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Curing the ‘colonial hangover': how Yukon First Nations became trailblazers of Indigenous governance

Julien Gignac

January 30, 2021 |

The Narwhal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Yukon First Nations, Canada, Yukon

Under the structure of unique treaties called final agreements, Yukon First Nations are able to exercise the powers of self-governance over projects proposed on their land. Implementation of the agreements isn’t always smooth, but 11 of the 14 First Nations have entered into these creative accords with the territorial and federal governments, which aims to foster participation and grant decision-making authority in these Indigenous communities.

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Pakistan pins big hopes on small dams to help farmers beat drought

Imran Mukhtar

January 25, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Nagarparkar, Sindh

A government scheme in Pakistan involves the construction of water-harvesting dams in areas that experience droughts, which allows farmers in the region to use the irrigation water from the dams for their crops. One farmer is growing onions and wheat and because of the access to water, his income has increased more than 60 percent. There are concerns about how helpful the water from the dams will ultimately be in the arid region, but there are plans to build more dams in the next few years.

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Planting crops — and carbon, too

Gabriel Popkin Gabriella Demczuk

January 22, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rock Hall, Maryland

Maryland farmer Trey Hill became the first seller in a tech startup’s carbon marketplace, paying him $115,000 for initiating regenerative farming practices. By introducing cover crops, he has been able to sequester about 8,000 tons of carbon in the soil, which then buyers can purchase the credits to offset the carbon they produce. If more farmers get on board, supporters say it can be a tangible solution to curbing climate change.

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How Solar Panels Could Help Save Struggling Farms

XiaoZhi Lim

January 18, 2021 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

As the amount of farmland decreases in the United States and climate change brings hotter and drier conditions, many farmers are turning to agrivoltaics — growing crops and installing solar panels on the same land — as a way to make ends meet. Research on a garden in Arizona showed that certain crops like tomatoes and chiltepin peppers were able to thrive under the shade of solar panels, while also improving the solar panels’ productivity. “It’s a very unique positive feedback,” said one of the researchers.

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How Bison Are Saving America's Lost Prairie

Joe Hanson Michael Werner

January 14, 2021 |

PBS |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma

Tall grass prairie used to span across 13 states in North America. However, after settlers arrived grassland prairies were decimated. By reintroducing bison to the land along with seasonal fires, the nature conservancy, which manages the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in northeastern Oklahoma, resuscitated the prairie. The preserve is the largest tract of grassland prairie remaining in the world.

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Network Connects Indigenous Knowledges in the Arctic and U.S. Southwest

Jenessa Duncombe

January 13, 2021 |

Eos |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The Indigenous Foods Knowledges Network (IFKN) connects Indigenous scholars, community members, and leaders from tribes in the Arctic and the U.S. Southwest to work together on achieving food sovereignty. By visiting each other’s lands, they share their traditional knowledge on farming practices and river restoration. Because of the network, they received a grant to study the effects of COVID-19 on food access for Indigenous communities. “We can learn from one another, teach each other, and also work together on finding different solutions,” said a member of the IFKN steering committee.

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Soil: The Dirty Climate Solution

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

January 07, 2021 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Redwood Falls, Minnesota

More and more farmers are turning to regenerative agriculture techniques as a way to cut down on costs, increase crop yields, and sequester carbon into soil as a way to reverse the effects of climate change. One farming family in Minnesota switched to no tillage farming and also planted cover crops and used animals to fertilize their land. Some people question their methods, but these farmers saw their cost of production decrease and increased the amount of organic matter in their soil compared with their neighbors.

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It Spied on Soviet Atomic Bombs. Now It's Solving Ecological Mysteries.

Marion Renault

January 05, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Environmental scientists are using modern computing software to correct, orient, and analyze satellite images from the Corona spy project, launched in the 1960s and ’70s to monitor the Soviet military. The images have revealed human environmental impacts, challenged long-held assumptions, and helped predict future challenges. Within the last two years alone, the images have contributed to new information about climate change including rock glacier movements in Central Asia, shoreline changes in Saudi Arabia, and ice loss in Peru, helping scientists fill in knowledge gaps.

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Colombia's sustainable forestry drive boosts biodiversity and business

Dimitri Selibas

December 30, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Tarapacá

The Colombian government has been working with regional regulatory agencies, the World Wildlife Fund, and local forest communities to encourage sustainable timber production and the implementation of forest management plans. They launched the Legal Wood Pact — a commitment with 69 entities to exclusively use wood from legal sources. While it can be difficult to convince people to purchase sustainable timber that’s more expensive, the sales of legal timber in the country increased from $500,000 in 2011 to $13 million in 2018.

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If Ranching Wants To Survive Drought And Other Climate Hassles, It's Time To Show Soil Some Love

Michael Elizabeth Sakas

December 07, 2020 |

Colorado Public Radio |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Thanks to a microloan from a local nonprofit and a willingness to try a new approach, a ranching operation in Colorado has begun introducing regenerative agriculture practices in the form of carbon capture. Using "portable electric fences to keep their cattle moving," the farmers have been able to produce healthier soil which has promoted better grass growth. Although the practice has not caught on across the industry, "regenerative agriculture is considered an important climate solution."

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