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

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  • The human right that benefits nature

    March 16, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Costa Rica

    A court in Costa Rica decided that a local municipality was illegally polluting a stream and this ruling set the stage for the country to ensure that a clean and healthy environment is a human right. They ingrained this right in their constitution joining about 110 other countries that have constitutionally recognized it. Although the law is not perfect, it has allowed courts to rule that killing endangered green sea turtles is unconstitutional, for example. Costa Rica’s success with this legal pathway could be used in other countries seeking to adopt the right to a healthy environment.

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  • Using satellite photos to help distribute cash

    March 16, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Togo

    Togo distributed money to people in need, including informal sector workers, by identifying them using machine learning. Algorithms search satellite photos for clues of poverty, using measures like building density, and individuals within those areas are found using mobile phone data as a proxy of their wealth. Media campaigns also encourage people to apply for assistance. Once eligibility is confirmed, the first of five monthly payments is instantly sent to their phone and can be collected at local pick-up points. People without mobile phones can use an inexpensive SIM card in a borrowed phone.

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  • The magic greenhouse

    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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  • Tackling sport's concussion problem

    February 23, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States

    To prevent concussions during sports, some conferences are changing rules, while others are turning to technology to create new kinds of helmets and mouth guards that do a better job at protecting the brain. The innovations thus far have shown success at protecting the wearer from injury, but they do have to be fitted precisely to work the best.

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  • The cinemas now hiring out their screens to gamers

    February 11, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: South Korea

    The largest cinema chain in South Korea is renting screen time and auditorium space to video gamers as a way to supplement business income during the coronavirus pandemic. Though it doesn't generate a comparable amount of income as movies do, it has still attracted over 100 consumers thus far and other movie vendors have adopted the idea.

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  • هل جراحة الترميم هي ما تحتاجه نساء أثّر الختان على حياتهن؟

    February 06, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Egypt

    تزايد الترويج لعملية ترميم البظر داخل مصر كحل لمشكلة الختان، لكن هل هناك فعلا حاجة لعمل جراحي؟ تطرح القصة أسئلة عن مدى فاعلية هذا الحل في ظل غياب توثيق لنتائج العمليات.

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  • The country rejecting throwaway culture

    January 28, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: France, Paris

    Paris hosts a dozen "repair cafes," which are free, monthly events where residents can fix household objects and electronics with the help and advice of volunteers. The events usually have about 25 attendees who seek to limit the vast amounts of household waste, particularly E-waste, by repairing broken electronics and appliances. France's National Assembly also introduced an index of "repairability" ratings for appliances such as washing machines, lawnmowers, televisions and smartphones, in hopes of increasing the percentage of electronics that are repaired rather than discarded.

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  • The new use for abandoned oil rigs

    January 26, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Santa Barbara, California

    As oil rigs stop producing fossil fuels and become decommissioned, many are being repurposed into artificial reefs that support populations of marine wildlife with food and shelter. In the United States, more than 500 oil and gas rigs have been converted into artificial reefs. The California-based company Blue Latitudes has worked to raise awareness about this solution throughout the world, though has struggled to make traction with the Golden State’s oil platforms. Yet, reefing a platform is less expensive than completely removing it.

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  • The spacesuits saving mothers' lives

    January 26, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States

    Doctors have created a pressure garment that prevents women from dying from obstetric hemorrhage during childbirth. Modeled after the NASA spacesuit, the product was far from ideal when first envisioned in 1969 and went through several iterations over many years. Now, the garment has been successfully tested with a 50 percent reduction in mortality rate and is used around the world.

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  • How Covid turbocharged the QR revolution

    January 22, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United Kingdom

    Quick Response (QR) codes have become a popular way to conduct contactless business, and even contact tracing, during the coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants and retail stores allow customers to order and pay by scanning the codes with their smart devices, which pulls funds from payment accounts like PayPal, or their bank account, debit, or credit card. Public health agencies in the UK display QR codes that people can scan to “check in” and if someone tests positive for Covid-19 at that location people who scanned the code within 21 days are notified. QR codes hold massive amounts of data reliably and cheaply.

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