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Seattle Public Utilities' waste-pumping program has cut sewage spills from homeless people's RVs in half

Scott Greenstone

November 28, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

To help those experiencing homelessness, Seattle Public Utilities workers travel around the city knocking on RV doors and asking occupants if they need their sewage tank pumped. Some RVs are broken down and occupants can’t get to a public dump site to dispose of their waste, so wastewater spills have increased over the years. However, since the pilot program was introduced in 2020, the spills from RVs have been cut in half.

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An ancient people with a modern climate plan

Jim Morrison Jovelle Tamayo

November 24, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Swinomish Reservation, United States, Fidalgo Island, Washington

The Swinomish tribe in Washington state is combining traditional knowledge and science to combat the effects of climate change and improve the health of its land, water, and people. In recent years, their salmon harvest has diminished due to warming waters, but they’ve instituted salmon recovery efforts by restoring tidelands and channels and planting trees along stream beds to cool the waters. Their focus on ecosystem and community health could be a model for other Indigenous tribes looking to create their own climate plans.

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Connecticut's Halfhearted Battle: Response To Lead Poisoning Epidemic Lacks Urgency

Jenifer Frank

November 23, 2020 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Cities throughout Connecticut have long struggled to enact a successful response to the statewide lead-poisoning problem, but the city of Bridgeport stands out as a model for how to get results by taking proactive action. Unlike other cities where investigations aren't triggered unless a child tests positive for lead poisoning, officials in Bridgeport focus on regularly conducting building inspections and utilizing Connecticut’s Uniform Relocation Assistance Act.

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A Desert City Tries to Save Itself With Rain

Chris Malloy

November 23, 2020 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

As Tucson works to combat the effects of climate change, the Arizona city has been implementing policies to conserve its limited water supply through initiatives like a city rebate program. By focusing efforts on water harvesting — both rainwater, which can be drinkable, and stormwater, which can be used for irrigation — the city can use that water to create more green spaces and lower water bills. The rebate program pays back residents as much as $2,000 for purchasing water harvesting systems. During one year, the program saved 52.1 million gallons of water, which is enough for 160 households.

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This entrepreneur is plugging the world's drinking water into the (digital) cloud

Brianna Baker

November 20, 2020 |

Grist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

“In 2015, nearly 21 million U.S. residents relied on water systems that violate the standards set by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.” Meena Sankaran is helping to reverse the trend. Her startup, KETOS, uses analytics and sensors that provide real-time data that can be sent through a mobile app. Instead of having to wait for people to monitor and process the data, or for people to get sick, data can be delivered instantaneously. “So far, the company has compiled 13 million data points from municipalities across all 50 states, spanning the last 18 years.”

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Nursing home best practices helped prevent COVID

Thomas Goldsmith

November 20, 2020 |

North Carolina Health News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

When nursing homes in North Carolina realized that the coronavirus pandemic had arrived within the state, facility managers and staff began enacting measures to prevent the spread of the virus amongst their residents. Adapting existing infection control and prevention plans, many were able to ensure a robust supply of PPE and reinforce their staffing numbers, which has paid off as most of the facilities have avoided outbreaks.

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How Africa Is Leading the World in Corona Response

Trevor Noah

November 13, 2020 |

The Daily Show |

Broadcast TV Programs |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Central African Republic

Many countries in Africa have been able to contain the spread of COVID-19 due to lessons learned from fighting the Ebola epidemic. Although not all African countries have implemented successful strategies, those that have seen success credit strong government leadership, community compliance, and a physically healthy population.

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Covid Thwarts Booze, Party Policies

Laura Glesby

November 13, 2020 |

New Haven Independent |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Haven, Connecticut

In New Haven, colleges and universities are taking different approaches to enforcing social distancing, visitation rules, and drinking in the dorms. Some have implemented strict rules, while others have embraced flexible social distancing policies. For example, at the University of New Haven no guests are allowed, while at Yale, one visitor is allowed. “When shame and blame come into public health ... that’s actually counterproductive to public health efforts.”

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Covid Superspreader Risk Is Linked to Restaurants, Gyms, Hotels

Kristen V. Brown

November 10, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Data from mobile phones was used to create infection models that present how COVID-19 is spreading. Researchers plotted where people went, where they were coming from, how crowded those places were, and how long they stayed there alongside the number of cases in those neighborhoods to show that the three most common places of catching the virus are restaurants, gyms, and hotels. The research can inform public policy decisions to keep people safe by implementing effective and limited lockdowns which can prevent the spread of the virus as well as limit the financial fallout for businesses.

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How effective are China's attempts to reduce the risk of wildlife spreading disease to humans?

Michael Standaert

November 05, 2020 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: China, Shebu, Guangdong

In order to get a handle on the spread of COVID-19, and to prevent future zoonotic disease outbreaks, China introduced temporary regulations banning commercial breeding of wildlife for meat consumption. These have hit farmers hard, with at least 20,000 farming operations shutting down by the end of February. With the bans on their way to fully becoming a law, local governments are trying to provide training and loans to help farmers transition to new products, but some claim the process is slow and doesn’t go far enough to prevent the breeding of the banned creatures for fur farming and traditional medicine.

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