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How San Antonio prioritizes helping low-income residents with their water bills

Conor Morris

May 05, 2022 |

The Land |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio’s water discount program has a higher enrollment rate compared to other cities, making it a successful initiative worth emulating. An emphasis on outreach to increase enrollment, a donor-funded emergency relief program, simpler applications, and bilingual representatives have all helped to increase the number of households enrolled in the program.

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In Pennsylvania, agroforestry holds a key to cleaning up waterways and Chesapeake Bay

Sarah Derouin

May 27, 2021 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

The state of Pennsylvania set to plant 86,000 hectares of riparian buffers, the practice of planting trees and shrubs along a river or stream to filter water. Other benefits of riparian buffers include things like restoring the soil and cooling the water. In order to meet their goal, the state scientists used a bottom approach, enlisting the help of local farmers by offering them grants to plant trees and showing farmers how they can profit off of riparian buffers. While the state is behind its goal, the state is planting about 1,000 to 2,000 hectares a year.

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Switching a golden retriever to an insect-based diet saves 4.4 million gallons of water per year.

Danny Funt

September 21, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Although some people are refusing to eat meat because of its environmental impact, their pets might not. Dogs and cats account for 30 percent of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the U.S. Yet, pets don't have to eat meat. They can eat insect-based diet that give them the same amount of protein as meat. Switching one golden retriever alone, saves up to 4.4 million gallons of water per year. This story chronicles companies that are making the switch to making insect-based food forpets, and some of the challenges they face.

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By boat, by motorbike, by foot

Samantha Schmidt

October 12, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, La Giajira

IPSI Palaima is working to vaccinate Indigenous families who live in hard-to-reach areas of La Guajira, where there are no paved roads, electricity, or running water and staff must use cars, boats, and motorbikes to reach them. A team of nursing assistants and a doctor spend 15 days at a time at a local outpost and travel by motorbike to surrounding communities, carrying vaccines in cooler bags. The organization was founded by an Indigenous woman who grew up in the area. Many of the staff members speak the local language, which can ease the communities’ vaccine hesitation and mistrust of authorities.

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PA cities have a sewer-system problem. Green infrastructure can help — but comes with its own risks

Madison Goldberg

August 05, 2021 |

StateImpact Pennsylvania |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

In many cities, rainwater is drained through "grey infrastructure" things like pipes, streets, etc. In some cities, this system is combined with the sewage system. Rainwater drains into the sewage system, is then cleaned, then emptied into the river. However, with strong storms some sewage systems overflow. A problem that will worsen with climate change. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, rain gardens are one solution to overflowing sewage systems. Cities like Harrisburg are turning to green infrastructure, things like rain gardens, roofs with gardens, and parks, to ease the burden on gray infrastructure.

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Crypto power: Can solar boost cheap, green homes in S.Africa?

Kim Harrisberg

April 22, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Cape Town

Watergate Estate is working on two issues in South Africa: affordable housing and renewable energy. The housing development is installing solar panels for its residents that are being bought by people all over the world using cash or bitcoin as a way to offset their own carbon costs. Not everyone agrees that gated communities like this are helping to fight social inequalities, crime, and unemployment, but about 470 people bought solar cells for the apartment complex and some residents say they feel safer in their community.

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A River's Right to Flow

Sara Van Note

October 22, 2021 |

bioGraphic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New Mexico

In order to preserve and protect rivers a new movement that grants rivers personhood rights is growing. In places like New Zealand and Oregon, where some of these measures have passed rivers have the right to flow without having to be used as a resource for consumption. In New Mexico, the state engineer approved a water lease submitted by the National Audobon Society. The lease allows about 13 million gallons of water to flow annually solely for its own sake, similiar to personhood rights. The creative approach is one way conservationists are fighting for water preservation.

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Green Jobs Offer Ex-Offenders a Career Path after Prison

Ryan M. Moser

November 18, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Miami, Florida

At Florida's Everglades Correctional Institution, incarcerated men teach a course offered through a college correspondence school that can lead to certification to work as a wastewater treatment plant operator, a well-paying green-industry job in high demand. An incarcerated journalist tells the story of how demanding lessons in chemistry, microbiology, and algebra prepare students for the state certification exam. Hundreds have taken the course and many have found jobs in the industry after prison, although many employers remain reluctant to hire people with felony records.

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The Struggle of Ending Open Defecation in Adadama, Cross River State

Udeh Obaziota

August 26, 2021 |

Sparkling 92.3 FM |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Nigeria, Adadama, Cross River

A community-led sanitation approach ended the practice of open defecation, a major cause of water pollution and stomach diseases. The program educated people to change social norms and laws requiring every household to own a toilet and punishing those who defecated in the river with a substantial fine were critical to its effectiveness. The community drove the program, with widespread adoption made easier by the benefits like fewer flies and less stomach illnesses. Low budget toilets, requiring only labor to dig a hole and resources available in the bush, were constructed so that everyone could afford it.

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Ecosystems-based adaptation keeps water running in Bhojdari even in dry months

Vinaya Kurtkoti

June 29, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Bhojdari, Maharashtra

Bhojdari, a town in India, faced a severe drought in the early 2000s. The town doesn't have a river or canal nearby. However, after implementing an ecosystems-based approach, the town has reliable access to water, even in the dry months. Some of the methods that were incorporated in this approach included the creation of irrigation models, planting bamboo trees, and creating fish ladders so that fish can move up the stream. Ultimately, the model led to an increase in cultivation for local farmers and sufficient water for the town.

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