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  • How Tokyo's Farms Have Survived for Centuries

    March 10, 2023 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Japan, Tokyo

    To protect local farms, Tokyo’s Law on Productive Green Areas allows farmers to register their inner-city urban farms as Productive Green Areas and receive a property tax break. In return, landowners agree not to sell or develop the land. The law allowed 1,240 small farms to survive and was recently extended for another 10 years.

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  • 'Tiny Farms' Bring Agriculture Jobs to the Work-Life Balance Generation

    October 20, 2022 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Germany

    Tiny Farms is making agriculture more accessible to people in Germany by allowing those interested in part-time farming to rent land for micro-farms that supply food locally. The company also gives farmers access to training, cultivation programs, seeds, and takes care of transport and organic certification.

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  • The Alpine Country Going All-You-Can-Ride

    February 21, 2022 |

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    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Austria

    Austria rolled out the KlimaTicket, an annual pass that gives the holder access to all forms of public transportation in the country, to encourage increased use of public transport with an eye toward climate change mitigation. The uptake has exceeded expectations with 134,000 tickets sold within just the first two months, but it's still unclear what effect the program will have on the country's carbon emissions.

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  • The Era of the Wood Skyscraper Is Arriving Audio icon

    March 08, 2021 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

    The Brock Commons Tallwood House in Canada was the tallest building made of wood when it opened in 2017. Now, thanks to government policies, scientific research, and hundreds of examples of proof-of-concept, more developers around the world are looking to construct buildings out of timber. Using timber is cheaper than cement, concrete, and steel and can actually store carbon emissions in its supports instead of releasing the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

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  • With Centuries-Old Techniques, This Farm Is Preparing for the Future

    December 18, 2020 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: France, Normandy

    An unusually robust crop yield is stunning scientists at a small family farm where traditional farming techniques have replaced machinery, pesticides, and fertilizers. The French farmers implemented tips and tricks from cultures around the world and they now produce organic produce at much higher rates per square feet than conventional farms. Their methods have also bolstered the farm against extreme weather patterns, making it a model worth replicating.

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  • Meet the Detectives Solving Crimes Against Trees

    February 28, 2020 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

    The Center of Competence on the Origin of Timber in Germany is using innovative methods to help determine timber products’ origins in order to stop illegal wood trading. Scientists can identify wood’s anatomical features and compare them with microscopic samples in the center’s digital database to determine where a piece of wood originally grew. While the process can sometimes take a while, the center has had some successes in detecting illegal logging from some manufacturers.

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  • Greening the Desert With Wastewater

    October 29, 2019 |

    Reasons to be Cheerful |

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    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Egypt, Ismalia

    The Serapium Forest is one of 36 forests in Egypt that are growing because of treated wastewater, part of a country-wide initiative that started 25 years ago as a way to productively use treated sewage water, create forest in the desert, and help minimize desertification. Additionally, the program creates high-quality wood that can be sold, as well as absorbing greenhouse gases.

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