Solutions journalism is news about how communities and organizations are responding to social and environmental problems. This collection contains solutions stories that explore how different areas around the world are harnessing the power of water in order to provide electricity and lower their environmental impact. In Colorado people are making small installations of dams that barely affect the flow of water and movement of animals. Australia is creating massive buoys that generate power for nearby communities and NASA is working hard to spring wind and tidal energy into the future through advancements in technology. In the Philippines, a traditional boat has been updated receive its power from waves. Lastly, in Ireland they have created underwater kites that magnify the power coming from the waves, providing a renewable source of energy even in areas that do not have high wave activity.
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Power generated from wave and tidal energy systems have the potential capacity to provide 25% of US electrical needs, although currently, it is the most expensive of all renewables. Due to the challenges of maintaining a sophisticated instrument underwater and the complexities of marine life surrounding that instrument, the technological developments have lagged behind the progress of other renewables such as wind and solar. Rising up to meet these challenges, many governments and communities around the world are designing systems that can capture the power of the waves while being as sustainable as possible. According to Project Drawdown, the opportunity of marine-based energy is massive. Join the Earth Month Ecochallenge to learn more and take action on this climate solution.