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Unbuilding the future: how a young industry is turning yesterday's materials into tomorrow's buildings

Jimmy Thomson

February 27, 2021 |

Capital Daily |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

An alternative to demolition - deconstruction - is the disassembly of old houses to reuse wood for new construction. “Old-growth lumber from big old trees” can be reused, diverting tons of material from landfills. The process can divert 95 percent of the material that would typically go to waste and end up in landfills. Some cities, like Portland, have successfully passed ordinances that require the deconstruction of buildings older than a century, making the market more competitive for the industry.

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'Solidarity, not charity': Mutual aid groups are filling gaps in Texas' crisis response

Alexandria Herr

February 26, 2021 |

Grist |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

Texas mutual aid groups raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help people with food, housing, and other supplies after natural disasters, which are increasing due to climate change. Organizers go door-to-door and use social media to identify people in need of assistance, particularly people impacted by structural inequalities in low-income communities, communities of color, and people with insecure housing. Donors, most of whom also come from the community, help with cash or goods donations. Recipients aren’t means-tested and the neighbors-helping-neighbors model allows for quick and passionate action.

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One Relationship at a Time: Restorative Justice Initiatives in West Harlem are Rewriting Legacies of Violence and Mass Incarceration

Ellida Parker Cheryn Hong

February 26, 2021 |

Columbia Daily Spectator |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The largest police raid in New York City history did little to resolve a decades-long conflict between residents of two Harlem housing projects, nor did it address the underlying problems causing violence in the community. So two community groups, supported by grants from the Manhattan district attorney, have deployed intervention teams to de-escalate and mediate disputes. They also provide an array of services to give young people alternatives to fighting and to assist people who were arrested in the raids as they emerge from prison.

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How Vermont's Energy Efficiency Utility Is Helping Businesses Sweat the Small Stuff

Chad Small

February 23, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bennington, Vermont

To make their restaurant more energy efficient and to cut its carbon footprint, The Publyk House utilized the services of Efficiency Vermont, a publicly funded energy efficiency utility. As part of their Deep Energy Retrofit program, the utility helped install insulation, LED lighting, and high-efficiency appliances at the restaurant, allowing them to save 50 percent on energy in two years. Since the start of the program, 10 businesses have been able to cut their energy consumption in half.

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From Reviled to Adored

Emily Sohn Carla Rhodes

February 23, 2021 |

bioGraphic |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: India, Assam

Purnima Devi Barman has been building trust and working with various community members to save a stork species called the greater adjutant in India. Because of her work, she has inspired more than 10,000 women and their families to help in bird conservation activities and the number of storks in the region has increased to as many as 1,200. This type of community approach could be used in other places as a model for wildlife conservation efforts.

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Towards a greener construction with fly ash bricks

Vaishnavi Rathore

February 19, 2021 |

Climate Tracker |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: India

Fly ash bricks help reduce construction waste by utilizing the powdery by-product of burning coal. They are a green replacement for red clay bricks, which contribute to 5-15% of India’s emissions. They also utilize waste from coal-based thermal plants, which often gets disposed of by being dumped in water bodies and on roadsides. In comparison to red clay bricks, fly ash bricks are less expensive and the production process doesn’t emit smoke or use the more fertile top soil. Their use has been mandated by some regions and about 150 small fly ash enterprises have emerged.

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DIY-style school helps educate Indian migrants facing eviction

Rina Chandran

February 19, 2021 |

Thomson Reuters Foundation |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: India, Delhi

Evictions can have devastating effects on a student’s access to education, forcing some to drop out of school. In Delhi, a city in India, a school was built by students, community members, and volunteers using locally-sourced materials. The community had been forcibly removed from their homes, and the students were left without a school.

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If You Can't Get To Your Vaccine Appointment, These Cities Will Drive You

Taylor Moore

February 17, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

Some cities across the U.S. are offering "free or cheap transportation to vaccine distribution sites" as a means of increasing access for those who don't have access to a vehicle, are unable to drive, or don't live near a vaccination site or public transportation network. In Austin, the city converted their already-existing bus and commuter rail system, which was experiencing a decline in use during the pandemic, to a curb-to-curb service.

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How New York and Paris Got Women Into the Bike Saddle

Phineas Rueckert

February 12, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Citi Bike started the NYC Critical Workers program, which offered free bike-share memberships to essential workers in New York City because of the coronavirus pandemic. The free membership started for one month but was extended to a year. Nearly 30,000 people signed up. Since a large proportion of healthcare workers are women, almost 60% of the new members were women, which increased the company’s female annual members from 32.8 percent to 38.9 percent. Several other cities also saw progress in the gender-balance of bike riders during the pandemic.

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Oonee Wants to Fix New York Bike Parking with Free, Secure Storage Pods

Ira Boudway

February 11, 2021 |

Bloomberg |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

An early-stage startup with big plans to change bicycling culture and commuting habits has notched one victory already, with its first secure-parking pods in New York City: Out of 60,000 times they've been used, the pods have only suffered one theft, at a time of rampant bike theft. Startup Oonee provides an alternative to locking up bikes and scooters on the street during work hours. Parking in an enclosed shelter is advertising-supported, so it's free to users. Ultimately, Oonee hopes to surround parking with a suite of services useful to two-wheeled commuters.

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