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  • Locals Question the Relevance of First Solar Power Plant in Soroti

    October 03, 2020 |

    Aica |

    Photojournalism |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Uganda, Soroti

    Four years later after a solar grid was installed in Uganda, residents of nearby villages are wondering when they will get some of that power. The 10-megawatt facility, which cost $19 million to build, was expected to provide electricity to about 40,000 homes, schools, and businesses in the area. However, almost all households in the 10 surrounding villages still use firewood for cooking. The lessons learned from this renewable energy project could help inform others as the country looks to power more parts of the country with solar panels.

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  • University of Arizona researchers unveil new model for desert farming in warming world

    September 20, 2020 |

    Arizona Daily Star |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Tucson, Arizona

    In an experimental garden in Arizona, scientists are seeing how to produce sustainable and local food in a desert environment. They’re growing plants under a photovoltaic “canopy” of solar panels that provide necessary shade for the crops and, at the same time, generate cheap, renewable energy for irrigation systems and farm equipment. So far, they’ve been able to grow basil, Anasazi red beans, and a special bell pepper. While not all crops will work in this system and scaling the garden has its challenges, learning how to grow food in the desert is necessary to adapt to a future with climate change.

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  • The buildings heated by human warmth

    September 08, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Sweden, Stockholm

    Harnessing body heat provides energy-saving heating to commercial and residential buildings. The Stockholm Central station in Sweden and the Mall of America in Minnesota both capture body warmth to provide some of the buildings' heat. Each has over 100,000 daily visitors during non-coronavirus times, generating substantial heat that can be captured by energy-efficient construction. Body heat is also utilized in residential spaces, where thermal insulation helps keep the warmth inside. Using body heat requires energy-efficient building materials and generally cannot provide all of a building's heating needs.

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  • Bitcoin Miner Is Scoring 700% Profits Selling Energy to Grid

    September 01, 2020 |

    Bloomberg |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Texas

    A cryptocurrency mining company in Texas called Layer1 can power down its data-processing centers and sell its unused electricity back to the power grid. Instead of passively consuming energy, they are able to utilize batteries, smart meters, and artificial intelligence software to use more renewable energy and, at the same time, make a profit. While scaling this response can be difficult due to restrictions from utility companies on how consumers get their energy, Layer1 estimates it will save up to $6.7 million annually by cutting production for 30 minutes during some of the hottest days in the summer.

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  • Preserving forests while emptying trash cans? The story of a Burkinese green charcoal

    August 24, 2020 |

    Heidi.news |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou

    To preserve the millions of trees that are cut down just to produce coal in Burkina Faso, a Burkinese engineer created "green charcoal that would not only protect forests but also help fight against the proliferation of garbage." This ecological fuel is made from carbonized collected garbage and coconut husks, which in turn has reduced the amount of garbage that has to be managed by the authorities in charge of sanitation.

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  • ‘It's like paradise for us': the Cree Nation's fight to save the Broadback Forest

    August 22, 2020 |

    The Narwhal |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: Canada, Quebec

    Canopy works to preserve the untouched Broadback Forest, which stores twice as much carbon as the Amazon and is central to the Cree Nation. The nonprofit works with 750 corporations, including fashion brands, commercial printers, and publishers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and eliminate sourcing from biodiverse, ancient, and endangered forests. They help source waste from grain and other food harvests for packaging, paper, and fabric production and enlist companies’ support of conservation initiatives. They also partner with other groups to lobby the government to protect the Broadback forest.

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  • Solar Power Is Booming. But It's Putting Desert Wilderness At Risk.

    August 20, 2020 |

    The Huffington Post |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, California

    Solar development can reduce or significantly alter local biodiversity, and this should be considered when planning sustainability projects in the desert, argues a new study. Scientists measured the impact of a solar plant built in California and found that while some grasses and native shrubs grew back, cacti and yucca didn’t fare well. They recommend building solar projects on places that have already been developed or have low environmental impact. Groups like the Nature Conservancy are using that advice to pilot a project demonstrating that old mine sites in Nevada can be used for clean energy.

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  • The ‘solar canals' making smart use of India's space

    August 03, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: India, Gujarat

    Covering canals with solar panels has allowed Indian communities to save land, water and carbon emissions, and even bring electricity to rural villages. The solar panels are suspended on metal structures over the canal, which can generate electricity for farmers and be fed into the state grid or sold to public utilities. While these canal-top solar power plants can be expensive to build, so far, eight Indian states have commissioned canal solar projects.

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  • India's tribal farmers tap solar irrigation to cut migration

    July 27, 2020 |

    Thomson Reuters Foundation |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: India, Jharkhand

    New solar-powered irrigation systems in the Chotanagpur Plateau region in India are giving farmers more dependable water and allowing them to diversify their crops, allowing them to also grow their income. Many farmers from a local village used to migrate to other places to search for work, but a new irrigation system has allowed them to grow cauliflower for a competitive price. While the cost of buying and installing a solar-powered irrigation system can be high, this form of irrigation could be more climate-friendly and help stabilize crop production.

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  • The revolutionary boat powered by the ocean

    July 15, 2020 |

    BBC |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Philippines

    Since the Philippines relies on boats to transport people and goods across the island nation, a shipbuilding company is designing a new low-carbon alternative of the bangka — a traditional Filipino boat — that uses the waves of the ocean to power it instead of fossil fuels. The ship, known as the trimaran, uses wave energy that converts into electricity for the ship. However, a typhoon and the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed the project, and there are also cost and design challenges. But the trimaran’s use of wave energy could be a step toward reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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