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Farmers, Chefs, and Lawyers: Building an Ecology of One

Patrick M. Lydon

August 21, 2016 |

The Nature of Cities |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: South Korea, Hongcheon

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization provides some pretty grim predictions for the future of global food stability if modern, monoculture farming practices continue to degrade land, spread pesticides, and destroy natural habitats at their current rate. A revival in the "ecology of one" mindset is bringing many farmers, like Ryoseok Hong in South Korea, back to more natural, traditional methods of agriculture which place greater value on community relationships and farm-to-table transparency, as well as biodiversity and preservation of the greater ecosystem.

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How three U.S. mini-farms are sowing the seeds of global food security

Bob Cooper

August 17, 2016 |

Ensia |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Three biointensive mini-farms in the US are teaching small-scale farmers from throughout the world how to grow more food through sustainable practices that focus on using less water and land. After bringing these farmers onto the US farms to learn the methods through a hands-on approach, the farmers then return to their home countries to implement and encourage the biointensive practices.

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A light of hope for China's rural children

Vaidehi Shah

August 12, 2016 |

Eco-Business |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: China

In western and remote parts of China, where infrastructure is not fully developed, youth have a difficult time studying at night due to the lack of electricity. A social entrepreneur has designed a solar-powered light called Loving Lamp, with the help of Autodesk. The lamps are donated to the youth and are financed through the sales of another technology called ELittle Nut, which helps children study at the right distance from their books.

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The surprisingly simple economic case for giving refugees cash, not stuff

Elizabeth MacBride

August 07, 2016 |

Quartz |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Jordan, Amman

In the Middle East, refugee camps are expensive to run-- particularly because shipping food aid is expensive, and the refugees feel victimized in an environment where they have no agency or purchasing power. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has moved refugees in Jordan out of camps and has given cash instead of in-kind aid, and new possibilities emerge with mobile money by the aid of new technology. The results have shown that refugees feel more empowered and the costs associated with their aid are reduced.

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What It Takes for an Independent Record Store to Survive Now

Joel Oliphint

August 03, 2016 |

Pitchfork |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

As popular music has become digital and immaterial in the twenty-first century, record stores are hard to find and those in business struggle to be commercially viable. Used Kids record store in Columbus, OH has been in business for thirty years and is perhaps even more popular now that it was ten years ago. The current management treat the medium of vinyl not as a museum artifact, but rather as a commodity in demand by selling online, holding private events with collectors, and selling the materiality to young people.

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Can Bodegas Solve the Philippines' Internet Problem?

Rick Paulas

July 26, 2016 |

Pacific Standard |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Philippines

While internet access is widespread in the Philippines, the speed tends to be low and the cost tends to be high. The Philippines-based company Wi-Fi Interactive Network has been taking steps to address these issues by creating internet hot spots at bodegas. People can access these hot spots for free through the purchase of essential items such as soap, toothpaste, and milk.

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Taking a conservative approach to clean energy

Elizabeth Dunbar

July 25, 2016 |

Minnesota Public Radio |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

As consumers across the country increasingly demand access to cleaner, more affordable energy and traditional coal plants become more expensive to operate, a new group is working to give conservatives a voice in natural gas, wind, and solar energy policies. Though any bi-partisan agreement on climate change has so far seemed impossible to broach, a growing number of Republicans are in agreement about clean energy, and aim to reframe the debate to get conservatives back to the table.

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How Amazon Adapted Its Business Model to India

Anita Warren Vijay Govindarajan

July 20, 2016 |

Harvard Business Review |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, New Delhi

Amazon saw a business opportunity in India: it could engage with the large, young population while also helping small vendors sell their goods on the internet. Amazon Chai Cart built relationships with vendors and educated them about e-commerce opportunities. Then, Amazon Taktal helped business owners set up their online presence. Finally, Amazon worked with small businesses to set up internet access for their communities, allowing the company to overcome India’s logistical hurdles with ease.

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How 5 local farms are banding together to help an Iraqi refugee in Tompkins County

Melissa Whitworth

July 10, 2016 |

The Ithaca Voice |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ithaca, New York

Groundswell's Farm Business Incubator Program, along with the help of five other local Ithaca farms, is working to help refugees start their own small farming businesses as they settle into their new lives in the United States. A new farmer can apply to Groundswell for farmer or business training classes, or to lease land at the organization’s incubator farm. The program has mentored and developed sustainable farms with six farmers.

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America Can Fix Its Student Loan Crisis. Just Ask Australia.

Susan Dynarski

July 09, 2016 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia

Around the world, students borrow money to pay for college, but, in the United States, students are more likely to fall behind on loans. Australia may offer some lessons: borrowers in Australia only start paying back their loans once their earnings reach $40,000, and beyond that they pay four percent of their income until the loans are repaid. The system does not penalize borrowers when they face economic hardship.

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