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  • Why tiny Belize is a world leader in protecting the ocean

    August 14, 2019 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Belize

    To protect the health of Belize's coral reefs and fish populations, the tiny country has implemented restrictions around where and who can fish commercially. This managed access program divides the region's territorial waters into nine different zones and so far has resulted in a decline in illegal fishing.

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  • Gun owners in New Zealand voluntarily surrender more than 10,000 firearms

    August 12, 2019 |

    CNN |

    Multi-Media |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: New Zealand, Wellington

    Since July 2019, New Zealand has held gun buybacks across the country and collected over 10,000 firearms. After a mass shooting at Christchurch mosque, the government rushed through legislation to ban semi-automatic and automatic firearms, offering owners of such weapons cash and a no-questions-asked policy. Such legislation has been implemented in other countries as well, including Australia, who in 1996 collected over 600,000 weapons.

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  • A tiny garden in Boulder is showing signs of stress from smog. The scientist behind it is thrilled.

    August 12, 2019 |

    The Colorado Sun |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

    A garden at Boulder, Colorado’s Museum of Natural History is being used to track the effects of smog and educate visitors as well. Called an “ozone garden,” this plot – and other like it around the world – shows researchers and visitors how plants are damaged by ground-level ozone levels. Beyond education, the researchers behind the ozone garden are using it to show how crops and food availability will diminish as climate change continues.

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  • New Zealand gun buyback: 10,000 firearms returned after Christchurch attack

    August 11, 2019 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: New Zealand

    A month after a mass shooting at New Zealand’s Christchurch mosque, New Zealand’s government has bought back over 10,000 firearms. The country passed legislation banning automatic and semi-automatic weapons a month after the event, setting aside $150 million New Zealand dollars for the buyback, and offering a no-questions-asked policy for those that do turn them in.

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  • The complicated legacy of ‘broken windows' policing

    August 11, 2019 |

    CommonWealth |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States

    "Broken windows policing" evolved into destructive, heavy-handed tactics because its original notions of solving minor problems before they contribute to an atmosphere conducive to serious crimes became misused and distorted. Instead of a focus on high numbers of arrests and "zero tolerance" for any and all perceived misbehavior, this theory of policing was meant to be paired with community-building and problem-solving strategies. When that connection wasn't made, it became synonymous with the kinds of racially disparate enforcement alienating neighborhoods from police.

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  • Oregon Rethinks Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Life After the Chinese Import Ban

    August 09, 2019 |

    Bitterroot |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

    After China stopped buying recycling near the end of 2017, Oregon faced mounting piles of mixed recycling that seemed bound for the landfill--a move that might have been illegal under Oregon law. Instead, the state's recycling industry made adjustments, including limiting the types of items to be recycled and using local processing plants instead of Chinese ones.

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  • The desert gets a biocrust skin graft

    August 09, 2019 |

    High Country News |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Los Alamos, New Mexico

    Scientists in southeast America are trying to rebuild the natural biocrusts that existed centuries ago. The biocrusts, which are concentrations of cyanobacteria, moss, and lichens, are a crucial part of ecosystems in its ability to prevent erosion and soil degradation. Researchers across the region have been growing them in labs, but the implementation into the environment has posed challenges.

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  • Anatomy of a failure: How an XQ Super School flopped

    August 07, 2019 |

    The Hechinger Report |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Somerville, Massachusetts

    In 2016, a proposal for a new innovation school which would incorporate elements of private and charter schools into a public school in Somerville, Massachusetts won a $10 million XQ grant, funding awarded to promising nontraditional high schools. Despite years of planning and early support from town leaders, in 2019, the school was unanimously vetoed by the school committee. Why did the plan fall through?

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  • A Public Library of, by, and for the People

    August 06, 2019 |

    The Atlantic |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Brownsville, Texas

    A public library in Brownsville, Texas continues to remain relevant through its dedication to learning from failed initiatives, investing in new technology, and ensuring that the space keeps up with ever-changing town culture. Beyond housing a plethora of books, the library has invested in 3D printers for local creators, studio space for a local television channel, and a colorful computer lab for teens to utilize.

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  • When Arizona catches fire, prisoners step up

    August 05, 2019 |

    High Country News |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Arizona

    As the cost of fighting wildfires rises and the number of firefighters declines, Arizona found a solution: paying incarcerated men and women to do the same job for just five percent of the standard rate for firefighting. Arizona’s Inmate Wildfire Program, while fundamentally exploitative, is seemingly more complex. Those that go through the program find a sense of meaning and are given the opportunity to learn leadership and teamwork skills – things they can translate in life upon release.

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