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Three years of mining, 40 years of taxpayer clean up for river downstream of Vancouver Island copper mine

Andrew Findlay Taylor Roades

December 16, 2019 |

The Narwhal |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

After an abandoned copper mine destroyed the Tsolum River in Canada, it took decades and cross-sector collaboration to reduce acid runoff and bring back fish populations. The government, a restoration society, and even the mining industry worked together to come up with solutions to save the river. Their latest attempt — capping the mine waste with glacial sediment and an asphalt covering — in 2009 succeeded. In 2015, 129,000 pink salmon came back to the river — a record return since fish counts began in 1953.

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In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity

Emily Nonko

November 20, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Peoria, Illinois

Green infrastructure provides a return on investment and improves the quality of life in a community. In Peoria, Illinois, the city’s Public Works Department has piloted several green infrastructure initiatives with the help of funding of a Bloomberg Philanthropies grant. Projects like the Well Farm at Voris Field, zero runoff streets are proving successful at capturing sewer runoff and creating economic value, while the youth volunteer PeoriaCorps are helping make the projects community-based.

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Lake Erie's green monster: Climate change adds pressure to prevent toxic algal blooms

Brian Albrecht

November 10, 2019 |

Cleveland.com (The Plain Dealer) |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ohio

Toxic green algae has become a prominent threat in Lake Erie, but local farmers are trying to reduce their footprint by limiting agricultural nutrient runoff from manure and fertilizer that is spread on their farm fields. From increasing transparency around agriculture practices to altering how fertilizer is distributed, early signs are showing success with these measures despite there still being a long ways to go.

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Battle to restore Chesapeake Bay provides lessons for Great Lakes

Brian Albrecht

November 10, 2019 |

Cleveland.com (The Plain Dealer) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Chesapeake, Ohio

The Great Lakes region is becoming overtaken by algal blooms, but reduction efforts from past projects are helping to create a guide for a way forward. The Chesapeake Bay Program – a multi-state and multi-agency effort – is proving to be one such model since reporting "reductions in algae growth, and an increasing percentage of water tributaries meeting clean water standards."

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Water Warriors

Michael Premo Rachel Falcone

November 04, 2019 |

PBS POV |

Documentary |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Canada, New Brunswick

After an energy company began exploring New Bruncwick territory for oil and natural gas, Indigenous tribes and white people worked together to protect their water and ban fracking. They held protests at government buildings and set up road blocks to prevent equipment trucks from getting out. Some of the protests included violent clashes with police, which made national news and drew more supporters. As a result of their actions, the government put a moratorium on fracking in the Canadian province.

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Drinking water safety: Lessons Ohio and Dayton can learn from other states

Will Garbe

October 13, 2019 |

Dayton Daily News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Minnesota

Ohio’s drinking water has tested positive for PFAS chemicals, so state officials are looking at what has worked in other states to fund the process of restoring a clean drinking water supply. In Michigan, this looks like a multi-agency approach that supports bipartisan buy-in, while Minnesota saw success by holding the state’s largest manufacturer accountable for the contamination and clean-up.

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Can tourists coexist with nature on Lebanon's Rabbit Island?

Olivia Cuthbert

August 30, 2019 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Lebanon, Palm Island

In a stark juxtaposition to Lebanon’s polluted beaches, just 150 off the coast lies Palm Island – more commonly known as Rabbit Island – seeking to remain pristine and pollution-free. Promapir, an EU-funded collaboration between Lebanon’s Environment Protection Committee and the Office d’Exploitation du Port de Tripoli, is charging visitors to help pay for rangers, trash disposal and maintenance of the plants and beaches. While a valiant effort, the real challenge will be changing the habits of those who visit to prevent them from leaving litter in the first place.

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Do plastic bag taxes or bans curb waste? 400 cities and states tried it out.

Matthew Zeitlin

August 27, 2019 |

Vox |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Across the world, countries are reckoning with its astounding single-use plastic bag waste by instituting legislation that taxes or all-out bans them. Research has shown that taxing the bags has been a more effective strategy with less unintended consequences, as banning often leads to a sharp increase in thicker plastics or paper bags. In places that have instituted the tax, they’ve seen a 40 percent decrease in usage, and arguably more importantly, a cultural shift away from single-use plastics.

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Watershed moment: How Chesapeake Bay turned its H2O around

David Karas

August 15, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Annapolis, Maryland

After decades of conservation and cleanup, the 42% of the entire Chesapeake Bay meets water quality standards. The Chesapeake Bay Program organized a regional collaboration between nonprofits, the government, and educational institutions, worked together to protect and clean the Bay, which is home to fishing, tourism, and agriculture. While much progress has been made, the group recognizes the amount of work left if they are to ever see a majority clean watershed.

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Living without plastic: One family's journey

Susan Spillman

July 19, 2019 |

Los Angeles Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

For one family, living plastic-free was a lifestyle decision made after they learned more about the harm that plastic waste causes. The Watt family lives as plastic-free as possible – carrying their own utensils, buying in bulk and bringing their own glass containers, making their own household cleaner, and using reusable beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap. While these are all steps in the right direction toward reducing the nearly 335 million tons of plastic produced every year, experts say we need to rely less on individual actions and push for tougher laws and systemic changes.

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