Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 1021 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Cold Hard Cash for Your Greenhouse Gas

Sarah Gonzalez Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

October 22, 2020 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Illinois

Refrigerants being used in old air conditioners or grocery story cooling systems leak into the atmosphere contributing to global warming. Tradewater, a company in Illinois, picks up these containers, destroys the refrigerants, gives them cash, and then sells them as carbon offset credits. They collect up to 250,000 pounds of refrigerants per year, but there is still more out there. Supermarkets in the United States could switch to more natural refrigerants, but barely 1 percent are known to have done that. Getting rid of these refrigerants can be an important solution to combating climate change.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Rev. Yearwood Unites Hip Hop Culture With Climate Justice

Frank Sesno Dan Reed Eugenia Harvey

October 19, 2020 |

Planet Forward |

Broadcast TV Talk Show |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, founder of the Hip Hop Caucus, is using music and comedy to highlight the intersection of climate change and racial justice. His group released a music video talking about the Flint water crisis and they produced a stand-up comedy special about climate change. By using the power of storytelling, he believes he’s able to bring young people and their stories into the climate movement.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The mangrove forests protecting the Pearl River delta: a photo journey

Katherine Cheng

October 16, 2020 |

China Dialogue |

Photojournalism |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Hong Kong

The Mai Po Nature Reserve in Hong Kong shows how the protection of mangrove forests is possible. These ecosystems are seen as a way to combat the effects of climate change since the forests can help prevent flood damage and store carbon. Yet, urban development, overfishing, and aquaculture pollution continue to threaten the recovery of mangrove forests in this region.

Read More
Go to Original Story
New app helps Inuit adapt to changing climate: ‘It's time for the harpoon and computer to work together'

Anna Kusmer

October 15, 2020 |

The World |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Canada, Flaherty Island, Nunavut

The Arctic Eider Society, an environmental and social justice organization based in Nunavut, developed an app called SIKU that allows users to enter real-time data on conditions in the arctic. Inuktitut hunters use the app to alert others to hazardous ice conditions and observations about wildlife and vegetation. The app is funded by private foundations as well as federal and indigenous governments and has over 6,000 users. Users maintain intellectual property rights of their data and the app respects traditional knowledge by encouraging indigenous communities to merge old ways with new technologies.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Philanthropies flow funds to climate technologies

Katherine Ellison

October 14, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Philanthropies are funding “tough tech” startups that are developing technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Since 2014, the nonprofit Prime Coalition has channeled more than $24 million from wealthy donors and foundations to 10 ventures focused on that goal. Not all of their investments, though, have paid off. Yet, some of these initial investments could lead to widespread solutions to the world’s climate crisis.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Growing vegetables in seawater could be the answer to feeding billions

Giulia Bottaro

October 14, 2020 |

Euronews |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Ayrshire, Scotland

As climate changes causes seawater to flood land and increase the salt content in soil, farms in Scotland and the Netherlands are experimenting with using the saltwater to grow food. Seawater Solutions is growing crops called halophytes that have a high-salt tolerance and can be eaten or used as material for cosmetics and biofuels. And the Salt Farm Foundation has shown that potatoes, cabbage, and tomatoes can grow in saltwater. These projects can labor intensive, but seawater irrigation could be a viable climate adaptation solution.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Ex-logger leads firefighters defending Indonesia's peatlands

Harry Jacques

October 14, 2020 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Rawa Mekar Jaya, Riau

An Indonesian government program called Masyarakat Peduli Api, or “Fire Care Community,” aims to improve community responses to wildfires and restore peatlands — valuable ecosystems that store carbon. Through community engagement and education, this volunteer fire brigade patrols the peatlands and addresses small fires before they spread. The program remains underfunded, but residents recognize the importance of their work.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Bringing the chill of the cosmos to a warming planet

Sarah Kaplan

October 07, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Stockton, California

SkyCool Systems manufactures panels that can be incorporated into existing cooling systems to reduce the amount of electricity needed to turn hot air into cold air. The technology is based on radiative cooling and utilizes a thin, mirror-like film engineered using nanotechnology to send heat into space while absorbing almost no radiation. It lowers the temperature of objects by more than 10 degrees and doesn’t require electricity or special fuels, so it does not produce greenhouse gases. While piloting the panels, a grocery outlet saved over $3,000 in electricity costs over the course of just one summer.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Of hemp's many uses, one of the most promising could be in construction

Nate Berg

October 06, 2020 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Hempcrete is made from the dried core of hemp stalks and a lime-based binder and can be cast into blocks and panels just like concrete. But unlike concrete, which emits CO2, hempcrete actually absorbs it while also reducing construction waste. Though not strong enough to be load bearing, it has outperformed other materials in terms of insulation, and is therefore an ecofriendly option for covering walls. Reducing the need for air conditioners in warm climates limits CO2 emissions even more. Hempcrete has been used to build new structures and retrofit existing ones in Europe and Australia.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Cooperating over shared water in West Africa

Michelle Langrand

October 06, 2020 |

Geneva Solutions |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Senegal

There are over 250 rivers and lakes that are shared between countries, accounting for more than half of world's freshwater. This means that countries have to cooperate to share resources. In 1972, Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania did just that. They formed the Senegal River Basin Development Authority, or the OMVS (for its French initials). In 2005, Guinea joined. The organization is an example of how countries can join forces to share water resources cooperatively.

Read More
Go to Original Story