Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here.
Rat tales
With the rat population growing in Washington, D.C., a group of residents is working to educate their neighbors about ways to prevent infestations without using rodenticides, according to an NPR story that caught Executive Editor Will Doig’s attention. The Rat Rangers, as they call themselves, are spreading the word that we as individuals can do a few small things that make a big difference — namely, not leaving waste out and accessible. Their simple advice: Compost food or dump it down the kitchen garbage disposal, put trash outside close to pickup time and make sure bins are secure.
Will says:
A few weeks ago we wrote about beavers, and I was shocked to learn that until recently they were classified as a nuisance species. I’m sure most people would say the same about rats. This initiative flips the narrative, casting humans as the problem in urban rat infestations.
Easy breezy
At Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, just off the coast of Madagascar, a unique cooling method has been put to the test. As the Guardian reports in a story shared by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas, thanks to an innovative roof and ceiling design, natural breezes ventilate the space without air conditioning. Keeping the air moving changes the perceived temperature: “Our objective is to maintain an indoor air temperature identical to the outdoor temperature while generating an airflow of one meter per second to reduce the perceived temperature for passengers,” explains Éric Bussolino, engineering and environment director at AIA Life Designers, which led the project.
In the two years since it opened, the airport has reportedly saved €150,000 (approximately $170,000 U.S.) a year in energy bills, and its carbon emissions have been just one-eighth of what they would be in a comparable air-conditioned building.
Michaela says:
Fascinating read about an airport purposely built without air conditioning and kept at comfortable temperatures in a tropical climate with sophisticated air flow.
What else we’re reading
How Asheville’s Artists and Shopkeepers Rebuilt Their City — shared by RTBC Founder David Byrne from the Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Why Germany Is Building an Ark for U.S. Climate Data — shared by Rebecca Worby from Yale Environment 360
The Homeless Community That Became a Self-Governed Village — shared by David Byrne from the New York Times
In other news…
Earlier this month, we launched The Sonic Commons, a new series exploring the health effects of environmental noise and how we can design better soundscapes. Check out the series introduction by science journalist Chris Berdik, which will change the way you think about noise. Then, dig into writer and radio producer Andrew Leland’s story about how acoustic cues can make urban spaces more accessible and more fun for low-vision and blind people.
The post What We’re Reading: Rat Rangers to the Rescue appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.
| Written by RTBC Staff | Reasons to be Cheerful | Read full story at Read More
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