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Where Birds and Planes Collide, a Winged Robot May Help

Tina Rosenberg

November 28, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Alberta

Airplanes and birds don't mix - thousands of birds are tragically killed around airports each year, and collisions (or "ingestions," as the industry calls them) of birds and jet engines can be extremely dangerous to flights. Finding an effective way to keep birds away has proven tricky, as birds are clever and quickly acclimate to many traditional methods, so the Edmonton airport in Alberta is "piloting" an exciting new technology: a robotic falcon that moves like a real predator, and seems to have had success in trial flights.

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The world is poorly designed. But copying nature helps.

Christophe Haubursin Roman Mars Kurt Kohlstedt

November 09, 2017 |

Vox |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Missoula, Montana

In 1989, when Japan’s bullet train debuted, it reached nearly 170 miles per hour, but was also exceptionally loud as it left any tunnel. To remedy this, engineers and designers turned to nature – mimicking different bird features in their redesign of the train. Known as biomimicry, the practice of looking at nature’s forms, processes, and ecosystems and incorporating them into human-made designs has gained in popularity in the last three decades.

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Re-connecting With A Healthy Lifestyle: Replacing Soda With Water

Antonia Gonzales

November 03, 2017 |

KNME-PBS |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Leupp, New Mexico

In the town of Leupp, a Navajo community, the school and community members are working to educate kids to drink water rather than sugary drinks and sodas. Part of their effort includes increasing availability to water—and gently keeping each other on the right path.

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How Baltimore Is Growing Its Tech Gurus From Scratch

Erick Trickey

October 19, 2017 |

Politico |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

Only 12 percent of the STEM workforce is Black or Hispanic. Starting with Baltimore, one nonprofit is looking to change that. In 2013, the Digital Harbor Foundation converted a rec center into a home for after school programs introducing students to graphic design, 3D printing, and beyond. Using a "maker education" model, instructors prepare middle schoolers for a changing workforce, offer in-house employment for teens, and improve and diversify the talent pipeline to the city's vacant tech jobs. The classes, which are pay-what-you-can, are expanding kids' communications skills and creative thinking mindset.

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Why Salt Is This Power Plant's Most Valuable Asset

Molly A. Seltzer

August 04, 2017 |

Smithsonian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, McIntosh, Alabama

One of the greatest challenges to integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid has been the issue of storage - where and how to keep power generated during off-hours (such as overnight) when demand is low. While batteries are on the rise as one solution, an Alabama power plant has discovered a natural way of storing energy until it is needed: pumping air into salt caverns.

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The world's first floating wind farm could be a game changer for renewable power

Akshat Rathi

July 24, 2017 |

Quartz |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Scotland, Peterhead

A factor that has often held back further development of renewable energy is the initial cost. But new advances in technology are helping make offshore wind power more feasible in deep water, furthering the growth potential of renewable energy in Scotland.

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Artificial Intelligence and Decarbonization

Mark Harris

July 01, 2017 |

Anthropocene Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Amsterdam

As electric utilities expand to include evolving forms of energy such as varied renewables, the already complex puzzle of storage and distribution (effectively addressing surges and lulls in demand) has grown more difficult. Artificial intelligence in the form of super speed algorithms that can detect usage patterns and allocate the right types of energy at the right times is a straightforward solution that can reduce costs and emissions simultaneously, while encouraging consumer behavior change to maximize efficiency.

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How an IIT Madras Initiative Is Powering 9,000 Homes at a Fraction of Traditional Electricity Costs

Priya Mohan

June 07, 2017 |

The Better India |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Jaipur, Rajasthan

A team of engineers at IIT Madras, a public university in India, has partnered with local utilities and the national Ministry of Power to bring sustainable, low-cost electricity to off-grid rural villages in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. With solar power supplied by DC microgrids, these poor rural communities are experiencing transformations to increase quality-of-life: affordable fridges that aid in food preservation, fans which mitigate heat and repel mosquitoes, and battery-powered phones connecting them to public emergency services.

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Italy's pollution-eating cement

Gelareh Darabi

May 25, 2017 |

Al Jazeera |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Italy, Milan, Lombardy

Respiratory diseases caused by air pollution now account for more premature deaths in people worldwide than malaria and HIV combined. To address increasing contamination levels, particularly in cities, scientists have developed a new kind of cement that absorbs pollutants like CO2. The special cement is being manufactured in Milan, and used around in the world in cities like Paris and Chicago.

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Ladakh's Ice Stupas

Russell Beard

May 17, 2017 |

Al Jazeera |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: India, Leh, Kashmir

Nearly a billion people living in the arid regions of the Himalayas depend on glaciers for their water supply. But with climate change, glaciers have been retreating drastically every year, threatening the life source of villagers like those in the Ladakh region of Kashmir. One engineer, Sonam Wangchuck, has come up with an ingenious feat of engineering to help the villages store glacier water by constructing stupas - or towers - using thorn branches that retain ice in tall structures, which melts and provides clean water for drinking and agriculture during the dry season.

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