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This Lake Belongs to Everyone

Daniel J McGraw

August 24, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Euclid, Ohio

For years, much of the coastline along the Great Lakes has been privately owned. In an effort to stabilize cliff erosion off the coast of Lake Erie, the city of Euclid, Ohio, worked with property owners to acquire those waterfronts. Despite some initial skepticism, the city convinced the owners that turning over their waterfront property would save them money on erosion control and allow public access to the coast. This collaborative approach is being watched by other coastal cities as a potential model for shoreline management.

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This country gave all its rivers their own legal rights

Sigal Samuel

August 18, 2019 |

Vox |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Bangladesh

As countries look to new ways to best conserve rivers, several are testing out a methodology of giving human rights to the bodies of water. Although not without challenges, this solution offers a way for those harming rivers to be held accountable to any damage they caused, same as if they were harming another human being.

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Watershed moment: How Chesapeake Bay turned its H2O around

David Karas

August 15, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Annapolis, Maryland

After decades of conservation and cleanup, the 42% of the entire Chesapeake Bay meets water quality standards. The Chesapeake Bay Program organized a regional collaboration between nonprofits, the government, and educational institutions, worked together to protect and clean the Bay, which is home to fishing, tourism, and agriculture. While much progress has been made, the group recognizes the amount of work left if they are to ever see a majority clean watershed.

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Can We Change Our Behavior or are We Stuck?

David Byrne

August 14, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Australia, Melbourne

When Melbourne, Australia came close to running out of water in 2008, the water utility conducted a behavioral study to launch an effective communications campaign aimed at reducing water usage among city residents. Along with the effective advertising campaign, the city distributed water-efficient shower heads, offered rebates to people who bought water-efficient machines, and used other "nudge" techniques like telling people how much water they used in relation to neighbors.

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Improving our own environment

Madison Kuklentz Gabriella DeMelfi Thomas Garlick

August 09, 2019 |

The Mercury |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Schwenksville, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy has built a grassroots base of volunteers that help clean up the local environment. Through education at schools and summer workshops, outreach projects, and asking volunteers to recruit new people, the Conservancy saw over 1,000 volunteers at its annual stream cleanup event. While the organization is still trying to figure out how to retain volunteers for long-term projects, the response to immediate projects has been overwhelming.

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Solar Powered Water Projects Solve Clean Water Crisis In Bidibidi Refugee Settlement

Kiberu Gideon

August 02, 2019 |

Things That Work Uganda |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Bidibidi

Solar-powered pumps can improve access to clean water for displaced populations. The United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program have sponsored the installation of dozens of water pumps in Uganda’s Yumbe district, where up to 80 percent of the children in some schools are refugees.

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The Unusual Weapon Yellowstone Is Using To Combat Invasive Species

Maggie Mullen

August 02, 2019 |

Wyoming Public Media |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, West Thumb, Wyoming

At Yellowstone National Park, they’re renting dogs to sniff out invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels. The dogs are part of the Working Dogs for Conservation non-profit organization and have been trained to sniff out invasive and endangered species. By catching species like the zebra and quagga mussels, the dogs are able to save ecosystems from environmental crises.

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Yellowstone Fights Lake Trout With Nets, ‘Judas' Fish And Pellets

Rachel Cramer

July 27, 2019 |

Yellowstone Public Radio |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, West Thumb, Wyoming

Yellowstone Park’s invasive fish management team has been working to save the native cutthroat salmon by fighting non-native lake trout for over a decade. To save the cutthroat salmon, which are crucial to the ecosystem’s food web, the team uses gillnetting traps. Since starting this initiative – funded by donations and federal funding – they’ve caught and killed over three million invasive trout.

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Living without plastic: One family's journey

Susan Spillman

July 19, 2019 |

Los Angeles Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

For one family, living plastic-free was a lifestyle decision made after they learned more about the harm that plastic waste causes. The Watt family lives as plastic-free as possible – carrying their own utensils, buying in bulk and bringing their own glass containers, making their own household cleaner, and using reusable beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap. While these are all steps in the right direction toward reducing the nearly 335 million tons of plastic produced every year, experts say we need to rely less on individual actions and push for tougher laws and systemic changes.

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Are bioplastics better for the environment than conventional plastics?

Anja Krieger

July 16, 2019 |

Ensia |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Berlin

As people around the world become increasingly aware of the harmful nature of plastic use, bioplastics have risen in popularity. But the term “bioplastic” actually means different things and the type of bioplastics out there may or may not be as environmentally-friendly as they purport. While scientists continue to experiment in the design of a truly biodegradable plastic, many say that simple reduce and reuse is the way forward.

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