projects

Airbnb is committing $250 million to help stalled US housing projects get built; its first $6.4 million investment will support 201 affordable homes in Austin

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Airbnb is committing $250 million to help stalled US housing projects get built; its first $6.4 million investment will support 201 affordable homes in Austin

Airbnb has pledged $250 million (£190 million) in below-market financing to help restart stalled housing projects, with its first $6.4 million investment going toward an affordable housing development in Austin, Texas. The short-term rental company announced the Airbnb Housing Accelerator, a new program aimed at addressing the U.S. housing shortage by filling funding gaps for … Read more

In 2008, wind turbines arrived in Iowa’s Howard County; by 2024-25, 147 turbines generated $2.71 million in taxes and helped fund 30+ bridge projects and 20 miles of paving

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In 2008, wind turbines arrived in Iowa's Howard County; by 2024-25, 147 turbines generated $2.71 million in taxes and helped fund 30+ bridge projects and 20 miles of paving

When wind turbines first appeared across Howard County in northeastern Iowa in 2008, they became part of the rural landscape. Nearly two decades later, the towering structures have become something more than a source of renewable energy. For the county, wind power has also become a major source of public money, helping pay for bridges, … Read more

EBay’s first full-time employee left the company after its IPO and built a $5.9 billion fortune; he has now donated about $1.2 billion into social-change projects

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EBay's first full-time employee left the company after its IPO and built a $5.9 billion fortune; he has now donated about $1.2 billion into social-change projects

Jeffrey Scholl. Image Credit: Scoll World Forum Jeff Skoll, eBay‘s first full-time employee and president, played a crucial role in building the company before leaving after its 1998 public offering. He helped turn an online auction business into one of the defining technology companies of the internet boom, then chose a different path from the … Read more

Argentina threatens to sanction oil projects around Falklands

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Argentina threatens to sanction oil projects around Falklands

Argentina has announced that it will investigate and sanction oil companies working near the Falkland Islands without authorization, after President Javier Milei said the “winds of change” favor his country’s claim to the archipelago. Argentina threatens to sanction oil projects around Falklands Britain and Argentina fought a 10-week war in 1982 over the South Atlantic … Read more

In 2002, Alabama architecture students stacked 72,000 worn carpet tiles into the walls of a family home; Rural Studio has now built more than 200 projects

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In 2002, Alabama architecture students stacked 72,000 worn carpet tiles into the walls of a family home; Rural Studio has now built more than 200 projects

A house in Alabama contains walls adorned with 72,000 individual stacked tiles held in compression by a heavy wooden-ring beam. Belonging to the Harris family, the abode contains a bedroom above and a tornado shelter below. The minds behind the idea trace back to Rural Studio, an off-campus design-build program, rooted in Hale County and … Read more

Port Houston donates $500,000 to 32 nonprofits, supporting workforce training, STEM education and community projects

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Port Houston donates $500,000 to 32 nonprofits, supporting workforce training, STEM education and community projects

Port Houston has awarded $500,000 in Community Grants to 32 organisations serving communities across the Houston Ship Channel region. The funding will support programmes ranging from workforce training and STEM education to healthcare access, food assistance, environmental projects and neighbourhood improvements. According to Port Houston press release distributed via Business Wire, the latest grant cycle … Read more

In 2002, New Mexico began one of America’s largest native-fish restoration projects; more than two decades later Rio Grande cutthroat trout had returned to 120 miles of streams

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In 2002, New Mexico began one of America’s largest native-fish restoration projects; more than two decades later Rio Grande cutthroat trout had returned to 120 miles of streams

A major conservation effort launched in 2002 has restored New Mexico’s official state fish to more than 120 miles of connected mountain streams, marking one of the largest native fish restoration projects in the United States. For more than two decades, state and federal conservation agencies have worked to remove non-native predators and restore high-altitude … Read more

Sri Lanka planned 17 solar projects in Hambantota, but the development could reduce scrubland used by more than 400 elephants

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Sri Lanka planned 17 solar projects in Hambantota, but the development could reduce scrubland used by more than 400 elephants

On the dry plains around Hambantota, the vegetation can look unremarkable at first glance. Thorny scrub, patches of grass and scattered trees cover land that has already been reshaped by farms, roads and large infrastructure projects. Yet this rough-looking landscape is part of the everyday range of hundreds of Sri Lankan elephants. They feed here, … Read more