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The landfill where you once dumped your garbage might be a great spot for a solar farm

Bill Trotter

December 10, 2019 |

Bangor Daily News |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Maine

Landfills can offer prime real estate for solar potential due to the lack of trees and access to direct sunlight, and Maine is taking advantage of this. Seen as a sustainable renewable energy project, this is just one more method the state is implementing in order to advocate for increased solar power as an environmentally-friendly strategy.

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Power Struggle

Mitch Anderson

December 07, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Humboldt County, California

The Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe in California installed its own small-scale electrical supply grid using solar panels and Tesla batteries to make their community more resilient to energy disruptions and lower carbon dioxide emissions. This proved useful during the 2019 wildfire season when utility companies shut down power for millions of residents. The tribe is now helping other Native reserves to build their own microgrid systems.

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Chew On This: Farmers Are Using Food Waste To Make Electricity

Allison Aubrey

November 30, 2019 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

Food waste typically ends up on in landfills, which exacerbates climate change, but in Massachusetts, dairy farmers are converting the waste into electricity. Food waste from around the state is gathered, ground, and liquefied and then transported to an anaerobic digester on a dairy farm which is able to convert enough energy to power more than just the farm.

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This dark material: the black alchemy that can arrest carbon emissions

Jessica Murray

November 29, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Sweden, Stockholm

Biochar is a form of charcoal that is proving to be quite useful in terms of renewable energy and combatting the climate crisis. From trapping carbon and methane emissions to playing a role in heating homes and feeding cows, some estimates are already showing that biochar has the potential to "offset 1bn tonnes of carbon a year."

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How this North Salt Lake plant will turn table scraps into natural gas

Amy Joi O'Donoghue

November 24, 2019 |

Deseret News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

Food waste often ends up in landfills, but the Wasatch Resource Recovery facility in Utah transforms the thrown-out food into renewable energy instead. Companies such as Kroger, Dannon, and Nestle send their food waste to the facility on a daily basis, where it is liquefied, broken down by microbes and eventually converted into natural gas.

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When Residents Support Solar—Just ‘Not in My Backyard'

Linda Poon

November 20, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Solar power panels are broadly supported across America, as concern about climate change increases; however, not all supporters want solar power plants in their backyard. Now, companies and local governments work to install these renewable energy sources while informing neighbors and stakeholders of the benefits of these plants.

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Green party: how are festivals upping their environmental credentials?

Lucy Douglas Laura Mahler

November 19, 2019 |

Positive.News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Finding ways to implement circular systems reduces the environmental impact of festivals. The London-based nonprofit, a Greener Festival, works with festival planners across Europe to make events more sustainable. In addition to recycling and moving toward plant-based food options, a Greener Festival also leverages its partnerships to collect and reuse catered food through its EighthPlate initiative.

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This single shipping container can start powering a small renewable grid in less than a day

Adele Peters

November 18, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Grass Valley, California

Solar microgrids can improve community resilience to natural disasters by quickly restoring power. California-based startup, BoxPower, has developed an easy-to-install solar panels, packaged in a cargo shipping container. Housing the units in a shipping container allows for easy transport to disaster zones, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and to communities in California left without power due to wildfires.

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Holland Aims to Bring Back Its Starry Nights

Sophie Knight

November 18, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Amsterdam

To address the harm - both to human psychology as well as natural ecosystems - of artificial light, The Netherlands calls on its citizens to turn their lights off and feel the effects of a natural darkness. The awareness of negative consequences of artificial light has helped residents reduce light consumption, though turning the lights off is an uphill battle with international corporate powerhouses.

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Auraria Campus Installs Largest Singular Rooftop Solar Array In Downtown Denver

Dillon Thomas

November 14, 2019 |

KCNC-TV |

Broadcast TV Programs |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Auraria Campus in Denver installed more than 2,100 solar panels on their school’s library, which will save students money and be more sustainable. The campus teamed up with Namaste Solar to build the $1 million solar array, which will reduce campus energy usage by about 2.5 percent annually. While it will take 15 years for the panels to recoup the cost of installation, the life of the project should be about 30 years, so it will also generate additional revenue for the school.

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