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Is plastic waste the building material of the future?

Désiree Schneider

January 16, 2023 |

Unbias The News |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Bukit Lawang

The use of plastic waste as an affordable building material is rising in popularity. One option is turning the waste into “Ecobricks” by tightly packing it into a bottle with a stick. A German organization called Project Wings pays locals in Bukit Lawang, Indonesia, to collect plastic and make bricks to be used for buildings.

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How Tucson's Southside Worker Center has helped undocumented workers earn fair wages over decades

John Washington

January 13, 2023 |

Arizona Luminaria |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

Tucson’s Southside Worker Center supports day laborers by offering a safe place for them to wait for employment and services like English-language workshops and connections to attorneys should they need help collecting past-due payments.

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The Green Jobs Boom Is Benefiting the People Who Need It Most

Michelle Ma

January 10, 2023 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Civilian Climate Corps is developing a workforce of skilled construction workers by offering training to residents of low-income areas of New York City with high gun violence rates. The method allows them to fill a demand in the job market for green energy-related jobs while opening the market to those who are underemployed or unemployed.

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How Catholic institutions are building sustainability into aging infrastructure

Brian Roewe

January 10, 2023 |

National Catholic Reporter |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

Instead of demolishing a campus building in need of many renovations Rockhurst University repurposed it. The focus on sustainability during the rebuild made it the most energy-efficient building on campus and prevented the release of the carbon embedded in its concrete.

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Hurricane-damaged roofs in Puerto Rico remain a problem. One group is offering a fix

Adrian Florido

January 03, 2023 |

NPR |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States Minor Outlying Islands, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The nonprofit PRoTechnos helps homeowners in Puerto Rico repair roofs damaged by hurricanes when they do not get government assistance to do so. The organization employs locals interested in learning about construction, so they can learn the skills necessary to get a job in the industry afterward.

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A solution to the housing shortage?

Alana Semuels Adrian Ma

December 19, 2022 |

NPR |

Podcast |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

Home builders in the United States are producing homes up to 50% quicker with modular housing. This process involves manufacturing different parts of the home in a factory and assembling all of those parts on-site.

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‘Plastic Roads' Are Paved With Good Intention

Jenni Bergal

December 14, 2022 |

Governing |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Pilot programs across the United States are testing recycled plastic and asphalt mixtures to pave roads and keep plastics out of landfills. A program in California saw success in their mixture’s durability.

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A Skyscraper in Jakarta Offers Lessons for Quake-Prone Indonesia

Faris Mokhtar

November 23, 2022 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Jakarta

A 51-story skyscraper in Jakarta, Indonesia, built with a belt-truss system kept workers safe and working during an earthquake. The system reduces vibration and movement by linking some of the walls and frames of the building.

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'The Green Steel of the 21st Century'

Peter Yeung

November 14, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: China, Hong Kong

Bamboo is growing in popularity as a cheap, sustainable building option that can replace hardwoods and other common construction materials.

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A Building Material That Consumes CO2 Has Finally Come to the US

Peter Yeung

November 10, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Belgium

A building material made of hemp fibers, water, and clay or lime is a sustainable alternative to other options like concrete. Dubbed hempcrete, the product has many benefits including a very low carbon footprint, active sequestration of carbon dioxide, and using a sustainable, fast-growing crop as its base.

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