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The Feat in Hojancha, the Town that Lost its Forest

Noelia Esquivel

January 21, 2019 |

La Voz de Guanacaste |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Hojancha, Guanacaste

In 1976, the Costa Rican city Hojancha preserved only 2% of its land as forest, and as a result their water supply (the Río Nosara river basin) dried up from the lack of vegetation. Sixteen years into the crisis, two friends conceived and ran an initiative to reforest the land by asking every family in the city to donate ¢1,000 a month until they could buy back the land in full from the ranchers who owned it. Now, the land is thriving again, though the project of regrowing the forest continues still today.

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Beet juice, molasses and mag: Colorado's search for the right highway de-icing mixture

Pam Boyd

January 19, 2019 |

Sky-Hi News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

As Colorado searches for the most effective and efficient de-icer for its winter weather, the state weighs the pros and cons of using agricultural by-products like beet juice and molasses as base ingredients. The quest for finding the perfect de-icer comes up against environmental concerns – especially considering the robust outdoors of Colorado – as well as budget limitations and effectiveness.

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Cleaning New York's filthy harbor with one billion oysters

Jackie Wattles

January 17, 2019 |

CNN |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Since 2014, the Billion Oyster Project has been working to restore oyster reefs to the New York coasts in an attempt to reduce pollution and bring back marine life. In partnership with restaurants and students throughout the city, the foundation and grant funded project is seeing the return of some oyster reefs and using artificial reefs to support more marine life.

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Guardian to be first national newspaper with biodegradable wrapping

Jim Waterson

January 11, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

National newspapers and mailers could do a lot to reduce plastic waste. Take a look at the UK's Guardian. In response to reader comments, the newspaper has stopped wrapping its deliveries in plastic, switching instead to a biodegradable material made from potato starch.

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As Disease Ravages Coral Reefs, Scientists Scramble for Solutions

Ret Talbot

January 10, 2019 |

Yale Environment 360 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

As corals die-off globally, research groups around the world are working on a suite of remedies. From Australia to Florida, scientists are breeding resilient corals strains, transplanting healthy corals to new areas, and even applying antibiotics. But the solutions aren't yet scalable. Unless stresses like global warming and pollution are also addressed, such research is likely not enough.

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Scientists are using bacteria to remove harmful contaminants from our water. Here's how.

Hannah Thomasy

January 08, 2019 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rialto, California

It turns out that bacteria can do a lot more than contaminate water--some species break down toxic chemicals and remove heavy metals. Active sites already clean water in states like Kansas, Utah, Texas, and California; for example, one Californian groundwater treatment plant can clean 2,000 gallons of perchlorate-contaminated water per minute. Though some logistical and technical hurdles remain, these bacterial allies in the fight against water pollution are very promising.

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Precycle Is a New Bushwick Grocery Store With a Mission

Emma Orlow

January 07, 2019 |

New York Magazine |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In Bushwick, the grocery store Precycle is on the front lines of the battle against plastic pollution. Selling food in bulk, while inviting customers to bring their own containers, reduces not only plastic waste but food prices. But will the inconvenience of bringing containers stand in the way of waste-free stores' success?

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Three promising new technologies could help send stormwater to taps in thirsty cities

Lindsey Konkel

January 04, 2019 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town

With water scarcity becoming a reality for many cities, people are looking towards the premise of recycling stormwater into drinkable water collected from urban runoff. One major limitation of this is that the water often is too polluted for consumption, however researchers have piloted several new technologies that may hold the key to being able to scale the stormwater recycling solution.

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How a Guatemalan Town Tackled Its Plastic Problem

Lola Mendez

January 03, 2019 |

Atlas Obscura |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Guatemala, San Pedro La Laguna

San Pedro La Laguna, a town in Guatemala, has banned single use plastics including plastic bags and straws after realizing that plastic pollution was ruining the ecosystem of Lake Atitlan and that a new waste facility would be unable to handle the amount of garbage created in the village. To ensure that people follow the new regulation, there are heavy fees - but the town also bought traditionally made biodegradable replacements; the change is being framed as a way to return to traditional, indigenous ways for the communities.

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Climate Change Is Bad For Peru's Pastures ... But There's A 1,200-Year-Old Fix

Elda Cantú

January 02, 2019 |

NPR |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Peru

Not all solutions have to be new in order to work, some just have to be modernized for today's needs. This was the lesson learned when villagers in Peru decided to restore centuries-old hydraulic systems to revitalize their depleting wetlands.

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