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Texas and New Mexico laws discourage water conservation, experts say

Marty Schladen

December 14, 2014 |

El Paso Times |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

Laws in Texas and New Mexico, both locked in the grip of a crippling drought, don't do much to actually encourage citizens to conserve water. New conservation laws and financial incentives are trying to change that.

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These Cities are Trading in Cigarette Butts for Cash

Courtney Subramanian

December 10, 2014 |

NationSwell |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

Most cities may have enacted smoking laws to curb people from lighting up in public, but cigarette butts continue to blanket streets, parks and beaches. Salem, Mass., and New Orleans are two such communities that have partnered with TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company that pays by the pound for cigarette waste.

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How to Fix a Broken High Schooler, in Four Easy Steps

Stephen J. Dubner

December 04, 2014 |

Freakonomics |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Canada, Toronto, Ontario

Fixing the education system in the country requires addressing the problem of student motivation to endure and succeed in school. Pathways to Education is a Toronto-based program designed to keep at-risk kids in school. It offers four different kinds of support: counseling, academic, social and financial, all of which contribute to a 46 percent decrease in the student drop-out rate.

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Getting a Senior Discount? Here's How to Give It Away

Kerry Hannon

November 21, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bainbridge Island, Washington

Not all seniors need the various discounts they receive. The Boomerang Giving project allows them to donate back the difference of the discounts on things like movie tickets to a charity of their choice, benefiting not only a community cause but also their own mental and physical health. Various services also assist them in selecting and investing wisely in different nonprofits.

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'Big Dry' Lessons: Southwest can learn from Australia's drought

Marty Schladen

November 17, 2014 |

El Paso Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Australia, Kilmore, Victoria

In Australia, the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council was formed after a severe drought to bring together federal, state and regional governments and bridge parochial concerns. It was meant to manage the basin as a whole and end overuse and salinization of farm land, leveraging new technologies to adapt to new realities.

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A start-up in India treats the poor as discerning customers, not aid recipients

Rhitu Chatterjee

November 06, 2014 |

Public Radio International (PRI) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Tamil Nadu

Two Americans created a small start-up in rural India to help bring life-sustaining technologies to the poor. But they're not giving away solar lamps and low-power appliances: They're selling them.

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What the 1970s Can Teach Us about Inventing a New Economy

Geoff Dembicki

October 27, 2014 |

The Tyee |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Honolulu, Hawaii

Nations are reluctant to give up consumerist growth; however, working with world leaders, an activist found that reflecting on the future can be a powerful tool for re-imagining the present.

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‘A National Admissions Office' for Low-Income Strivers

David Leonhardt

September 16, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Palo Alto, California

Attending college is not always a given option for gifted teenagers from less-than-wealthy backgrounds. National organization QuestBridge creates a way for low-income and minority high-achieving students to go to their dream colleges free of cost.

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Using Gambling to Entice Low-Income Families to Save

Patricia Cohen

August 30, 2014 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

A growing number of credit unions and nonprofit groups are using lotteries to encourage low-income families to save.

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Seattle's Garfield High wants hazing to be history

Claudia Rowe

August 26, 2014 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Incoming students are more likely to submit to hazing if they fear being ostracized. Link Crew is a national program that teaches upperclassman during the summer to connect with freshman throughout the year, changing the social culture of a school.

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