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  • Maryland Town Turns Flood Zone into a Tourist Attraction

    January 20, 2022 |

    Governing |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Frederick, Maryland

    When algae overgrowth began to plague the Carroll Creek flood control project, a group of volunteers cultivated 1,000 floating canopies of plants to block the sunlight that algae need to grow, allowing the community to maintain the effective underground concrete conduits that move storm water. 250 volunteers maintain the plants throughout the year and the creek, previously made unusable by the algae, now draws tourists to see various attractions.

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  • CROSS RIVER TODAY SPECIAL REPORT

    January 03, 2022 |

    Sparkling 92.3 FM |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: Nigeria, Igbo

    The River Basin Authority, which selects a few locations each year to provide potable water and sanitation interventions, completed development projects in Igbo that improved the community’s quality of life. To facilitate agricultural use of the vast land in the community, the authority constructed an access road to help farmers take their produce from their farms to local markets, where they can sell them to make a sustainable living. They also provided irrigation access and solar-powered boreholes to provide potable water, reducing the risk of water-borne diseases like cholera.

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  • Community Rebuilds

    November 01, 2021 |

    KZMU Community Radio |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Moab, Utah

    Community Rebuilds is a nonprofit that builds affordable and efficient housing – suitable for Moab’s very hot summers and very cold winters - while educating natural builders in the process. Anyone who is interested in construction, regardless of their previous experience, is welcome to intern at their sites to learn about natural building processes. The organization has built 52 strawbale homes since they started, a healthy and natural material that costs about half of what other new construction is per square foot. The program requires homeowners to volunteer about 20 hours a week building homes.

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  • KVNF Regional Newscast: October 28, 2021

    October 28, 2021 |

    Mountain Grown Community Radio (KVNF) |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Basalt, Colorado

    Basalt Vista is the first net-zero affordable housing project in Colorado, based in Basalt. The homes are constructed in partnership with the county, the school district, and Habitat for Humanity. The homes are lined with solar panels and operate using only electricity. They produce, on average, all the energy that they consume and the utility costs to the residents are basically zero once the production begins to generate credits. Rather than prioritizing keeping building costs as cheap as possible, net-zero homes prioritize keeping the costs to maintain the home low.

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  • How Zurich Blazed a Trail for Recycled Concrete

    September 26, 2021 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Switzerland, Zurich

    Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, is paving the way for sustainable building. Concrete is a major contributor of climate change due to the process it requires to make it. Zurich is making steps to reduce its use. A school building was constructed in 2002 with 80 percent recycled concrete. Three years later city officials passed a requirement that required all publicly-owned buildings to be made with recycled concrete and in 2013 ordered the use of CO2 reduced cement. According to a study the effort has saved 17,000 cubic meters of virgin materials.

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  • Pour Flush Toilets Eradicate Typhoid in Katunguru Village

    September 19, 2021 |

    The Community Agenda |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Uganda, Katunguru

    Katunguru village reduced Cholera and Typhoid outbreaks by building and transitioning to pour flush toilets rather than pit latrines. Pour flush toilets require just a five-foot pit, so waste water doesn’t mix with drinking water and are inexpensive to maintain. A user pours in water to flush the toilet through an S-shaped pipe. In addition to stopping disease outbreaks, residues from filled pits are used as manure and ash from kitchens are sprinkled inside after each use to prevent odors and dry up waste residues. Pour flush toilets are not constructed with wood, so they also minimize local deforestation.

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  • PA cities have a sewer-system problem. Green infrastructure can help — but comes with its own risks

    August 05, 2021 |

    StateImpact Pennsylvania |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

    In many cities, rainwater is drained through "grey infrastructure" things like pipes, streets, etc. In some cities, this system is combined with the sewage system. Rainwater drains into the sewage system, is then cleaned, then emptied into the river. However, with strong storms some sewage systems overflow. A problem that will worsen with climate change. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, rain gardens are one solution to overflowing sewage systems. Cities like Harrisburg are turning to green infrastructure, things like rain gardens, roofs with gardens, and parks, to ease the burden on gray infrastructure.

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  • The Black-Owned Startup “Turning NYC Buildings Into Teslas”

    July 30, 2021 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    A startup is making buildings more eco-friendly by converting their energy needs from oil and gas to electric heat pumps. BlocPower is a Black-owned clean tech startup that provides a no money down lease option, making it financially accessible.

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  • In Conversation With The Black-Owned Startup Turning Buildings Into Teslas

    July 30, 2021 |

    Next City |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    BlocPower is retrofitting old city buildings and making them environmentally friendly. The startup offers leasing options, making it financially accessible.

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  • More Mini-Parks Mean Better Mental Health

    July 29, 2021 |

    Next Avenue |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    PHS LandCare, with support from the city, develops small vacant lots into mini-parks that bring people out of their homes and engage with their community. A 2018 study found that people living near LandCare lots reported a decrease in feelings of depression and a reduction in feelings of poor mental health. The city's role is important to the program’s success, especially in providing money to hire contractors to maintain the green spaces, especially local residents and formerly incarcerated people. Sites must be in low-income neighborhoods and near business areas, schools, and recreation centers.

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