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Cooperating over shared water in West Africa

Michelle Langrand

October 06, 2020 |

Geneva Solutions |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Senegal

There are over 250 rivers and lakes that are shared between countries, accounting for more than half of world's freshwater. This means that countries have to cooperate to share resources. In 1972, Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania did just that. They formed the Senegal River Basin Development Authority, or the OMVS (for its French initials). In 2005, Guinea joined. The organization is an example of how countries can join forces to share water resources cooperatively.

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Of hemp's many uses, one of the most promising could be in construction

Nate Berg

October 06, 2020 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

Hempcrete is made from the dried core of hemp stalks and a lime-based binder and can be cast into blocks and panels just like concrete. But unlike concrete, which emits CO2, hempcrete actually absorbs it while also reducing construction waste. Though not strong enough to be load bearing, it has outperformed other materials in terms of insulation, and is therefore an ecofriendly option for covering walls. Reducing the need for air conditioners in warm climates limits CO2 emissions even more. Hempcrete has been used to build new structures and retrofit existing ones in Europe and Australia.

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Migratory birds openbill storks find safe haven in Andhra village

Sahana Ghosh Manish Kumar

October 06, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Telukunchi, Andhra Pradesh

The Asian openbill stork makes its home in the Telukunchi village in India for six months of the year, and the locals band together to protect this migratory bird. The birds thrive off of the wetlands environment and up to 10,000 storks breed and lay eggs there each season. This community has largely been able to protect these birds over the years, but more could be done to work with the government to legally protect these habitats.

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Decoy turtle eggs put in nests to track illegal trade in Costa Rica

Patrick Barkham

October 05, 2020 |

The Guardian |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica

The conservation organization Paso Pacifico "InvestEggator" program uses a set of fake sea turtle eggs to track the illegal trade of the eggs after they are snatched from nests on Costa Rica beaches. Satellite tags in the decoy eggs were tracked to mostly local sites where the eggs were then sold. This intelligence will help conservationists target trafficking enforcement and deterrence campaigns geographically. The illegal trade in green and olive ridley turtle eggs is a threat to the turtle populations, but previous enforcement aimed at those who poached the nests did little to solve the problem.

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Bug Breeders Are Cultivating Waste-Guzzling Flies to Gobble Up America's Trash

Colleen Stinchcombe

October 05, 2020 |

Future Human |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Camas, Washington

A growing number of bug breeders in the United States are raising black soldier flies to tackle greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and food waste. The larvae can convert waste into fertilizer for crops, while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In one experiment at Louisiana State University, about two tons of cafeteria food waste is processed by the fly larvae. Creating a similiar system on a larger scale for municipalities can be expensive, but the flies could be a multifaceted solution to the country’s trash problem.

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An unexpected outcome of the Great Bear Rainforest agreement: tasty sustainable scallops

Matt Simmons

October 03, 2020 |

The Narwhal |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Prince Rupert, British Columbia

Coastal Shellfish, an Indigenous aquaculture company in British Columbia, is focusing on sustainable food and food security through its product Great Bear Scallops. This is the first project funded by the Costal Funds trust set up by donors, governments, and First Nations to support sustainable Indigenous-led businesses. The company has been selling scallops to several local businesses like restaurants and breweries.

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Locals Question the Relevance of First Solar Power Plant in Soroti

Noah Omuya

October 03, 2020 |

Aica |

Photojournalism |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Soroti

Four years later after a solar grid was installed in Uganda, residents of nearby villages are wondering when they will get some of that power. The 10-megawatt facility, which cost $19 million to build, was expected to provide electricity to about 40,000 homes, schools, and businesses in the area. However, almost all households in the 10 surrounding villages still use firewood for cooking. The lessons learned from this renewable energy project could help inform others as the country looks to power more parts of the country with solar panels.

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Americans are starting to give up their pets because of COVID-19 hardships

Jen Reeder

October 02, 2020 |

NBC News |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

As the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on the U.S. economy, some people are struggling to afford the cost of care for their pets, so a network of animal services leaders have joined together to transform the role that animal shelters play during the crisis. From providing food pantries and free veterinary care to housing animals whose owners have been hospitalized, the network of leaders are turning shelters into "pet support centers and resource centers" rather than intake centers.

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Vom Wirtschaftswald zum Urwald

Gregor Steinbrenner

October 02, 2020 |

3Sat |

Broadcast TV Programs |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Germany

Manchmal ist der Artenvielfalt gerade dann am besten geholfen, wenn der Mensch gar nichts tut. Auch im Bayerischen Wald kamen dadurch Tiere zurück, so etwa Luchse, Wölfe, Fischotter und das Auerhuhn.

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Fighting Wildfires With Fire

Richard Schiffman

September 30, 2020 |

Wall Street Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The absence of an active "fire culture" in the American West has contributed greatly to the scale of catastrophic wildfires fueled by decades of aggressive fire-suppression tactics. In Florida, Australia, and pockets of experimentation in California, ancient practices of controlled burns – frequent low-intensity burns – minimize the buildup of dead-tree fuel on the ground. Such human-set fires have been known to go out of control. And their smoke can be a health hazard. But Native American and other indigenous cultures have shown the overall benefits of letting forests burn.

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