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Can tourists coexist with nature on Lebanon's Rabbit Island?

Olivia Cuthbert

August 30, 2019 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Lebanon, Palm Island

In a stark juxtaposition to Lebanon’s polluted beaches, just 150 off the coast lies Palm Island – more commonly known as Rabbit Island – seeking to remain pristine and pollution-free. Promapir, an EU-funded collaboration between Lebanon’s Environment Protection Committee and the Office d’Exploitation du Port de Tripoli, is charging visitors to help pay for rangers, trash disposal and maintenance of the plants and beaches. While a valiant effort, the real challenge will be changing the habits of those who visit to prevent them from leaving litter in the first place.

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Solar Panels as Solution for SEPTA's Power Outage Problems

Matt Delucia

August 26, 2019 |

WCAU-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Storing solar energy improves the resilience of public transportation systems to disruptions in the energy grid. With the potential of extreme heat or weather conditions to cause issues in the reliability of electrical power, Philadelphia’s SEPTA public transportation system has begun to invest in solar power. By storing solar energy in batteries at various hubs, the public transportation system can avoid delays caused by local outages.

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Chicago remade its 127-year-old rapid transit system. Are there lessons for Metro?

Lori Aratani

August 02, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Officials who want to improve Washington D.C.'s unreliable metro system look to the Chicago Transportation Authority to find examples of success in rebuilding a subway system. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel prioritized upgrading tracks and stations and has seen a large increase in daily riders and overall satisfaction with the system since the renewal took place. Now, Washington officials invite advice and collaboration in their quest to revamp the region's metro system.

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How Dutch stormwater management could mitigate damage from hurricanes

Nichole Marks

July 21, 2019 |

CBS News |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Designing room for rivers and coastlines can mitigate catastrophe. Following a massive flood in 1953, the Dutch government reallocated its resources toward disaster prevention and mitigation. Through measures like building surge barriers and reservoirs into recreational spaces, the Dutch have moved implemented defensive design methods. Additionally, by lowering some dykes, practices have moved from flood control to controlled flooding. The Dutch Water Ambassador serves a global role advising the UN and other countries about the Dutch engineering and design methods.

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As Floods Keep Coming, Cities Pay Residents to Move

John Schwartz

July 06, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Nashville, Tennessee

The city of Nashville is a model for other U.S. cities focusing on how to deal with homes that are flooding more consistently than before. The National Flood Insurance Program exists to help insure homes that wouldn't be covered by private insurance; for some homeowners, the frustration of constant flooding is alleviated by the city's initiative to buy back those properties from their owners, turning them instead into more environmentally friendly parks, paths, and other flood buffers.

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Eskilstuna: how a Swedish town became the world capital of recycling

Ammar Kalia

June 18, 2019 |

The Guardian |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Sweden, Eskilstuna

Recycling provides an economic alternative to heavy industry. In the former steel town of Eskilstuna, recovery from economic decline has meant re-platforming into a model of sustainability. From the city’s second-hand article mall to state-of-the art trash sorting technologies, innovations in closed-loop economics have created new jobs and possibilities for longtime residents and new arrivals alike.

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Paving, rumble strip installation underway at site of fatal May 5 crash

Carl Hunnell

June 12, 2019 |

Richland Source |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Shelby, Ohio

A rural intersection in Shelby, Ohio has received a safety makeover: new paving and rumble strips. The intersection was the site of a fatal car accident in May 2019 and Josh Boggs – a father who lost family members in the accident – took it upon himself to demand action. By contacting the county’s commissioner, engineer, and a state representative, he hopes this will be the first of many intersections receiving added safety measures.

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People Are Helping Animals Cross Highways — That's Great for Humans, Too

Monica Humphries

June 10, 2019 |

NationSwell |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Gainesville, Florida

Across the United States, cities are designing ways for wildlife to cross major roadways. Whether they’re overpasses crossing highways or tunnels under freeways, these helpful pathways are strategically placed to help save the most wildlife. Seeing huge successes, including a casualty rate decline of close to 94% – conservationists are calling for more legislation to help protect and maintain such efforts.

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Why you want oysters and a salt marsh between you and a hurricane

Anne N. Connor

June 03, 2019 |

Vox |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Beaufort, North Carolina

Instead of building hard seawalls to protect communities from hurricanes, some are turning to “living shorelines.” These are made out of crushed rock or oyster shells that are placed offshore in front of a wetland. There are more than 120 of these types of habitats — including in Beaufort, North Carolina — and they have shown that they can absorb 50 percent of wave energy, which can reduce the risk of loss of human life and property from flooding. This might not work for all coastal communities, but living shorelines are cheaper than the traditional seawalls.

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‘People aren't disabled, their city is': inside Europe's most accessible city

Emily Yates

May 28, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Breda, North Brabant

The Dutch city of Breda is making great strides in making their city accessible for all with more than 800 shops and bars physically accessible and more than 26 city resident and tourist-focused websites now accessible to those with sensory and learning impairments. Breda attributes these successes and many more to a commitment to improving accessibility and creating partnerships that work together to achieve this mission of inclusivity and social confidence.

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