Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Pandemic Disruptions Created an Opportunity for Organic School Meals in California

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District saw loosened regulations during the pandemic as an opportunity to tie up with local organic farms and producers and ensure hundred percent organic meals to students from low-income families. This is part of a growing effort in the state that recognizes school lunch as a way to not just provide the healthiest food to students but also to support a more sustainable food system that helps address climate change.

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  • Asher Craig: 'We are walking our talk' in Bristol's experiment in democracy

    A year after Bristol convened a randomly selected 60-person citizens’ assembly, which brought together a representative and diverse group of residents to tackle complex issues facing the city, they have delivered a set of recommendations. The panel produced 17 recommendations, with a total of 82 associated actions on three topics: climate, transport and health. Fourteen recommendations have been fully agreed to and eight have been dismissed. Participants also report positive effects of being able to work together across diverse ideologies and experiences, as well as from the civic participation more broadly.

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  • Burning Sugar Cane Pollutes Communities of Color in Florida. Brazil Shows There's Another Way.

    In Brazil, the world's largest producer of sugar cane, industry leaders have found a way to harvest the crop without sugar cane burning. Sugar cane burning is harmful to the environment and nearby residents. After complaints and regulations, producers invested in technology that allows them to cut the cane without burning it. This is a contrast to South Florida, despite producing less sugar cane than Brazil, producers in the state continue the practice.

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  • A shellfish company gets into the weeds

    In their fight to protect eelgrass, The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community sued the Army Corps and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Swinomish Tribe argued that creating wide exemptions to shellfish farming could endanger eelgrass, which they rely on. Their win led to stricter regulations that require individual permits rather than national permits. The tribe also opened its own shellfish operation.

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  • Nature's air sensors are growing on your street

    Moss get their nutrients from the air, providing a snapshot of the air quality around them. A team of scientists in Portland seized upon this. In 2013 they sampled moss from over 300 trees in the city. It was cheaper than installing air quality monitors. They found a cluster of pollution in one neighborhood near a glass factory. In Seattle, the practice was replicated, but it was done by youth from the community. The sampling confirming high levels of bad air quality in one neighborhood. In both cities, the samples led to higher air quality standards and stricter enforcement.

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  • Why you don't hear about the ozone layer anymore

    In 1987 ozone levels above Antartica had dropped by fifty percent. Scientists convened to discover the cause and found it was being depleted due to a chemical called chloroflourinecarbons commonly found in aerosol cans. In order to tackle the problem, scientists and leaders created public conferences to inform the public. The conferences created public pressure on world leaders to act and eventually led to the "Montreal Protocol," which called for the phasing out of CFC's. By 1989 consumption of CFC's plummeted. The ozone started healing and by 2065 is expected to completely recover.

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  • Can 'the people' solve climate change? France decided to find out.

    In order to cut carbon emissions in France, President Emmanuel Macron created an assembly of 150 randomly selected citizens. The citizens "convention on climate" met and deliberated for months before releasing 149 proposals on how the government should address climate change. Although only 10 made it into law without being altered, and 36 others were included form, the final legislation was one of the most comprehensive passed in the history of the country. The recommendations also garnered conversations and inspired the creation of other assemblies.

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  • From Heaps of Garbage, Lagos Improves on Waste Disposal, Sanitation

    The Cleaner Lagos project works to clean up the state, aiming toward maintaining a clean and healthy environment at all times. From waste management services to incentivized waste sorting and stricter regulations, the project has helped to reduce the spread of diseases caused by poor sanitation across the state.

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  • Alone in eviction court: Alabama looks to provide lawyers

    Legislation in cities like Cleveland, Louisville, New York City, provides legal representation for economically-disadvantaged people who are facing eviction. The city ordinances have drastically reduced evictions as well as the government costs associated with homelessness caused directly by evictions. A public awareness push - through social media, billboards, and door knocking - was also made in these cities to encourage people to show up to their eviction court dates.

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  • A record number of cities used ranked-choice voting this week. Will it make elections more inclusive?

    Ranked-choice voting has been adopted by a record number of municipalities. The system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, and votes for the bottom candidates are reallocated to the voters second choice until one candidate wins a majority. The system has expanded opportunities for independent and third-party candidates to win elections and, in some jurisdictions, has led to greater numbers of people of color and women winning elected office.

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