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The Clever Architectural Feature That Makes Life on Bermuda Possible

Luke Fater

March 31, 2021 |

Atlas Obscura |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Bermuda

There is no natural freshwater source on Bermuda, so residents turn to rainfall as a way to fulfill their water needs. The white limestone Bermuda roofs are used to catch and redirect rain into underground tanks that serve as their primary source of freshwater. Droughts happen, which has led to other solutions, but the limestone roofs are still primarily their largest source of freshwater.

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Indigenous Food Sovereignty Movements Are Taking Back Ancestral Land

Melissa Montalvo

March 31, 2021 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Quapaw, Oklahoma

More and more Indigenous communities throughout North America are reclaiming their ancestral lands as a way to access traditional foodways. For example, a group of Mi’kmaq tribes in Nova Scotia bought a majority share in one of the largest seafood businesses on the continent, allowing them to use the company’s fishing licenses to harvest more scallops, lobsters, and crabs. The Quapaw Tribe in Oklahoma is restoring their land that had been polluted by mining. Under the Quapaw Cattle Company, they are able to sustain more than 1,000 cattle and bison as well as growing two crops.

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Simple hand-built structures can help streams survive wildfires and drought

Brianna Randall

March 26, 2021 |

Science News |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Idaho

Conservationists, government agencies, scientists, and landowners are working together to restore streams using low-cost solutions from sticks, stones, and even beavers. Restoring these floodplains is important to help communities combat drought and wildfires. In Idaho, scientists relocated nine beavers to Birch Creek so they could help repair the dried-up stream. In three years, the beavers built dams, which helped the creek flow for longer in the summer. This method might not work everywhere, so scientists have also tested stone structures, which also proved effective at improving the ecosystem.

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What Went Into Building Europe's Largest Floating Solar Park

Jeanine Barone

March 26, 2021 |

Architectural Digest |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Evides Waterbedrijf, a drinking water company, created Europe’s largest floating solar park. They installed almost 3,000 solar panels on an island in the middle of a reservoir that allows it to move with the sun to maximize its energy. This setup generates about 15 percent of the electricity the company uses at the site.

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Turtle conservation hits the SPOT in North Cyprus

James Fair

March 24, 2021 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Cyprus

Thanks to efforts by the Society for the Protection of Turtles and a band of international volunteers, green and loggerhead turtle numbers in North Cyprus are rebounding. Last year, there were more than 2,400 nests counted, a 10-fold increase since their first survey in 1988. There are still challenges in saving these species due to plastic waste, but more locals are recognizing the importance of turtle conservation.

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How Jersey City Middle Schoolers Stopped a Flood

Phil Roberts

March 12, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

In a science class in a local New Jersey school, students came up with a green solution to a storm water management and flooding problem in their parking lot when it rained. With help from the Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program out of Rutgers University and funding from city agencies, they were able to build planters and install concrete to absorb the runoff. The project galvanized the community, encouraging the school to expand their STEM curriculum.

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Road Salt Is Imperiling Aquatic Ecosystems. It Doesn't Have To.

Anne N. Connor

March 11, 2021 |

Undark |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lake George, New York

An experiment in upstate New York showed how town officials could maintain clean and safe roads during the winter season and protect the environment. By using a salt brine before winter storms, they were able to plow the roads more efficiently and, at the same time, reduce the amount of salt going into waterways that could impact freshwater ecosystems. The effort, launched by the nonprofit FUND for Lake George, required “a culture shift within the towns’ maintenance departments,” but the communities were able to cut their salt usage in half over two years.

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Balancing climate, culture, and community: Fiji's relocation challenge

Nithin Coca Naomi Mihara Walter Gerard

March 11, 2021 |

Devex |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Fiji, Korolevu, Vanua Levu

After a river in Fiji continued to flood, an entire village relocated uphill 2 kilometers away. About two-thirds of the residents participated in this voluntary relocation, which proved effective when a strong cyclone hit the island. Government policies are making it easier for villages to relocate due to climate change; in fact, four have done so already. Balancing the people’s cultural connection to the land and the need to move can be tricky, but as people continue to be displaced, their responses could help inform other coastal communities around the world.

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The magic greenhouse

Julie Ball

March 09, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Somalia

A greenhouse that is cooled by seawater and the wind is allowing farmers in Somaliland to grow crops like tomatoes and vegetables despite extreme heat. By creating an environment that is higher in humidity and cooler in temperature, plants don’t need to drink as much water — almost 10 times less water because of the cooling system. There are challenges to scaling the response, but these greenhouses offer farmers the potential to increase their revenue in Africa.

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Preserve, revive, restore: Indian ponds spring back to life

Anuradha Nagaraj

March 08, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Saligao, Goa

Through a government funding program, several communities are working on initiatives to improve their access to clean drinking water. In India, one community formed a citizen’s group, cleaned up a local pond, and restored its natural water flow. Another initiative involved more than 1,000 women from 21 villages to build rainwater harvesting structures. These projects are seen as models for water conservation efforts as climate change exacerbates the country’s ongoing water crisis.

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