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 293 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

How To Get Meat Eaters To Eat More Plant-Based Foods? Make Their Mouths Water

Maria Godoy

February 10, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Red meat consumption requires a great deal of water and land resources to produce and is even responsible for a large amount of greenhouse gases. To combat this, the Better Buying Lab is experimenting with marketing strategies to get people to buy more vegetarian and vegan items. After rebranding food with sensory descriptors like "Cuban" or "grilled", sales increased 13% in California and 76% in the UK. Influential brands like Panera are now increasing their efforts to continue this trend.

Read More
Go to Original Story
These probiotics for plants help farms suck up extra carbon dioxide

Adele Peters

February 07, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Florida

A startup called Locus Agricultural Solutions has created a "probiotic" for soil that uses a mixture of beneficial fungi and bacteria. Not only does it increase productivity of crops, but it also absorbs enough carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere per acre to offset the emissions of a passenger vehicle. Tests done on an orange grove in Florida showed that areas treated with the product took up an extra 4.38 metric tons of CO2 per acre.

Read More
Go to Original Story
St. Petersburg roaster Black Crow is first zero-waste coffee shop in Florida

Meaghan Habuda

February 07, 2019 |

Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Petersburg, Florida

Black Crow Coffee Co. is the first certified zero-waste business in the state of Florida, meaning that 90% of their waste does not go into the landfill. They achieved this after 6 months of dedication to the mission, including composting 15,000 lbs and recycling 1,820 lbs of organic waste, reusing rags, and phasing out single-use plastic cleaning products.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Restoring the Range: Can Beef Be Earth-Friendly?

Madeline Ostrander

February 04, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hayes, South Dakota

Mortenson Cattle Ranch in Hayes, South Dakota is redefining sustainability practices for cattle-raising farmers by using a model that restored the habitat, wildlife, and water sources on their land. Mimicking the habits of bison herds, the Mortensons use a technique called holistic range management to rotate their cattle's grazing areas, which increases distribution of wildflower and grass seeds, as well as planting trees and replenishing groundwater using dikes and dams. Having started this in the 1980s, 90% of their 19,000 acre property is back to native vegetation, and efforts are still ongoing.

Read More
Go to Original Story
On-the-ground pollution data spurred stricter zoning in Los Angeles

Ruxandra Guidi

January 31, 2019 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boyle Heights, California

In Boyle Heights, a working class neighborhood of Los Angeles, members of the community have taken to the streets armed with clipboards and pens to document environmental hazards, zoning violations, and and other things that endanger their fellow residents. They then took this on-the-ground information, which they called "ground truths," to local politicians to advocate for change.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Native American Tribes Gaining Recognition For Timber And Forestry Practices

Brian Bull

January 30, 2019 |

KLCC |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Roseburg, Oregon

Native American tribes in Oregon have garnered attention for their sustainable forest preservation, especially since recent national legislation passed that gave thousands of acres of land land back to several Native American tribes. Dedication to the land over short-term profit has allowed these forests to thrive. By using techniques that promote longevity of wildlife, these forests are cost effective and managed to last.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Isle of Arran is Scotland's first plastic-free community

Elle Duffy

January 26, 2019 |

The Herald Scotland |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Scotland, Isle of Arran, North Ayrshire

The Isle of Arran became Scotland's first Plastic Free Community when they were accredited by the Surfers Against Sewage for their efforts to reduce plastic usage in their community. They credit their success to the help of organizations and businesses in changing packaging and consumer habits, as well as regular beach cleans and plastic-free produce. Last year alone they removed more than 800,000 straws from milk cartons and fruit juice cartons in all schools and cafes, and they plan on using the accreditation to expand their campaign to include more businesses and tourists.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Cooking beetles: An island in Assam is eating its farm pest

Sahana Ghosh

January 25, 2019 |

Mongabay |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Majuli, Assam

A small island in India is eating their pests in an entomophagic restaurant before they in turn destroy their crops. The island of Majuli has been plagued by an infestation of white grub beetles for a long time, but starting in 2012 as many as 400 farmers have been trained to capture the beetle when they emerge out of the ground for mating season. Since 2010, 900,000 beetles have been collected and are now ending up on residents' plates. This strategy has since won several awards for its innovation and sustainability.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The Feat in Hojancha, the Town that Lost its Forest

Noelia Esquivel

January 21, 2019 |

La Voz de Guanacaste |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica, Hojancha, Guanacaste

In 1976, the Costa Rican city Hojancha preserved only 2% of its land as forest, and as a result their water supply (the Río Nosara river basin) dried up from the lack of vegetation. Sixteen years into the crisis, two friends conceived and ran an initiative to reforest the land by asking every family in the city to donate ¢1,000 a month until they could buy back the land in full from the ranchers who owned it. Now, the land is thriving again, though the project of regrowing the forest continues still today.

Read More
Go to Original Story
The Brazilian photographer and the 20-year reforestation project of over 2.7 million trees

Fino Menezes

January 17, 2019 |

BrightVibes |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Aimorés, Minas Gerais

A Brazilian photographer and his wife set out to restore devastated land in the late 1990s by replanting the forest, which would in turn bring back the wildlife. To date the pair and their organization, Instituto Terra, have replanted more than 2 million trees, seen the return of over 500 different species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and flora, and brought back to life the 8 natural springs on the land. There only remains 10% of the land to restore, and at the same time they've also developed more than 700 educational projects that reach over 65,000 people across the nation.

Read More
Go to Original Story