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How to recycle the unrecyclable

Kai Steinecke

February 11, 2022 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Germany

A chemical recycling plant in Germany is taking old tires and turning them back into their original components. From there, those materials can be used in the production of insulation, steel, and oil. The gas that is discharged during the process is also used to power the whole plant. Other plants around the world are also exploring how to take plastic waste and chemically recycle it instead of burning it, so there are less carbon emissions.

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The urine revolution: how recycling pee could help to save the world

Chelsea Wald

February 09, 2022 |

Nature |

Photojournalism |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Sweden, Gotland

Companies and research initiatives around the world are developing and testing new toilets that can collect human urine and turn it into fertilizer. These urine diversion toilets have been implemented in places like South Africa with mixed results. However, researchers in Sweden are using portable toilets to gather the urine, dry it into fertilizer pellets that are then used to grow barley for beer. This work could show how to implement these kinds of toilets on a large scale.

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Relief for Northeast Ohio renters' sewer bills is here, but will they take advantage of it?

Conor Morris

January 21, 2022 |

ideastream |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

The Sewer Affordability Program helps low-income sewer customers is expanding and allowing renters to apply, offering a 40% discount for those who are eligible. The change will make an additional 20,000 customers eligible for the program, for a total of 40,000 newly eligible customers.

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What our sewage can (and can't) tell us about the spread of Omicron

Justin Chandler

January 17, 2022 |

TVO Today |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Ontario

Throughout the pandemic, testing for COVID-19 in wastewater has been used to monitor the transmission of the virus. Wastewater testing is a reliable tool that often complements clinical COVID-19 testing and can be used for the early detection of outbreaks and surges. In Ontario, each of the province’s 34 public-health units joined Ontario’s Wastewater Surveillance Initiative, allowing researchers and public-health units to work together on testing water samples.

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Areas hard hit by B.C. drought now the target of bottled water corporations

Emily Fagan

November 21, 2021 |

The Narwhal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Merville, British Columbia

The Merville Water Guardians, the Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and K’ómoks First Nation successfully prevented rezoning that would allow water to be drawn from shared aquifers, bottled, and sold for private profits. Protests at District board meetings, letter writing campaigns, petitions, and door-to-door campaigning led the District board to vote against the rezoning and sign an historic agreement to collaboratively manage and conserve water with the K’ómoks First Nation.

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Green Jobs Offer Ex-Offenders a Career Path after Prison

Ryan M. Moser

November 18, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

At Florida's Everglades Correctional Institution, incarcerated men teach a course offered through a college correspondence school that can lead to certification to work as a wastewater treatment plant operator, a well-paying green-industry job in high demand. An incarcerated journalist tells the story of how demanding lessons in chemistry, microbiology, and algebra prepare students for the state certification exam. Hundreds have taken the course and many have found jobs in the industry after prison, although many employers remain reluctant to hire people with felony records.

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Building a just energy business future in Detroit

Nina Ignaczak

October 27, 2021 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

WeSolar makes solar power accessible to low-income residents by building and investing in community-solar farms and signing residents up for credits from investor-owned utilities. The startup, the first community solar business led by a Black woman, saves customers as much as $250 on their utility bills by signing up for community solar. Convincing residents, many of whom have had bad experiences with predatory utility schemes, requires working with church and community groups to earn trust. Community solar also requires legislation that allows for shared renewable energy projects.

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RGGI, behind the rhetoric: What we know about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Rachel McDevitt

September 14, 2021 |

StateImpact Pennsylvania |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

A regional cap-and-trade program in the northeast United States has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and led to overall job gains in the economy. Up to 50 percent of the region’s CO2 reductions are attributable to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program and nine of the states participating report training more than 8,000 workers.

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France's 'Peevolution' Is Irrigating Farms With Liquid Gold

Peter Yeung

August 31, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Bordeaux

Getting rid of urine is very wasteful, in the European Union alone almost 6,000 billion liters of water are used to flush urine. TOOPI Organics is using urine as a resource. Founded in 2019, the biotech company collects urine and using a fermentation process transforms it so it can be used as a fertilizer. Its urine fertilizer helped plants grow 60 to 110 percent more than a traditional mineral fertilizer. Its factory in the city of Bordeaux is able to produce 2,500 liters of organic fertilizer per day.

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Virginia project helps low-income homeowners ditch fossil fuels

Elizabeth McGowan

August 30, 2021 |

Energy News Network |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlottesville, Virginia

Two organizations partnered to help eight low-income households convert their homes to become all-electric in Virginia. It entailed replacing fossil-fuel based heating and cooling systems like stoves and water coolers with electric ones. Some of the households saw a reduction in their utility bills. Organizers estimate that over the course of 20 years the changes will result in the households avoiding the emission of over 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide.

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