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Oregon Is Turning Sewage into an Endless Supply of Green Energy

Britany Robinson

March 17, 2022 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Clackamas county, Oregon

A wastewater treatment plant in Oregon not only cleans water that is released into the local river, but it also creates fertilizer that is sent to farmers to use on non-food crops and it produces renewable power from methane. The green energy created at the plant heats five buildings on the site and produces half of the energy the facility uses. This kind of co-generation system is growing in other places in the United States, China, Brazil, and Norway.

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Smart irrigation saves water, improves farming practices in Rwanda's remote drought-stricken region

John Mugisha

February 08, 2022 |

Rwanda News Agency |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Rwanda, Nyagatare

New dams in Rwanda have helped residents to update their irrigation systems, which has allowed them to increase their food production and generate more income. Sometimes, there have been disputes between farmers over the management of the water resource. But, according to one farmer, “the profit from the sale of my produce, the extra income enabled me to purchase two cows, pay school fees and medical insurance for my children.”

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Camden, Newark, & Baltimore lead in building equitable access to urban tree canopy

Patrick Dunn

February 02, 2022 |

Planet Detroit |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The push for an increase in urban tree canopies is growing in cities like Camden, Detroit, and Baltimore. A collaboration between community members in those cities and local nonprofits yielded a plan and quick execution. More and more trees are being planted in urban areas to offset the heat-island effect, increase air quality, and decrease the tree equity gap between historically redlined areas and surrounding areas.

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Through Crowdfunding, An Initiative Helps Communities Access Clean Water

Zubaida Baba Ibrahim

February 01, 2022 |

HumAngle |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Through the #BuildAWell project, the Water the Needy Foundation uses crowdfunding to build wells, boreholes, and manual hand pumps in Nigerian communities without consistent access to clean water. The organization has worked with more than 400 communities since 2017 and contracts with local workers to encourage a sense of community responsibility for the projects and ensure ongoing maintenance of the wells.

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Despite a Punishing Drought, San Diego Has Water. It Wasn't Easy.

Jill Cowan

October 17, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

While much of the state is still facing a severe drought, San Diego has access to plenty of water. Restrictions - like not allowing restaurants to serve water unless it’s asked for and barring residents from watering their yards during the day – have helped. Diversifying where the city gets their water from and investing in water-saving infrastructure, like lining Imperial Valley canals with concrete to prevent water from seeping into the earth, growing desalination capabilities, and adding more capacity to the reservoir, have also helped diversity and save water.

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How one town put politics aside to save itself from fire

Nathanael Johnson

September 01, 2021 |

Grist |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Oregon

The Ashland Watershed Protection Project is a collaboration between the community, the Forest Service, and environmental activists. The community leads the process, with input from local Native American leaders, to clear brush and cut down trees for fire maintenance while minimizing forest destruction and preventing logging companies from profiting. Instead, a is in charge of determining which areas, trees, and brush should be cleared for fire safety.

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Richland Carrousel Park helps trigger 30 years of economic redevelopment in Mansfield

Carl Hunnell

August 30, 2021 |

Richland Source |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Mansfield, Ohio

A community effort in Mansfield, Ohio, helped ensure the success of the Fourth and Main Street Area Urban Renewal Plan to revive the deserted downtown. The center of the plan was creating a park complete with a carousel, but it also included adding parking, demolishing vacant buildings, and cracking down on illegal activities in the area.

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Giving Mother Nature a Hand

Zdenka Kovarikova

August 03, 2021 |

Transitions Online |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Czech Republic

Cervene Pecky and Dolany, two small towns in Prague, were able to fix their flooding problems through a process known as land consolidation. Prior to the land consolidation, the towns would get flooded by rainwater. Through land consolidation, property owners are able to redraw property lines. Thanks to the consolidation, the field that emptied into Dolany is now covered in grass, trees, and ditches.

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Civic engagement academies helping Kansans train for local government's learning curve

Stan Finger

July 27, 2021 |

The Kansas Leadership Center Journal (KLC Journal) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas

Civic engagement academies throughout Kansas provide participants with behind-the-scenes views of how their local government operates. Participants meet with emergency responders, learn how city officials put together a budget and hear from those who maintain municipal utilities. Understanding the inner workings of city operations helps citizens become more engaged in bettering those operations and find ways to be involved outside of running for office. Participation often brings to light city resources they didn’t know existed, which they are quick to share with their fellow residents on social media.

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Fighting plastic waste: a double-edged sword

Justice Nwafor

July 26, 2021 |

SciDev.Net |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Lagos

Teams of recyclers in Nigeria gather plastic bottles from the streets and landfills and brings them to recycling plants where they can exchange the waste for money. HISL Recyclers collects this waste — which usually contains polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, a dangerous chemical — as a way to remove the waste from the environment. However, more work needs to be done to get more people to participate in the program and to scale the operations. So far, they’ve been able to recycle up to 20 tonnes of plastic waste a month.

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