Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 2504 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Mountain athletes push progress over perfection in climate fight

Jason Blevins

January 31, 2020 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Since 2007, Protect Our Winters (POW) has engaged outdoor athletes to advocate for climate change. They believe in “imperfect advocacy,” in which they focus on corporate polluters whose habits can create larger-scale change, rather than putting the impetus for change solely on individuals. In doing so, they have been able to successfully engage athletes in their mission, build a partnership with the Climate Action Corps, a coalition of outdoor outfitters working for change at a corporate-level, and host rallies to sway public officials.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Mountain Towns Face Big-City Traffic. Maybe It's Time for Big-City Transit.

Jake Bullinger

January 31, 2020 |

Bitterroot |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Park City, Utah

With rural areas and mountain towns increasingly facing traffic issues during peak outdoor season or other temporary population growth periods, some have modeled responses after urban transit plans. Park City, the host of the Sundance Film Festival offers free buses throughout the weekend to cut back on commuter traffic; other towns have planned shuttle services between towns and dedicated e-bike routes to reduce car usage in their communities.

Read More
Go to Original Story
‘IKEA, but for Parks' Project Streamlines Community Green Space Development

Hannah Chinn

January 30, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Vacant lots in the city are being greened with an idea dubbed “IKEA, but for parks” which provides preassembled options to create parks in vacant lots. Community members are given layout and design options to choose from based on how the neighborhood decides to utilize their empty lots. Residents are then provided with supplies and training to build and maintain a public green space. The model allows for efficiency and speed while promoting civic participation.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Soulardarity: A community's success in energy democracy

Brooke Bowser

January 29, 2020 |

Planet Forward |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Highland Park, Michigan

After DTE Energy removed streetlights from Highland Park, Michigan when utility bills went unpaid, local residents teamed up to form Soulardarity, a community-owned organization that installs solar-powered street lights throughout the city. The lights are more cost-effective, but beyond that, Soulardarity offers a platform for residents to join the environmental justice movement in advocating for more clean energy options for their neighborhoods and at scale.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The secret gardens of Rohingya refugees

Guillaume Pajot

January 28, 2020 |

Equal Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Bangladesh, Ukhia, Cox's Bazar

The Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh, the largest refugee camp in the world, is overcrowded and increasingly isolated. A program by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Bangladeshi NGO BRAC offers refugees equipment, advice, fertilizer, and seeds to make their own garden. These gardens have become hugely popular, taking up what little space there is between tents, but also offer refugees a source of peace and a food source to supplement their meals. Compost for these gardens are prepared outside of the camp by Bangladeshi women, which helps improve the relationship between the two groups.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A $100 Million Bet That Vacationland Can Be a Tech Hub, Too

Eduardo Porter

January 27, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Maine

Universities situated in the right market have proven to jumpstart innovation and technological hubs across the country, from San Diego to Boston. Now, Portland, Maine is testing out the economic impact and growth of a new branch of Northeastern Univeristy that focuses on machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Read More
Go to Original Story
2 Years Ago, Kenya Set The World's Strictest Plastic Bag Ban. Did It Work?

Sophie Mbugua

January 23, 2020 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kikuyu

In 2017, Kenya implemented a plastic bag ban and to ensure it was followed, set hefty fines and even jail time for those who broke the law. The law has had an impact – streets are cleaner and the use of single-use plastic bags has reduced, but there is still work to be done. The replacement bags, reusable ones made from polypropylene, have come under scrutiny for their lack of quality, and Kenyan residents cite confusion and fear as a result of not knowing which bags are allowed and which are not.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Making Yellow School Buses a Little More Green

Ellen Rosen

January 22, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Public school districts are gradually transitioning to electric buses. Electric utilities, concerned about environmental impacts and overloading the grid, are helping to cover the high price tag.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How 17 Outsize Portraits Rattled a Small Southern Town

Audra Burch

January 21, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Newnan, Georgia

The small Southern city of Newnan, GA considered themselves to be a fairly open and accepting place. This attitude was shattered when 17 huge portraits of ordinary people who make up Newnan were hung across the city and prompted a racially-tinged backlash. The purpose of the portraits was to open up a dialogue around the diversity in the city, but it also exposed new and hidden racial tensions. The portraits were ultimately allowed to stay up, but the conversations surrounding the issue are ongoing.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A Vision for a Just recovery - La Marana's work Post Hurricane Maria

Ambika Samarthya-Howard

January 20, 2020 |

New Haven Independent |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Puerto Rico

La Maraña, a nonprofit in Puerto Rico, created a model for how communities could recover from disasters like the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. By including community voices in the design and planning process of recovery projects — which can focus on water, food, energy, roads, communication, or security — the organization hopes the projects are more likely to succeed and promote longterm community civic engagement.

Read More
Go to Original Story