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How to reduce light pollution, an underestimated threat to our environment

Alisha McDarris

January 11, 2019 |

Popular Science |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Flagstaff, Arizona

There is so little artificial light in Flagstaff that you can see the Milky Way from downtown. The city has banned sweeping searchlights, required outdoor light to be shielded downwards, and switched illumination on all roadways and parking lots to low-pressure sodium lights. Annual “star parties” and other events keep residents committed to reducing light pollution, which has big impacts on human and animal health.

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In India's Fast-Growing Cities, a Grassroots Effort to Save the Trees

Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar

January 08, 2019 |

Yale Environment 360 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Mumbai

In booming cities across India, residents and nonprofits are fighting to save trees from rampant development. One protest in Delhi brought 1,500 citizens out, stalling a proposal to fell 14,000 trees in the city. And the Center for Environmental Research and Education in Mumbai plant's new trees with an unusually high survival rate of 90 percent. But to stem destruction, these groups must help city planners and politicians understand the many benefits that urban trees provide.

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Dutch eco initiative halves energy bills in first UK homes

Adam Vaughan

January 07, 2019 |

The Guardian |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Nottingham, England

By piloting a Dutch initiative to make homes more energy efficient with new windows and solar panels in the United Kingdom, tenants are seeing their monthly energy bills decrease by almost half. More than 150 social housing homes in Nottingham are testing the “Energiesprong” approach, which has already seen success in the Netherlands.

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Taiwan has one of the highest recycling rates in the world. Here's how that happened.

Marcello Rossi

December 18, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Taiwan, Taipei

Taiwan, despite housing 23 million people on a densely populated island, claims one of the highest recycling and reuse rates in the world. The government has created incentives for private companies, which throw some catchy tunes in the mix. But whether or not a country recycles remains, largely, a question of willpower.

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Climate-Positive Architecture Has Arrived In Norway

Tracey Lindeman

December 13, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Norway, Trondheim

Powerhouse, a collective of architects, engineers, environmentalists, and designers based in Oslo, reimagines building design to address climate change. Not only are many of their structures energy-neutral, but they actually produce surplus energy. For example, Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim is an eight-story office that will generate 485,000 kWh annually. Such "energy-positive" building has made great strides in Norway.

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Betting on a new way to make concrete that doesn't pollute

Stanley Reed

December 02, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Piscataway, New Jersey

Solidia, a cement and concrete technology company, is changing the chemistry of how cement is created that could make the building material cheaper and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Cement plants create more carbon dioxide than any other manufacturing process, so the American-based company is testing how to use the greenhouse gas to incorporate it into the mixture instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. So far, it can reduce as much as 70 percent of CO2 that is normally emitted from the process and it's faster to make than normal concrete.

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A New York City Park Built to Weather a Storm

Karim Doumar

November 01, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Hunters Point South Park, a newly built park in Queens, NY, is functioning as a community space even before the addition of low- and middle- income housing slated for the area. But even more than that, the park has already proven that its storm resilient design is efficient and necessary.

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Jordan's capital is creating green mosques and schools to tackle emissions

Adela Suliman

October 31, 2018 |

World Economic Forum |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Jordan, Amman

Mosques across Amman, Jordan are adorned with solar panels, resulting in some very energy efficient places of worship (along with many other buildings). The mosques now cover 100% of their energy needs and can even sell excess energy back to the national grid. The city is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2050, and in addition to recycling, environmental education, and solar water heaters, Amman is expanding their ecotourism industry to attract more environmentally conscious tourists.

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In Istanbul, You Can Pay Your Subway Fare with Recyclables

Rachel Kaufman

October 30, 2018 |

Next City |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Turkey, Istanbul

A pilot program in Istanbul, Turkey allows subway commuters to pay for their fares with bottles and cans instead of cash. While a one way fare via the "reverse vending machines" costs about 28 1.5 liter bottles, the government is working to make the recycling system more efficient and easy for travelers.

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How an Expanding Park in Queens Can Withstand Any Storm

Karim Doumar

October 24, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

In Queens, New York an industrial site along the East River has been transformed into an 11-acre park that offers quiet greenspace and recreation opportunities, but is also designed to withstand storms and tidal surges. The first phase already proved itself in the four-foot storm surge of Hurricane Sandy that inundated the site then drained off. The design helps ensure future housing on the site and other amenities will avoid decimation by rising sea levels and storms.

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