High Country News
13 May 2019
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Forks, Washington, United States
In an effort to decrease noise pollution in natural spaces across the country, Quiet Parks International is seeking to certify wildlife places that are noise-free. Using data collection, the organization is able to measure the noise level in places like the Hoh Rainforest in Washington, and if it falls within a certain parameter, give it the official certification. Doing so not only raises awareness of the effects of noise pollution, but attracts tourists with similar values.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/india/141124/delhi-worlds-most-polluted-city-environmentalism
Ankita Rao
Global Post
12 December 2014
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Fed up with living in the world's most polluted city, some residents are fighting back, on their rooftops and backyards. In 2010, India launched the Jawarharlal Nehru Solar Mission, a government program to deploy 20,000 megawatts of grid-connected solar power in the country, but much of this push for renewable energy has only been focused on rural areas, leading urban residents to take up local control of their energy supplies.
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a51754/how-three-simple-words-are-changing-an-indian-town
Jill Filipovic
Cosmopolitan
6 January 2016
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Daughter, water, trees: A simple strategy to address ecological and gender concerns. Since 2007, villagers in Piplantri have embraced Paliwal's the ethos by planting 111 saplings every time a girl is born.
http://www.cgdev.org/blog/7-hopeful-climate-stories-around-globe
Jonah Busch
Center for Global Development
20 April 2015
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Evidence continues to build that humans are contributing to a climate change issue that is nothing but bad news for the planet. Hopeful stories from seven countries, including India, Indonesia, and China, show that efforts to combat climate change might finally be working.
https://www.invw.org/2015/04/27/after-the-wars-common-ground-in-oregons-forests
Ben DeJarnette
Investigate West
27 April 2015
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Summer in the Northwest presents a great risk of wildfires. A pile burning operation, just one facet of the strategy that Oregon has enacted to conserve its forests, clears undergrowth to lessen the risk of mega-fire. The work stimulates the local economy and provides employment, but it's also a very small part of what needs to be done.
http://wwno.org/post/delta-blues-part-1-battle-keep-ho-chi-minh-city-above-water
Jesse Hardman
New Orleans Public Radio (WWNO)
22 January 2015
Radio / 5-15 Minutes
Geography and climate change challenge the viability of sea-level cities in Vietnam, but architects, researchers, and urban planners work together to find creative solutions. One architect in Ho Chi Minh City designed green roofs to absorb the rainwater that causes floods.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/in-urban-jungles-green-roofs-bring-relief-from-above
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
23 May 2012
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New York City black tar roofs cause a number of environmental problems, including air pollution, heat absorption that raises energy consumption, and storm water runoff in the sewer system. Efforts to turn these old roofs into green spaces cool the buildings, enable the containment of more rainfall, reduce sewer discharge, generate energy, and absorb carbon emissions. New York City has a pilot program offering financial help for green roofs.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/in-africas-vanishing-forests-the-benefits-of-bamboo
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
13 March 2012
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In Africa, many people rely on wood from trees to cook food over stoves. The tremendous usage of wood contributes to deforestation and environmental decline. Using bamboo instead of wood is a more profitable and greener solution.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-26/aleppo-cell-phones-are-helping-some-desperate-syrians-find-clean-water
Joyce Hackel
Public Radio International (PRI)
26 August 2015
Radio / 5-15 Minutes
In war zones, people have a difficult time finding clean water and safe areas to inhabit. Social media, smart phones, and technology applications are aiding in people’s survival. In Aleppo, Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross posted a map on Facebook to show alternative sources of clean drinking water that reached approximately 140,000 people.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/in-india-latrines-are-truly-lifesavers
Vivekananda Nemana
Ankita Rao
The New York Times
13 November 2014
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India has had a problem in which 620 million people openly defecate outdoors, causing harm to hygiene, sanitation, food, and water resources. The president of India funded an initiative to build public toilets for the people in his country, but the people did not use them because of old traditions and behaviors. The Total Sanitation Campaign is slowly changing villagers’ minds by having local leadership persuade those who resist the toilets by holding community activities and creating special committees to maintain the sanitation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/11/02/reinvent-the-toilet-save-the-world-ecuador-is-betting-on-it
Vanessa Hua
The Washington Post
2 November 2015
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Billions of people around the world lack access to safe sanitation, causing disease and deaths. In Ecuador a foundation developed a cheap, dry, composting toilet for poor rural families.
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