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Colombia's sustainable forestry drive boosts biodiversity and business

Dimitri Selibas

December 30, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Tarapacá

The Colombian government has been working with regional regulatory agencies, the World Wildlife Fund, and local forest communities to encourage sustainable timber production and the implementation of forest management plans. They launched the Legal Wood Pact — a commitment with 69 entities to exclusively use wood from legal sources. While it can be difficult to convince people to purchase sustainable timber that’s more expensive, the sales of legal timber in the country increased from $500,000 in 2011 to $13 million in 2018.

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Could Seaweed Help Save Us From Climate Catastrophe?

Nadra Nittle

December 21, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Marshall, California

Seaweed aquaculture is a growing field that scientists are investigating for a number of climate-related uses, from reducing methane emissions in livestock to replacing plastic in packaging. Governments, startups, and researchers around the world are getting into the algae business that is also helping to create new jobs. There are challenges with scaling many of these products, but recent research for many of these initiatives have shown signs of early success.

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Saving Slovenia's "Human Fish"

Katie Jewett Luka Dakskobler

December 15, 2020 |

bioGraphic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Slovenia

Scientists in Slovenia are working to understand the mysteries of salamanders — known as olms — that live in natural caves and how best to protect this vulnerable species. Industrial pollution infiltrates the water systems where these creatures live, however more research is needed to understand how climate change and humans impact them. Recent efforts with captive breeding and rescue programs have shown success, but more international collaboration and funding are needed to fully understand this unique species.

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Michigan's weakened environmental laws lead activists to embrace other tactics

Tom Perkins

December 10, 2020 |

Planet Detroit |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Environmental deregulation and budget cuts opened the door for a loose coalition of environmental attorneys and activists to do the accountability work for the regulatory system. The groups sue to force companies to follow the law, contest permits, and run media campaigns to raise awareness of corporate misdeeds. Their efforts have been effective, forcing the closure of a toxic incinerator, pushing utilities towards clean energy, and revealing environmental abuses of major companies. The groups work with residents in impacted communities to determine priorities and organize support among neighbors.

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Breaking Buildings' Addiction to Fossil Fuels

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

December 10, 2020 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

BlocPower retrofits buildings with energy-efficient equipment in financially underserved communities by offering loans to building owners for no money down. The company has completed about 1,000 projects by bundling the financing for many projects and finding investors willing to provide capital for the larger sum, which reduces investor risk. The group also created technology to reduce the costs of building inspections and energy usage monitoring. The new equipment increases building values and reduces energy costs so that owners pay less in monthly loan repayments than they would with the old equipment.

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A System for Sharing Household Heat Is Growing Beneath France

Chad Small

December 04, 2020 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: France, Paris

In Paris, about 7,500 buildings are heated using geothermal energy, a cost-saving and carbon neutral energy source. Water is drawn from deep below ground at a central location and heated by the earth, and then sent via underground pipes to individual buildings. The Bagneux and Chatillon district has scaled up the system, providing heat to over 40,000 people. Districts created joint ventures to reduce construction costs and residents do not notice the energy source shift because when the temperature drops to a point where geothermal energy is not viable, gas boilers automatically keeps the heat flowing.

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Heat Waves Kill More People Than Any Other Weather Disaster. These Cities Have A Plan.

Rachel Ramirez

December 01, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: India, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

With rising temperatures occurring all over the world, cities are implementing plans to combat heat waves and protect its residents. The city of Ahmedabad in India has been a model for heat resiliency after it created its first heat action plan that centered around “community-focused social measures.” Because of the plan, a 2015 heat wave resulted in fewer than 20 fatalities compared with thousands of deaths in previous years. Other cities like New York City are also participating in heat resiliency efforts aimed at protecting all of its residents.

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An unusual snack for cows, a powerful fix for climate

William Neff Tatiana Schlossberg

November 27, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Prince Edward Island

A farmer on Prince Edward Island fed his cows seaweed and noticed that they produced more milk and had better pregnancy success. A study of his cows found that they also reduced methane emissions by about 18 percent, a decent amount that could be beneficial in combating climate change. The farmer is now part owner of North Atlantic Organics, which produces seaweed supplements for livestock. Now, other companies around the world are popping up to do the same thing and scale this climate solution.

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A pollution solution where the rubber meets the road

Lindsey McGinnis

November 09, 2020 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

The Tyre Collective, a project by four recent graduate students in London, is seeking to capture vehicle tire pollution, the microplastics that go into the air from the friction of tires. They have been developing a device that attaches to the bottom of a car and uses electrostatic charges and airflow to collect up to 60 percent of tire particles as the car is driven. To reduce the amount of tire pollution, tire companies are seeking to balance safety requirements, tire durability, and making them out of more sustainable materials.

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A Lesson in Learning to Live With Fire, and Each Other

Laura Bliss

November 05, 2020 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Shaver Lake, California

A collaboration between former adversaries over forest management and preservation in the Sierra National Forest led to a $9 million investment into making 154,000 acres healthier, and able to withstand destruction in one of the largest wildfires in California history. The Creek Fire largely spared land in the Dinkey Landscape Restoration Project, despite severe damage in hundreds of thousands of adjacent acres. Years of strategic tree-thinning and intentionally set small fires proved effective.

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