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Energy efficient homes mean less air pollution. But are they affordable?

Heather May

March 09, 2020 |

The Salt Lake Tribune |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kearns, Utah

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution, Habitat for Humanity Salt Lake Valley is building airtight homes that will also reduce energy costs and be affordable for people experiencing economic hardship. The home are largely being built by volunteers, so the process has been slow and there have been mistakes in building the homes. However, the homes are estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.9 tons a year.

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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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How Farms Turn Food Waste Into Renewable Energy

Ally Donnelly Jim Haddadin

February 19, 2020 |

WBTS-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Food waste diverted from the landfill to anaerobic digesters can be used to create electricity. In Massachusetts, farmers and businesses participate in a waste-to-energy project in partnership with Vanguard Renewables. Discarded food waste is mixed with cow manure and fed into a digester. The gasses created are then used to power electric generators.

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Can rationing carbon help fight climate change?

Frank Swain

February 17, 2020 |

BBC |

Text |

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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Mountain athletes push progress over perfection in climate fight

Jason Blevins

January 31, 2020 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Since 2007, Protect Our Winters (POW) has engaged outdoor athletes to advocate for climate change. They believe in “imperfect advocacy,” in which they focus on corporate polluters whose habits can create larger-scale change, rather than putting the impetus for change solely on individuals. In doing so, they have been able to successfully engage athletes in their mission, build a partnership with the Climate Action Corps, a coalition of outdoor outfitters working for change at a corporate-level, and host rallies to sway public officials.

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Phoenix replacing diesel-fueled garbage trucks with natural gas ones

Christopher Howley

January 31, 2020 |

Cronkite News - Arizona PBS |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona has the second most-polluted air of any state in America, but local government leaders are championing the Cleaner Trucks Initiative as one tool to improve air quality. The city of Phoenix received $1 million from the EPA to transition garbage trucks from diesel to compressed natural gas to reduce emissions and pollution.

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Soulardarity: A community's success in energy democracy

Brooke Bowser

January 29, 2020 |

Planet Forward |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Highland Park, Michigan

After DTE Energy removed streetlights from Highland Park, Michigan when utility bills went unpaid, local residents teamed up to form Soulardarity, a community-owned organization that installs solar-powered street lights throughout the city. The lights are more cost-effective, but beyond that, Soulardarity offers a platform for residents to join the environmental justice movement in advocating for more clean energy options for their neighborhoods and at scale.

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The audacious effort to reforest the planet

Ben Guarino

January 22, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Munich

In an effort to get back to the roots of climate change, Plants for the Planet and other international initiatives plant millions of trees each year to help capture the massive amounts of carbon being released into the atmosphere. While tree-planting is only one piece in the larger fight to slow climate-change, it offers people around the world a low-cost and uncomplicated way to contribute.

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Can new bus lines chart a course to better travel options in the West?

Carl Segerstrom

January 09, 2020 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Spokane, Washington

Private bus companies are beginning to offer an alternative method of transportation in the American West. As younger travelers seek to reduce their carbon footprint, companies like Flixbus are stepping in where rail connections are still lacking. Especially when compared to flying or owning a car, buses offer a carbon-efficient form of travel over long distances. Companies like Flixbus also offer convenience, meeting travelers on university campuses.

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To safeguard their future, Pacific Islanders look to the past

Maria Gallucci

January 07, 2020 |

Grist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Micronesia, Yap

Canoes have long been used to navigate the seas, but navigators in the state of Yap in Micronesia are making modifications to the practice to make it more efficient and climate-thinking forward. The canoes, which run on biodiesel produced from coconuts and come equipped with solar panels, are helping to fill a gap for providing resources to isolated communites and also help decrease the complete reliance on trans-ocean freighters.

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