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The Mexican women who kicked out the cartels

Monica Wise Robles Richard Sprenger Katie Lamborn Charlie Phillips

April 15, 2021 |

The Guardian |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Mexico, Cherán, Michoacan

Ten years after the women of Cherán, an indigenous town in Michoacán, took up arms to lead an uprising against criminal cartels, their town is an "oasis" of low crime in a region otherwise beset with violence. The town declared itself autonomous and women now belong to the community police force that patrols the town and its surroundings. The cartels' illegal logging and extortion of businesses had corrupted local politicians and threatened a way of life. The town's men did nothing about it, so the women led the uprising that established order and kept the crime at bay.

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They Overcame Mutual Loathing, and Saved a Town

Nicholas Kristof

April 10, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, John Day, Oregon

Loggers and environmentalists aren’t always known for getting along, but the collaboration between these two groups in Oregon may have saved a town from going under. By creating a dialogue together and working to understand each other’s side, they were able to create a contract that allows loggers to continue thinning forests that were overgrown, which, in turn, keeps the forest healthy and people employed. This kind of cooperation could offer lessons for other groups who are looking to find common ground.

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How Madison County Residents Successfully Lobbied Legislators Over Pollution Concerns

Jared Gilstrap

April 09, 2021 |

Grady Newsource |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colbert, Georgia

After Georgian residents raised concerns about a pollutant that was being emitted by a nearby biomass plant, they banded together to pass legislation that effectively put an end to the practice. These concerned residents founded the Madison County Clean Power Coalition to raise awareness of the effects of creosote burning, which, when breathed in, has shown to increase the risk of lung and heart disease. Their lobbying efforts resulted in the governor signing into law a ban on burning creosote-treated wood.

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The Return of the Polish Wolf

Krzysztof Story

April 08, 2021 |

Tygodnik Powszechny |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Poland

Scientists, NGOs, conservationists, and the government worked together to bring the Polish wolf back from the brink of extinction. Methods like GPS tracking and genetic sampling have helped politicians made decisions about how to reduce human-animal conflict and ensure human development didn’t interfere with their habitats. As a result, over the last 50 years the wolf population in Poland has increased 50-fold.

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Nuts for coco de mer: islanders rally to save world's biggest seed

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

April 05, 2021 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Seychelles

A public-private scheme between the Seychelles Islands Foundation and a government agency is allowing residents to plant seeds of the coco de mer, or sea coconut, as a way to save the endangered tree species. So far, 96 seeds have been planted on 26 properties. Despite its extremely slow growth rate, island residents are excited to grow trees for future generations and protect them from poachers.

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Planting trees can create plastic waste. One teenager is changing that.

Kanchan Srivastava

April 05, 2021 |

Footprint |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Chintalkunta, Telangana

A teenager in India came up with a solution to combat the plastic waste crisis that usually comes with planting trees. Srija created a biodegradable pot made out of groundnut shells that decomposes in the soil after 20 days. She’s working with an organization to scale her product, which costs just 27 cents to make.

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How Do You Kill an Invasive Species? Bring in a Bigger, Meaner Species to Eat It

Moira Donovan

March 16, 2021 |

The Walrus |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

An insect that makes its home on eastern hemlocks in Nova Scotia has the power to wipe out the tree species if left unchecked. Scientists are looking to a strategy called biological control — a historically controversial approach — that would introduce a new predatory species to kill the insect. After rigorous lab testing showed a small black beetle only attacked their targets and didn’t disrupt other ecosystems, they released them in 2003 at an orchard on Vancouver Island. Results show they have been somewhat effective, but it’s unclear if it will completely solve the problem.

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Conservation initiative helps nature heal itself for Sierra Madre reforestation

Gaea Katreena Cabico

March 09, 2021 |

The Philippine Star |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Philippines, Baras, Rizal

The government of the Philippines is working with the Masungi Georeserve Foundation to restore wildlife and forests in a 2,700 hectares area of degraded land. They use a technique that focuses on the nurturing of native trees through natural practices. While the method takes longer to reforest an area than traditional ways, the initiative has planted 60,000 trees and employed 100 park rangers from the local communities that help protect the reserve.

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The Era of the Wood Skyscraper Is Arriving

Klaus Sieg

March 08, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

The Brock Commons Tallwood House in Canada was the tallest building made of wood when it opened in 2017. Now, thanks to government policies, scientific research, and hundreds of examples of proof-of-concept, more developers around the world are looking to construct buildings out of timber. Using timber is cheaper than cement, concrete, and steel and can actually store carbon emissions in its supports instead of releasing the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

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Should We Genetically Engineer Carbon-Hungry Trees?

Teresa Carey

March 07, 2021 |

Freethink |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

As a way to combat climate change, scientists are experimenting with genetically modified trees as a way to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to store in its leaves, roots, and trunk. The startup Living Carbon has genetically modified poplar and pine seeds in the ground and expect them to be ready by the end of the year. Some scientists are worried about how these trees can impact forest ecosystems, but they grow faster than normal trees, allowing them to study and assess the risks quicker.

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