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Should you recycle your disposable mask?

Jane C. Hu

October 29, 2020 |

High Country News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

A company known as TerraCycle recycles "items other companies won’t accept" – including the many masks, gowns, and gloves that have been used during the coronavirus pandemic. While the service is free for those who can access one of their ZeroWaste box locations, individuals must request and pay for a box if they wish to participate. Environmentalists say that there is still debate about "whether it’s more environmentally friendly to throw away masks or recycle them," the service itself helps "remind consumers and companies that trash doesn’t disappear after it’s thrown out."

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A new era in maritime travel: Electric boats

Justin Sondel

October 29, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Niagara Falls, New York

The Maid of the Mist has given tours of Niagara Falls for 174 years, and recently replaced its fleet with electric catamarans, the first of their kind in North America. The boats are zero-emission and run on dual banks of lithium-ion batteries that are recharged between each tour by plugging two high-voltage lines into a charging station for seven minutes. The charging station is powered by a nearby hydroelectric facility. Two joysticks, like those on an arcade game, allow captains to steer the boats and dual monitors in the wheelhouse provide detailed battery status reports for constant monitoring.

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Bus Stop Shakespeare

Dorota Salus

October 26, 2020 |

Transitions Online |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Poland, Gdansk

A program at the Gdansk Shakespeare Theater in Poland is creating job opportunities for people with Down syndrome after partnering with the city and a local foundation that supports job training and coaching for special-needs individuals. The project has not just benefited the participants – patrons of the company as well as other businesses are realizing "that people with Down syndrome who have the appropriate skills can prove themselves at work."

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Nigerians don't trust the government to respond to emergency calls. So they created apps instead.

Innocent Chizaram Ilo

October 24, 2020 |

Rest of World |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Fearful and distrustful of corrupt and abusive police forces, Nigerians by the thousands have downloaded locally developed mobile apps like Sety and Aabo to call friends for help during abductions or other emergencies. These first-responder apps feature panic buttons that alert contacts or people nearby during an emergency. The app makers do not share usage data, but users say they feel safer by having such apps available if they are harassed by the police or in need of protection from an attack.

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Colville, Washington Survived the Timber Wars. Now It's Tackling Wildfire

Jake Bullinger

October 23, 2020 |

Bitterroot |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colville, Washington

A collective of timber companies, conservationists, and forestry professionals has made the adjacent national forest more resilient to wildfires by focusing on small-diameter trees while preserving old growth. In 2019, the Northeast Washington Forest Coalition allowed for the harvesting of 87.1 million board-feet from the forest and 16,561 acres underwent controlled burns and mechanical thinning to mitigate the risk of wildfires. The group’s record of compromise and innovation could offer a blueprint for other areas looking to boost the resilience of fire-prone forests and rural economies.

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They lost their brothers to addiction. Now they're tackling deadly stigmas head on, with humor

Tim Greiving

October 22, 2020 |

Los Angeles Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Two women who lost their brothers to heroin overdoses launched the podcast "Last Day" to address death – by drugs and, in season two, by suicide – with a mix of humor, unsettling candor, and conventional-wisdom-busting storytelling. At first a modest startup, their production company now employs 17, topped the podcast charts with almost 4 million downloads, and has rolled out other programs on such topics as body image, bullying, the pandemic, policing, and loneliness. Many of the topics were proposed by listeners to "Last Day," who wanted their problems or questions to get the same treatment.

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Local tech company thrives with business model that invests in employee happiness and community work

Courtney Duchene

October 21, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Promptworks is a tech company seeking to create a nurturing environment for its own employees as well as help the local community. When the pandemic shut down the city, Promptworks created a mutual-aid platform connecting people in need with local residents who wanted to help. The company also hosted an event bringing together 80 leaders across several sectors to discuss and develop concrete plans to make Philadelphia more equitable.

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For these employers, there are no background checks, no drug tests, no interviews, and no problems

Beth Adams

October 20, 2020 |

City Newspaper (Rochester) |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

The Greyston Center for Open Hiring teaches businesses to fill entry-level positions using only a wait list, hiring whomever is next on the list without an interview, background check, or drug test. The open-hiring program, which started in Yonkers, N.Y., and expanded to Rochester, promotes lowered barriers as a benefit both to workers and employers. Employers report lower turnover and greater loyalty among employees whose criminal records frustrated their job searches through traditional channels. The center also provides services to help employees succeed.

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Their App Sends Free Mail to Incarcerated People. Now They're Helping Prisoners Register to Vote

Emily Nonko

October 20, 2020 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Ameelio is a technology startup launched by Yale students to facilitate free communication between people who are incarcerated and loved ones. In their first six months, the group went from sending 300 to over 4,000 letters a week to facilities in the United States. Their initial goal was to provide a not-for-profit alternative to the oftentimes predatory prison telecommunications industry. Recently they began a voter registration initiative where they send registration instructions, a blank voter registration application, and ballot request form to people who are incarcerated and eligible to vote.

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Philanthropies flow funds to climate technologies

Katherine Ellison

October 14, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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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.

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