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In France, Accents Are Now Protected by Law

Peter Yeung

April 02, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: France

The French National Assembly overwhelmingly passed “the Law to Promote the France of Accents,” which criminalizes discrimination against someone based on their accent. The bill makes linguistic discrimination, or “glottophobia,” an offense punishable by up to three years’ jail time and a fine of up to €45,000 (USD$54,000). Early indications of the law's impact include the normalizing of native accents in national discourse, the appointment of a Prime Minister with a strong accent, and the French national broadcaster FranceInfo’s naming “glottophobia” one of the words of 2020.

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The Schools at the Front Lines of Solar

Cinnamon Janzer

April 01, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lindstrom, Minnesota

After talking about solar panels with his students, a teacher at a middle school in Minnesota worked with the school board to raise funds to install a rooftop solar panels for the entire district. All five of the school district’s buildings have a 40 kilowatt hour display that could end up saving them up to $6 million over 30 years. The cost of installing these systems can be expensive, but this effort can save money and reduce a school’s carbon footprint in the long run and even be an educational opportunity for students.

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The Clever Architectural Feature That Makes Life on Bermuda Possible

Luke Fater

March 31, 2021 |

Atlas Obscura |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Bermuda

There is no natural freshwater source on Bermuda, so residents turn to rainfall as a way to fulfill their water needs. The white limestone Bermuda roofs are used to catch and redirect rain into underground tanks that serve as their primary source of freshwater. Droughts happen, which has led to other solutions, but the limestone roofs are still primarily their largest source of freshwater.

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The mechanical stomach powering homes by digesting old food scraps

Gian De Poloni

March 27, 2021 |

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Australia, Cockburn

The electricity powering 3,000 Perth homes might have started out as moldy bread and rotting lettuce. The city of Cockburn collects food waste from supermarkets and restaurants to be fed into a mechanical "stomach" that converts the waste to energy. Methane is trapped and used to power electric generators. The remainder of the "digested" food is turned into compost and liquid fertilizer. The operation has recycled 43 tons so far, removing 81,000 kilograms of gases that otherwise would escape landfills and warm the atmosphere.

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Simple hand-built structures can help streams survive wildfires and drought

Brianna Randall

March 26, 2021 |

Science News |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Idaho

Conservationists, government agencies, scientists, and landowners are working together to restore streams using low-cost solutions from sticks, stones, and even beavers. Restoring these floodplains is important to help communities combat drought and wildfires. In Idaho, scientists relocated nine beavers to Birch Creek so they could help repair the dried-up stream. In three years, the beavers built dams, which helped the creek flow for longer in the summer. This method might not work everywhere, so scientists have also tested stone structures, which also proved effective at improving the ecosystem.

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What Went Into Building Europe's Largest Floating Solar Park

Jeanine Barone

March 26, 2021 |

Architectural Digest |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Rotterdam

Evides Waterbedrijf, a drinking water company, created Europe’s largest floating solar park. They installed almost 3,000 solar panels on an island in the middle of a reservoir that allows it to move with the sun to maximize its energy. This setup generates about 15 percent of the electricity the company uses at the site.

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In Denver, Tiny Homes Take On Affordable Housing

Mona Dougani

March 26, 2021 |

QNotes Carolinas |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Denver's Beloved Community Village is a development of 20 "tiny houses," affordable single-family homes that have helped residents obtain stable housing at rates that allow them to get ahead financially. Charlotte would have to change its zoning laws, and some residents' attitudes, to allow for such a hedge against homelessless. Those changes are possible, but will take time and much effort.

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How satellite images are helping one country hand out cash

Richard Kenny Hannah Gelbart

March 24, 2021 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Togo

"Poverty maps" that combine satellite imagery and survey data enabled the Togolese government to target emergency pandemic charitable aid to the people in greatest need. Togo officials relied on the expertise of University of California-Berkeley researchers whose system interprets aerial images showing such factors as the density and condition of housing. Initially, 35,000 people received $13-$15 per month for five months to make up for the loss of jobs and small-business income during pandemic shutdowns. Applications were sought from targeted areas through advertising, and money was sent via mobile phones.

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Michigan caregivers got a $2 hourly boost in COVID. Should it be permanent?

Robin Erb

March 22, 2021 |

Bridge Michigan |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Michigan

The Michigan state legislature temporarily boosted the pay of direct caregivers working with seniors and people that have disabilities by $2 an hour in recognition of their essential and sometimes risky services during the coronavirus pandemic. With about half of direct caregivers living at or near poverty, the pay bump was temporarily renewed at the slightly higher rate of $2.25 an hour, but it is set to expire again in September 2021. The governor has proposed making permanent a pay raise of $2 an hour, which helps the caregivers meet their own basic needs a little better.

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‘Our biggest challenge? Lack of imagination': the scientists turning the desert green

Steve Rose

March 20, 2021 |

The Guardian |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, s’-Hertogenbosch

A Dutch group of engineers known as the Weather Makers has an ambitious plan to regreen the Sinai Peninsula — the stretch of desert connecting Egypt to the rest of Asia. Their efforts would restore forests, wetlands, and even adjust the weather for the region. This form of ecosystems regeneration could help with food security and mitigate the effects of climate change. Their process of changing an entire ecosystem can be controversial, but initial tests have shown how this could work on a large scale.

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