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Is underground farming the future of food?

Kwon Moon

July 24, 2020 |

BBC |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: South Korea, Seoul

There’s a subterranean, organic farm in one of Seoul’s subway stations that could be another way to approach sustainable urban farming. The “vertical” farm, known as Metro Farm, uses a mineral nutrient solution instead of regular soil, and has an automated tech network to control the underground ecosystem’s temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. While Farm8, the tech startup in charge of the venture, hasn’t made much of a profit yet, the farm produces about 30 kilograms of vegetables per day at a rate that is 40 times more efficient than traditional farming.

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Amid biting drought, sisters in Zambia fend off hunger with organic farming

Doreen Ajiambo

July 16, 2020 |

Global Sisters Report |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Zambia, Chilanga

In Zambia, where severe drought due to climate change has negatively affected agriculture, the Daughters of the Redeemer are practicing organic farming to feed hundreds of children and families whose basic needs are not being met. This group of religious sisters do not rely on rainfall to farm; they installed a drip irrigation system that has allowed them to grow crops like cabbage, maize, tomatoes, and beans. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the sisters provided training to local villages about organic farming, and this has allowed families to support themselves during the crisis.

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Could a Detroit Experiment Unleash the Power of Urban Soil?

Brian Allnutt

July 16, 2020 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

A multi-year experiment in Detroit is looking at environmentally sustainable ways to build urban soil. Some urban farmers are concerned about the high alkalinity levels in their soils, which can lead to potentially contaminated produce. The project is studying how cover crops, compost, and tillage can improve a piece of land. Early results suggest that these techniques can improve soils for agriculture but also improve the soil’s capacity to absorb carbon to mitigate climate change in major cities.

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The revolutionary boat powered by the ocean

Rina Diane Caballar

July 15, 2020 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Philippines

Since the Philippines relies on boats to transport people and goods across the island nation, a shipbuilding company is designing a new low-carbon alternative of the bangka — a traditional Filipino boat — that uses the waves of the ocean to power it instead of fossil fuels. The ship, known as the trimaran, uses wave energy that converts into electricity for the ship. However, a typhoon and the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed the project, and there are also cost and design challenges. But the trimaran’s use of wave energy could be a step toward reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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Could leaving 'room for the river' help protect communities from floods?

Samantha Harrington

July 15, 2020 |

Yale Climate Connections |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Davenport, Iowa

While many communities in the Midwest use dams and levees to control the Mississippi River, some are trying new approaches to flood control as climate change threatens to increase rainfall and the severity of storms in the region. Some cities are turning to the Dutch solution of leaving “room for the river” to allow the body of water to flow naturally and design public spaces to handle inundation. While this technique doesn’t always work during major flooding events, traditional flood control strategies can be more harmful and actually worsen flooding.

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Will Your Next Salmon Come from a Massive Land Tank in Florida?

Michael Grunwald

July 14, 2020 |

Politico |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Homestead, Florida

A Norwegian firm has built a land-based fish farm – which is "a supersized aquatic version of greenhouse agriculture that aims to solve a host of environmental problems plaguing conventional salmon farms in coastal waters" – near the tip of the Florida peninsula. Although it's yet to be seen if demand will be to the scale necessary to deem the endeavor financially viable, in Denmark where this concept was initially piloted, more than 25 generations of salmon have already been harvested.

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Investors say agroforestry isn't just climate friendly — it's also profitable

Stephanie Hanes

July 08, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

With the growing trend in regenerative agriculture, Propagate Ventures is working with farmers to transition them from conventional agriculture to agroforestry. This technique focuses on incorporating trees into farmland which can improve soil health and crop production, and reduce carbon emissions. The company offers farmers help to build the system and connections to investor financing. While implementing an agroforestry system can take time, Propagate Ventures is seeing the interest grow: They’ve expanded to eight states and recently received $1.5 million in capital funding.

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Can direct air capture make a real impact on climate change?

Anna Kusmer

July 03, 2020 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Switzerland, Zurich

Climeworks is focusing on pulling carbon dioxide directly out of the air to store or reuse in some capacity as a way to lower global greenhouse gas emissions. The Swiss company has 16 plants around Europe, with their biggest one in Switzerland that removes 900 tons of carbon dioxide a year that is then sold to Coca-Cola Co. to put in soft drinks or to local industrial greenhouses for plant growth. Scaling the operations to capture more carbon is costly, but the startup recently raised $76 million from investors.

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Ecosystems-based adaptation keeps water running in Bhojdari even in dry months

Vinaya Kurtkoti

June 29, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Bhojdari, Maharashtra

Bhojdari, a town in India, faced a severe drought in the early 2000s. The town doesn't have a river or canal nearby. However, after implementing an ecosystems-based approach, the town has reliable access to water, even in the dry months. Some of the methods that were incorporated in this approach included the creation of irrigation models, planting bamboo trees, and creating fish ladders so that fish can move up the stream. Ultimately, the model led to an increase in cultivation for local farmers and sufficient water for the town.

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Malian women creating alternatives to charcoal and firewood

Soumaïla Diarra

June 28, 2020 |

Inkline |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mali, Bamako

As Mali’s population increases and urban centers grow, women in the West African country are coming up with different solutions to reduce their consumption of charcoal and wood and reverse the worsening effects of climate change and deforestation. For example, some women use a wire roll for cooking that allows them to slow the amount of charcoal burned. While making the roll isn’t as environmentally-friendly, the wire rollers allow people to avoid buying a lot of charcoal. Other solutions include creating affordable solar cookers and thermos baskets.

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