---
title: UGA Students Report on Climate Solutions Close to Home
description: University of Georgia journalism students report on effective climate solutions, highlighting progress and lessons learned through solutions journalism.
image: https://blog.drawdownga.org/hubfs/collage%20of%20photos%20from%20UGA%20student%20stories.jpg
---

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    - [Electricity](https://www.drawdownga.org/solutions/electricity/)
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- Beyond Carbon 
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# UGA Students Report on Climate Solutions Close to Home

*![author](https://blog.drawdownga.org/hubfs/DD_Oct20/Author_Green.png)* [Drawdown Georgia](https://blog.drawdownga.org/author/drawdown-georgia)  Nov 11, 2026

![](https://blog.drawdownga.org/hubfs/collage%20of%20photos%20from%20UGA%20student%20stories.jpg)

Since 2020, Drawdown Georgia has highlighted the 20 climate solutions that are best suited to our state and are market-ready. The next question is just as important: How are those solutions playing out in real Georgia communities? What's working and what can other communities learn?

![collage of photos from UGA student stories](https://blog.drawdownga.org/hs-fs/hubfs/collage%20of%20photos%20from%20UGA%20student%20stories.jpg?width=800&height=450&name=collage%20of%20photos%20from%20UGA%20student%20stories.jpg)

A group of University of Georgia journalism students is helping answer those questions. Through a partnership with Drawdown Georgia, students in a solutions journalism class at UGA's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication have been “assigned” to report on climate solutions and climate challenges in Athens and nearby counties. Their first stories ran in October 2026 on [Grady Newsource](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/), Grady College's student-produced news site.

## Why Focus on Climate Solutions?

Most news stories focus on what is going wrong. Solutions journalism asks what people are doing about it and whether it’s working. Reporters look for proof, point out where an effort fell short, and pass along lessons for anyone facing the same problem.

Readers need both kinds of stories. If all you ever hear about are the problems, it’s easy to assume nothing can be done. Seeing how a nearby community handled the same issue, including what didn’t go as planned, gives people a better idea of what might work where they live.

## Drawdown Georgia Inside the Classroom

The Fall 2026 class is taught by [Ralitsa Vassileva](https://grady.uga.edu/faculty/vassileva/), a senior lecturer at Grady, former CNN International anchor, and co-director and teaching lead of the [Solutions Journalism Hub of the South](https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/directory-profile/solutions-journalism-hub-south) at UGA.

Students find and pitch their own stories, many finding inspiration in the 20 [Drawdown Georgia climate solutions](https://www.drawdownga.org/solutions) as a starting point.

Early in the semester, a team representing Drawdown Georgia visited the class to introduce the project. The panel included Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at UGA; Dr. Patricia Yager, professor of marine sciences at UGA and director of the [Georgia Climate Project](https://www.georgiaclimateproject.org/); and Valerie Bennett, communications director at the [Ray C. Anderson Foundation](https://www.raycandersonfoundation.org/), and an alumna of Grady College herself.

The team walked students through the Drawdown Georgia framework of solutions and the free tools and toolkits on its website. Dr. Shepherd shared his perspective on effective climate communications, and Dr. Yager discussed the storytelling methods used by the Georgia Climate Project.

Students get hands-on experience in climate journalism, and Georgians get a close-up look at how climate solutions are taking shape in one part of the state.

## Solutions Journalism at UGA

Here is a list of articles the students have published so far, sorted by Drawdown Georgia sector. More articles will be added as the semester continues, so check back.

[Electricity](https://www.drawdownga.org/solutions/electricity/)

- [Is Athens on Track to Meet its Clean-Energy Goal for 2035?](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/is-athens-on-track-to-meet-its-clean-energy-goal-for-2035/) by Kelsey Koenig: Athens-Clarke County estimates it is 45% to 60% of the way to its 2035 goal, with solar trackers as a key part of its strategy.

[Buildings & Materials](https://www.drawdownga.org/solutions/buildings-materials/)

- [Rewearing the 'G'](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/rewearing-the-g/) by Haley Meredith: An Athens store owner and a UGA student leader make the case for vintage game day clothing as an alternative to buying new.

[Food & Agriculture](https://www.drawdownga.org/solutions/food-agriculture/)

- [If Athens' Landfill Turns Methane Gas Into Energy, Why Compost?](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/if-athens-landfill-turns-methane-gas-into-energy-why-compost/) by Lynsey Miller: The Athens landfill has turned methane into electricity since 2013, and composting still helps by keeping food scraps out of the landfill in the first place.
- [Beyond the Trash Can: What Happens to Leftover Food after Sporting Events](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/beyond-the-trash-can-what-happens-to-leftover-food-after-sporting-events/) by Lexie Wheless: Food rescue partnerships could send surplus food from big games to neighbors in need, as Second Helpings Atlanta did with more than 30,000 pounds from Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

[Land Sinks](https://www.drawdownga.org/solutions/land-sinks/)

- [Georgia Landowners Work To Protect The Land They Love](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/georgia-landowners-work-to-protect-the-land-they-love/) by Ally Gamber: Conservation easements let landowners keep their property while protecting it from development, and the Oconee River Land Trust has helped conserve more than 45,000 acres since 1993.

[Data Centers](https://info.drawdownga.org/data-centers-in-georgia)

- [How Local Debates Over Data Centers Leak into Water Scarcity Concerns](https://gradynewsource.uga.edu/how-local-debates-over-data-centers-leak-into-water-scarcity-concerns/) by Adaleigh Weber: This story looks at why data center water use is hard to measure and how closed-loop cooling systems can reduce it.

## Stay in the loop

Want more stories like these? [Subscribe to the Climate Digest](https://info.drawdownga.org/subscribe-to-the-drawdown-georgia-climate-digest) for Georgia climate news and updates on Drawdown Georgia, delivered to your inbox every other week.

 

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*![article topic](https://blog.drawdownga.org/hubfs/DD_Oct20/orange-tag.png)* [Food & Agriculture](https://blog.drawdownga.org/topic/food-agriculture), [Land Sinks](https://blog.drawdownga.org/topic/land-sinks), [Electricity](https://blog.drawdownga.org/topic/electricity), [Buildings & Materials](https://blog.drawdownga.org/topic/buildings-materials)

[Nicole Lee of Be Smart Home Solutions on How Georgia Homeowners Can Lower Energy Bills](https://blog.drawdownga.org/nicole-lee-of-be-smart-home-solutions-on-how-georgia-homeowners-can-lower-energy-bills)

### About Author

![Drawdown Georgia](https://blog.drawdownga.org/hubfs/Profile.jpg)

Drawdown Georgia

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