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  • How to reuse a demolished building

    March 23, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Switzerland, Winterthur

    A warehouse in Switzerland is being transformed into new creative workspaces. The catch: It’s being constructed out of reused building materials. About 70 percent of it is being made from old materials like wood floorboards, steel beams, and windows. A network of treasure hunters are on the lookout for used materials that can be used in constructing these buildings. The workspace is nearly complete and it already has tenants for all of the spaces. They were also able to cut the building’s carbon emissions in half.

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  • The plus-size knitters who are solving an inclusivity problem

    March 10, 2021 |

    The Verge |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States

    Knitters are using social media, crowdsourcing, and spreadsheets to make the knitwear industry more inclusive of different body types. Designer Sarah Krentz offers patterns using an interactive spreadsheet where knitters fill in key measurements like bust, waist, and bicep circumference and the pattern automatically populates with the correct number of stitches and rows based on a pre-set formula created by Krentz. Fat Test Knits connects designers to plus size knitters who will test the patters. The site also serves as a bulletin board where moderators have vetted and shared over 500 patterns since 2019.

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  • The World Needs Syringes. He Jumped In to Make 5,900 Per Minute.

    March 05, 2021 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: India, Ballabgarh

    A family-run syringe making company in India is leading the manufacturing of Covid vaccine-specific barrels and needles, a task that no other country has been able to manage at the same speed. Because Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices is a family business – meaning no shareholders – the production of these medical supplies is able to be done without any interferences; although, the operation is a frugal task for the business owner.

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  • The Deal That's Saving San Francisco's Restaurants

    March 05, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

    To save dozens of restaurants in San Francisco during the coronavirus lockdowns, a restaurant owner launched an organization that "provides monthly contracts to its restaurant partners to cook meals for underserved populations." The organization, which has 160 restaurant partners so far, helps fill the gaps left by the government-funded Paycheck Protection Program.

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  • ‘It's radical': the Ugandan city built on solar, shea butter and people power

    March 03, 2021 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Uganda, Okere City

    Okere City, Uganda, has been rebuilt with a school, a marketplace, and solar-powered energy. Instead of treating the project as a charity, it was approached as a social enterprise that collaborates with the community. That method has resulted in Okere generating a revenue and being self-sufficient.

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  • New city program tackles big trash problem in Philly: clothing and electronics waste Audio icon

    February 25, 2021 |

    The Philadelphia Citizen |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    A residential recycling program in Philadelphia is picking up electronics and clothing from homes for a fee. Retrievr has already prevented 100,000 pounds of waste from ending up in landfills. The program was implemented through the city’s Pitch & Pilot program which put out call for “solutions to reduce waste and increase waste diversion” in a bid to achieve Philadelphia’s goal of Zero Waste by 2035.

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  • It looks like the Batmobile, works on solar energy, and could be the future of cars

    February 25, 2021 |

    The Washington Post |

    Multi-Media |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

    Aptera Motors, a California-based startup, is poised to roll out the first mass-produced solar vehicle this year: for $25,900. The car is a three-wheel, aerodynamic electric vehicle covered in solar cells that can provide energy to drive about 40 miles. The model is not 100 percent efficient with some energy lost in its electrical current conversion and in its drive system, but the creators say it is four times more effect than an average electric vehicle. Still, when the company started taking preorders, they sold out of its first 330 vehicles in 24 hours.

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  • From Reviled to Adored

    February 23, 2021 |

    bioGraphic |

    Multi-Media |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: India, Assam

    Purnima Devi Barman has been building trust and working with various community members to save a stork species called the greater adjutant in India. Because of her work, she has inspired more than 10,000 women and their families to help in bird conservation activities and the number of storks in the region has increased to as many as 1,200. This type of community approach could be used in other places as a model for wildlife conservation efforts.

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  • How Banana Waste Is Turned Into Rugs, Fabric, And Hair Extensions

    February 19, 2021 |

    Business Insider |

    Video |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: Uganda, Kampala

    A Ugandan company called TEXFAD is taking the stems from banana trees that would normally go to waste and is turning them into new textiles like rugs, place mats, and hair extensions. Over its eight year existence, TEXFAD has grown to also employ 23 people, many of whom started in their internship program for students. While the cost to make these products can be expensive, the textiles are biodegradable and use less water and land to produce.

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  • Towards a greener construction with fly ash bricks

    February 19, 2021 |

    Climate Tracker |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: India

    Fly ash bricks help reduce construction waste by utilizing the powdery by-product of burning coal. They are a green replacement for red clay bricks, which contribute to 5-15% of India’s emissions. They also utilize waste from coal-based thermal plants, which often gets disposed of by being dumped in water bodies and on roadsides. In comparison to red clay bricks, fly ash bricks are less expensive and the production process doesn’t emit smoke or use the more fertile top soil. Their use has been mandated by some regions and about 150 small fly ash enterprises have emerged.

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