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When You're in a Carbon Hole, Stop Digging

Robinson Meyer

July 01, 2017 |

Anthropocene Magazine |

Text |

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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The 'moss wall' that helps cities breathe

Chris Giles

June 07, 2017 |

CNN |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Germany

Air pollution is a major health risk, and growing in severity as more of the population moves to urban (more polluted) areas. Several university friends from Germany developed a "CityTree," which filters toxic pollutants from the air with moss that can be installed around cities.

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How a Small Town Is Standing Up to Fracking

Justin Nobel

May 22, 2017 |

Rolling Stone |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Grant Township, Pennsylvania

While the U.S. economy enjoys the cheap fuel prices afforded by fracking, the consequences on the environment and communities like Grant Township in Pennsylvania reveal the ugly underbelly of the oil and gas industry and the broken regulatory infrastructure of state and federal government. But Grant wasn't willing to roll over and just let their woodlands and water sources be polluted, so they worked together and took a creative defense against the installation of a toxic injection well in their town: by granting the trees, animals, and streams rights to protection and battling it out in court.

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Cracking Washington's Gridlock to Save the Planet

David Bornstein

May 19, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Climate change is a growing issue, but the Citizens' Climate Lobby (a group of volunteers who work to get Republicans and Democrats to work in unison) is aiming to curb carbon emissions. So far the group has had a large increase in number of volunteers and politicians joining and willing to work together.

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The Big Green Bang: How renewable energy became unstoppable

Pilita Clark

May 18, 2017 |

Financial Times |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, London, Greater London

An economic shift to renewable energy could take decades, but thanks to rapidly evolving disruptive technologies, dropping prices of solar and wind power sources, and increasing market demand for green business, the new age of renewable energy could encompass the world economy much more quickly.

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Can plastic roads help save the planet?

Dougal Shaw

April 25, 2017 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Scotland, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway

Even with such increasingly popular trends as reusable grocery bags and biodegradable food containers, 70% of plastic products end up in landfills; but with the help of a local start-up, MacRebur, several townships in Scotland are cutting back on this quantity while simultaneously servicing and improving the quality of their transportation networks.

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How carbon capture could become a rare bright spot on climate policy in the Trump era

Brad Plumer

April 12, 2017 |

Vox |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Acknowledging that most coal plants world wide are likely to continue to operate for decades as the world's demand for energy only increases, solutions to climate change become ever more pressing. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the few approaches that can receive bipartisan support in shaping energy policy and - despite a few early experimental failures - the method making a comeback as a viable way to combat the release of C02 into the atmosphere. The Petra Nova plant in Texas may serve as a model for moving CCS forward.

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Guess Who's For a Carbon Tax Now

Tina Rosenberg

April 11, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

In the face of the global climate crisis, conservative politicians and energy leaders in the US are an unlikely source for climate action. Through the promotion of a carbon tax, in which each ton of emissions gets taxed, these leaders are jumpstarting new forms of climate response. While some are hesitant towards both their support and the logistics of the tax, it may appear the best hope for climate action in the current political climate.

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How China is Cleaning its Air

Mukul Devichand

March 05, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: China, Beijing, Jingjinji

Air pollution is a huge problem for China, but surprisingly, the Air Quality Index in several cities is improving because of a variety of experimental projects that are being rolled out and a number of clever pollution solutions from around the country.

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Illegal logging in Malawi: can clean cooking stoves save its forests?

Nathalie Bertrams Ingrid Gercama

February 23, 2017 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Malawi, Mount Mulanje, Lilongwe

In much of Malawi, the electrical grid is highly unreliable and the cost of fuels like petroleum prohibitive, forcing most families to rely on the black market for illegally-sourced charcoal and leading to heavy deforestation. But some NGOs are tackling the issue with a grassroots approach: rather than relying on the army to punish illegal logging, they are helping women provide cleaner, more efficient cookstoves to their communities - reducing the amount of fuel burned as well as toxic smoke from open fires.

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