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With the Hippo Roller, a revolution in fetching water rolls on

Morgane le Cam

August 21, 2020 |

Heidi.news |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa

After realizing the difficulty that people in South Africa were facing when carrying water back to their communities, two South African engineers devised a machine "that brings all the water back in one trip by rolling it." Users report that while it does not perform well on steep terrain, it can carry much larger amounts of water "effortlessly and in a single trip." So far, 60,000 of these large plastic drums have been sold, but the cost of the machine is often a barrier for those who live below the poverty line.

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On the Delaware, A Promising New Era in Cleanup of an Urban River

Jon Hurdle

August 20, 2020 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Camden, New Jersey

Once known for being dirty, the Delaware River is being cleaned up by nonprofits and government entities to the point where they’re encouraging people to swim in it again. The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority diverted the flow of sewage at 52 municipal plants to a new treatment plant, which has kept 15 million gallons of sewage out of the river each day. While overflows have not been completely eliminated, a national advocacy group even named the Delaware its River of the Year because of its improvements in water quality.

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Courts rule

Emma Athena

August 20, 2020 |

Boulder Weekly |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

Almost half of U.S. states guarantee citizens’ rights to petition for ballot measures, but the coronavirus made gathering signatures in person infeasible. Massachusetts courts allowed electronic signatures, but other states have not approved virtual citizen initiative campaigns. Ballot initiatives allow citizens to advance solutions and enact structural changes without relying on support from elected officials. MA groups used DocuSign to gather 30,000 signatures to get a proposal for ranked choice voting on the ballot. Not all MA groups were able to quickly or successfully pivot to the e-signature process.

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Criterio de los tribunales

Emma Athena

August 20, 2020 |

Boulder Weekly |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

En el 2020 Colorado, no había logrado que las de peticiones para obtener un sitio en la boleta electoral de 2020 se realizaran de manera electrónica, a pesar de estar viviendo una pandemia. Otros estados de Estados Unidos tampoco lo lograron. Pero Massachusetts si lo logró. El artículo compara estas realidades.

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The day Bluetooth brought a cardiologist to every village in Cameroon

Morgane le Cam

August 19, 2020 |

Geneva Solutions |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Cameroon

A severe cardiologist shortage, especially in rural areas, led to the creation of the Cardiopad, an electrocardiogram device that allows local doctors to easily perform examinations and use Bluetooth to transfer them to cell phones to send to a cardiologist based in another hospital. The device is used in about 100 Cameroonian hospitals and 150 are used abroad in Comoros, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, and Nepal, among other countries. Since 2016, 9,800 remote examinations have been carried out with the Cardiopad. The telemedicine capabilities fight medical deserts by bringing cardiologists to remote villages.

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Pandemic Thwarts In-Person Census Outreach, But Santa Barbara County Response Rates Rally

Giana Magnoli

August 19, 2020 |

Noozhawk |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Goleta, California

Althought the coronavirus pandemic thwarted the planned efforts originally intended to increase census participation in the city of Goleta, California, county census workers have found ways to still successfully reach community members. From door-to-door visits and car parades to lawn signs and educational campaigns, the city's efforts have "resulted in the highest local self-response so far."

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Waiting for a New Deal job program? These US parks are already hiring

Jodi Helmer

August 14, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Asheville, North Carolina

With many people out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some cities and nonprofits are creating outdoorsy job programs to relieve unemployment. Inspired by the conservation corps programs created during the Great Depression, North Carolina, Alaska, and Texas have these initiatives. The reliance on fundraising to pay workers can be a challenge, but these programs are providing jobs for nearly 250 people and are making some conservation progress. For example, the Carolina Climbers Coalition crew has already completed projects at state parks in the Southeast.

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How the World's Largest Garbage Dump Evolved Into a Green Oasis

Robert Sullivan Jade Doskow

August 14, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Staten Island, New York

The former Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island is turning into a public park that will accept visitors in 2021. By capping the trash site with plastic, covering it with soil, and planting native grasses, city officials are restoring the area’s former tidal wetlands and scrublands; nearly 314 plant and animal species have already been sighted. While the successful closing of the dump nearly 20 years ago means that the trash is being sent to other neighborhoods in the United States where people dealing with economic hardship live, the project could be a model for sustainability and urban renewal.

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Just What the Doctor Ordered: Produce Prescriptions are More Important—and Popular—Than Ever.

Andy Hirschfeld

August 13, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Produce prescription programs across the United States are seeing a resurgence in activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs provide healthy foods at a subsidized price to patients with chronic health issues. For example, the VeggieRx program in Chicago used to give out up to 70 boxes of fruits and veggies a week, but now they’re up to 160 boxes a week. While studies have shown that these programs can have a positive impact on patients' health, insurance companies usually only pay for patients to participate in them for a short period of time, so the health benefits might be limited.

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Why most top Foreign Office posts are held by women

The Economist

August 13, 2020 |

The Economist |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

More women are serving in top positions of the United Kingdom’s diplomatic corps with a female ambassador to the United States for the first time since the position was created in 1791. Women now hold about a third of Britain’s ambassadorships and the increase can be traced to several changes, including a public pledge to increase women in leadership positions. A reliable pipeline of women to fill the top spots was also nurtured, with nearly 60% of new foreign service employees now female. Grouping interviews forces management to see the big picture and diplomatic life has become more flexible for families.

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