Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 229 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

To maximize emission cuts, this Boston campus gets its power from the Midwest

Sarah Shemkus

February 18, 2021 |

Energy News Network |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University is getting all of its electricity from a wind farm in South Dakota, which should cover its annual energy needs of 205 million kilowatt-hours. Some energy advocates say the higher education institution should have purchased their renewable energy locally, but the university says their main goal was to maximize its reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. They hope to share their model with other “large energy buyers” and use the wind farm as an educational and research opportunity for students.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The Bakery That's Owned by an Idea

Oscar Perry Abello

February 16, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Firebrand Artisan Breads hires people with high barriers to employment, such as people experiencing homelessness or who were formerly incarcerated. The higher-than-minimum-wage starting salary, paid time off, and insurance benefits provide sustainable and secure employment to people whose life circumstances make it harder to get a job. In order to raise capital while maintaining their employment model, the owner worked with lawyers to become a perpetual purpose trust, an alternative ownership model that allows the company to sell shares to private investors while ensuring their principles remain in place.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Large food companies are looking to lock carbon in soil as a way to meet ambitious emissions goals

Meg Wilcox

February 09, 2021 |

Ensia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fairfield, Maine

Stonyfield, an organic dairy company, is working with six of its suppliers to pilot how farms can measure the amount of carbon it’s trapping in soil through regenerative farming practices as a way for the company to achieve its goals to cut carbon emissions. The OpenTEAM initiative is working to demonstrate how a dairy farm could improve its soil health to reach carbon net zero and, eventually, have food companies pay its farmers to adopt the new practices.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Planting Trees Sounds Like A Simple Climate Fix. It's Anything But.

Kyla Mandel

February 05, 2021 |

The Huffington Post |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, England

As governments and businesses make pledges to cut their carbon emissions, planting tress has become a popular solution to combat the effects of climate change. But tree-planting schemes take time and proper management to actually be effective. Many efforts have failed to take some key factors into consideration, including types of trees, location, and even community-involvement.

Read More
Go to Original Story
‘Make no mistake': Drag queens are leading a racial reckoning in Chicago's famous LGBTQ neighborhood

Jake Wittich

February 03, 2021 |

The GroundTruth Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Black Drag Council launched after a series of protests that called on Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhood to address racial discrimination and oppression. A handful of businesses quickly agreed to a live-streamed town hall to discuss ways to increase inclusivity. As a result, a prominent host of popular drag shows was ousted for racial discrimination and the business chamber dropped the neighborhood’s nickname, “Boystown,” from marketing materials because it is not inclusive. The Drag Council has also raised tens of thousands of dollars in cash and supplies to support Black- and trans-led initiatives.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Planting crops — and carbon, too

Gabriel Popkin Gabriella Demczuk

January 22, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rock Hall, Maryland

Maryland farmer Trey Hill became the first seller in a tech startup’s carbon marketplace, paying him $115,000 for initiating regenerative farming practices. By introducing cover crops, he has been able to sequester about 8,000 tons of carbon in the soil, which then buyers can purchase the credits to offset the carbon they produce. If more farmers get on board, supporters say it can be a tangible solution to curbing climate change.

Read More
Go to Original Story
‘An Epiphany Moment' for Corporate Political Donors May Have Arrived

Andrew Ross Sorkin

January 12, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

IBM is one of only a handful of companies that doesn’t give money to political candidates. IBM does spend millions on lobbying and runs an in-house government relations team, but the company doesn't have a political action committee and restricts money from going to political candidates when it does donate to trade groups. IBM’s founder set the policy to avoid operating as a political organization and to disinvest from a corrupt system where money buys favorable legislation. IBM’s policies could serve as a model as companies pause their political donations due to acts of violence at the Capitol.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Target Is Reopening Its Looted Store With Black Shoppers in Mind

Jordyn Holman

November 11, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A Target store looted and destroyed near the site of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis, Target's corporate headquarters city, was quickly rebuilt with improvements informed by community input. The mostly white-run corporation's store previously had a poor reputation for service and for listening to its mostly Black customers. Led by a new racial justice committee, Target heard complaints about the store's wares, design, and cleanliness. The new store has earned praise from residents.

Read More
Go to Original Story
In a boon for the climate, philanthropists are making it rain for cleantech innovators

Adrienne Day

October 30, 2020 |

Grist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Prime Coalition is financing clean tech startups and climate-focused technologies that often don’t get a lot of funding. These technologies can be expensive to build and don’t generate profits immediately. So far, the public charity has secured $89 million that it has given into 18 energy ventures. “What’s important here is that the climate crisis is such a large-scale problem that we need lots of different types of solutions,” says Sarah Kearney, founder of Prime Coalition, “and so we need to match up right-fit capital to each kind of solution.”

Read More
Go to Original Story
Should you recycle your disposable mask?

Jane C. Hu

October 29, 2020 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Jersey

A company known as TerraCycle recycles "items other companies won’t accept" – including the many masks, gowns, and gloves that have been used during the coronavirus pandemic. While the service is free for those who can access one of their ZeroWaste box locations, individuals must request and pay for a box if they wish to participate. Environmentalists say that there is still debate about "whether it’s more environmentally friendly to throw away masks or recycle them," the service itself helps "remind consumers and companies that trash doesn’t disappear after it’s thrown out."

Read More
Go to Original Story