Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at [email protected].
Flower power
We all know that humans have immune systems, but did you know that plants have them, too? According to a story shared by RTBC Contributing Editor from Ambrook Research, immunity is what has allowed plants to survive for 500 million years. And while much of this natural defense system has been bred out of our crops, scientists are finding ways to bring it back.
Michaela says:
Love this story about cutting down on pesticide use by relying on plants’ innate defenses.
Very cool
Back in August, Valeria Morales-Soto reported for RTBC on creative ways that cities around the world are cooling down. Among them: cooling green roofs in Rio de Janeiro. Now, NPR has a story — shared with us by Audience Engagement Manager Sophie Pitt — that goes deep on how green roofs made their way to Brazil’s favelas and the challenges along the way.
Sophie says:
I love this affordable solution to rising temperatures that’s rolling out across Rio de Janeiro.
What else we’re reading
🚸 What Happened When America Emptied Its Youth Prisons — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from the New York Times
🛝 ‘A place for kids to play and a place to store water’: the stormwater capture zone that is also a playground — shared by Sophie Pitt from The Guardian
🚿 The Downstream Effects of India’s Green Revolution — shared by Michaela Haas from Undark
In other news…
Our stories about repair, reuse and recycling tend to be reader favorites, and we’ve published some great ones recently. In case you missed them, check out Klaus Sieg’s story about clothing recycling, Peter Yeung’s story on solar device repair, and Geetanjali Krishna’s story on low-waste yet glamorous Indian weddings.
