Giving Mickey Mouse an Energy Boost Helps the Environment, How One Neighborhood Transformed Itself from the Country’s Worst and More

 
Want Power? Fire Up the Tomatoes and Potatoes, National Geographic
In Florida, scientists discovered that the tomato can be transformed from a lycopene storehouse into an electrical powerhouse. Considering that the annual surplus in South Florida could power Disney World for three months, is a new type of utility — one that’s fueled by food waste — in the state’s future?
How Cincinnati Salvaged the Nation’s Most Dangerous Neighborhood, Politico
Simply put, in 2009, Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood was the nation’s worst. When city government couldn’t provide a lifeline to the downtrodden area, a nonprofit private development company stepped in. Now, in just seven short years, the community is experiencing a blossoming transformation.
New California Law Could Keep Guns Away from People Like Omar Mateen, Reveal
After a mass shooting tragedy in 2014, the Golden State proved that it’s possible to pass sensible gun legislation. Its gun violence restraining order can prevent someone from purchasing or possessing a firearm for 21 days if law enforcement or a family member is worried they’ll turn violent.
MORE: The Surprising Second Life of Urine

The Store That Invites Its Shoppers to Collaborate on Big Ideas

There’s various ways to invest in a city’s future: education, infrastructure, low-income housing. But what about investing in a different commodity, one that is the cornerstone of a society and directly impacted by all of those areas?
We’re talking about investing in people, and while they’re often overlooked, one foundation is looking to change that.
It’s called People’s Liberty and is supported by the Johnson Foundation and Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile Jr. / U.S. Bank Foundation. The Cincinnati-based project is “a philanthropic lab that brings together civic-minded talent to address challenges and uncover opportunities to accelerate the positive transformation of Greater Cincinnati,” reports NextCity. It all starts this coming January 2015 and will last for five years.
So how does it work? Well, every year the group will have just over $1 million to distribute in grants. There are two Haile Fellowships worth $100,000 each and 16 grants up to $10,000 for projects that will last for around six months. Finally, there are three Globe Grants that will produce work for the People’s Liberty storefront gallery.
While any organization can just give money, People’s Liberty is taking grant-giving to another level. All grantees are invited to use the group’s collaborative space to work. The purpose is to build camaraderie among the grantees and facilitate the flow of ideas. Further, the streetfront gallery will be open to the public, so that anyone can interact and work with the grantees.
All of this is done to promote the talent residing right in Cincinnati — instead of looking to outside sources. For Jake Hodesh, operations director of People’s Liberty, it is a chance to improve the city using the people who know the city best.
“We want to invest directly in people, and we want to nurture, invest and retain those people,” Hodesh told Next City.
Although not a common investment, People’s Liberty is taking a gamble on its citizens. And only time will tell how great the return will be.
DON’T MISS: This Community Art Does More Than Just Beautify a Neighborhood

A 130-Year-Old Hospital Has a Bold Idea—And It’s Making Children Better

Hamilton County, Ohio, is home to Cincinnati and 413 sprawling square miles of diversity and disparity. The county hosts mansions as well as median incomes below the poverty line. But it’s not just about paychecks. The county has a health disparity problem and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is dedicated to solving it. Hospital leaders have made it their mission to look beyond children’s medical care to improve children’s overall health. Asthma is a key issue: kids in poorer areas are 88 times more likely to be admitted for emergency treatment. After investing some time in home visits to investigate the causes, hospital staff found that poor housing quality, cockroach infestation, and water damage were behind many of these health emergencies. And because many families in the county are living without Medicaid, Dr. Mona Mansour, along with other physicians, built a new system of care to help all area kids. They’ve partnered with the Cincinnati Health Department to organize home inspections and build connections to legal aid so families get support in dealing with their landlords. The 130-year-old hospital is proving to be an incredible modern leader in health innovation.