Troy Sambajon

Journalist at The Christian Science Monitor

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Articles

From sand traps to salmon habitat, US golf courses become nature preserves

1 week ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon |Stephanie Hanes

Beside a restored creek in San Geronimo, California, birds soar where birdies once were scored. Formerly home to an 18-hole golf course, the 157-acre property has been rewilded into a thriving nature preserve. The fairway, once groomed to unnatural perfection, is now overgrown with tall grass and wildflowers. Putting greens have become pastures. A sand trap serves as a children’s play area.
Grafting for chocolate in Peru, and going after invasive species in New Zealand

2 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

Cacao farmers can increase yields from old trees and avoid clearing more forestWhen their trees produce fewer pods over time, farmers typically start new plantations. In Peru, grafting was found to boost productivity by 45% within two years, while preserving biodiversity. Researchers from the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg worked in the northwestern Piura region, grafting new branches of the prized cacao Blanco de Piura variety onto old stock.
How to reuse exhaust from jets and store energy in sand

3 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

A Texas airport is harnessing the wind power of jets at takeoffThe American company JetWind Power uses giant turbines to capture forceful air from planes and transform it into electricity. Dallas Love Field has served as a testing ground since 2021. Five solar-powered turbine “pods” on the tarmac collect wind, which started powering device-charging stations in the terminal in November. Eight more pods will follow.
Remember the opioid crisis? 46 states recorded a decline in overdose deaths.

3 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon |Jacob Turcotte

The United States is seeing a sudden drop in overdose deaths. The country saw a 25.7% decline in drug overdose deaths in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was the lowest number of overdose deaths in a 12-month period since 2020. Some 46 states reported a decline from 2023 to 2024. Virginia observed the most drastic reduction in deaths – a 41.6% decline.
Go with the flow: How to squeeze water from fog, and why to remove a dam

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

Removals of small dams are restoring rivers across the Northeast U.S.Though smaller than those found in the West, more than 31,000 dams from Maryland to Maine nevertheless block fish migration and degrade waterways. American Rivers, an environmental nonprofit, estimates that 85% of U.S. dams – many built in the 19th century to support manufacturing – are unnecessary. Studies have found that removing dams can boost fish passage, improve water quality, and build watershed resilience.
When a ‘thumbs-up’ beats 5 stars, and where paralegals aid women’s land rights

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

How rating people’s job performance could be more fairSimplifying performance ratings can make them more equitable, a study found. Women and employees of color are often given lower marks than their white and male counterparts, which can impact their pay. In a recent paper by researchers in the U.S. and Canada, more than 70,000 ratings were analyzed from an online platform where customers hire workers for home services.
Scientists extend battery life, and a climate law puts judges in school

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

In Argentina, a law requires climate change class for public officialsNamed Yolanda’s Law in honor of Argentina’s first secretary of environment, the legislation requires at least 16 hours of instruction on topics including biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development. Since the law’s passage four years ago, 7,000 people – judges, office assistants, and a former president – have received training. Officials can be fined for noncompliance.
What gives him hope for rebuilding Gaza? Dialogue and science.

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon

Growing up as a Palestinian Israeli in east Jerusalem, Tareq Abu Hamed always believed in the power of science. It is, he says, a universal language that can bring people together to solve problems. “When you live in the Middle East, where there’s conflict and environmental challenges like water scarcity, it becomes a necessity to cooperate and work with your neighbors,” Dr. Abu Hamed told the Monitor during a visit to Boston in mid-February.
The rights of animals and the environment, from Mexico to Nepal

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon

Mexico enshrined animal welfare rights in its constitutionThe country is one of only 10 that include such recognition of nonhuman animals. While all Mexican states have laws protecting animal rights, most legislation does not include farm animals. That left livestock in the country’s rapidly growing meat industry vulnerable to mistreatment. Why We Wrote ThisIn our progress roundup, a Supreme Court and a Congress prune the advantage of business over other interests.
Waste not, want not? How Massachusetts became the only state to reduce food waste.

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon |Melanie Freeman

On a recent Thursday, Abe Marciniec unloads two dozen pallets of ice cream – enough to fill 31 refrigerators – into a machine that transforms it into fuel. Today’s flavor is room-temperature rocky road, but this facility handles all kinds of food waste from supermarkets, distribution centers, universities, and even residential drop-offs.