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University of Notre Dame converts tons of dining hall leftovers into energy

Catherine M. Odell

February 25, 2020 |

EarthBeat |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Notre Dame, Indiana

The University of Notre Dame installed three Grind2Energy systems, which aims to reduce the amount of food waste from the campus’ dining halls. The systems process the waste and send it to a local dairy farm where they break down the material to produce biogas that is used to generate electrical power for 1,000 homes each day in Plymouth, Indiana. While not everyone at the university has committed to the sustainability efforts, these systems can be scaled to be used on other college campuses.

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Against the grain: why millet is making a comeback in rural India

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

February 25, 2020 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Kohima, Nagaland

By reviving millet farming, farming communities are adapting to climate change. In India, the Millet Farmers Group, organized by a women’s rights nonprofit, the North East Network (NEN), helps farmers cultivate millet, an ancient grain that is less water-intensive than white rice. NEN Nagaland helps farmers from around the Nagaland district share knowledge about growing millet and obtain the necessary machinery to dehusk the grain.

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Montana's Grand Prairie Experiment

Jake Bullinger

February 21, 2020 |

Bitterroot |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Malta, Montana

According to the WWF, 69 percent of the Northern Great Plains remains untilled, providing great opportunity for making sure that land remains untouched. Two conservation organizations, the Nature Conservancy and the American Prairie Reserve, are butting heads as they both try to preserve the land, albeit via different means. Although they both face opposition for their methods, this article lays out exactly how both have already managed to make great strides in conserving the land and increasing biodiversity.

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Can rationing carbon help fight climate change?

Frank Swain

February 17, 2020 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Australia, Norfolk Island

As countries wrestle with how to reduce their carbon emissions, grassroots carbon rationing experiments are taking shape around the word. On an Australian Island of 800 people, a quarter of them participated in a test that calculated their carbon footprints with a goal of reducing their fossil fuel use by 10 percent. The average household reduced their usage by 18 percent and almost two-thirds of participants wanted to continue. Other experiments in Finland and the United Kingdom have taken place, yet some question if carbon rationing is equitable.

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Artificial reefs breathe new life for Tamil Nadu's fishing communities

Mahima Jain

February 11, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu

After climate change led to a declining fish catch, fishermen in Tamil Nadu experimented with artificial reefs to boost biodiversity that would provide fishermen with a better catch. Artificial reefs can serve many purposes, but it must identify the needs of the community before it can be successfully implemented. Only a year later nearly 60 concrete structures have been built around the city and fishermen report bigger catches.

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Return of indigenous crops helps reduce farm distress and restore ecosystems

Basudev Mahapatra

February 10, 2020 |

Mongabay |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Odisha

By returning to indigenous varieties of crops, farmers can increase ecological diversity and reliance to climate change. In India, hundreds of farmers in the state of Odisha have been returning to indigenous crops, like millet, vegetables, and tubers. In contrast to the high yield varieties of seeds provided by the government, heritage crops prove more resilient to changes in climate, water shortages, and local pests. Using heritage crops also reduces the need for pesticides, helping to restore ecological balance in the region.

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Thousands Of People Are Growing 'Climate Victory Gardens' To Save The Planet

Kyla Mandel

February 06, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbia, Maryland

Across the United States, people are growing “climate victory gardens” in an effort to reconnect people with nature, fight climate change, and produce healthy food. These gardens prioritize soil health above all else, as doing so can help retain carbon that would otherwise enter our atmosphere. Nonprofits like Maryland’s Community Ecology Institute are leading the way, with the hope that change at the individual and local levels will lead to larger actions toward fighting climate change.

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Can charcoal make beef better for the environment?

Mikki Cusack

February 06, 2020 |

BBC |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Australia, Manjimup

An unusual mixture of biochar — a charcoal-like substance that is produced by burning organic matter — and dung beetles is one way farmers could reduce their cows’ methane emissions to combat climate change, while also improving the health of their soil. Studies on Doug Pow’s farm in Australia have shown an improvement in soil-water retention and an increase in the amount of carbon retained in the soil, which prevents it from escaping into the atmosphere. “We are doing our bit to re-engineer the soil in a positive way, for the long-term benefits of our world,” Pow says.

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How to restore a rainforest with a nursery, science and some bat poop

Rishika Pardikar

February 05, 2020 |

ThePrint |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Tamil Nadu

The Nature Conservation Foundation is working to restore patches of rainforests in India that were degraded due to the expansion of plantations in the region. As the climate crisis continues, rainforests can play a key role in offsetting carbon dioxide emissions. By partnering with plantation companies, conservationists have been able to collect seeds from diverse rainforest tree species to grow in a nursery before planting the saplings in the degraded patches of land. However, the organization cautions against using restoration "as a crutch."

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Volunteers are gathering to clean up public areas in Brisbane

Rodrigo Pereira

February 04, 2020 |

Reading Radio |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Australia, Brisbane, Queensland

While environmentalists continue to call for drastic measures to combat climate change, a Brisbane volunteer community has taken matters into its own hands by organizing weekly beach clean-up sessions. The group uses social media to organize and has recycled or thrown away more than 330kg of litter.

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