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  • How satellite images are helping one country hand out cash

    March 24, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Broadcast TV News |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: Togo

    "Poverty maps" that combine satellite imagery and survey data enabled the Togolese government to target emergency pandemic charitable aid to the people in greatest need. Togo officials relied on the expertise of University of California-Berkeley researchers whose system interprets aerial images showing such factors as the density and condition of housing. Initially, 35,000 people received $13-$15 per month for five months to make up for the loss of jobs and small-business income during pandemic shutdowns. Applications were sought from targeted areas through advertising, and money was sent via mobile phones.

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  • Babyl Rwanda bridging healthcare gap through mobile technology

    March 23, 2021 |

    Rwanda News Agency |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Rwanda

    Babyl Health provides over 3,000 daily e-health consultations to bridge the gap between Rwandan providers and patients. The two million registered users can dial *811# to book an appointment and are triaged, with those needing more extensive care referred to one of the 483 partner clinics around the country. The country’s universal health coverage pays for 90% of the appointment and the patient pays 200 RWF. The platform works on an app available on most citizens’ phones and doesn’t require an internet connection. When needed, patients receive prescriptions via SMS that they can bring to a local pharmacy.

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  • How to reuse a demolished building

    March 23, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Switzerland, Winterthur

    A warehouse in Switzerland is being transformed into new creative workspaces. The catch: It’s being constructed out of reused building materials. About 70 percent of it is being made from old materials like wood floorboards, steel beams, and windows. A network of treasure hunters are on the lookout for used materials that can be used in constructing these buildings. The workspace is nearly complete and it already has tenants for all of the spaces. They were also able to cut the building’s carbon emissions in half.

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  • ‘Our biggest challenge? Lack of imagination': the scientists turning the desert green

    March 20, 2021 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: Netherlands, s’-Hertogenbosch

    A Dutch group of engineers known as the Weather Makers has an ambitious plan to regreen the Sinai Peninsula — the stretch of desert connecting Egypt to the rest of Asia. Their efforts would restore forests, wetlands, and even adjust the weather for the region. This form of ecosystems regeneration could help with food security and mitigate the effects of climate change. Their process of changing an entire ecosystem can be controversial, but initial tests have shown how this could work on a large scale.

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  • Green space in cities can bring considerable health benefits for communities, but access is unequal

    March 19, 2021 |

    Ensia |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

    Platte Farm Open Space used to be a garbage dumping ground in Denver, but it’s now an urban green space thanks to the efforts from community members, organizations, and the government. This community-led project was able to secure funding to replace the contaminated land with fresh soil that now attracts animals and includes walking paths and a playground for children. This project offers lessons on how to build a green space in a diverse neighborhood and the health benefits that come from such an initiative.

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  • Real-time monitoring of 911 calls: A new tool for cops

    March 19, 2021 |

    Police1 |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Chula Vista, California

    The Chula Vista Police Department uses the Live911 system to live-stream 911 calls to police officers on patrol. The system enables quicker responses to emergencies and reduces the risk of unnecessary confrontations between people in crises and cops who lack critical information because it was filtered through a dispatcher. Despite fears that hearing panicked callers would increase police officers' agitation en route to a call, the system has had the opposite effect by communicating nuances and details that assure officers the emergency is less dangerous than originally assumed.

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  • Fighting Gentrification

    March 19, 2021 |

    QNotes Carolinas |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

    When gentrification made housing unaffordable for many people in Houston's historically Black Third Ward neighborhood, local activists sought remedies beyond standard federal tax incentives for affordable housing. A city-sponsored Community Land Trust developed a plan for more affordable housing. At the same time, a development catering to low-income, older LGBTQ residents, adjacent to the Third Ward, got developed on donated land. Charlotte has many similar challenges, making Houston a model for what is possible.

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  • Avid Bookshop's New Book Club Promotes Literature About Race and Labor

    March 17, 2021 |

    Grady Newsource |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

    Georgia’s Racial Justice Centering Committee, part of the University of Georgia’s United Campus Workers, runs the Racial Justice, Labor, and the South Book Club at the Avid Bookshop. The moderator-led discussions provide attendees with exposure to diverse literature and an opportunity to learn about the intersection between labor and race. While University of Georgia students are the target audience, the book club is open to the public. Meetings are currently held on zoom, but in-person meetings at the bookshop introduced a wider audience to the diverse books and increased support of the local business.

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

    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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