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Pee fanatics want to feed the world with your liquid gold

Katy Lee

October 07, 2020 |

Wired |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France, Bordeaux

A French startup is turning urine into an environmentally-friendly fertilizer that could replace chemical products. Early tests suggest that the urine mixture created by Toopi Organics can compete with synthetic fertilizers, which end up in waterways and can alter lake and river ecosystems. While the organic fertilizer requires a significant amount of urine to make, it could be a viable alternative to grow crops.

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Saving Mowers and Wildlife

Kristine Nemec

May 15, 2021 |

Stormwater Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Vermont

After the Vermont Agency of Transportation had to release more than 50 northern water snakes that were entangled in plastic erosion control netting alongside a road, the department looked for other products that could get the job done while also protecting wildlife. Many states, including Vermont, have switched to more biodegradable options that use natural fibers and found that there hasn’t been a difference in performance and haven’t seen any wildlife mixed up in the new netting.

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Making A Milwaukee Beach Accessible

Jana Schleis

August 12, 2020 |

Wisconsin Public Radio |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

An organization in Wisconsin is making public spaces accessible to people with disabilities. Their work has resulted in one of the most accessible beaches in the nation. Bradford Beach in Milwaukee now has a permanent ramp all the way to the waterfront, making it more inclusive of those who couldn't previously enjoy being by the water.

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How Reedsburg Got Broadband

Kate Archer Kent

August 05, 2020 |

Wisconsin Public Radio |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Reedsburg, Wisconsin

Along with electricity, water, and phone, the Reedsburg Utility Commission provides internet access in rural Wisconsin. The fiber network was built almost two decades ago and provides affordable internet access at high speeds. The project started for internal needs and grew to accommodate the school and then eventually the whole region. Current municipal legislation inhibits the type of private-public partnerships that allowed Reedsburg Utility to once build what is now considered an essential service.

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Chennai Ran Out of Water — But That's Only Half the Story

Erica Gies Dhritiman Mukherjee

October 30, 2020 |

bioGraphic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

The city of Chennai in India is engaging in wetlands restoration and stormwater management by using traditional knowledge and community action to reduce flooding and ensure that people have access to drinking water. Through a development program called Water as Leverage, they are implementing “slow water” projects that restore flow paths for water, which could provide greater water resiliency for humans and protect and restore natural ecosystems. While it can be difficult to get government engineers to embrace green solutions, public awareness of the environmental work is helping move the projects forward.

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This Tiny Country Feeds the World

Frank Viviano Luca Locatelli

September 15, 2017 |

National Geographic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Wageningen

By using new technology and shared knowledge, the Dutch have become global leaders in agricultural innovation and solutions to fight famine. Work being done at Wageningen University & Research has allowed farmers in the Netherlands to grow crops year-round and in all kinds of weather, while eliminating the use of chemical pesticides and reducing the dependence on water by as much as 90 percent at some farms. Exporting these techniques to other countries has its challenges, but international graduate students are working to implement these programs in their home regions to help people experiencing hunger.

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The Burden of Thirst

Tina Rosenberg

April 01, 2010 |

National Geographic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Foro, Konso

Foro, a village in southwestern Ethiopia, has suffered from drought conditions for years, leaving the little water the communities can access polluted with waste. While various water projects have been attempted only to be abandoned, groups are working to restore some of these projects by combining technologies with community involvement.

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Keeping the Water Flowing in Rural Villages

Tina Rosenberg

December 08, 2011 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh

In Tanzania, mapping of water points showed that nationally, less than half the existing rural water points were working—of water points that were less than two years old, a quarter had already stopped functioning. British charity WaterAid sets up workshops in poor countries like Tanzania and India to train mechanics in order to have a local fix for these problems. The mechanic position offers employment opportunities for women, fixes pumps for an average of 100 rupees (roughly $2.00), and repaired more than 1,100 pumps in the first 14 months.

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A southwest Florida fishing apparel business plants a mangrove for every product sold

Alex Figares

April 24, 2019 |

Changing Florida |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, West Palm Beach, Florida

A Florida Gulf Coast University graduate and his brother started a fishing apparel company where they plant a mangrove tree for every item sold. Mangroves are a key species to combatting climate change, providing a habitat for wildlife species, and filtering water. The company has planted about 30,000 mangroves in Florida, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Honduras.

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To Curb Domestic Violence, City Enlists ‘Sisters of the Well'

Myagmarsuren Battur

May 15, 2021 |

Global Press Journal |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar

In Mongolia's capital city, more than 600 people who staff the kiosks where most residents get their drinking water have been trained to spot signs of domestic abuse. The Smart Triangle program aims to overcome low rates of reporting such crimes to the police in this patriarchal society by shifting the reporting burden to people well situated to observe a neighborhood's daily life. Other sorts of responses show stronger effects than bystander interventions like this. But the short training curriculum is not costly to produce and has helped some women.

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