Flatland explores six monthly topics by highlighting local organizations pioneering solutions to the climate crisis.
Earth Day 2021: A Tree A Day Could Help Keep Climate Change At Bay
The Heartland Tree Alliance is working to expand the tree canopy in Kansas City in hopes of mitigating the effects of an urban heat island.
Volunteer Green Team Battles Stormwater Runoff in Neighborhoods
The Green Team, a program within Groundworks Northeast Revitalization Group, empowers youth to redesign green spaces in cooperation with local neighborhood associations.
As Kansas, Missouri Keep Building Wind Turbines, Some Communities Look to Regulate
In Missouri, Boone County is considering regulations renewable energy proponents say would make building a wind farm impossible.
Kansas City Sustainability Projects Get Grants to Fight Food Waste
Projects aimed at reducing food waste in Kansas City have gotten nearly $500,000 in grants from the EPA.
Kansas City Pursues Massive Solar Farm at KCI
Kansas City is considering putting a massive 2,000-acre solar farm on city land at Kansas City International Airport, creating one of the largest solar power installations in the nation.
Fertilizer Washes off Midwest Farm Fields and Taints Communities’ Drinking Water, Poisons Gulf of Mexico
As rainfall events become more intense and frequent, fertilizers applied to Midwestern farmland wash away, contaminating waterways near and far.
‘Ten Years to Save the Planet’: Kansas City Metro’s Small-town Mayors Take Up Climate Fight
Mayors and local officials founded Climate Action KC, and are taking measurable steps to reduce emissions and create healthier communities throughout the Kansas City metro.
Not Everyone in Kansas City Drives a Car. This Man has Been Riding the Bus for 45 Years
Despite being designed for cars, Kansas City is home to people who rely on the bus every day. We spent a day riding along with Richard Heimer to learn what’s working and what’s not in our public transit system.
Here’s How Residents Along Troost Avenue Can Help Measure Kansas City Air Quality
KC Digital Drive and The Kansas City Beacon are co-hosting an event April 30 to discuss air quality sensors that measure climate, temperature and particulate matter in the air.
If More Kansas Citians Rode the Bus by Choice, it Could Shift the Whole City’s Mindset
Despite long wait times between buses, confusing route changes and other inconveniences, these Kansas Citians use public transit not because they have to, but because they want to. Here’s why that matters.
Inflation, Energy Prices Complicate Consumer Calculus Regarding Renewables
The decision to embrace renewable energy amid a changing climate has become more complex in recent months, complicated by rampant inflation, soaring energy prices and a volatile economy.
Will Climate Change Prevent Me from Being a Parent? Millennials, Gen Z Question Adding More Children to the Earth
Climate anxiety is prompting growing numbers of people to seriously question whether to bring more children into the world.
Electric Vehicle Adoption Hinges on Better Access to Charging Stations
Missouri was recently ranked seventh in the nation when it came to the number of registered electric vehicle drivers and charging locations. But the region still has gaps when it comes to electrification.