Success Pond and its surrounding forest, the establishment of newly planted trees, and a significant investment in land easements that will restore and protect native habitats.

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The Dutch Have Solutions to Rising Seas. The World Is Watching.

Michael Kimmelman

June 15, 2017 |

The New York Times |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Rotterdam is increasingly threatened by climate change and the rising water levels that accompany it. Yet instead of building barriers, city officials are choosing to work with the water to help it flow through the city, via the nationwide 'Room for the River' project. This innovation, among others, such as the construction of parking lots that double as emergency reservoirs, embodies Rotterdam’s larger commitment to connect “water management with social welfare and neighborhood improvements.”

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The Future of Farming May Not Involve Dirt or Sun

Kevin J. Ryan

June 14, 2017 |

Inc. Magazine |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

Farming uses 70 percent of all freshwater consumed and only allows the recycling of about half of that after use. With water scarcity on the rise, a company called AeroFarms has developed a new method of farming that uses no soil, no sunlight, and a fraction of the water needed in traditional farming. To accomplish this, crops are grown in a new cloth and sprayed with a nutrient-rich mist.

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