Free beer offer results in more vaccinations than all Erie County first-dose clinics last week

To help address Covid vaccine hesitancy, the non-profit marketing firm Ad Council and its partners developed a multi-dimensional public service campaign. Relying on a balance between appealing to personal responsibility and to the desire to return to normalcy, they focused the messaging and their efforts on encouraging people to do their research and ask the questions that were stopping them from being vaccinated. Preliminary data indicate that the campaign has reached hundreds of thousands of people and encouraged conversations that have impacted the public attitude towards the vaccines.

A ski company and oil and gas executive were able to work out a deal to turn the Elk Creek Mine into a power plant that puts out 24 million kilowatt hours a year and prevents hundreds of billions of methane each year from escaping into the atmosphere. The plant hasn’t made a profit yet for its investors and regulatory red tape could make it difficult to implement in other places, but officials say the plant has been successful and could be a way to combat climate change.

After oil and gas platforms reach the end of their working lives, some are being turned into artificial reefs that can create new ecosystems in the ocean. Since the 1980s, 550 platforms have been reefed in the Gulf of Mexico and programs are springing up to help industry make the switch. These reefs can be home to fish and birds, and studies have shown that some species prefer these structures over their natural habitats. While not all environmentalists agree with leaving the platforms in the water, scientists are working to understanding how similar programs can be implemented in other parts of the world.

A hospital in California is offering employees a cash incentive to receive the Covid vaccine after witnessing widespread vaccine hesitancy amongst the health care staff. Although experts say it is debatable whether incentivizing vaccinations is a worthwhile approach to behavior change, the hospital has reported a "noticeable increase in the number of workers getting vaccinated" since offering the monetary bonus.

West Virginia relied on strategic partnerships, collaboration, and efficient use of medicine to successfully outpace every other state in the U.S. in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Rather than turning to nationally-run chain pharmacies to disseminate the vaccine, the state partnered with local pharmacies to better reach long-term care facilities and collaborated with the West Virginia National Guard to overcome logistical barriers.

Sun Tribe Solar, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, collaborated with the city on a curriculum that is helping previously underemployed individuals join an insular industry, especially those who are underrepresented in the field. The cohorts are small and recieve the necessary certifications and learn from classes designed in partnership with Sun Tribe Solar; the program is another way for the city to create a pipeline to good jobs for all residents.

Enrolling parents in simple, scalable ways can improve early child learning outcomes. Building on a model used in the US state of California, firms in the UK are developing an SMS-based curriculum geared toward parents of children entering kindergarten. The method involves sending parents text messages that explain short, easy tasks that both instruct and motivate children, encouraging positive cognitive and behavioral development.

Small and large cities around the United States have their own ways of deterring gun violence, from heavier police presences, to community engagement efforts, to public health approaches. An ongoing and similar challenge for these cities is pinpointing where the most effective change is coming from. In cities like Chattanooga, Savannah, and Philadelphia, each one has seen some impact from their work, but without ongoing evaluations, proving and thus sustaining the successful programming is challenging.

In Ohio, artists and scientists are teaming up, turning hazardous mine run-off into paint pigment. High demand for such pigment, public funding, and enthusiasm for clean waterways could go a long way to mitigate water pollution.

Across the country, projects that mine landfills for reusable metals and soils are underway. Can such mining prove profitable enough to spur similar efforts on a grand scale? So far, some projects have seen profits while others have not. But as society increasingly values pollution and greenhouse gas reduction, incentives for refuse mining can only grow.