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The Sun Water Solution

Tom Colls

February 12, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Uganda, Makindye, Kampala

Professor Kevin McGuigan in Dublin has proven that simply leaving contaminated water in a plastic bottle out in the sun for several hours is effective in killing off harmful bacteria like e-coli and provide a simple solution for clean water. But his efforts to bring this simple method of solar disinfection to rural communities in Africa - where disease and death from waterborne bacteria is especially prevalent - have hit a number of sociological and cultural roadblocks.

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Urban forests increasingly central to planning in poor and rich countries alike

Gregory Scruggs

January 30, 2017 |

Citiscope |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver

Implementing and maintaining healthy urban forests is becoming more popular throughout communities internationally. Results from cities that have moved in this direction not only include an improvement to community and environmental health but also come with an economic valuation in the form of pollution removal, carbon sequestration and stormwater alleviation.

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Almost all girls were cut in her Ethiopian village. Not anymore, thanks to her.

Amy Yee

January 26, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

When Bogaletch Gebre was a girl she underwent a dangerous procedure, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The practice requires the removal of all, or part of the clitoris. It can lead to scarring, bleeding, and sometimes even death. When she grew up and learned the harmful effects of the procedure, she and her sister decided to create a non profit to end the practice. “Today, KMG is credited with virtually eliminating FGM in Kembata, a region of 680,000.” What’s worked so well for the non profit? Community conversations. “Community conversations can work anywhere where human beings live together,” Gebre says. “

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After Flint, are schools being more vigilant about tainted water?

Stacy Teicher Khadaroo

January 06, 2017 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Flint, Michigan

For most states in the U.S. water testing is voluntary which fails to ensure healthy drinking water. The Flint, Mich., water crisis is leading a number of states to test their school facilities for lead in the water and post the results online.

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Attitudes Toward Female Genital Mutilation Changing in Ethiopia

Amy Yee

January 05, 2017 |

Voice of America (VOA) |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Ethiopia

An estimated 200 million woman have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a procedure which can lead to “hemorrhaging, scarring, infections and psychological trauma.” However, one nonprofit, called KMG, has made giant strides in their community and reduced the practice from 97 percent to five percent. How do you change FGM? You talk. “We don’t dictate, we just discuss,” said the founder.

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Sex ed may be a class, but experts say the best education begins at home

Sara Israelsen-Hartley

January 05, 2017 |

Deseret News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Polls suggest that teenagers’ attitudes and beliefs about sex come mainly from their parents, but parents rarely feel like experts talking about sex. “Talk, the New Sex Ed,” is a non-profit in Pittsburgh which works with parents in an after-school setting, giving them a conversational framework to talk about sex with their children.

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Cloud Catchers In Peru

Sahar Zand

January 01, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Peru, Villa Lordes, Lima Metropolitan Area

Abel Cruz "catches" clouds on his fog net farm to help provide free water for his community in a slum on the outskirts of Lima, where access to water is very limited and costly. While this solution may never compete with large scale and traditional technologies, many argue there is enormous potential for this simple concept in certain, rural areas of the world.

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We finally have an effective Ebola vaccine. The war on the disease is about to change.

Julia Belluz

December 22, 2016 |

Vox |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guinea

In Guinea, scientists were ready to test a new vaccine but due to the decline of cases of ebola there were too few cases to run a meaningful traditional randomized study. Using ring vaccination, a public health method used to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s, the scientists were able to test the vaccine which is now considered a safe and 100% effective vaccine.

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In Nepal, 'appalling' river runs cleaner in wake of unusual partnership

Atul Bhattarai

December 18, 2016 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

For years, campaigns to clean Nepal's polluted Bagmati River resulted in failure. Now with police and government backing, the organization Safai Abhiyaan is in its third year, attracting hundreds of volunteers who are willing to brave the polluted waters to collect trash. The program's unique approach to organizing community volunteers has been a success, but the problem will not subside until greater perceptions about litter and water pollution are tackled.

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This Is How We Can Tackle Climate Change, Even With a Denier in Chief

Laurie Mazur

December 12, 2016 |

The Nation (New York) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

With little action happening to reverse or prepare for climate change at the federal level, local communities have taken initiative on their own. From voters in Flagstaff passing a $10 million bond to bolster forest management to the city of Tulsa buying over 1,000 flood-prone properties, across the United States people are taking non- or bi-partisan steps to increase their towns’ resilience. Core to each initiative is not a parachute, one-size-fits-all approach, rather, it’s taking a hyper-local approach, centering community strength, and moving disadvantaged populations to the forefront.

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