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2021 C.E.
Norwegian app designed to sleuth out sources of sea plastic pollution
A new app, currently in development at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is designed to determine where plastic waste came from so action can be taken.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Spain to subsidize electric vehicle sales with €800 million to 2023
Private buyers will be qualified for subsidies of up to €7,000 per vehicle. Authorities in small towns, as well as companies purchasing fleets to use them as taxis, could get even more.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Tokyo to build massive green neighborhood
Apart from boasting 24,000 square meters of green space, the entire neighborhood will use 100% renewable energy and seek WELL and LEED certification.
Learn more2021 C.E.
California pledges $536 million to fight wildfires
The $536 million Wildfire Prevention and Resiliency package earmarks $350 million for forest management, including vegetation thinning, as well as $25 million to help homeowners pay for prevention measures on their properties, The Guardian reported.
Learn more2021 C.E.
World’s first hydrogen-powered cargo vessel to set sail this year
Developed by French shipowner Compagnie Fluvial Transport (CFT), the vessel will be the world’s first cargo ship to run on hydrogen and is set to be deployed on the river Seine in Paris.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Zimbabwean startup Kuva Local lets customers add a tree on checkout
Kuva Local is working with My Trees Trust Zimbabwe to plant indigenous trees across the country, creating much-needed green employment opportunities.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Lab-grown meat to become cheaper than conventional beef by 2030
A new report also shows that cultivated beef in 2030 will be about 90% more environmentally friendly than conventional beef, emitting 93% fewer greenhouse gases and using 95% less land for nutrient production.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Saudi Arabia plans to plant 50 billion trees
The Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives aim to take the crown of the world’s largest tree-planting effort—50 billion across the Arab states, as well as efforts at home to more than double the size of the Kingdom’s protected areas.
Learn more2021 C.E.
NopeaRide is launching SolarHub EV charging stations in Kenya
EkoRent Africa’s NopeaRide, Africa’s first all-electric ride-hailing taxi firm and delivery service (Nopea Xpress), has received funding from EEP Africa for piloting solar electric vehicle charging stations in Kenya
Learn more2021 C.E.
Getty and City of Los Angeles announce new project to identify and protect African American historic places
As of now, just over three percent of the city’s 1,200 designated local landmarks are linked to African American heritage.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Polestar pledges to produce the first-ever carbon-neutral car by 2030
“We’re electric, so we don’t have to worry about combustion engines producing toxic emissions – but that doesn’t mean our job is done,” says Polestar’s Head of Sustainability, Fredrika Klarén. “We will now work to eradicate all emissions stemming from production.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
New York doctors complete first-ever successful trachea transplant
A 56-year-old woman from the Bronx, New York, named Sonia Sein is the recipient. She ended up in the hospital six years ago after a particularly nasty asthma attack.
Learn more2021 C.E.
ABB launches “world’s fastest, most sensitive drone-based leak detection & GHG measuring system”
ABB claims that the sensitivity with which it detects methane is 1,000 greater than it is with conventional methane detection tools. And it can do so while flying 130 ft above the ground or even higher — at 55+ mph.
Learn more2021 C.E.
In 24 years, California has cut toxic air pollution by 78%, resulting in 82% fewer attributable deaths
Scientists at UC Berkeley are hailing the state’s diesel engine standards and other measures imposed over a number of years, even in the face of loosened environmental regulations in recent years.
Learn more2021 C.E.
U.K. launches world’s largest ocean monitoring system
The U.K. government, under the Blue Belt program, has announced its plan to install underwater camera rigs for monitoring ocean wildlife across over 4 million square kilometers of ocean space.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Tesco removed one billion pieces of plastic from across its stores in 2020
Last year, Tesco met with 1,500 suppliers to let them know that the company reserves the right to no longer stock products that use excessive packaging or hard to recycle materials.
Learn more2021 C.E.
New renewable energy added in 2020 smashes records
IRENA’s annual Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021 shows that global renewable energy capacity grew by more than 260 GW last year, beating the previous record set in 2019 by nearly 50%.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Spain set to pilot four-day work week program
The €50m project provides funding to incentivize companies to try out the new schedule. Officials estimate that they will have the funding to sponsor 200 companies, impacting 3,000 to 6,000 employees.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Virginia bans the gay/trans panic legal defense
It’s the 12th state to ban defendants from arguing they “panicked” when they found out their victim was LGBTQ.
Learn more2021 C.E.
The Netherlands to install a million EV chargers by 2030
By building the infrastructure, the Dutch government will make the transition to electric vehicles as seamless and painless as possible.
Learn more2021 C.E.
India fishermen divert their catch of ocean plastic so it can be used to rebuild roads
The Kerala fishermen’s work has so far amassed 176,000 pounds (80,000 kilograms) of plastic, of which more than half has gone towards creating 84 miles (135km) of road.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Indonesian campaigners triumph against a coal mine in top court
Indonesia’s Supreme Court has rejected a final appeal from a coal company after it and the ministry of energy and mines lost a lawsuit filed by the Indonesian NGO Walhi three years earlier.
Learn more2021 C.E.
South Korea unveils $43 billion plan for world’s largest offshore wind farm
The 48.5 trillion won ($42.8 billion) wind farm, to be built over the next decade off the southwest coast of the country, would generate up to 8.2 gigawatts of power.
Learn more2021 C.E.
UCLA Archive of Healing promotes and protects indigenous folk medicine
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have created an online platform called the Archive of Healing which features thousands of previously delegitimized traditional therapies spanning seven continents and 200 years.
Learn more2021 C.E.
U.S. military to release new trans-inclusive policies to reverse Trump’s military ban
The measures will allow service members to access gender-affirming health care, among other provisions.
Learn more2021 C.E.
New York must offer vaccine to all prisoners immediately, judge rules
A judge in the Bronx ruled that people incarcerated in the state’s prisons and jails had been arbitrarily excluded from the coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Joe Biden releases historic Transgender Day of Visibility presidential proclamation
President Joe Biden issued a proclamation honoring the Transgender Day of Visibility today, a historic first that’s even more remarkable after the previous president relentlessly attacked transgender rights and even refused to issue a proclamation for Pride Month.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Audi commits to cut water consumption in half by 2035
Automotive World says that it takes 39,000 gallons of water to produce a car, with one of the biggest issues being painting.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Massachusetts passes sweeping climate legislation to reduce emissions
The law, which was passed last week by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, sets emission limits at 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 75 percent below by 2040 with interim limits every five years.
Learn more2021 C.E.
India donates 200,000 vaccines to protect UN blue helmets against COVID
The donated AstraZeneca vaccines left Mumbai for the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where they will be safely stored and distributed to UN peacekeepers serving in various missions.
Learn more2021 C.E.
U.S. announces measures to expand offshore wind energy production
The New Wind Energy Area off the coast of New Jersey will be available for lease to offshore wind companies and the federal government will also make $3 billion in funding available through its loan guarantee program to incentivize wind energy investment.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Electrify America & Jeep Partner to create trailhead charging network in the U.S.
Their plan is to put a Level 2 charging station at the trailheads for every Jeep Badge of Honor trail. Jeep wants to complete this within the next 12 months.
Learn more2021 C.E.
U.S. Federal Judge blocks further oil and gas extraction in Ohio’s Wayne National Forest
The ruling rebuked the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for failing to consider threats to public health, endangered species, and watersheds before opening more than 40,000 acres of the forest to fracking last year.
Learn more2021 C.E.
New Zealand approves paid leave for miscarriage
The country is expanding upon its public health policies surrounding reproductive rights and has unanimously approved a bill that gives mothers and their partners the right to paid leave following a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Supreme Court Of Canada upholds national carbon tax
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled this week a federal carbon tax that is legal pursuant to the “peace, order, and good government” provisions of the Canadian constitution.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Renault Trucks pledges to phase out fossil fuels by 2040
Renault Trucks is the latest manufacturer to lay out its electrification pledge: it’ll have a battery or fuel cell option in every segment from 2023, it’s aiming for 35 percent electric sales in 2030, and it’ll ditch fossil fuels and decarbonize completely by 2040.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Conservationists are creating ‘superhighways’ for insects in the UK
A new conservation project aims to create a network of wildflower superhighways across the UK. Ten years in the making, the B-Lines initiative was launched by the insect charity Buglife.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Landmark brain cancer vaccine passes first phase of human trials
New data suggests the experimental vaccine is safe and stimulates a significant immune response that slows tumor progression. A larger Phase 2 trial is currently being planned.
Learn more2021 C.E.
American bald eagle population has quadrupled over the last decade
A recent report conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service said that there were over 316,700 bald eagles and more than 71,400 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states documented during the 2019 breeding season.
Learn more2021 C.E.
First all-electric Norwegian commuter aircraft to hit the skies by 2026
“This aircraft shows how quickly new technology can and will be developed, and that we are on track with our ambition of flying with zero emissions around 2025.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
Brazilian green H2 plant to be world’s biggest CO2 reducer
This development would be 20 times larger than the biggest green hydrogen plant in operation today – Air Liquide’s 20 MW hydro-to-hydrogen operation, which has just opened in Quebec.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Electric motorcycle startup Kiri EV scaling up across Africa after 12 month pilot in Nairobi
“We are working to prove that electric vehicles will play a big role in the future of transportation across Africa. Our mission is to lead the electric revolution across Africa.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
Dr. Rachel Levine makes history as first trans official confirmed by U.S. Senate
After a bipartisan vote, Dr. Levine will be the assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services despite opposition from the religious right.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Virginia bans cosmetic testing on animals
Senator Jennifer Boysko and Delegate Kaye Kory introduced the bill. Its passage makes Virginia the fourth state in the U.S. to make a law prohibiting cosmetic animal testing.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Morehouse College and Spelman College co-create Center for Black Entrepreneurship with $10 million from Bank of America
The Center for Black Entrepreneurship will be the first-ever academic center to assemble, educate, and empower a new class of Black entrepreneurial talent.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Annova LNG cancels planned fracked natural gas terminal in southern Texas
“If built, Annova LNG would have destroyed wetlands, blocked a wildlife corridor threatening the survival of endangered wildlife, and put communities needlessly at risk,” said the Sierra Club in a statement.
Learn more2021 C.E.
NetZero mycelium orbs double the carbon capture of soil
A single application last ten years and can be used anywhere, from a commercial farming operation to a simple backyard lawn. Treated plants can capture one ton of carbon per year or 10 tons per application.
Learn more2021 C.E.
BMW’s Mini cars to go all-electric from 2030
Bavarian carmaker BMW, owner of the iconic Mini range since 1994, plans solely electric versions from 2030, reported Der Spiegel magazine on Friday.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Bermuda replaces 1/3 of its bus fleet with EVs
This week, the Government of Bermuda Department of Transportation announced the approval of the purchase of 30 electric buses to replace aged diesel buses and transition toward a zero-emissions fleet.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Wales make Black history courses mandatory in school curricula
Wales has recently announced that all school children in the country will have to take mandatory courses about racism and the contributions of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities to Welsh society.
Learn more2021 C.E.
U.K. is now halfway toward meeting its zero-carbon goal by 2050
Indeed, last year’s carbon emissions in the U.K. were at their lowest levels since 1879, during the reign of Queen Victoria. And on a per capita basis, the the nation’s carbon emissions last year were as low as in 1853, Carbon Brief said.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Athens is tackling urban air pollution and heat stress with “pocket parks”
In an effort to curb air pollution from vehicles — which are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions — the city is now closing traffic lanes and transforming them into bicycle paths, pedestrian walks, and small areas of greenery. It is also renovating fountains which can lower temperatures and improve air quality,
Learn more2021 C.E.
Virginia restores voting rights for the previously incarcerated
Under the new policy, Virginia joins Maine, Vermont, and Washington, D.C who all maintain voting rights for felons and even protect the right to vote for individuals during their prison time.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Audi abandons combustion engine development
“We will no longer develop a new combustion engine, but will adapt our existing combustion engines to new emission guidelines.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
Several Native tribes make COVID-19 vaccines available to everyone in Oklahoma
The Chickasaw, Choctaw, Osage, Cherokee, and Potawatomi nations are offering vaccinations to anyone in Oklahoma who needs one.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Japanese court rules same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional
The court ruled that sexual orientation, like race, is not a matter of individual preference and therefore denying same-sex couples the same benefits as straight couples is unconstitutional.
Learn more2021 C.E.
New Jersey passes groundbreaking LGBTQ “Senior Bill of Rights”
Anti-LGBTQ discrimination will be banned in senior care facilities, in what could be the next frontier in LGBTQ rights.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Deb Haaland confirmed as first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history
“The confirmation of Deb Haaland as secretary of the interior is a tremendous win for Indigenous communities, the waters, parks, and lands across our country, and the climate.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
UK government launches new £150 million fund for rainforest protection
Through the new program, the UK government plans to invest £150 million for businesses and investors focused on sustainable land-use projects.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Lia is the world’s first flushable, biodegradable pregnancy test
The plastic-free design is made from the same plant fibers used in toilet paper and because it weighs as much as four squares of two-ply toilet paper, it can be safely flushed after use for total privacy.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Canada launches satellite technology that identifies vessels illegally catching fish
It is estimated that illegal fishing accounts for about 30% of all fishing worldwide, representing up to 26 million tons of fish caught annually at a cost to the global economy of more than $23 billion a year.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Solar & wind in South Africa contributed more than nuclear for first time ever
South Africa has been gradually adding utility-scale wind, solar PV, and concentrating solar power (CSP) for years, increasing the installed capacity from 467 MW in 2013 to 5,027 MW by the end of 2020.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Biden administration declares anti-LGBTQ credit discrimination illegal in the U.S.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), under the direction of the Biden administration, has announced it will now include discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual discrimination within discrimination outlawed by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).
Learn more2021 C.E.
“Carbon-absorbing” vertical forest skyscraper nears completion in Taipei
Located in the financial district of Taiwan’s capital, the award-winning vertical forest building was created by the architects as an “anti-global warming and carbon-absorbing ecosystem” and will feature approximately 23,000 trees, shrubs and plants along the ground floor, balconies and terraces.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Japanese knife maker Kai develops the world’s first disposable paper razor
Designed with eco-friendliness in mind, the disposable razor uses paper throughout its body and metal for the blade — reducing plastic by 98 percent compared to conventional razors.
Learn more2021 C.E.
UK citizens get the right to repair
For the first time, manufacturers will be legally required to make spare parts available so that consumers can make repairs at home; hence, the nickname “right to repair law.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
UN adopts landmark framework to integrate natural capital in economic reporting
“This is a historic step forward towards transforming how we view and value nature. We will no longer be heedlessly allowing environmental destruction and degradation to be considered economic progress” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Goldman Sachs commits $10 billion to One Million Black Women initiative
The initiative, One Million Black Women, is named for and guided by the goal of impacting the lives of at least 1 million Black women by 2030.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Romania orders 123 electric buses
Seven Romanian cities and towns will receive the 131 zero-emission e-buses. The total value of the contract is almost €65 million.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Plant-based foods on the rise in China
In 2018, the country’s domestic plant-based meat industry was $910 million and experiencing a yearly growth-rate of 14.2 percent.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Lebanese hospital is world’s first to go vegan
“When adopting a plant based exclusive diet has been scientifically proven not only to stop the evolution of certain diseases but it can also reverse them. We then, have the moral responsibility to act upon and align our beliefs with our actions.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
Once-a-month PrEP pill shows promising results for HIV prevention
Islatravir, an HIV prevention drug developed by Merck, has already reached its second stage of trials. Following promising results, it looks likely to go to Phase 3 trials, bringing it one step closer to approval.
Learn more2021 C.E.
FedEx plans to become carbon neutral by 2040 with zero-emission vehicles
FedEx plans to invest at least $2 billion in sustainable energy initiatives, including replacing all of its parcel pickup and delivery vehicles with zero-emission electric vehicles by 2040.
Learn more2021 C.E.
U.S. federal judge orders record penalty against Exxon for thousands of Clean Air Act violations
A U.S. District Court judge has imposed a $14.25 million penalty to punish the company for violating the federal laws—the largest yet imposed in a Clean Air Act citizen enforcement suit.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Aviva becomes world’s first major insurer to target net-zero carbon emissions
“It won’t be easy to do, but we’re determined to take bold steps to help tackle the climate crisis,” the company said in a press release. The plan is for Aviva to be net-zero carbon by 2040.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Canada will invest $2.75 bn to boost its fleet of zero-emission vehicles
In addition to expanding its fleet of zero-emissions and assisting the electrification of its public transportation, the investment will also support municipalities, transit authorities, and school boards.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Connecticut becomes 8th U.S. state to pass CROWN Act, making natural hairstyle discrimination illegal
The bill protects those wearing natural or protective hairstyles from discrimination at their workplace or school and makes said discrimination illegal.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Early results of Stockton, CA basic income trial report success
The results from the first 12 months of a small universal basic income trial in California suggest those receiving the monthly unconditional payments report increased rates of employment and improved mental health.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Kenya Power’s meter reading & revenue collection teams adopt electric motorcycles
Kenya’s electric utility company, Kenya Power, which is currently the only electricity off-taker in the country that has the mandate of procuring, distributing, and retailing electricity across the country, is piloting electric motorcycles.
Learn more2021 C.E.
American Psychological Association opposes transgender conversion “therapy” in historic statement
“Transgender or nonbinary gender identities are normal variations in human expression of gender. Attempts to force people to conform with rigid gender identities can be harmful to their mental health and well-being.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
Six major U.S. utilities will build a massive EV charging network across 16 states
The fear of running out of battery power is a barrier to many customers who might purchase an EV. This new coalition helps address that concern.
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Volvo is going fully electric by 2030
The Swedish automaker will also be phasing out leather interiors as well to meet its sustainability goals.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Maryland’s Montgomery County makes largest electric school bus order in U.S. history
Montgomery County Public Schools has decided to fully electrify its fleet, starting with an order for 326 electric school buses to be delivered in the next 4 years.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Petaluma becomes the first city in the U.S. to ban new gas pumps
The ban will limit the number of gas stations to their current count of 16 while also preventing these from expanding the number of fuel pumps. The move, celebrated by climate activists, is a national first and represents a crucial step towards cutting our reliance on dirty fossil fuels.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Uttarakhand becomes first Indian state to give wives co-ownership of ancestral land
The landmark ruling, called the the Uttarakhand Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, is set to affect some 350,000 women who manage properties alongside, or in the absence of their husbands.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire begin history-making COVID vaccination drives
The West African nations each received more than half a million doses. The deliveries signify the launch of the largest, most rapid and complex global vaccine rollout in history, said WHO.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Netflix launches Fund for Creative Equity to promote industry-wide diversity
The company has announced the launch of their new Fund for Creative Equity which will invest $100 million over five years to improve the visibility of underrepresented groups on-screen and identify and mentor up-and-coming talent from marginalized groups in the film and television industry.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Major Christian adoption agency in U.S. to start working with LGBTQ people
In an email sent to 1,500 staff, Bethany Christian Services’s President, Chris Palusky, said, “We will now offer services with the love and compassion of Jesus to the many types of families who exist in our world today.”
Learn more2021 C.E.
Honda, Yamaha, KTM, and Piaggio team up in swappable battery consortium
Four major manufacturers have committed to developing a standardized swappable battery system for electric motorcycles, opening up the possibility of quick-swap battery banks at service stations, servicing a range of brands and models.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Sweetgreen to cut its CO2 emissions in half by 2027
Sweetgreen has recently set the goal of cutting its carbon footprint in half in the next six years while offsetting the rest of its emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by the same time.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Black Lives Matter Foundation expands $3 million pandemic survival fund
The foundation, which grew out of the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement nearly eight years ago, plans to give 3,000 microgrants of $1,000 each to people who it believes need it most.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Delaware River Basin Commission votes to ban fracking in historic victory
The ban was supported by all four basin states — New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York — putting a permanent end to hydraulic fracking for natural gas along the 13,539-square-mile basin, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Learn more2021 C.E.
The first class of female Eagle Scouts has earned their badges
Two years ago, the Eagle Scout program was opened up to female participants, with the first 1,000 young women who had just earned their badges and the honor that comes with it.
Learn more2021 C.E.
World’s largest hydrogen “green steel” plant to open in Sweden by 2024
H2 Green Steel (H2GS) will use hydrogen produced with renewable energy from Sweden’s Boden-Luleå region. By 2030, H2GS expects to be producing five million tons of high-quality zero-emissions steel annually.
Learn more2021 C.E.
EV charging station installations increasing rapidly in the United States
In 2009, 245 new EV charging stations were installed in the country. In 2019, more than 20,000 new EV charging stations were installed, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Atlanta builds the United States’s largest food forest to tackle food insecurity
Thanks to a US Forest Service grant and a collaboration between the city’s municipality and a number of different NGOs, the 7.1 acres of land are now ripe with 2,500 pesticide-free edible and medicinal plants.
Learn more2021 C.E.
World’s first 3D-printed school planned for Madagascar
The school is a pilot project and, looking to the future, Thinking Huts hopes to expand the idea to provide more schools elsewhere in Madagascar, and even throughout in the world.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Pollution in the Mississippi River has plummeted since the 1980s
The great waterway was shown to become filthier and filthier until 1980, when the effects brought about by the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA) started to kick in.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Facebook to add new labels to posts about climate change
Facebook has announced that it will start labeling posts about climate change with a banner that will direct people to its “Climate Science Information Center,’ an information page on climate change.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Annapolis sues 26 oil and gas companies over climate change
The city seeks to force the companies to help cover the mounting costs of climate change, including severe flooding that disproportionately harms communities of color.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Maersk to deploy world’s first carbon-neutral shipping liner in 2023
The green liner is to join the fleet a full seven years ahead of the Danish company’s original date—as they hope to rapidly shape the future of marine container shipping into one that’s carbon-neutral.
Learn more2021 C.E.
India to offer $640 million in incentives to solar manufacturers
Through the incentive scheme, the Indian government hopes to attract investment for 10 gigawatts of solar ingot-to-module capacity by 2023.
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More Native American tribes are buying back their ancestral lands
As one example, the Klamath Tribes of southern Oregon purchased a 1,705-acre patchwork of meadows, wetlands, and timberland that had once belonged to them.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Texas to add 35 GW of wind and solar in next 3 years
“The near-term additions — which are largely underpinned by financial security deposits for interconnection, federal tax incentives and power purchase agreements — would more than double ERCOT’s solar and wind footprint to 64 GW in just three years,” S&P Global writes.
Learn more2021 C.E.
MDMA proves a promising alcoholism treatment in world-first trial
A small open-label trial is the first to test MDMA therapy as a treatment for addiction and the results suggest it is safe, well-tolerated and significantly more effective than any current treatment for alcoholism.
Learn more2021 C.E.
India likely passed peak coal in 2018, according to new report
Energy think tank Ember reports that the share of coal-based electricity in India has been on the decline since 2018.
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The Empire State Building and 13 related buildings are now 100% powered by wind
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. is now the largest 100% user of green power in real estate in the United States.
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Paris is turning dark underground parking lots into organic mushrooms farms
Along with mushrooms, Cycloponics grows chicory as well as microgreens like mini broccoli. These are delivered via bicycle to local organic grocery stores.
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Hydrogen projects worth $300 billion are quickly dropping prices for the green fuel worldwide
Hydrogen is on the rise as a green fuel source. Two-thirds of the global hydrogen production expected to be operational in 2030 has been announced in the last year.
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400 years after being wiped out by, Britain’s wild cranes make a comeback
Because of conservation efforts that began in 1979, the common crane (not seen since the 1600s) now numbers almost 200 individuals in the country, with more than 60 breeding pairs.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Ford Europe will sell only all-electric passenger cars from 2030
Beyond 2026, the company will start phasing out production of plug-in hybrids on the road to going all electric by the end of the decade.
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New York State mandates fertility treatment coverage for same-sex couples
Many LGBTQ+ couples still have to pay six to 12 months of out-of-pocket expenses for testing to qualify for fertility services. Under the new law, insurers are required to cover these services immediately.
Learn more2021 C.E.
The first farmer in the U.S. to sequester carbon for cash in private marketplace earns $115k
Trey Hill’s Maryland farm of 10,000 acres sold its carbon credits for $16.50 per ton through a Seattle-based startup called Nori.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala makes history as first woman and first African to lead the WTO
Okonjo-Iweala said she was “honoured” to be selected to lead the organization, and vowed to take on global economic and health challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Learn more2021 C.E.
WeDontHaveTime.org creates the world’s largest social network for climate action
We Don’t Have Time is a social network for everyone who wants to be a part of the solution to the climate crisis. The power of many enables the network to influence businesses, politicians and world leaders.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Coca-Cola to test fully recyclable paper bottle in Hungary
Coca-Cola has partnered with Danish startup Paboco (“Paper Bottle Company”) as one of many strategies to reduce the three million metric tons of plastic packaging it goes through per year.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Arke Technologies opens up an EV conversion school and workshop in Ghana
Founded by Nana Arkorful and his father Abeku Arkorful, Arke Technologies has already started an EV conversion school in Accra, Ghana, which has so far attracted over 60 people.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Jaguar to go fully electric by 2025
The entire Jaguar brand will go entirely electric within the next four years, according to a company press release. The company will also start to launch all-electric Land Rover SUV models in 2024.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is building the world’s first zero-emissions tanker
The new vessel for Asahi Tanker is the first of two all-electric vessels that will be built from e5 Lab. It should be in service in bunkering operations in Tokyo Bay by 2022.
Learn more2021 C.E.
First human-composting funeral home in the U.S. opens
Recompose, a Seattle-based company, now offers an innovative funeral service that turns human remains into healthy soil.
Learn more2021 C.E.
Zero rhinos poached in Kenya in 2020
2020 was remarkable year for rhino protection in Kenya where not one single rhino lost its horn or lost its life last year—a feat not achieved since 1999.
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Denver’s unarmed 911 response team arrested no one in its first 6 months
Denver’s new Support Team Assistance Response responded to 748 incidents, with not a single one of them requiring police or leading to arrests or jail-time.
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New concrete recipe improves its carbon capture efficiency
Engineers at Purdue University have developed a new cement recipe that can absorb CO2 twice as fast as usual.
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Activists gathered 500,000 signatures to force Michigan’s legislature to vote on LGBTQ civil rights
A coalition of 37 organizations have gathered 530,000 signatures to have the state legislature vote on a law that would define “sex” in state anti-discrimination legislation to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
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Green Genius to invest over €100 million to create solar parks in Poland
In total, Green Genius aims to install new solar power plants with a total capacity of 154 megawatts in Poland “in the near future.”
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America will have a climate corps once more thanks to new executive order
Under a newly signed executive order from the White House, a new Civilian Climate Corps is being established to provide “good jobs” for young people in the U.S. and train them for environmentally friendly careers.
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President Biden signs memo to protect LGBTQ rights around the globe
The memo directs executive departments and U.S. agencies working abroad “promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons everywhere.”
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Global plugin vehicle sales up 43% in 2020
That meant a rise from 2.5% market share in 2019 to 4.2% share of the global light-duty vehicle market in 2020.
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Sanctuary containing ‘healthiest coral reefs in the world’ just tripled in size
The Gulf of Mexico’s largest coral sanctuary just got 200 percent bigger, now that the U.S. government formally approved the expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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185 German actors come out and call for more LGBTQ representation on screen
The actors published a joint #ActOut manifesto on Friday in the leading German newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung. They have also published it online in several different languages, including English.
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India is on ‘cusp of a solar-powered revolution’, according to International Energy Agency
Solar power currently makes up just 4% of the nation’s power supply, but it is set to grow 18-fold and become the new “king of India’s generation fleet” by at least 2040.
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Pakistan sees record drop in terrorism deaths in 2020
The South Asian nation has seen a reduction in terrorist attacks on home soil by 86% since 2013, and between 2019 and 2020 alone there was a 45% fall.
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Denmark to build world’s first energy island in the North Sea
Fully implemented, it will be able to cover the consumption of 10 million European households with green energy.
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53 WTO members commit to ease restrictions on humanitarian food aid
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries initially restricted food exports, raising concerns that poor consumers in net food-importing countries would face difficulties in accessing food.
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Anthill Creations builds hundreds of playgrounds in India’s slums out of local waste
Anthill Creations specializes in affordable play spaces that are sustainably constructed with a combination of local waste materials and materials donated from companies such as Michelin and Apollo Tire.
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Court makes “historic” ruling that France is responsible for climate inaction
The court gave the French government two months to take appropriate steps before ordering it to lower emissions or compensating for the effects of its inaction, The New York Times reported.
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VW opens a recycling plant for batteries at the end of their lives
Volkswagen expects this process to yield the raw materials needed for new battery production, such as copper, aluminum, lithium, manganese, cobalt and graphite.
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United States commits to protect 30% of its land and ocean areas by 2030
Currently, only 12 percent of the nation’s land and 23 percent of its ocean are protected, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
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Italy’s electric car market tripled in 2020
With over 32,000 full electric cars sold, the Italian BEV market tripled in 2020, surging to 2.3% market share.
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New prostate cancer test makes diagnosis in 20 minutes with near 100% accuracy
The breakthrough, developed by Korean scientists, is likely to revolutionize testing as existing methods are not only inaccurate but can result in over-diagnosis and necessitate invasive biopsies.
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U.S. counties with more cannabis dispensaries are suffering fewer opioid deaths
A new study out of UC Davis suggests that increased access to cannabis stores that legally sell medical and recreational cannabis may help to reduce opioid-related deaths.
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Trash trap gets to work removing plastic waste from Vietnam’s Red River
The trash traps have already collected more than 18 tons of floating waste. Now, thanks to additional funding, more are being rolled out Nam Dinh province over the next two years.
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Dutch court orders Shell Oil to pay for harm done to Nigerian farmers
Royal Dutch Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary must pay punitive restitution to Nigerian villages for oil spill contamination that brought death, illness, and destruction to Nigerian farmers and communities.
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Austin redirects police funding to buy transitional housing for homeless
The Austin City Council voted unanimously to purchase the Texas Bungalow Hotel & Suites for $6.7 million. The hotel is slated to become transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness.
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Pete Buttigieg becomes America’s first out Cabinet member
Buttigieg was confirmed as the Secretary of Transportation by a bipartisan vote.
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President Biden orders end to fossil fuel subsidies
The executive order “directs federal agencies to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies as consistent with applicable law and identify new opportunities to spur innovation, commercialization, and deployment of clean energy technologies and infrastructure.”
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Finnish hockey club aims to become world’s first carbon-neutral team
Lahti Pelicans, a Finnish ice hockey club, is championing for a carbon-free world. In celebration of Lahti’s crowning as the 2021 European Green Capital, the Pelicans set a goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral hockey club in the world.
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Three major banks will no longer finance oil trade in the Amazon Sacred Headwaters region in Ecuador
The decision from Credit Suisse, ING, and BNP Paribas is seen as a major victory for environmental and Indigenous rights activists, Reuters reported.
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GM commits to ending sales of gas-powered cars by 2035
GM’s CEO Mary Barra specifically announced that the company aims to be carbon neutral by 2040.
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Sweden to build reindeer bridges so the animals can safely cross highways
Work will begin this year on the first of the Swedish renoducts over the E4 motorway north of the city of Umeå, Vetenskapsradion reported.
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U.S. federal government to discontinue use of private prisons
A new executive order calls on the Department of Justice to not renew contracts with privately operated criminal detention centers. There are currently more than 14,000 incarcerated individuals housed in privately-operated facilities in the US.
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UK supports climate action in the Global South with $4 billion plan
The UK government has announced it will commit at least US $4 billion to climate change solutions in developing countries, helping to protect and restore nature and biodiversity over five years.
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Africa to get its first, exclusively LGBTQ cruise in 2022
Organized by AfriGay Travel, the three-night cruise will launch on March 11, 2022. It will set sail from Durban in South Africa and travel to Portuguese Island in neighboring Mozambique.
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Illinois becomes first U.S. state to end cash bail system
In a huge win for racial justice, the state of Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first state to end wealth-based pre-trial detention.
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Washington is the first U.S. state to hold a climate assembly
Eighty members of the public have been selected through a lottery to join the country’s first climate assembly in Washington. The assembly is constituted to deliberate on environmental issues.
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China passes landmark law protecting the Yangtze River
With 96 separate provisions for the river system spread across nine chapters of legislation, it is the largest environmental protection bill the rivers of China have ever seen, and will enter into force on March 1.
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64% say climate change is an emergency in world’s largest-ever climate poll
The UN Development Program and the University of Oxford surveyed 1.2 million people across 50 countries through ads distributed in mobile gaming apps. Only 10% think world leaders are doing enough to address climate change.
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German scientists make paralyzed mice walk again
German researchers have enabled mice paralyzed after spinal cord injuries to walk again, re-establishing a neural link hitherto considered irreparable in mammals.
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Renewables surpassed fossil fuels in Europe for the first time in 2020
A new report found that renewables delivered 38% of electricity in Europe last year while fossil fuels delivered 37%. Solar and wind power have nearly doubled since 2015.
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President Biden overturns the ban on transgender military personnel
“President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity,” the White House said in an emailed statement.
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U.S. FDA approves first-ever long-acting HIV medication
The monthly injection treatment replaces the need for some to take daily pills. The company says the price of the injections is comparable to the cost of the pill versions.
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China adds record-breaking 72 GW of wind power in 2020
China’s 2020 wind power additions more than doubled the previous record set in 2019. For further perspective, only 60 GW of wind power was added globally in 2019.
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Tribe in Panama wins landmark case granting them 400,000 acres of ancestral forests
The Naso tribe will share management responsibilities of 400,000 acres of land within La Amistad National Park and Palo Seco Nature Reserve after the court granted them authority to create a comarca: a semi-autonomous tribal kingship, in the two parks.
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French central bank to drop coal and limit oil and gas in portfolio
The Bank of France, which manages 22 billion euros, will no longer invest in companies that generate more than 2 percent of their revenues from coal by the end of 2021 and will drop this threshold to zero percent by 2024.
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Gothenburg, Sweden develops world’s first zero-emissions zone
The developers hope to make the city one of the world’s largest-scale testing grounds for zero-emission technologies. If the initiative works as proposed, Gothenburg Green City Zone will implement 100% emission-free transport modes by 2030.
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Morocco aims for 50% renewable energy by 2030
By 2030, Morocco wants to be at 50% renewable energy (for electricity needs), and it aims to reach 100% renewables by 2050.
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Joe Biden halts Keystone XL pipeline construction
The 1,700-mile pipeline was planned to carry roughly 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.
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Joe Biden moves to re-enter the U.S. into the Paris Agreement
Hours after being sworn in as the president of the United States, Joe Biden signed an executive order that will move the country to rejoin the Paris climate agreement — a strident reversal of America’s environmental policy over the past four years.
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Joe Biden signs sweeping executive order fighting anti-LGBTQ discrimination
Biden’s order tells the heads of all executive agencies to ensure that they are interpreting bans on sex discrimination in U.S. federal law to also “prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.”
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Kamala Harris becomes the U.S.’s first female, first black, and first Asian-American Vice President
Ms. Harris, who is of Indian-Jamaican heritage, was sworn in just before Joe Biden took the oath of office to become the 46th U.S. president. She has already broken historic barriers for women and people of color in the U.S.
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Amazon launches $2 billion fund to make 20,000 affordable homes for working families
The Housing Equity Fund will invest more than $2 billion to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in Washington State’s Puget Sound; Arlington, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee.
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World-first biomarker test can predict depression and bipolar disorder
Australian scientists have developed and validated a world-first test that is claimed to accurately measure levels of a brain protein known to be associated with depression and bipolar disorder.
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Vegan restaurant is awarded Michelin Star for first time
The restaurant is in southwestern France and was started by chef Claire Vallée, a 41-year-old former archeologist who became a vegan after a trip to Thailand.
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Aleph Farms and Mitsubishi team up to bring cultured meat to Japan
The end goal is to bring meat to the table that has net-zero carbon dioxide emissions along the entire supply chain and at a reasonable price.
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Colorado approves $110 million transportation electrification plan
Xcel Energy will deploy 20,000 EV charging stations across Colorado, under a $110 million plan formally approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
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Germany used more renewables than fossil fuels in 2020 for the first time ever
For the first time in history, a combination of wind, solar, and other renewables overtook Germany’s coal, oil, and gas, for use as the country’s fuel source during 2020.
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Yelp will now tell you if a business is following covid-19 protocols
The platform’s new pandemic specifics allow customers to report if staff and other customers are following social distancing and mask protocols.
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4 major Asian nations cancel 80% of planned coal power projects
Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have canceled nearly 45 gigawatts of proposed coal power projects, a figure equal to more than one-quarter of the total installed capacity of Germany.
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Robert Saleh to become NFL’s first Muslim head coach
The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, making him the first Muslim to run an NFL sideline.
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New initiative is paying farmers to combat Amazon deforestation
Landowners in the program receive between $37-$74 per year for each hectare of native vegetation that they preserve.
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Ivory Coast designates first-ever marine sanctuary
The 1,000 square mile area is the first of five that the Ivory Coast government has designated for protection.
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Somerville, Massachusetts decriminalizes naturally occurring psychedelics
The Somerville City Council voted 9-0 to decriminalize the possession of entheogenic plants, including psilocybin mushrooms and ibogaine.
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Experimental Alzheimer’s drug delivers promising Phase 2 trial results
According to the new data from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, the antibody donanemab slowed cognitive decline by 32% compared to a placebo.
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The United States’ first out trans state senator is sworn in to office
Sarah McBride is now the highest-ranking transgender elected official in U.S. history.
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Africa’s Great Green Wall effort gets $14 billion cash injection
The Great Green Wall project seeks to restore a massive strip of desert stretching 5,000 miles from the Atlantic to the Red Sea by planting trees and grasslands.
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AI-powered recycling robots now deployed in three continents and 20 states
AMP Robotics’s AI-powered recycling robot that can sort through recyclables twice as fast as its human counterparts has gone global.
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50 countries pledge to conserve 30% of land and water
The High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People is a coalition of more than 50 countries that was formed in 2011 to encourage internal action on the climate crisis prior to the Paris Agreement.
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Saudi Arabia is building a zero-carbon city in a 100-mile straight line
The unconventional city will feature “zero cars, zero streets, and zero carbon emissions,” according to a statement by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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Nevada retroactively recognizes same-sex marriages
The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that the state must honor marriages of same-sex couples performed before the state legalized marriage equality in 2014.
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Record number of people sign up for Veganuary challenge
The annual challenge Veganuary announced Tuesday that it had received more than half a million sign-ups and counting, the most in a single year since it first launched in 2014.
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U.S. government lifts ban on federal student aid for incarcerated individuals
The lifted ban is part of the $1.4 trillion government pandemic stimulus package for 2021 and reflects a long push for prison reform which encourages rehabilitation and lowered incarceration rates.
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The UK will soon have a dedicated register of tradeswomen
The not-for-profit project National Register of Tradeswomen aims to ensure that vulnerable householders who feel safer with tradeswomen are able to find them.
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Indian startup turns polluted air into climate-friendly tiles
Each new sustainable building tile contains at least 70 percent waste material and is the equivalent of cleaning 30,000 liters of air, the company website said.
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Chinese fast food chain swaps all chicken eggs with plant-based versions
The chain, which has about 500 locations in China, is the first major fast-food company to outright replace items made with animal products with a plant-based version.
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Researchers have solved a water desalination problem that had baffled scientists for decades
The research team, in partnership with DuPont Water Solutions, solved an important aspect of this mystery, opening the door to reduce costs of clean water production.
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Psychedelic research center launched at New York’s Mount Sinai
Named the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research the institution is first focusing on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.
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Boston Red Sox hire first Black woman to coach in MLB history
Bianca Smith will serve as a minor league coach at the club’s player development facility in Fort Myers, Florida.
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Raphael Warnock wins election to become Georgia’s first Black senator
As the New York Times eloquently pointed out, the election in Georgia “was also a rare chance for one Senate barrier breaker to pass the torch to another.”
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DPA is installing electric vehicle charging stations across Zimbabwe
60 kW DC fast chargers will be rolled out in major cities, and then scaled up to the country’s major highways.
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Plastic straws and single-use bags vanish from China as ban kicks in
In China, 2020 was bid farewell with a flurry of fireworks and the scratching off of 200 million metric tonnes of plastic straws from the nation’s pollution inventory.
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31 countries, states, and cities now have gas/diesel car bans in place
At the start of 2021, there are 31 national and local governments that have announced bans on the sale of some forms of transportation powered by internal combustion engines.
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No Newark police officers fired a weapon while on duty in 2020
Newark police and city officials say their de-escalation training program is working, with not one officer firing his or her weapon while on duty in 2020.
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Subscriptions to satellite alerts linked to decreased deforestation in Africa
Deforestation dropped 18% in two years in African countries where organizations subscribed to receive warnings from a new satellite service.
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The U.S. is building a bike trail that runs coast-to-coast across 12 states
The Great American Rail-Trail will be almost 6,000km when complete, and will serve 50 million people within 80km of the route.
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China will open its huge FAST telescope to scientists globally
The “Sky Eye” parabolic dish is the world’s largest Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) used for spotting pulsars and other energetic astronomical targets.
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Researchers develop technology that instantly converts CO2 into jet fuel
The invention of an onboard system for carbon-neutral flight would represent a massive step towards addressing the climate crisis.
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Boston is building the world’s largest Passive House-certified office building
Boston’s Financial District will soon welcome the groundbreaking Winthrop Center, a year-round, mixed-use gathering space with a suite of impressive eco-friendly credentials.
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Bogotá gets 470 new electric buses
A total of over 300,000 people will be served by the vehicles, saving 12,500 tons of carbon dioxide and 2.5 tons of dust particles from being emitted every year.
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U.S. renewable energy consumption surpasses coal for first time in over 130 years
Compared with 2018, coal consumption in the United States decreased nearly 15%, and total renewable energy consumption grew by 1%.
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New Jersey trailblazes with $250m monopile factory to supply U.S. offshore wind industry
New Jersey is creating long-term, well-paid jobs with this huge offshore wind manufacturing initiative that will serve the entire U.S. offshore wind industry.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New York enacts legislation that requires single-person bathrooms to be gender neutral
School, restaurants, and state-operated facilities in the Empire State will have to make single-occupancy restrooms open to anyone, regardless of gender.
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Argentina makes abortion legal in landmark vote
Argentina becomes the first large Latin American country to ditch stringent antiabortion regulations in a vote expected to boost feminist movements across the predominantly Catholic region.
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Oslo, Norway cuts pedestrian and cyclist deaths to zero
Last year, the city recorded zero pedestrian or cyclist deaths, bringing the capital in line with its “Vision Zero”, an undertaking to eliminate all fatalities on public roads.
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CRA reveals the world’s first compostable marker
Scribit Pen cartridges are made of natural fibers and contain non-toxic, water-based ink.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Seven major truck makers to end production of diesel vehicles by 2040
Daf, Daimler, Ford, Iveco, Man, Scania, and Volvo will switch to hydrogen and electric vehicles, allowing them to achieve their zero-emissions goals a decade earlier than planned.
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Jelly Belly unveils gelatin-free vegan candies
Jelly Belly launched a vegan candy gummy that is shaped like a jelly belly, but that replaces the gelatin with tapioca and minimal artificial coloring.
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EU bans exporting unsorted plastic waste to poorer countries
The European Union’s executive branch announced new rules for plastic waste—including a ban on some exports to poorer countries—that will take effect on January 1.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts to be first US city to post warning stickers on gas pumps
“The gas pump stickers will remind drivers to think about climate change and hopefully consider non-polluting options.”
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New Zealand buys enough COVID vaccine for its Pacific Islander neighbors
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta confirmed NZD $75 million of assistancehad been earmarked to support Pacific and global vaccine access and roll-out.
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St. Kitts And Nevis begins construction of Caribbean’s largest solar generation and storage system
The project consists of a fully integrated 35.7 MW solar photovoltaic system and a 14.8 MW lithium-ion battery energy storage system.
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The new characters in the Sesame Street cast are refugees
To help alleviate the distress of Rohingya refugee children and provide them with early years of education, Sesame Street will feature two new Rohingya characters in its programs shown in refugee camps.
Learn more2020 C.E.
European Union approves world’s largest green stimulus
EU lawmakers agreed to provide a €672 billion recovery fund boost for the EU economy. 37% of the funding has to go to projects that help the climate.
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In a world-first, Singapore restaurant begins serving lab-grown meat
The meat, created by US-based startup Eat Just from chicken cells, was approved for sale in Singapore earlier this month.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Deb Haaland slated to be first Native American Interior Secretary
If confirmed, her role will include overseeing the government’s relationship with the 567 federally recognized tribes and 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives.
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Formula 1 makes switch to biofuel, will be carbon neutral in 2021
Formula 1 will adopt a 100% sustainable, bio-waste derived fuel and become carbon neutral in 2021.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Salmon spawn in the upper Columbia River for the first time in 80 years
Since 2014, tribes along the Columbia River have been working on a plan to reintroduce salmon to the river, researching factors such as habitat, fish passage, and others.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Electric cars on track to be cheaper than gas cars by 2023
The market average for batteries will hit $101/kWh by 2023. For electric vehicles to match the price of gas ones, the cost would likely have to meet a $100/kWh threshold
Learn more2020 C.E.
Vast majority of countries worldwide have achieved social progress since 2011
Progress has been made globally on eight of 12 key indicators. The Gambia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Tunisia shown particularly notable improvement.
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Lloyd’s market to quit fossil fuel insurance by 2030
The world’s biggest insurance market will stop new insurance for coal, oil sands and Arctic energy projects by 2022 and pull out of the business altogether by 2030.
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MLB retrospectively elevates Negro Leagues to major league status
The move grants recognition to some of baseball’s pioneers from 1920 to 1948 and immediately rewrites the game’s record books.
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France to become the first country to label electronics with repairability tags
France is reported to begin rolling out ‘repairability tags’ on devices from January 2021, with some other European countries following suit after that.
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Zimbabwe electric utility company ZEDTC starts solar net metering
Net metering is one of the best ways of catalyzing the rapid uptake of distributed renewable energy generation.
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Bhutan Parliament votes to decriminalize homosexuality
Sixty-three of the 69 members of the Bhutan Parliament voted in favor of making gay sex legal; the other six were absent.
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World’s 3rd-largest grocery chain eliminates 20 million single-use plastic wrappings
The UK’s Tesco has switched to recycled cardboard for packaging of holiday lights, crackers, pudding, cards, and more.
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Solar tariff bids in India hit record low of 2.71¢ per kilowatt-hour
The latest bid is sharply lower than the previous record bid of 3.21¢ per kilowatt-hour realized in June of this year.
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Pitzer launches US’ first bachelor’s program for incarcerated individuals
Called the Pitzer Inside-Out Pathway-to-BA, the program uses virtual learning to welcome incarcerated individuals into the classroom with other university students.
Learn more2020 C.E.
The U.S. Supreme Court has fully restored DACA protections
DACA protects people who immigrated to the US with their guardians as children, shielding them from deportation, regardless of citizenship status.
Learn more2020 C.E.
EU leaders agree to cut emissions by 55% of 1990 levels by 2030
The deal was reached after the EU agreed on a $2.2 trillion budget Thursday evening that includes funds for transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Canadian government commits over $3 billion for nature-based climate solutions
The government has proposed providing up to $3.16 billion to partner with provinces, territories, NGOs, Indigenous communities, and more to plant two billion trees.
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Global carbon emissions fall by record 7% in 2020
Carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 fell by 7%, the biggest drop ever, the Global Carbon Project said in its annual assessment.
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Algorithm helps find world’s poorest people to send them cash directly
GiveDirectly and UC Berkeley designed an algorithm that uses AI to identify the poorest individuals in the poorest areas in order to provide them with cash relief.
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Efforts to rewild London’s rivers are yielding results, finds report
Sightings of kingfishers in the capital have increased by 450 per cent since 2000, thanks to significant river restoration projects.
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Ocean Cleanup launches plan to clean up plastic in the world’s most polluted rivers
The company is now preparing to scale up production of the Interceptor as it tries to reach its stated goal of cleaning up the world’s 1000 most polluting rivers.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Electronic waste on the decline in the United States
A new study led by a researcher at the Yale School of the Environment has found that the total mass of electronic waste generated by Americans has been declining since 2015.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New York state divests from fossil fuels in historic move
The massive pension fund’s financial portfolio is worth $226 billion. The new plan is to sell off the riskiest gas and oil stocks and be completely divested from fossil fuels by 2025.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Phase 1 human trial for universal flu vaccine reports promising results
The Phase 1 trial, led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, found this experimental vaccine to be both safe and effective at generating a long-term immune response in a small number of healthy adults.
Learn more2020 C.E.
London tree rental service solves a Christmas quandary
London Christmas Tree Rental delivers a real, pot-grown tree, lets customers enjoy it for a few weeks, then picks it up in January and takes it back to a farm, where the tree can continue to grow.
Learn more2020 C.E.
UN reclassifies cannabis as a less dangerous drug
Cannabis is no longer classified as a Schedule IV drug as per WHO’s recommendation. The declassification opens up the door for more research into its medicinal and therapeutic uses.
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MDMA-assisted couples therapy shows promising initial results in landmark pilot trial
The new study reports the addition of MDMA to the couples therapy protocol resulted in effects that were, “on par with, or greater than, those achieved with CBCT [cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy] alone.”
Learn more2020 C.E.
India plans enormous 41.5 GW hybrid wind & solar power park
For perspective, that is almost as much solar as is currently installed in the entire United States.
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U.S. Supreme Court hands victory to transgender students in locker room case
The Supreme Court has declined to take up a case brought by Oregon parents who want to exclude transgender students from school locker rooms and restrooms.
Learn more2020 C.E.
14 countries commit to ocean sustainability initiative
Governments from 14 countries responsible for 40% of the world’s coastlines and 20% of global fisheries have committed to sustainably manage their national waters by 2025 and encouraged all other nations to join them by 2030.
Learn more2020 C.E.
India imposes new regulations capping commissions for ride-sharing companies
Uber, Ola, and other app-based ride-sharing services in India will now be able to charge only up to 20% commission on ride fares. That means drivers will receive 80% of the ride fare, decreasing what has commonly assumed to be Uber’s 26% commission.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Secondhand clothing sales are booming in the United States
According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market will more than triple in the next 10 years – from $28b in 2019 to $80b in 2029. In 2019, secondhand clothing expanded 21 times faster than conventional apparel retail did.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Chinese island province of Hainan bans all disposable plastics
Plastic polymer food containers, forks, drink cups, knives, straws, plastic bags, packaging bags, and other items that are not biodegradable are no longer allowed to be sold at major establishments like supermarkets, hospitals, government and state-owned buildings like schools, and tourist attractions.
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Switzerland is set to be the next country to legalize marriage equality
The Council of States passed a law that would legalize marriage equality with a 22-15 vote, with seven abstentions. The lower house passed the bill this past June. The bill now goes back to the National Council for final approval and it is expected to pass before the end of the year.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Anchorage introduces team of mental health first responders
Starting next year in Anchorage, Alaska, a new team of mental health first responders will replace police for emergency calls for someone with a mental health issue. The Mobile Crisis Team is funded by a new local alcohol tax and the team is trained to be dispatched to situations police do not have adequate training to address.
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San Francisco, Oakland, and Seattle ban natural gas in new buildings
In November, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted to ban natural gas in new buildings. On December 2, Oakland’s city council did the same. Now Seattle Mayor Durkan announced a proposal to ban natural gas in new commercial and large multi-family construction for space and most water heating.
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Denmark announces end to oil & gas exploration in North Sea
According to the Washington Post, the Danish Parliament voted on December 3 to end offshore gas and oil extraction, which had started in 1972 and made the country the largest producer in the European Union. The Danish government says it is “now putting an end to the fossil fuel era.”
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Nasdaq to mandate diversity requirements for listed companies
The diversity requirements would mandate that each of the Nasdaq’s 3,249 companies have at least one female director and at least one director who identifies as an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+.
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First tribally-associated medical school in the United States launches in the Cherokee Nation
In rural Oklahoma, a brand new medical school sits in the Cherokee Nation, training Nation members to become physicians at Nation clinics. Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation is the first tribally associated medical school in the country.
Learn more2020 C.E.
First of-its-kind study suggests psilocybin can help treat migraines
A first-of-its-kind exploratory study, led by researchers from Yale School of Medicine, has found a single dose of the psychedelic psilocybin can reduce migraine frequency by 50 percent for a least two weeks.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Elephantiasis cases cut by 150 million worldwide since 2000
Over the last 20 years, however, the number of people infected has dropped by 74%, from 199 million to 51.4 million, and last year three countries—Malawi, Kiribati, and Yemen—eliminated it altogether.
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50 Native American tribes are now implementing climate strategies
Dozens of Native nations and tribal institutions in the United States have designed climate change plans that include formal strategies and initiatives to increase the resiliency of their communities.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Homes in Scotland will be the world’s first to use 100% green hydrogen
Scotland’s gas SGN company will outfit some 300 homes in Fife with free hydrogen boilers, heaters, and cooking appliances. The effort is the largest attempt so far to test whether carbon-free hydrogen can help the UK meet its carbon goals.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New Zealand declares climate emergency
The government of New Zealand declared a climate emergency, a symbolic step recognizing IPCC predictions of substantial global warming if emissions do not fall. Alongside the declaration, New Zealand announced it would require its public sector to become carbon neutral by 2025.
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Eat Just’s lab-grown chicken gets world’s first cultured meat approval
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has declared that the U.S.-based company Eat Just can sell its cultured “chicken bites” in the country, The Guardian reported Wednesday.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Bank of America promises to not fund Arctic drilling
After ongoing pressure from environmental groups and Indigenous communities, Bank of America has said it will not finance any oil and gas exploration in the Arctic, making it the last major U.S. financial institution to do so.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Sarah Fuller becomes first woman to play in a major college football game
Sarah Fuller is the starting goalkeeper for the Vanderbilt women’s soccer team, but last Sunday she took on a different athletic role for the school as she became the first woman to play in a Power 5 Conference college football game.
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Recycling robotics company AMP Robotics could raise up to $70M
The potential benefits of AMP Robotic’s machine learning-enabled robots are undeniable. The company’s technology can sort waste streams in ways that traditional systems never could and at a cost that’s far lower than most waste-handling facilities.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Scotland becomes first country to make period products free
The Period Products Bill, which passed unanimously, requires local authorities to ensure that period products are generally obtainable free of charge. Schools and colleges must ensure period products are freely available to students, and designated public places must also make the products available.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Teen-run nonprofit helps kids bridge digital divide
Alley-Oop Kids was founded to help kids get the gear they need to play youth sports, but in the midst of a pandemic, it’s found a new calling.
Learn more2020 C.E.
WHO rolls out plan to rid world of cervical cancer, saving millions of lives
The strategy involves vaccinating 90% of girls by the age of 15, screening 70% of women by the age of 35 and again by the age of 45, and treating 90% of women identified with cervical disease.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New HIV diagnoses in British gay and bisexual men hits 20-year-low
A new report shows that there were 1,700 new HIV diagnoses in gay and bisexual men in 2000. In 2019, new HIV diagnoses stood at 1,500. HIV transmission has fallen by 80% between 2011 when there was an estimated peak of 2,700 cases and 2019 when there was an estimated 540.
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Moscow gets its 500th electric bus
Mosgortrans, a public transit company for the Moscow metro area, has reportedly put its 500th electric bus into service. This electric bus was produced by Kamaz, a Russian truck and engine (and apparently electric bus) manufacturer.
Learn more2020 C.E.
United Kingdom moves up ban on petrol and diesel cars to 2030
The UK government initially announced the ban in 2017 with a deadline of 2040. The deadline was met with criticism. Experts warned that the 2040 deadline was too late, and the UK would not achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
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Asambe launches electric bicycle & scooter sharing service in Zimbabwe
Asambe, a pan-African electric scooter & bicycle sharing and guided tour service company, launched its platform in Harare, Zimbabwe last week after a successful 6-month pilot.
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Pfizer reports COVID-19 vaccine 95% effective as Phase 3 trial concludes
Over 41,000 people had completed the vaccination protocol. Out of the 170 positive COVID cases detected in the trial only eight were observed in the active vaccine group.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Quebec to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035
The move is part of the province’s $6.7 billion investment over the next five years to help it reduce its impact on climate change.
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McDonald’s introduces McPlant, its first plant-based burger
The fast food giant has already tested a plant-based burger in Canada and may eventually add faux meat breakfast sandwiches and mock chicken to the menu. McPlant will start popping up on McDonald’s menus in 2021.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Barcelona will give 21 downtown streets back to pedestrians and cyclists
The new project, which will be implemented over the next 10 years and cost an estimated $44 million, will convert 21 intersections into public squares, meaning that no one in the area is more than around 650 feet from a small park.
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450 public development banks pledge to align with Paris Agreement
The first Finance in Common Summit gathered the world’s 450 public development banks to address recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in line with the principles of sustainable finance. In a joint declaration the Banks pledge to align financing decisions with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
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Kenya trial examines effect of universal basic income during pandemic
Unique new research is looking at the effects of UBI during a pandemic by analyzing data from a massive ongoing 12-year income study in Kenya, and its conclusion suggests the policy may help individual well-being but it is not a silver-bullet solution in times of extreme disruption.
Learn more2020 C.E.
47 faith institutions from 21 countries to divest from fossil fuels
The institutions which announced their divestment include the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, Irish religious order the Sisters of Our Lady Apostles, the American Jewish World Service, and the Claretian Missionaries in Sri Lanka. Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish organizations joined the coalition.
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India announces new incentives for solar modules and battery manufacturing
The incentive is available to Indian as well as foreign companies looking to set up shop in India. The Indian government will offer US$605 million for solar PV modules and US$2.4 billion for batteries.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Vaccine alliance Gavi raises $2 billion to buy COVID shots for poor nations
Over the last two decades, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation – over 822 million children – and prevented more than 14 million deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 73 developing countries.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Tristan da Cunha establishes a massive marine protected area
The government of Tristan da Cunha, a four-island archipelago of about 250 people, has announced that it will be protecting approximately 700,000 square kilometers of its waters, creating the world’s fourth-largest Marine Protected Area.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Marlins hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first female general manager
Ng becomes the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations in the major leagues, and she is believed to be the first female GM for a men’s team in a major professional sport in North America, the Marlins said.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Promising flu vaccine derived from tobacco plant passes clinical trials
The recent development, promises to be a huge boost to the annual fight against the seasonal flu, as plants can be engineered to produce viral proteins and cultivated at scale.
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Purina introduces sustainable pet food made from insect protein
The company’s new “Purina Beyond Nature’s Protein” will include insect protein from black soldier fly larvae as well as plant proteins from fava beans and millet. The kibble is being launched in Switzerland this month with other countries in Europe slated for the near future.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Pizza Hut becomes first nationwide pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings
Hamburger joints were early adopters of plant-based meat options, but now, Pizza Hut’s collaboration with Beyond Meat makes them the first national pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings across their 7,000 locations.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Chatham House launches online tool to track circular economy trade flows
The tool is hosted by circulareconomy.earth – an online portal developed by Chatham House to enable users to “explore the policy and trade dynamics associated with transitioning from linear to circular economic models.”
Learn more2020 C.E.
New York City will try a police-free approach to addressing mental health crises
Thanks to a new pilot program, 911 calls in New York City that are evidently mental health-related will be taken care of by mental health and crisis workers instead of law enforcement. The move is the result of months of protests around the country over police brutality, sparked by the tragic death of George Floyd.
Learn more2020 C.E.
H3X claims it’s tripled the power density of electric aircraft motors
Weight is a big deal in aviation – and that goes double for electric aircraft. Every pound carried skyward represents a pound less payload you can carry, a reduction in the range you’ll get from your battery or hydrogen tank, and ultimately a loss of money for the owner.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Joe Biden becomes the first President or President-elect to mention trans people in official remarks
It seems that the eventual 46th President is beginning to follow through with his campaign promise to trans people that he believes “that Trans Lives Matter,” as he wrote in an article for LGBTQ Nation last month.
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Philippines shuts door on new coal power proposals
The Philippines has stopped accepting new proposals for coal-based power projects to encourage investment in other energy sources like natural gas and renewables, the government’s energy chief said.
Learn more2020 C.E.
The world’s biggest insect factory farm is under construction in France
In a bid to lower the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector, a French insect farming startup by the name of Ÿnsect is building the world’s largest insect farm in Amiens, a small city north of Paris.
Learn more2020 C.E.
City of Austin votes to spend $7 billion to revolutionize transportation
Austin’s new transit plan will build a new rail system with 31 stations, four rapid bus routes, new on-demand shuttles to take people to transit stations, and new park-and-ride stations. The city will also reserve $300 million to ensure that residents aren’t displaced from their homes as a result of gentrification.
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Nebraska voters say ‘no more’ to 404% interest rates on payday loans
A 400% interest rate on small-dollar loans is the average across the States. Now that 83% of Nebraska’s voters have approved Initiative 428, that won’t be the case in this Midwestern state: Payday lending interest rates will soon be capped at 36%.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Childhood Hepatitis B cases drop 80% worldwide in last three decades
Due to a highly effective global vaccine program, the proportion of children under five who are chronically infected with Hepatitis B has plummeted significantly—to just under 1%. This is down from around 5% in the pre-vaccine era (the period between the 1980s and the early 2000s), according to new estimates from the World Health Organization.
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‘Watershed’ coronavirus vaccine looks to be 90% effective in phase 3 trial of 43,500 people
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set a minimum effectiveness bar for COVID-19 vaccines at 50% for drugs seeking approval. This is the first COVID-19 candidate vaccine to produce data exceeding that mark.
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School enrollment for girls around the world has risen from 73% to 89% since 1995
A new report from UNESCO shows great progress globally in girls’ education since 1995’s Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark commitment by 189 countries to advance the rights of girls and women.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Joe Biden wins election for President of the United States
Kamala Harris will become the first woman and first person of color to serve as Vice President.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Sunderland’s riverfront to house UK’s first carbon-neutral community
Designed to “reinvent the heart of Sunderland,” the masterplan design will include 1,000 new energy-efficient homes in four mixed-use residential neighborhoods for a population of 2,500.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Prop 17 restores voting rights for 50,000 paroled citizens in California
50,000 more Californians were welcomed back into the democratic process this election as the state celebrates the passing of Prop 17. The proposition, which passed with support from 59 percent of voters, will allow paroled citizens convicted of felonies to vote.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Florida votes to increase outdated minimum wage to $15
Voters in Florida tossed their outdated $8.56 per hour minimum wage in this election as the state became the eighth in the country to adopt a $15 minimum wage. Like many other states, Florida will introduce the raise slowly, upping it to $10 next year and raising it by $1 each year until it reaches $15 in 2026.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New AI from MIT can detect COVID-19 by listening to coughs
After the team from MIT trained its model on tens of thousands of cough and dialog samples, the technology recognized 98.5 percent of coughs from people with confirmed COVID-19 cases. It identified 100 percent of people who were ostensibly asymptomatic, too.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Tesla to build massive 300-megawatt battery in Australia
The battery will be built near Geelong, southwest of Melbourne, and will offer 450 megawatt-hours of energy storage. It’s three times bigger than the original 100-MW Tesla system built in South Australia, which was the biggest in the world when it was built just three years ago.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Oregon becomes the first state in the U.S. to legalize access to magic mushrooms
Measure 109 apart it distinct from decriminalization efforts in that it offers a legal pathway to psilocybin therapy. It will establish a state-regulated program for using and obtaining them. In essence, accessing psilocybin as an adult in Oregon would be about as easy as signing up for counseling.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota vote to legalize recreational marijuana
Voters have approved ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona and New Jersey, and both recreational and medical use in in South Dakota. Results have not yet been determined for Montana’s ballot questions on recreational marijuana and Mississippi’s medical marijuana measure.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride to become nation’s first-ever transgender state senator
McBride, a former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, overwhelmingly beat Republican candidate Steve Washington in Delaware’s 1st District, a heavily Democratic district that includes the city of Wilmington.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Nissan to go 100% electric and hybrid In China by 2025
Nissan is taking active steps to meet China’s recently-announced plans to follow a similar “eco-friendly” vehicle model throughout mainland China as soon as 2035. As part of its response, Nissan will announce 9 all-new or updated electrified cars between now and the 2025 model year, according to Nikkei Asia.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New anti-poaching motion sensor recognizes when wildlife is on the run
Modern sensors have given conservationists a powerful new tool in the fight against poaching. A new research project at the University of Twente could harness this technology in yet another useful way, by mixing motion sensors with machine learning to recognize when wildlife is responding to a nearby threat.
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Engie halts its commitment to long-term $7 billion liquefied natural gas import contract
This is being done under pressure from the French government, which holds a 23.6% stake in Engie. The delay was driven in large part by concerns over the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of US gas production, particularly from the Permian Basin, which will feed NextDecade’s proposed Rio Grande LNG export plant in Texas.
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New Zealand PM appoints first female indigenous foreign minister
After being re-elected in a landslide victory last month, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continues to make positive progressive change in the country. Yesterday, she appointed Nanaia Mahuta as the country’s first indigenous female foreign minister.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Milan slashed its greenhouse gas emissions by reducing meat in school meals
Five years after tweaking the schools’ cafeteria menus, the Italian city managed to achieve a 20 percent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent of taking around 12,700 cars off the road.
Learn more2020 C.E.
2020 voter turnout in the U.S. surpassing 2016 already, especially among young voters
By last Friday, more citizens had already voted in Texas than in the entire 2016 election. These early statistics show that 2020 could be a record-breaking year for early turnout across the entire country. Amidst the throngs of early voters is a dramatic increase in voter turnout among young voters.
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South Korea vows to go carbon neutral by 2050
In a policy speech in the national assembly South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in said that South Korea, one of the world’s most fossil fuel-reliant economies, would “actively respond” to the climate emergency “with the international community and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050”.
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Tuberculosis deaths have fallen by 14% in five years, saving 60 million in the last two decades
In the World Health Organization’s annual global tuberculosis report, the UN agency responsible for international public health forecasts hundreds of thousands of people recovering from, or avoiding the disease of TB altogether. Since 2000, TB treatment has averted the deaths of 60 million people, the disease itself being treatable with the right medicine.
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After 45 years the gray wolf has successfully been lifted off the U.S. endangered species list
Numbers of gray wolves have soared over the last four decades—from under a hundred refugees hiding out in northeastern Minnesota and Michigan’s upper peninsula to around 6,000 individuals.
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Toxic sulfur dioxide emissions fell across India, Russia, and China last year– dropping 6% globally
In 2019, the levels of anthropogenic SO2 emissions fell worldwide by 6%. In only the second time ever, SO2 emissions fell in all three of the countries most responsible for emitting it: China, India, and Russia.
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Texas reverses rule allowing social workers the “right” to refuse LGBTQ clients
In 2010 and 2012, the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners passed protections that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Over the past two years, state Republicans have pushed to repeal these measures.
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Population of endangered leopard species rebounds in China
Camera footage installed by Bing Xie, a Ph.D. student at the University of Copenhagen and her fellow research colleagues showed an increase of 25 percent in northern China’s Loess Plateau’s leopard population from 88 in 2016 to 110 in 2017.
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World’s largest seagrass restoration project grows from 600 to 9,000 acres off coast of Virginia
Marine scientists and volunteers spread more than 70 million eelgrass seeds off Virginia’s shores. Led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and with help from The Nature Conservancy, the project has grown to over 8,896 acres.
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Oregon closes state’s last coal plant in favor of green energy
The last plant in Oregon, which opened in 1977, was pushed to close by a lawsuit filed against General Electric for air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions concerns.
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As U.S. election nears, polling shows 82% of voters support 100% clean energy transition
With an estimated 66 million ballots already cast, new polling released Tuesday shows the vast majority of U.S. voters support legislation to decarbonize the economy over the next few decades.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Entire state of South Australia powered solely by solar in a world first
The state of South Australia for a short period earlier in October met 100 percent of its energy needs from solar power – a world-first for a jurisdiction of its size.
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World’s biggest wildlife crossing will protect animals from drivers on the 101 in Los Angeles
2,700 mostly private donors have raised $15 million for the construction of a 165-foot crossing that will pass over the 101 in Liberty Canyon, the designs for which are in the final stages of completion.
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Thailand gets fleet of electric ferries to help clean up Bangkok
27 zero-emission passenger ferries will soon replace a hodgepodge of aging diesels in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River as part of an exploratory bid to improve air quality and clean up the water supply in the Thai capitol.
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“Canapp” enables women to detect breast cancer early
This app is available in 4 languages, Hindi, Garhwali, English and Avadhi. Canapp is the first medical app in Gharwali language.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Japan pledges to be carbon neutral by 2050
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that Japan will become country carbon neutral by 2050, Bloomberg reported. As the world’s third-largest economy, this will require a “fundamental shift” away from coal, The Washington Post reported.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Arkansas schools save millions by adopting solar power
Batesville School District includes six schools that serve about 3,200 students. Adopting the new initiative allowed the schools to transform their $250,000 annual deficit to a $1.8 million annual surplus. As a result, teachers’ salaries have increased by $2000 to $3000.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Performing acts of kindness can boost both physical health and happiness, study finds
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong performed a meta-analysis of 201 independent studies, comprising 198,213 total participants, that looked at the connection between prosocial behavior and well-being.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New Zealand’s progressive champion Jacinda Ardern wins second term as Prime Minister
Ardern’s victory comes after she has won widespread praise and support for her ambitious leadership on the climate crisis and science-based approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Australia to complete world’s new largest solar farm ever by 2027
The solar farm, which is three times larger than the world’s current largest solar farm in northern China, is also expected to provide thousands of jobs related to construction and hundreds of jobs once construction is done.
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Amazon tribes to use drones to detect illegal deforestation in Brazilian rainforest
Indigenous rights’ groups and WWF International are beginning to train Andean tribes people deep within the Amazon rainforest in the use of drones so that they, as forest-dwelling specialists, can help protect wildlife, and identify, compile evidence for, and report on, illegal logging activities.
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Electric car sales in Europe have smashed expectations
Electric car sales in Europe are expected to have tripled this year compared to 2019, and are expected to climb to as much as 15% of the total market share by 2022.
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Activists build facial recognition to identify cops who hide their badges
In order to hold police accountable when they try to hide their identities, a growing number of activists are developing facial recognition tools that identify cops, The New York Times reports — a striking inversion of the way cops tend to use facial recognition on protestors and suspects.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Compton to launch America’s biggest guaranteed income program
Following in Stockton’s footsteps, the city of Compton, California, has launched its own basic income program called the Compton Pledge that will aim to assist 800 people through no-strings-attached direct cash payments over two years.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Samoa pledges to preserve 30% of its ocean
Samoa’s land mass accounts for less than three percent of its territory, and the country is largely dependent upon the ocean for food and income. To preserve this vital resource, the Samoa Government has committed to fully managing its ocean area and protecting 30 percent by 2025 through the Samoa Ocean Strategy.
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Poland’s once-mighty coal industry is in retreat
Even though Poland produces more coal than any other nation in the European Union, the industry’s inefficiencies and plummeting global prices have reduced its 70 mines in 1990 to about 25 today; in that same period, the number of miners has plummeted from 388,000 to 80,000.
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Airbus unveils world’s first zero-emission commercial aircrafts
Collectively dubbed ZEROe, the climate-neutral, zero-emission concepts are designed to carry maximum passenger loads between 100 and 200 people for flights that range from short-haul trips to transcontinental journeys. Airbus’ hydrogen-powered commercial aircrafts could enter service as early as 2035.
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Microdosing LSD improves mood and cognition, according to new study
In the placebo-controlled study, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, scientists from University of Basel and Maastricht University gave volunteers either a small dose of LSD or a placebo, then measured their ability to pay attention and process information, as well as keeping an eye on their mood.
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Myanmar eradicates trachoma
The World Health Organization has validated that the disease has been eliminated from the country: This is extra impressive, because in 2005, trachoma was responsible for 4% of all cases of blindness there. The nation joins Nepal in the WHO South-East Asia Region and 12 countries globally to achieve this feat.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Austin Quinn-Davidson to become Anchorage’s first gay and first woman mayor
The city of Anchorage, Alaska will have its first woman mayor and its first gay mayor as Austin Quinn-Davidson is set to become the city’s acting mayor after Mayor Ethan Berkowitz (D) announced his resignation amidst sexual harassment allegations.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Offshore wind grew 19% globally in 2019
Global installed offshore wind capacity reached 27,064 MW in 2019 — a 19% increase from the previous year. Industry analyst projections indicate that offshore wind costs will continue to decline globally over the next decade.
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Singapore to plant 1 million native trees
In an effort to restore Singapore’s once-rich mangrove forest ecosystems, the nation is embarking on a 1 million tree planting spree in hopes that they can save numerous bird, reptile, and tree species from extinction, and provide a ton of valuable ecosystem services.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New York City begins enforcing its plastic bag ban
The statewide ban on the highly polluting items actually went into effect March 1. But enforcement, which was supposed to start a month later, was delayed by the one-two punch of a lawsuit and the coronavirus pandemic, NY1 reported.
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3 major UK retailers are banning glitter this Christmas over environmental concerns
Morrisons, Waitrose and John Lewis have all announced that their store brand holiday products will be glitter free for 2020, BBC News reported. The festive coating and arts-and-crafts staple is actually another type of microplastic.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Canadian experiment giving homeless people $7500 proves promising
The New Leaf project took 115 homeless people who were confirmed not to have serious mental or substance abuse problems, and put $7,500 in the pockets of 50 of them to see if they could turn their life around. One entire year later, most recipients still had $1,000 in savings and 67% were could still feed themselves every day.
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Finland aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2035
Finland has communicated its long-term low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission development strategy (LEDS) to the UNFCCC. Finland’s LEDS charts scenarios and impact assessments to achieve its 2035 carbon neutrality target, and reviews longer-term emissions reduction and removal opportunities by 2050.
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“World’s fastest electrodes” triple the density of lithium batteries
Such an energy and power density boost could be revolutionary for electric cars, motorcycles, bikes, and other emerging ground transport modes, as well as a huge potential leap forward for the electric aviation space.
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Pride House Tokyo, the first-ever permanent LGBTQ center in Japan, opens in Tokyo
Their opening was an official part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ Programme, making it the first “Pride House” officially recognized by the International Olympics Committee.
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Renewables are the only major power source to grow in 2020
In its annual World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that renewables are expected to overtake coal as the primary means of producing electricity by 2025.
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Prince William launches £50 million prize to find innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems
The Earthshot Prize is centered around five “Earthshots,” simple but ambitious goals for our planet: 1) Protect and restore nature, 2) Clean our air, 3) Revive our oceans, 4) Build a waste-free world, and 5) Fix our climate.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Swedish grocery store prices items based on their carbon footprint
Felix, a Swedish food brand, has opened a climate-conscious store that will guide buyers to make informed decisions when purchasing food items. In the newly opened store, items are priced based on their carbon footprint.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Israel plans to enact a countrywide fur ban
Once the fur ban is enacted, any person who wishes to buy or sell fur in Israel must apply for a permit under strict regulations. Permits will only be considered in special cases including scientific research, education or religious/traditional purposes.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Canada to ban single-use plastic bags, straws, and cutlery in 2021
Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced the next steps in the government’s plan to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030, including a ban on single-use plastic items such as plastic checkout bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery, and more next year.
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Investors worth $5 trillion set major emissions reduction targets
Thirty of the world’s largest investors – including Allianz, the Church of England, and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System – have now set a goal to reduce emissions by 16 to 29% of 2019 levels by 2025.
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Solar power is now ‘cheapest electricity in history’
The world’s best solar power schemes now offer the “cheapest…electricity in history” with the technology cheaper than coal and gas in most major countries, according to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2020.
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Vegan meat company Meatless Farm closes $31 million funding round
Strong demand for plant-based foods has led Meatless Farm, founded in 2016, to become the UK’s leading vegan meat producer. The company announced recently the closing of a $31 million funding round to support its global growth strategy.
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Philippines teachers start call center to help struggling remote students
The temporary call center opened in the capital Manila and is staffed by 50 teachers and 20 substitute teachers who have been busy answering hundreds of daily queries by phone, e-mail, and instant messenger, all in a bid to ensure that students don’t fall behind in class.
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Nearly a third of California land to be conserved by 2030 under new order
The year 2020 has seen millions of acres of California land ravaged due to unstoppable wildfires. To protect the state from further damage in the future, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced an executive order to reserve 30 percent of state land for conservation by 2030.
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New Jersey to pass nation’s most comprehensive single-use plastics ban
Once signed into law by Governor Philip Murphy, the ban would go into effect in 18 months, giving businesses the time to adapt to the new policies. In addition to plastic bags and containers, the bill also bans paper bags from grocery stores and makes plastic straws available only upon request at restaurants.
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Mack delivers world’s first-ever electric garbage truck to end user
The people at Republic Services — an “industry leading” waste management company operating in North Carolina — will test the LR Electric model on one of its residential recycling collection routes.
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Cancer breath test detects 80% of cases in early trial
The team from Australia’s Flinders University has developed a breath test that can detect exhaled breath profiles associated with head and neck cancers, with the tool demonstrating a high degree of accuracy in early trials.
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JPMorgan Chase, world’s biggest funder of fossil fuels, commits to “Paris-aligned” financing
JPMorgan Chase has reportedly committed to push its clients to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement and work towards global net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Maryland becomes first state in the U.S. to implement a foam container ban
Passed in 2019, but implemented last week, the law prohibits restaurants, schools, stores, and other institutions from serving food in polystyrene containers.
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Overwhelming number of U.S. voters support climate action
According to The Guardian, “Seven in 10 voters support government action to address climate change, with three-quarters wanting the US to generate all of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind within 15 years.
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Simple blood test predicts patients most likely to die from COVID-19
One standard test that quantifies the variation in size of red blood cells was found to be highly correlated with patient mortality, and the correlation persisted when controlling for other risk factors like patient age, some other lab tests, and some pre-existing illnesses.
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Online tool helps mobilize Native American communities to go out and vote
The website aims to help Native Americans navigate roadblocks to the ballot box, by supplying specific, scrupulous details for registering, voting in person, and voting by mail, in all relevant counties and Indian tribal lands in the US.
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Vanguard, BlackRock add new climate-focused ETFs as demand soars
Top asset managers Vanguard Group Inc and BlackRock Inc on Thursday introduced new exchange-traded funds that exclude oil companies, coal producers and other industries that a growing number of investors want to avoid.
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Google promises to operate using only carbon-free energy by 2030
Google plans to bridge the renewables gap at all its facilities with technological improvements such as overnight solar storage, improved logistics to transport the energy, and new renewable sources like geothermal reservoirs.
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UC Berkeley launches new center for psychedelic science and education
With $1.25 million in seed funding from an anonymous donor, the new UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics will conduct research using psychedelics to investigate cognition, perception and emotion and their biological bases in the human brain.
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Two-thirds of Americans believe they have become a better person this year
The poll of 2,000 Americans looked at the positives changes to come from this challenging time. Results revealed 55% of respondents were embarrassed by some of the things they valued pre-quarantine, and the many months spent at home gave 70% a chance to learn more about themselves.
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Ghanaian government commissions university dedicated to sustainable development
The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) is the first university in the nation focused on teaching students about sustainability issues such as climate change and environmental protection.
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Zimbabwe bans coal mining in all national parks
The new policy reverses an earlier decision to allow two firms to drill and survey for coal in the world-renowned Hwange National Park, home to more than 40,000 elephants and a population of endangered black rhino, as well as leopard and painted dog conservation programs.
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Doris Burke will become first woman to call NBA Finals
Burke has called NBA games for ESPN since Disney first broadcasted Association contests in 2003. Per the AP, Burke became the first woman to become a full-time network NBA game analyst in 2017.
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Old Navy and Tory Burch will give employees paid leave to work the polls
The election is fast approaching, but 58 percent of regular poll workers are over the age of 60, leading to rising concerns over who will fill in for these vulnerable employees during the pandemic.
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New AI algorithm predicts pregnancy complications
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have developed an algorithm capable of spotting signs of decidual vasculopathy in placenta tissue. The algorithm has correctly identified damaged vessels 94% of the time and healthy vessels 96% of the time.
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Hormel Foods to provide free college education to children of all its 16,000 employees
Called “Inspired Pathways,” the program will begin in the fall of 2021. A spokesperson for Hormel Foods told GNN the company has 16,000 domestic employees and the program is open to any dependent child of those workers.
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Timberland pledges to achieve full circularity of its products by 2030
The company aims to have a net positive impact on nature by 2030. To achieve this ambitious goal, it plans to design all of its products for circularity – meaning that materials for one product are reused in a closed-loop to make other products.
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Washington University develops COVID-19 test that is faster and simpler than current swab tests
The new test does not rely on the extraction of viral RNA to detect the virus – a time-consuming and expensive process – and could be scaled up easily, in part because people can collect their own saliva samples.
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Google is offering affordable alternatives to college degrees
Google recently announced plans to launch a trio of certificate programs which it will treat as alternatives to college degrees. Google will be accepting 100,000 need-based scholarships for the new programs.
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The Dow Jones just dropped its oldest member: Exxon Mobil
Exxon Mobil is an iconic blue-chip stock and the longest-tenured member of the index. Exxon’s exclusion represents a big drop from the days where oil companies were kings of the stock market.
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Android phones to become the world’s biggest earthquake detection grid
Google has started using the vast number of Android smartphones across the planet to help detect and warn people about seismic events. Your phone will begin transmitting accelerometer data if it detects something similar to an earthquake.
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Germany is beginning a universal-basic-income trial with people getting $1,400 a month for 3 years
120 volunteers will get monthly payments of €1,200, or about $1,400, as part of a study testing a universal basic income. The study will compare the experiences of the 120 volunteers with 1,380 people who do not receive the payments.
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India extends crucial incentive for solar and wind power projects
The Ministry of Power recently extended the expiry of waiver of inter-state transmission charges available to solar and wind power projects. All such projects that are commissioned before 30 June 2023 will not be required to pay any inter-state transmission charges for a period of 25 years.
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UK’s first full heroin-prescribing scheme extended after reductions in crime and homelessness
Campaigners celebrated the first “dramatic” results from Middlesbrough’s scheme, which found a vast reduction in re-offending rates and use of street drugs, and significant improvements in participants’ health and quality of life, including seeing those homeless at the outset placed in accommodation.
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A million people in the UK have quit smoking since the start of the pandemic
More than one million people in the UK have given up smoking since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study by the nonprofit Action on Smoking and Health. Almost half (41%) said it was a direct response to heightened health concerns due to COVID-19.
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Philadelphia to provide free internet for 35,000 low-income families
Philadelphia will provide free internet access for 35,000 low-income families. Some households will be wired for free broadband access via Comcast’s Internet Essentials program and other families will receive service from no-charge wireless hot spots purchased by the city from T-Mobile.
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One of India’s largest food-delivery firms offers gamechanging period leave policy
The policy is considered a bold move in tackling an age-old taboo in India, where 71 percent of young women remain unaware of menstruation until their first cycle, according to UNICEF.
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Placebos prove effective even when people know they’re taking one, according to new study
A team of researchers from Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Dartmouth College is the first to demonstrate that placebos reduce brain markers of emotional distress even when people know they are taking one.
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Dirty diesel vehicles banned from Seoul’s public fleets in 2025
Seoul, South Korea, is taking a step toward vehicle electrification with a new plan to phase out diesel vehicles from its public fleets by 2025, including mass transit fleets.
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Thousands protest in Poland demanding release of LGBT activist
Several thousand people waving rainbow flags protested on Saturday in the center of Warsaw to demand the release of an LGBT activist accused of hanging rainbow banners over statues and damaging an anti-abortion campaigner’s van.
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Disney makes history with first LGBTQ+ lead character in The Owl House
The Disney Channel show follows Luz Noceda, a 14-year-old Dominican-American girl who stumbles into an alternate world where she battles witches and demons and other forces of evil.
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Apple has developed a game-changing low-carbon aluminum
The lightweight metal is chemically the same as the mass-produced version used in products like foil, soda cans, bike frames, and car doors. But it’s made using a different industrial process — one that doesn’t result in the direct release of greenhouse gases.
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Canada grants first legal exemptions for psilocybin use in 50 years
Four terminally ill cancer patients in Canada have now been approved to use psilocybin to treat end-of-life distress. These patients will be the first to legally use the psychedelic in Canada for almost half a century.
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General Motors partners with EVgo to install 2,700 fast chargers across U.S.
General Motors is partnering with EVgo, the largest EV charging network in the US, to add 2,700 fast chargers in 40 cities across America over the next 5 years. GM and EVgo will install the stations at grocery stores, retail outlets, entertainment centers and other high-traffic areas.
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Lyme disease vaccine found to be safe and effective in clinical trial
French company Valneva has developed a vaccine that works by stopping Lyme-causing bacteria in ticks from passing into people’s bloodstreams when the ticks bite.
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Use of plastic bags in England drops by 95% since 2015
Use of plastic carrier bags in England has continued to fall – by 59% in the last year alone – since the introduction of the 5p charge. Sales of single-use plastic bags have dropped by 95% in England’s supermarkets since the charge was introduced in October 2015.
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New blood test can detect prostate cancer with unprecedented precision
A new blood test for prostate cancer is producing a 99% accuracy rating—precision that has never before been achieved for a blood test of this particular kind of cancer. The test can also determine the exact stage and progression of the cancer, reducing the need for invasive biopsies and scans.
Learn more2020 C.E.
New Google badge will make it easier to find Black-owned businesses
Google is launching a new tool that allows businesses to identify themselves as Black-owned through the company’s Maps and Search listings. When searching for a business through Google.com or Google Maps, users will now be able to see a new badge to represent Black-owned businesses.
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Flu shots significantly cut risk of heart attack or stroke for people over 50, shows news study
One of the largest studies of its kind looked at data from more than seven million patients and found that a seasonal flu shot cut the risk of heart attacks by up to 85 percent, and halved the number of strokes.
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UK’s biggest pension fund begins fossil fuels divestment
The UK’s biggest pension fund, the government-backed National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) scheme with nine million members, is to begin divesting from fossil fuels in what climate campaigners have hailed as a landmark move for the industry.
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The world’s biggest rooftop urban farm is now bearing fruit
The 14,000 square meter space in Paris’s 15th arrondissement, known as Nature Urbaine, is now up and running and has planted roughly a third of the available space.
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Endangered tiger populations in India and Thailand are rebounding
In a triumphant moment for the endangered species, new photos released today on World Tiger Day 2020, revealed sightings of numerous new tigers in a region of western Thailand for the first time in four years.
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France to launch ‘railway highways’ in push for greener economy
France’s prime minister vowed to develop “railway highways” to carry food and other goods that now go by truck, part of a government push to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.
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UK to open citizenship path to Hong Kongers
Eligible individuals from Hong Kong currently can come to the U.K. for six months without a visa. With the rule change, they will have the right to live and work in the country for five years. After that, they will be allowed to apply for settled status and then again for citizenship.
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India to propose World Solar Bank and mobilize $50 billion in solar funding
India’s Ministry for New and Renewable Energy is likely to propose to the government to set up a World Solar Bank. The MNRE may propose that the World Solar Bank disburse $50 billion over the first ten years.
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World’s largest hybrid timber tower to be built in Sydney
According to BVN, this tower is “is one of the most hopeful technologies in moving the construction industry toward real solutions to the global climate crisis.”
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SolarTaxi’s electric motorcycles charge up Ghana’s on-demand delivery market
SolarTaxi offers all-electric bikes in Ghana under several models that help lower the traditional barriers to entry and helps accelerate adoption. These include a work and pay model and a rental service.
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Apple pledges to become carbon neutral by 2030
To reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, the tech giant will slash its greenhouse gas pollution by 75 percent and then find ways to draw down the remaining 25 percent of its heat-trapping emissions.
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Electric car subsidies essentially make Renaults free in Germany
The state support is allowing Autohaus Koenig, a dealership chain with more than 50 locations across Germany, to advertise a lease for the battery-powered Renault Zoe that is entirely covered by subsidies.
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Levi’s is using old jeans and wood pulp to create new, recyclable jeans
New Levi’s jeans will be partially made from old, recycled jeans. They’re also fully circular: When they eventually wear out, they can be recycled again into new material for new jeans.
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South Korea commits $61 billion for ‘net-zero society’ by 2025
The five-year, $61 billion initiative calls for zero-energy public facilities and is expected to create 660,000 new jobs and reducing GHG by 12 million tons.
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Pakistan achieves UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action a decade ahead of schedule
Some initiatives taken by the government which enabled the country to achieve this milestone include 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, Clean Green Pakistan Initiative, Clean Green Pakistan Index, and Protected Areas Initiative.
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Disney slashes ad spending on Facebook amid growing boycott
Disney was Facebook’s top U.S. advertiser for the first six months of 2020, research firm Pathmatics Inc. estimates. It joins hundreds of other companies that have paused spending, including Unilever, Starbucks, Ford, Verizon, and others.
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The number of undernourished people in India has declined by 60 million in over a decade
This year’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report asserts that the number of undernourished people in India declined from 249 million in 2004-06 to 189 million in 2017-19.
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Early results suggest coronavirus vaccine is safe and induces immune response
Moderna Inc’s experimental vaccine for COVID-19 showed it was safe and provoked immune responses in all 45 healthy volunteers in an ongoing early-stage study, U.S. researchers reported.
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New $190 million Australian recycling fund will prevent 10 million tons of waste
The new multi-million-dollar fund will assist companies which sort and convert tires, glass, plastic and paper waste into a range of beneficial products. The pledge follows a long list of recent government injections into improving domestic recycling capacities.
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All-female crew embarks on Black Sea patrol in first for Russian Navy
The voyage marks a symbolic step in Russian women’s quest to play a more active role in the armed forces, an institution dominated by men. The navy still holds barriers to entry for women.
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More than 2 million people in India gather to plant 250 million trees
More than 2 million people gathered Sunday at river banks, farmlands and government buildings in northern India while trying to practice social distancing to plant 250 million trees as part of a government plan to tackle climate change.
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Washington’s NFL team is retiring the Redskins name
The decision to change 87-year-old team name – considered a slur against Native Americans – comes amid mounting pressure on the franchise from corporate sponsors and the broader nationwide discussion of race.
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Oregon to officially vote on legalizing psychedelic psilocybin therapy
The state of Oregon will officially vote on legalizing psilocybin psychotherapy in the upcoming November election, after well over 150,000 signatures were collected to secure the landmark ballot measure.
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U.S. Supreme Court says eastern half of Oklahoma is Native American land
The 5-4 decision, with an opinion authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, endorsed the claim of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to the land, which encompasses three million acres.
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The virtual Tour de France will allow female competitors for the first time
The Tour de France was delayed until August 29 due to the pandemic, but a virtual version of the race will begin as scheduled in July. The virtual race will include women for the first time in the event’s history. Organizers also plan to have an in-person large-scale female race by 2022.
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Germany to abandon all coal energy by 2038
Germany’s Bundestag passed a bill banning coal as a power source. The country will abandon nuclear energy by 2022 and coal by 2038, and will aim for 55% cuts in GHG emissions by 2030 over 1990 levels.
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India sees new record-low tariff in 2GW solar bid
The price of solar is falling fast in India, making it even more economically competitive. Solarpack submitted a record-low bid to develop 300 MW of capacity at US¢3.16 per kWh. The previous low in India was US¢3.27 per kWh.
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Pakistan to establish 15 new national parks
Under the Protected Area Initiative, a national park will be made in each province. Under the initiative, the coverage of the protected area in the country will be enhanced to 15 per cent of the country’s land area from the current 13 per cent.
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Germany bans single-use plastic straws, food containers
Germany is banning the sale of single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers, bringing it in line with a European Union directive intended to reduce the amount of plastic garbage that pollutes the environment.
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Municipal elections in France yield a string of victories for environmentalists
The unprecedented showing for Europe Écologie Les Verts, a once minor political party, means Green mayors will take charge in Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. The party also came out on top in mid-sized cities such as Tours, Besancon, Annecy and Poitiers, while retaining control of Grenoble.
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Spain permanently closes half of its coal-fired power stations
Seven of the 15 coal plants still working in Spain will cease operations today, after their owners – the electricity companies – decided that it does not make financial sense to adapt them to European regulations. Four more will shut down soon.
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Construction begins in England on world’s biggest liquid air battery
The project near Manchester, UK, will use spare green energy to compress air into a liquid and store it. The new liquid air battery is due to be operational in 2022 and will be able to power up to 200,000 homes for five hours, and store power for many weeks.
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Starbucks adds plant-based meat to its U.S. menu
The Seattle-based coffee chain said a breakfast sandwich made with imitation sausage from Redwood City, California-based Impossible Foods is now available at a majority of its U.S. restaurants.
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Minnesota sues ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, & American Petroleum Institute over climate deceptions
The lawsuit, filed in state court, alleges violations of state laws pertaining to consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising. Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison says the companies devised plans to deceive the public about climate change science.
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Black-owned bookstores in the U.S. are flooded with orders for anti-racism titles
Black booksellers around the United States were worried about coronavirus shutdowns hurting their business. Now they’re being deluged with orders of anti-racist titles following protests against police brutality around the world.
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More than 70% of Londoners have changed usual mode of transport due to Ultra Low Emission Zone
London’s “Ultra Low Emissions Zone,” which was established on April 8, 2019, has led to major shifts in transportation patterns. Most of those now use public transportation or walk.
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98% of South Korean local governments have declared a climate emergency
226 local government leaders across South Korea have declared a climate emergency. Their declaration emphasizes the roles and responsibilities local governments have in tackling climate change, noting that local governments are the ones who often make the first move in response to climate change impacts.
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Impact-driven entrepreneurship is slashing plastic pollution in Indonesia
The Zero Waste Living Lab (ZWLL) program was established in 2019 by a Dutch non-profit organization called Enviu. It incubates existing Indonesian early stage business models, replicates successful zero-waste solutions from abroad, and ideates new disruptive models where needed.
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Amazon is launching a $2 billion fund to invest in climate technologies
Amazon will launch a $2 billion venture capital fund to back companies developing “sustainable and decarbonizing technologies.” The fund is a part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge wherein the company committed to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement by 2040.
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India completes world’s largest ever solar tender
Adani Green Energy Limited and Azure Power have been declared to be the winners of the largest ever solar tender. This effort will result in an investment pegged at almost US $9 billion, create 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, and displace 900 million tons of carbon.
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Target raises minimum wage to $15 an hour
In a move that will impact 275,000 employees that work at its stores and distribution centers, Target said Wednesday it will permanently raise its starting wage by $2 to $15 beginning July 5.
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Lyft vows ‘100 percent’ of its vehicles will be electric by 2030
By working with automakers and rental car companies, as well as the millions of independent contractors who drive for Lyft every day, the ride-hailing company believes it can prevent “tens of millions of metric tons” of pollutants from entering the atmosphere.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Johns Hopkins is offering free online course in psychological first aid
Johns Hopkins University now features a free online college course for conducting “Psychological First Aid” on people with depression, anxiety, or emotional distress. More than 200,000 students are currently enrolled.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Researchers develop world’s first model to predict likelihood of and outcomes from COVID-19
Cleveland Clinic researchers have developed the world’s first risk prediction model for healthcare providers to forecast an individual patient’s likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19 as well as their outcomes from the disease.
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Ethiopia will plant 5 billion trees this year to tackle climate change
Ethiopia is working on planting five billion trees this year, part of an ambitious plan to plant 20 billion seedlings by 2024 to help build a green climate resistant economy.
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Morocco sends 8 million masks to 15 African countries
The aid also includes 900,000 visors, 600,000 hygiene caps, 60,000 medical coats, 30,000 litres of hydroalcoholic gel, 75,000 packs of chloroquine and 15,000 packs of Azithromycin, two drugs used for the treatment of Covid-19.
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Intuit hits 100% renewable electricity goal 10 years early
The 419 MW Mesquite Star wind farm was just completed in Fisher County, Texas, and is now providing electricity for Ecolab, Lowe’s, Intuit, and Brown University. In the case of Intuit, the company has now reached its 100% renewable electricity goal.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Merriam-Webster to revise its definition of racism following request from Missouri woman
Kennedy Mitchum, a recent college graduate from Missouri, believes that the dictionary’s current first definition of racism is too simple and too often employed to dismiss concerns and avoid accountability.
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IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft stop selling facial recognition software to police
Advocacy groups like the ACLU have long raised significant privacy concerns regarding facial recognition. Researchers like Joy Buolamwini, Timnit Gebru, and Deborah Raji have demonstrated that these technologies can come with built-in racial and gender biases.
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NASCAR bans Confederate flag at all events and properties
“The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” NASCAR said.
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The Nature Conservancy buys stretch along Virgin River for $4.3M, protecting vital wildlife corridor near Zion National Park
With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private donations, The Nature Conservancy has bought 2 miles of property along the Virgin River near Zion National Park for $4.3 million.
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MIT elects first black woman student body president in its 159-year history
Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have elected a black woman as president of the Undergraduate Association for the first time in the school’s history. Danielle Geathers and running mate Yu Jing Chen won the student government election earlier this month.
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Germany forces all petrol stations to provide electric car charging
Germany said it will oblige all petrol stations to offer electric car charging as part of a sweeping 130 billion euro ($146.26 billion) economic recovery plan, boosting electric vehicle demand which has been hampered by consumer concerns over refuelling.
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Scientists find a switch to flip and turn off breast cancer growth and metastasis
Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine have also discovered a way to inhibit an aggressive form of breast cancer from occurring. The animal study results have been so compelling that the team is now working on FDA approval to begin clinical trials.
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Several U.S. cities remove Confederate monuments following George Floyd protests
The ongoing George Floyd protests have prompted officials in several cities – including Birmingham, Alexandria, Fort Myers, and others – to remove Confederate monuments from public land.
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Gay weddings boost U.S. economy by $3.8 billion since landmark ruling
Some $3.2 billion has been spent on weddings, while thousands of traveling wedding guests spent $544 million. The events generated an additional $244 million in state and local taxes, the research found.
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Spain introduces basic income scheme to tackle poverty
Spain’s government has introduced a basic monthly income for struggling families amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure will affect about 2.3 million people in need and guarantees income of maximum $1,100 per family.
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Giant media publisher Condé Nast pledges to become carbon-neutral by 2030
The publisher of Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Wired and others will also work with suppliers to transition to more sustainable materials, with a commitment to use 100% sustainably-sourced paper by the end of 2021.
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Oman is building a massive 500 MW bifacial solar farm
Less than a decade ago, a 500 MW solar power plant would have been the largest in the world. Oman’s new solar farm stand out in that it uses bifacial colar technology that can collect energy from the front side and the rear side.
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Twitter begins adding warning labels fact-checking Trump’s false claims
A new label prompting Twitter users to “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” appeared on a series of tweets in which the president baselessly claimed ballots received through mail-in voting methods are “fraudulent.”
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India builds its first 12,000 HP electric train engine
The WAG12B freight locomotive is powerful, capable of high speed, and all-electric. India is now the sixth country in the world to join the elite club of producing high horsepower locomotives indigenously.
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Black imprisonment rate in the U.S. has fallen by 34% since 2006
The nation’s imprisonment rate is at its lowest level in more than two decades. The greatest decline has come among black Americans, whose imprisonment rate has decreased 34% since 2006.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Saudi Arabia abolishes “Ta’zir flogging” as punishment
The Saudi Human Rights Commission welcomed the decision, and said: “This decision ensures that those who were once sentenced with floggings, will now receive fines or prison sentences instead.”
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University of California becomes U.S.’s largest university to divest fully from fossil fuels
The UC milestone capped a five-year effort to move the public research university system’s $126-billion portfolio into more environmentally sustainable investments. UC officials say their strategy is grounded in concerns about the planet’s future and in what makes financial sense.
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23,000 adults and counting volunteer to contract COVID-19 in order to accelerate research
The “1 Day Sooner” campaign is rallying for healthy, low-risk adults to participate in a “human challenge trial” for developing a coronavirus vaccine. Now, almost 24,000 adults and counting across 102 countries have expressed interested.
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Intel aims to reach 100 percent renewable energy use, zero waste by 2030
The company also hit many of the targets it had set for 2020. It’s now recycling more than 90 percent of its trash and sending almost no hazardous waste to landfills. IT’s GHG emissions have dropped roughly 30% since 2010.
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Princeton names its first black valedictorian in the university’s history
“It feels empowering. Being Princeton’s first Black Valedictorian holds special significance to me particularly given Princeton’s historical ties to the institution of slavery,” said Nicholas Johnson, valedictorian of Princeton’s Class of 2020.
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Britain to invest £2 billion in cycling and walking in response to COVID-19
The government will bring forward a “national cycling plan” to try and double cycling (and increase walking) by 2025. It will trial the use of e-scooters and publish statutory advice for councils to accommodate cyclists and walkers.
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Germany becomes fifth country to ban gay conversion therapy for minors
Germany’s legislature has passed a ban on the advertising and practice of so-called gay conversion therapy for people under age 18, joining Malta, Ecuador, Brazil and Taiwan.
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Kenyan scientists discover microbe that protects mosquitoes from malaria
The researchers are now investigating whether they can release infected mosquitoes into the wild, or use spores to suppress the disease, in order to reduce the incidence of the disease among humans.
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First brown bear for 150 years seen in national park in northern Spain
“Years of conservation work in the Invernadeiro national park have allowed it to become a suitable habitat for the brown bear.”
Learn more2020 C.E.
Malaysia close to attaining malaria-free status after reporting no cases since 2018
Malaysia has not recorded any domestic malaria cases since 2018 after recording than 5,000 cases in 2010. If it succeeds in preventing more cases, Malaysia would be eligible to apply for malaria-free status certification from the World Health Organization in 2021.
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FDA to authorize remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment after trial shows ‘positive effect’
The government-funded study found that patients who took remdesivir recovered faster than patients who did not, potentially freeing up more hospital beds amid the COVID-19 crisis.
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Canada to ban assault-style weapons
Canada’s government is set to announce a ban on assault-style weapons following a deadly shooting in Nova Scotia this month that killed 22 people.
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Pakistan to hire more than 60,000 workers for 10 Billion Tree Tsunami program
The ambitious five-year tree-planting program was launched in 2018 to combat climate change. The new jobs also provide much-needed economic stimulus amid the country’s COVID-19 lockdown.
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Lebanon becomes first Arab country to legalize cannabis farming for medical use
Cannabis has long been illegally farmed in the fertile Bekaa Valley and government now hopes to turn it into a legal billion-dollar trade
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New fishing net technology biodegrades quickly under ultraviolet light
Scientists at Cornell University have engineered a new fishing net material that offers comparable strength to today’s solutions but can break down much more quickly when exposed to UV light.
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White-tailed eagles have been spotted in England for the first time in 240 years
The incredible creatures, also known as Sea Eagles, went extinct in England in the early 20th century due to illegal killing. But thanks to a pioneering project by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, there is new hope for the majestic birds.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Seoul subsidizes 700 electric taxis
South Korea’s capital, Seoul, is purchasing 700 electric taxis. This subsidy is worth 18.2 million won (around $15,000) per EV, far more than the 12.7 million ($10,300) subsidy for buying an EV for personal use.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Antibodies could offer gamechanging new treatment for OCD
Mental health conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) could be treated in a new way using drugs that target the immune system instead of the central nervous system, suggests exciting new research.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Ambitious ‘cloud brightening’ experiment launched to restore Great Barrier Reef
Results from the trial were “really, really encouraging”, the project’s lead scientist Daniel Harrison from Southern Cross University said.
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UC Berkeley offers its popular ‘Science of Happiness’ online course for free
Spoiler: True happiness comes not from setting ourselves above and apart from others, but from joining and serving our communities.
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Landslide victory in South Korean elections sets the stage for EU-style Green New Deal
South Korea, well ahead of the curve compared to many countries in its COVID-19 response efforts, also leads the way in touting renewable energy investments as a way to lead us back to thriving, secure economies.
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Solar has record-breaking week in Germany with 23% of generation
Solar generation in Germany experienced its best week yet, accounting for 23%of the country’s electricity generation, helping renewables reach a 55% share.
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Scientists develop world’s most efficient solar cell
While the six-junction III-V technology underlying these new cells is likely too costly at this time to be put to use in everyday rooftop applications, the new cell has great potential for application in concentrated solar panel arrays.
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Pakistan enacts largest social assistance program in nation’s history for COVID-19
The $1 billion program, which aims to cover 12 million families, is meant to assist them to “buy rations so that they don’t go hungry.”
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Blood plasma taken from COVID-19 survivors could aid recovery, new study shows
In several of the patients the virus cleared up entirely, leading the authors to conclude that plasma “can serve as a promising rescue option” for severe COVID-19 cases.
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New magnetic brain therapy relieved depression in 90% of the participants in small trial
“There’s never been a therapy for treatment-resistant depression that’s broken 55% remission rates in open-label testing,” the team says.
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The United Kingdom is closings its last coal-fired power plants
The UK’s largest remaining coal station, the Drax Power Station, is scheduled to cease operations in March of next year as the country continues its drive to lower emissions from the power generating sector.
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Iranian government makes medical services free for all COVID-19 patients
The Iranian Health Minister said that uninsured and underprivileged patients should not pay for the healthcare services and the costs will be compensated by the national health insurance system.
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New blood test can detect 50 types of cancer using machine learning
Researchers say the test can not only tell whether someone has cancer, but can also shed light on the type of cancer they have.
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Chinese company to invest $2.5b in world’s largest solar panel factory
To be completed in several phases, the facility once fully completed will be able to produce 60 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels every year, which likely equates to well over 150 million panels.
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Social distancing is slowing coronavirus infections in the U.S., new data suggest
Kinsa Health, a company that produces internet-connected thermometers, first created a national map of fever levels in the U.S. on March 22 and was able to spot the trend within a day.
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MIT to publish plans for an emergency ventilator that can be built for $400
The ventilator shortage is a key barrier worldwide to effectively managing the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Now, teams around the world can use MIT’s plans to make them for less than $500.
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Coronavirus home testing to be made available to millions in the UK
Millions of 15-minute home coronavirus tests are set to be available for delivery to people self-isolating, according to Public Health England, in a move that could restore many people’s lives to a semblance of normality.
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Mylab becomes first Indian company to get COVID-19 test kits validated
Mylab’s innovation reduces test time from 4 to 2.5 hours. The company has promised that it can manufacture up to 100,000 tests in a week which can be further scaled up if needed.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Wales is building a national forest spanning the length of the country
£5 million has been allocated to complete the project, while another £10 million will go towards accompanied tree-planting programs through the Glastir farm grants program.
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Sikh volunteers prepare over 30,000 meal packets for Americans in self-isolation
The Sikh community was approached by New York’s Mayor office for food packages that were handed out to several distributing federal agencies in the area.
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India plans 26 GW of solar capacity in agricultural sector by 2022
Around 1.75 million off-grid solar pumps shall be set up while 1 million operational grid-connected irrigation pumps shall be fitted with solar panels.
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UK government will pay wages for anyone facing unemployment due to pandemic
Unveiling an unprecedented intervention by the state in the British economy, the government will cover 80% of worker salaries for at least the next three months up to a maximum of $2,900 a month.
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Carnival offers its cruise ships to help with COVID-19 care
The company’s portfolio of cruise line brands includes Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn, including 102 ships. During normal times, they host over 225,000 guests on any given day.
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McDonald’s to eliminate plastic in Happy Meal toys by 2021
The fast-food chain expects to remove over 3,000 metric tons of plastic from the business from 2021 by abolishing plastic happy meal toys.
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Kind Canadians start ‘caremongering’ trend amid pandemic
More than 35 Facebook groups have been set up in 72 hours to serve communities in places including Ottawa, Halifax and Annapolis County in Nova Scotia, with more than 30,000 members between them.
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New Lyme disease treatment kills bacteria that causes lingering symptoms
A new Stanford Medicine study provides evidence that the drug azlocillin could be effective for treating Lyme disease patients infected with drug-tolerant bacteria.
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A million seagrass seeds are being planted of the United Kingdom coast
Experts say seagrass helps tackle the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide faster than trees.
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Starbucks is piloting fully compostable cups in five cities
Starbucks is piloting cups that are just like the company’s normal cups, but the plastic lining has been replaced with a compostable liner, making the cups recyclable and compostable.
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Second-ever patient cured of HIV
A man from London has become the second person in the world to be cured of HIV, doctors say. Adam Castillejo is still free of the virus more than 30 months after stopping anti-retroviral therapy.
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Reddit now lets you report users who might be at risk of self harm
The company teamed up with Crisis Text Line to offer support to users who might be suicidal or hurt themselves in some way.
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Germany hits record 61% renewables for month of February
Throughout the month, Germany’s renewable energy sector regularly provided around 60% or above of the country’s electricity production – including over a dozen days around or above 70%.
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UK carbon emissions have fallen by 29% in last decade
In 2019, Carbon Brief found that the UK’s CO2 emissions fell by 2.9%, bringing the total reduction to 29% over the past decade since 2010, even as the economy grew by a fifth.
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Ameren to invest $7.6 billion in smart grid technology and renewables
One of the largest utility companies in the U.S. Midwest will spend $7.6 billion on a five-year plan to install smart meters, add solar energy and battery storage, purchase 700 MW of wind power, and more.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Malawi legalizes cannabis amid hopes of fresh economic growth
The country follows in the footsteps of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Lesotho, neighboring south-east African states that have legalized medicinal cannabis, as well as South Africa, where medicinal and recreational use was decriminalized in 2018.
Learn more2020 C.E.
MIT uses machine learning to develop powerful antibiotic
The drug works in a different way to existing antibacterials and is the first of its kind to be found by setting AI loose on vast digital libraries of pharmaceutical compounds.
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USC will offer free tuition to students from families making $80K or less
The plan will be phased in with first-year students entering the university in fall 2020. Additionally, the university’s financial need calculations will no longer consider home ownership.
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Singapore to phase out all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040
The wealthy city-state of 5.7 million, which is hiking investment in flood defences, joins Norway, Britain and others in setting a target to cut the use of vehicles with combustion engines.
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In a world-first, India’s dozen major ports now run fully on renewable energy
The dozen state-owned major ports in the country have switched to renewable energy to meet their entire power requirements, making India the first nation to have all government-owned ports running on solar and wind energy.
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Researchers invent an “EpiPen” for spinal cord injuries that can prevent paralysis
The approach was demonstrated in mice at the University of Michigan, with the nanoparticles enhancing healing by reprogramming the aggressive immune cells—call it an “EpiPen” for trauma to the central nervous system.
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Scientists invent device that generates electricity ‘out of thin air’
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have designed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture in the air.
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Landmark ruling grants women equal rights in Indian army
The judgment, seen as a landmark decision for the Indian military, means that all women will now be eligible for the same promotions, ranks, benefits and pensions as their male counterparts, irrespective of their years of service or whether they had retired.
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Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to address climate change
The effort will fund scientists, activists and nongovernmental organizations, he said in a post on Instagram. Mr. Bezos, who has been pushed by Amazon employees on climate issues, said he expected to start issuing grants this summer.
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Britain sets new daily record for wind generation
Stormy conditions drove wind to a new record-high share of Britain’s electricity supply that at one point hit 56% this weekend, said power market analysts.
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United Kingdom to ban petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars by 2035
The sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned as of 2035. After the ban comes into effect, only electric and hydrogen vehicles will be available for purchase.
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AI system develops new drug for OCD patients, cutting costs and moving it to trail faster
AI could reduce costs of labor and R&D of pharmaceuticals by 80%. The front-loaded savings means that more drugs for more diseases can be synthesized and moved into trials.
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Women’s rights group eliminates female genital mutilation in Kurdistan’s Garmiyan region
On International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a women’s rights group active in the Kurdistan Region announced that zero cases of GM were reported in the Garmiyan Administration in 2019.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Mayor announces plans to make Paris 100% bicycle friendly by 2024
In order to fulfill the commitment of carrying out an “ecological transformation of the city”, a new traffic plan will be implemented to promote walking, cycling and public transport.
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$500M investment means construction to start on Canada’s largest solar farm this year
The project will consist of 1.5 million solar panels that will create 500 jobs and generate about 800 million kWh per year, enough to power more than 100,000 homes.
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UK aviation industry commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2050
The Sustainable Aviation coalition say that the UK will be able to grow passenger numbers by 70% while reducing net emissions from 30 million tonnes of CO2 per year today down to zero.
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Borneo locals win a court battle to bar a coal miner from their land
After a two-year court battle, Indonesia’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of a lawsuit that claims the permit for the mining firm should be revoked.
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Landmark French law will stop unsold goods being thrown away
France is to ban designer clothes and luxury goods companies from destroying unsold or returned items under a wide-ranging anti-waste law passed by parliament.
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Germany is turning 62 military bases into wildlife sanctuaries
The German government has announced plans to convert 62 disused military bases just west of the Iron Curtain into nature reserves for eagles, woodpeckers, bats, and beetles.
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India’s gigantic Bhadla Solar Park sets new world record
The 2.2GW park is almost 50% more than all the solar installations that the US’ largest residential solar installer has completed. It’s also about 50% larger than the world’s previous largest solar farm. It is just one small part of India’s ambitious plan to install 100GW of solar by 2022.
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GM to invest $2.2B in Detroit to build electric vehicles
General Motors is spending $2.2 billion to refurbish an underused Detroit factory so it can build a series of electric and self-driving vehicles, eventually employing 2,200 people.
Learn more2020 C.E.
British carbon tax leads to 93% drop in coal-fired electricity
A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain, introduced in 2013, has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40% to 3% over six years, according to research led by UCL.
Learn more2020 C.E.
Madagascar commits to planting 60 million trees
To celebrate 60 years of independence, Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has pledged to plant 60 million new trees and restore the island to the green haven it once was.
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Fisheries management is effectively rebuilding fish stocks around the world
A global analysis from the University of Washington shows that nearly half of the fish caught worldwide are from stocks that are scientifically monitored and, on average, are increasing in abundance.
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Researchers produce a single-molecule catalyst to form hydrogen using sunlight
Scientists for the first time have developed a single molecule that can absorb sunlight efficiently and act as a catalyst to transform solar energy into hydrogen, a clean alternative to fossil fuels.
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Malaysia begins refusing shipments of plastic waste from rich countries
Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 countries since the Q3 2019, with the environment minster warning that those who want to make the country a rubbish bin of the world can “dream on.”
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China announces plan to phase out single-use plastics
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) stated that by the end of 2020 single-use plastic bags will be banned in all of China’s major cities. By the end of 2022, the plastic bag ban will extend to all cities and towns.
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Microsoft pledges to be carbon negative by 2030
By 2030, Microsoft will be carbon negative. By 2050, they will remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975.
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HIV infections among gay and bi men fall by 71% in UK since 2012
The number of people diagnosed with HIV in the UK has dropped substantially since 2012. The drop has been attributed to a rise in the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep).
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JetBlue will be carbon neutral on all domestic flights by July 2020
The company said that it will offset up to 17 billion pounds of carbon by investing in projects focused on initiatives like forest conservation and renewable power.
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Half of UK universities have committed to divest from fossil fuel
Seventy-eight of the UK’s 154 public universities have joined the divestment campaign, either divesting or pledging to divest hundreds of millions from the fossil fuel industry.
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U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell 2% in 2019
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.1% last year because of a sharp drop in coal consumption, which fell by a record 18 percent to the lowest level since 1975.
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Jakarta to ban single-use plastic bags by June 2020
The regulation imposes a ban on single-use plastic bags in modern department stores, supermarkets, and traditional markets. It will also serve as a legal basis for the usage of eco-friendly bags in stores and markets.
Learn more2019 C.E.
China bans fishing in depleted Yangtze River for 10 years to protect aquatic life
The ban will be applied at 332 conservation sites along the river. It will be extended to cover the main river course and key tributaries by January 1 next year.
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Pakistan saw 31% reduction in terrorism in 2019
In its annual report, the Center for Research and Security Studies said that a 30.71 per cent drop in fatalities was observed in 2019, down from 980 last year to 679 this year.
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Indian Railways records zero deaths in 2019 for the first year ever
While between 1990-1995 an average of more than 500 accidents took place every year, a decade later between 2013-2018 only an average of around 110 accidents took place every year.
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Germany cuts fares for long-distance rail travel in response to climate crisis
Fares for long-distance rail travel in Germany have dropped for the first time in 17 years, as climate protection measures came into effect with the new year.
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Israel green lights hundreds of wind turbines in north
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz vowed that Israel will move into a coal-free era of power production by the end of 2025, five years earlier than originally targeted.
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Mattel commits to use sustainable materials in toys and packaging by 2030
In an expansion of its Environmental Sustainable Sourcing Principles that were announced in 2011, Mattel plans to use 100% recycled, recyclable, or bio-based plastics materials in both its products and packaging by 2030.
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UK renewables outperform natural gas for first quarter ever
In the third quarter of 2019 renewable energy sources provided a record 38.9% of the country’s electricity — exceeding natural gas for the first time ever, which provided 38.8%.
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Mainland Spain registers first coal-free day
Mainland Spain went coal free from 23:50 local time on 13 December until 21:20 on 15 December — making 14 December the first day of no coal burn since records began.
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Germany bans gay conversion therapy for minors
Germany is banning gay conversion therapy for minors saying the practice that purports to make patients straight has no scientific basis and often causes psychological harm.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Oxford City Council sets £19 million budget for climate crisis
Oxford City Council will set a Climate Emergency Budget that commits over £1 million additional operational funding and £18 million of capital investment to address the climate emergency.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Goldman Sachs will end funding for Arctic drilling
The multinational investment bank has updated their energy policy for the first time since 2015, stating that they will end financing for new drilling or exploration in the Arctic.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Cambodia to teach LGBT+ issues in schools to tackle discrimination
Children in Cambodia will receive lessons on LGBT+ issues from 2020 in a bid to wipe out bullying and discrimination in the socially conservative country.
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France bans two US pesticides, citing risk to bees
A court banned the products from US group Dow AgroSciences, on the grounds that their containing sulfoxaflor was harmful to bees’ nervous systems.
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Ireland unveils plan for 70 per cent renewable energy by 2030
Ireland has published its long-awaited Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, unveiling details on how the country will increase its share of renewable energy to 70% by 2030.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Saudi Arabia is dropping gender rules for restaurant entrances
Saudi Arabia is ending the requirement that restaurants have two separate entrances: one for families and women and another for unaccompanied men.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Hong Kong voters deliver landslide victory for pro-democracy campaigners
Hong Kong’s voters have delivered an unprecedented landslide for pro-democracy candidates in local elections, in a powerful show of solidarity with the city’s protest movement and rebuke to the government over its handling of the crisis.
Learn more2019 C.E.
United States enacts animal cruelty bill into law, making it a federal felony
Animal cruelty has officially become a federal felony after President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan bill, Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, into law.
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France returns historical sword stolen in the 19th century back to Senegal
The French Prime Minister, Philippe said giving back Saidou Tall’s saber was “the first step” in a project tailored at returning more west African artifacts that are currently in French museums.
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14 of the largest US hospitals and health systems are investing $700 million into affordable housing
The new approach marks perhaps the first time that these health systems have acknowledged that impact investment can and should be part of their overall strategy for improving health and well-being in their communities.
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Canada invests $175 million in nature conservation projects
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has announced the first in a series of more than 60 conservation initiatives launching in every province and territory under Canada Nature Fund’s Target 1 Challenge.
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Kerala, India to provide free high-speed internet to over 2 million poor families
The project aims to provide free high-speed internet to over 22 million below poverty line households by 2020.
Learn more2019 C.E.
More than 1,000 Google employees signed a letter demanding the company reduce its carbon emissions
Googlers are pushing for a commitment to zero emissions by 2030 and to cancel contracts with fossil fuel companies.
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Italy to become first country to make studying climate change compulsory in schools
Under a new law, all state schools will dedicate around an hour a week to sustainability and climate change issues from the beginning of the next academic year.
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Australia’s main grid reaches 50% renewables for first time
Australia’s main grid broke through the 50% benchmark for renewable energy in one trading period this Wednesday, the first time that half of net demand had been met by renewables.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Apple commits $2.5 billion to combating housing crisis in California
In partnership with Governor Newsom, the state, and community-based organizations, Apple is providing a significant investment that offers statewide housing support as well as funding for projects in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Rooftop solar installations in Australia this October smash monthly record
Rooftop solar installations have set a new record of 207MW in the month of October, beating the previous benchmark by 15 per cent and with new records set in four different states.
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Germany’s CO2 emissions set to fall “markedly” in 2019 as energy use declines
Germany is headed for second consecutive year of substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as a sharp drop in coal consumption is driving a decline of the country’s overall energy use in 2019.
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India cancels plans for huge coal power stations as solar energy prices hit record low
India has cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations – about the same as the total amount in the UK – with the price for solar electricity “free falling” to levels once considered impossible.
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Murder rate in India drops steadily to lowest since 1963
The murder rate in India in 2017 was the lowest it has been in the last 54 years. With the exception of 1963, it has never been lower since 1957, the earliest year for which data on this rate is available.
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Macy’s will stop selling fur by end of 2020 fiscal year
Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s will stop selling the animal product by the end of the 2020 fiscal year, including its “off-price” stores” — Macy’s Backstage and Bloomingdale’s The Outlet.
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JPMorgan to hire more people with criminal backgrounds
“When someone cannot get their foot in the door to compete for a job, it is bad for business and bad for communities that need access to economic opportunity,” said JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon.
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New drugs improve late-stage melanoma survival rate in the UK from 5% to 52%
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and kills nearly 2,300 people each year. Doctors said this new intervention marked an extraordinary and rapid transformation in care.
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Dunkirk, France makes all public transportation free
The free bus service started in September of 2018. Since then, there has been an increase in ridership, rising 57% during the week and 115% on weekends.
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India replaces ten million conventional streetlights with ‘energy-efficient’ LEDs
These LED streetlights have helped the country to reduce its greenhouse gas emission by 4.63 million tonnes annually.
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Thailand to ban imports of high-tech trash, plastic waste
Southeast Asia nations fear they are the new dumping ground for the world’s trash after China banned the entry of several types of waste as part of a campaign against €œforeign garbage€.
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Abortion decriminalized in Sydney after Australian lawmakers overturn 119-year-old law
Women will now be able to get abortions up to 22 weeks into their pregnancy without proving that their health will be impacted if they continue the pregnancy.
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Timberland clothing brand to plant 50 million trees over five years
Over the next five years, Timberland plans to plant 50 million trees. Partnering with nonprofits, the company will begin with projects in Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Tanzania, and Mali.
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Mattel launches groundbreaking gender fluid, customizable doll line
Mattel’s research has concluded that today’s kids generally don’t want what toys they are expected to play with to be dictated by their gender.
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Indonesia raises minimum age for brides to end child marriage
Indonesia’s parliament has revised the country’s marriage law to lift the minimum age at which women can marry by three years to 19, a move welcomed by campaigners as a step toward curbing child marriage.
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The Indian state of Chhattisgarhwill not build any new coal power plants
The falling costs of solar power means that Chhattisgarh is likely to rely on using solar to fill up any excess demand.
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Environmental pollution in China is now declining
For decades pollution in China has paralleled economic growth. But this connection has weakened in recent years, according to a new international research study.
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Sainsbury’s to cut plastic packaging in half by 2025
The UK supermarket giant currently uses almost 120,000 tonnes of plastic packaging per year.
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Canada’s new child benefit has lifted almost 300,000 children out of poverty
New Statistics Canada figures show 278,000 fewer children living below the poverty line in 2017 €” the first full year of the benefit €” compared to 2015.
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Air pollution in Delhi drops 25% in four years
Five years ago, in 2014, a global study on air quality trends by the World Health Organisation had declared Delhi the most polluted city in the world.
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Human organs can be stored for three times as long in major breakthrough for transplants
Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed a method to preserve livers for 27 hours, using a super-cooling method which ‘freezes’ the organ at -4C.
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Extreme poverty in Pakistan declines from 28% to 4% in 15 years
The extreme poverty (or below $1.9 per day poverty line) in Pakistan has gone down from 28.6 percent of total population in 2001 to 3.9 percent in 2015, Asian Development Bank said in a report.
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Seven South American countries sign Amazon forest protection pact
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname signed a pact, setting up a disaster response network and satellite monitoring amid massive fires in the world’s largest tropical forest.
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Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite
Drugs derived from Ivermectin, which makes human blood deadly to mosquitoes, could be available within two years
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Walmart ends all handgun ammunition sales
Walmart announced it will reduce its gun and ammunition sales, one month after more than 20 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
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Envision joins RE100 and makes most ambitious climate target of any member from mainland China
Shanghai-based energy technology manufacturer Envision has joined the global RE100 initiative committing to be powered by 100% electricity by 2025.
Learn more2019 C.E.
Offshore wind boom is transforming UK’s coastal town economy
Growth in the UK offshore wind industry is transforming the UK’s coastal towns from empty ports to bustling industry with thousands of skilled job opportunities.
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Ireland to plant 440 million trees over the next 20 years
The Irish government has announced an ambitious plan to fight climate change, setting a planting target of 440 million trees by 2040.
Learn more2019 C.E.
India bans six single-use plastic products
India is set to impose a nationwide ban on plastic bags, cups and straws on Oct. 2, in its most sweeping measure yet to stamp out single-use plastics.
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Iceland Supermarket’s ‘reverse vending machines’ reach one million plastic bottles recycled
Iceland supermarkets have recycled over one million plastic bottles in just over a year, thanks to a trial of ‘reverse vending machines’ in five of its UK stores.
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Hasbro to cut all plastic packaging by 2022
The toy maker will stop using plastic bags, elastic bands, and the shrink wrap that’s usually found around Monopoly, Scrabble and other board games.
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World’s largest urban rooftop farm to open in Paris in 2020
French company Agripolis is opening a 150,000-square-foot urban farm in Paris, where it will grow more than 2,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables every day during high season.
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Egypt to lead solar energy projects in seven African countries
The Arab Industrialization Organization, owned by the Egyptian government, will develop renewable energies and reduce energy shortages in Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan.
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11 million new trees to be planted in England by water companies
The firms will be planting trees on around 15,000 acres of land across England, as well as supporting work to restore original woodland and improving habitats that store carbon.
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Scientists in South Africa discover a cure for the deadliest strain of tuberculosis
The new drug regimen tested has shown a 90% success rate against a deadly plague, extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.
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China’s solar power is now cheaper than grid electricity, scientists reveal
Scientists found that all of the 344 cities they looked at could have cheaper electricity powered by solar energy, according to the study published in the journal Nature Energy.
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Oregon mandates cage-free eggs by 2024
The new law mandates that all eggs produced or sold in the state must come from cage-free hens by 2024.
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Simone Biles becomes the first gymnast to land a double-double dismount
The 22-year-old just became the first gymnast to ever attempt and land a double-twisting, double somersault dismount off the balance beam.
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Beijing breathes cleanest air on record
Beijing reported the lowest level of air pollutants in the first half this year since the city started recording related data 35 years ago.
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Israeli scientists develop novel nano-vaccine for melanoma
Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a melanoma vaccine that prevents the development of melanoma and treats primary tumors and metastases in mouse models.
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Supreme Court of Malawi bans thin plastic production
The court’s decision makes production of thin plastics under 60 microns in thickness illegal with immediate effect.
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Canadians can now apply for free, no-wait pardons for cannabis possession charges
The new law allows people who were only convicted of a crime of simple possession €” which is possession of under 30 grams €” to have their record suspended, free of charge (the normal fee is $631).
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Plastic bag sales in England halved in past year
Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op, Tesco and Waitrose sold 549 million single-use plastic bags in 2018-19, down from one billion in the previous year.
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Virgin Media commits to 100% renewable energy goal
The telephone and internet service provider has signed up to The Climate Group’s RE100 initiative, joining a group of leading businesses committed to increasing the consumption of renewable energy worldwide.
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China set to reach carbon emission goals years early
China’s emissions could peak at 13 to 16 gigatonnes of CO2 and begin declining between 2021 and 2025. The official target is a peak by €œaround 2030.€
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Singapore abolishes school exam rankings, says learning is not competition
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Friday (Sept 28) that the change is to allow each student to focus on his or her learning progress and discourage them from being overly concerned about comparisons.
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Tiger populations in India have doubled to nearly 3,000 in last 15 years
“It was decided in St. Petersburg that target of doubling tiger population would be 2022, we achieved it 4 years in advance.”
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Kenya passes law requiring free sanitary towels for schoolgirls
Schoolgirls who have reached puberty will now receive free sanitary towels from the government, a new law aimed at minimizing absenteeism and putting them at par with their male counterparts says.
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First Step Act frees many formerly incarcerated individuals from Bureau of Prisons custody
The First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform law passed in Congress last year, was the catalyst for the release of more than 3,100 formerly incarcerated individuals from federal custody on July 19.
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AIDS deaths in India plummet by over 70% since 2005
New infections have declined in India by more than 80 per cent from peak of epidemic in 1995 and deaths from the disease have come down by 71 per cent since its peak in 2005.
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Kenya launches largest wind power plant in Africa
The farm, known as the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) will generate around 310 megawatts of power to the national grid and will increase the country’s electricity supply by 13%.
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Indian cities to buy thousands of electric buses
The sudden jump in electric buses purchases is the result of a financial subsidy worth US$360 million, offered by the central government.
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Overdose deaths in the United States drop for first time in two decades
The drop marks the first time that the number of overdose-related deaths has fallen since 1999.
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Alan Turing – prosecuted for gay acts in 1952 – to be the new face of the U.K.’s £50 banknote
Despite his tremendous contributions to society, Turing was ultimately convicted for being gay and chemically castrated in 1952.
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British boys will receive HPV vaccine to prevent ‘thousands of cancers’
In total, the HPV vaccine program could prevent over 100,000 cases of cancer by 2058, officials said.
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Ethiopia begins planting 4 billion trees to fight deforestation
Hundreds of thousands of volunteers are needed for the planting and bedding in of the four billion saplings.
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E.ON transitions all of its 3.3 million UK customers to 100% renewable electricity
German electric utility E.ON has transitioned all of its 3.3 million residential customers in Britain to 100% renewable electricity at no extra cost.
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France to implement new ‘ecotax’ on plane tickets from 2020
France will introduce a new charge on plane tickets from next year, with revenue used to fund environment-friendly alternatives.
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German court allows Peruvian farmer to sue RWE over climate crisis
The lawsuit alleges that since RWE has produced an roughly 0.47% of GHG emitted by industry, it should be liable to pay an equivalent of the costs.
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The Co-op Group commits to reducing GHG emissions 50% by 2025
The UK retail company’s Annual General Meeting 2019 saw 98% of Co-op Members vote in favor to take action against the climate crisis.
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Paris bans nearly 3 million vehicles during weekdays to curb pollution
The policy is set to ban diesel cars and vans made before Jan. 1, 2006, from the city between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays.
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Costs of building large-scale solar installations in India fell by 27 per cent in 2018
Around the globe, prices are falling and India is now producing the world’s cheapest solar power, according to an IRENA survey.
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Malaysia will decriminalize drug possession for personal use
A representative from the Malaysian government said that decriminalization is a step toward a rational drug policy that puts science and public health before punishment and incarceration.
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UK businesses commit to remove eight problem plastics by 2020
The Pact, originally launched in 2018, represents 127 members, accounting for 85% of plastic packaging in UK supermarkets including Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
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Child poverty in the United States falls to record low
The child poverty rate in the United States has fallen to a record low of 16% in 2016. In 1967, it was 28%.
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Kazakhstan writes off debts of more than 3 million citizens
More than 3 million Kazakhs in the energy-rich country of 18 million will get help to escape debts averaging 300,000 tenge ($790).
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Zero carbon electricity overtakes fossil fuels for first time in the UK
Britain is set to achieve a historic milestone this year, with more electricity generated from zero carbon sources than fossil fuels.
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Canada passes legislation ending the import and export of shark fins
“The overhauled Fisheries Act has the potential to be one of the most transformative things that has happened for our oceans in many years,€ says Josh Laughren, Executive Director, Oceana Canada.
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Mystery of why arteries harden may have been solved, say scientists
The discovery moves us closer to the first preventive drug for the condition linked to heart attack, dementia, and stroke.
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Beijing opens new bicycle expressway
Researchers say infrastructure for bicyclists make roads safer for everyone, while reducing congestion and reducing carbon emissions.
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Canada to ban single-use plastic as early as 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will ban single-use plastics €” which could include bags, straws and cutlery €” in Canada in 2021.
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UK government commits to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050
The UK is to enshrine a 2050 net zero emissions target in law, with an amendment to the Climate Change Act.
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Canada bans the captivity and breeding of orcas, dolphins and other whales
The Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, first introduced in 2015, outlaws the practice, as well as the trade, possession, capture and breeding of cetaceans.
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Canary Wharf is now the world’s first plastic free commercial center
Canary Wharf, the Estate at the heart of London’s capital, has become the first commercial center in the world to be awarded a ‘Plastic Free Community’ status.
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Canada launches Climate Action Incentive Fund
The fund will deliver up to $218 million in its first year (2019-2020), funded from the Canadian federal carbon pollution pricing system.
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The world’s largest offshore wind farm just came online off the shores of Britain
The massive wind farm now has 50 of 174 turbines spinning. When completed, the project will have more than double the capacity of the current largest offshore installation.
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Democratic Republic of Congo completes its first peaceful transfer of power
Felix Tshisekedi has been sworn in as the president of the DRC, in the vast central African country’s first transfer of power through an election in 59 years of independence.
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UK creates Blue Belt marine protected area twice the size of England
An area nearly twice the size of England will become a €œblue belt€ of protected waters after the government created 41 new marine conservation zones.
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‘Humanity’ added as a religion option on Kolkata college admissions forms
Bethune College, has decided to do away with the heterogeneous clubbing of different religions together under ‘other’ and introduced another ‘Humanity’ for all people who feel restricted by the limited options.
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Philippines passes law requiring students to plant 10 trees to graduate
The law formalises a tradition of planting trees upon graduation, which is also hoped to simultaneously combat global climate change.
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34 black women graduate from West Point, in the most diverse class ever
The 2019 class of graduates included a record number of Black and Hispanic women.
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52% of Canadians likely to buy an electrified vehicle within 5 years
In a survey, 52% €œsay they are likely to buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle in the next 5 years.€
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India begins launching “pink booths” to encourage female voting
“Pink booths” feature an all-female staff – including police and security personnel – and childcare facilities in order to encourage women to vote.
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UK government announces ban on all plastic straws, cotton buds and drink stirrers
The ban will come into place in April 2020 and will be applied throughout towns and cities in England.
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Study finds CBD effective in treating heroin addiction
Given to patients with heroin addiction, cannabidiol, also known as CBD, reduced their cravings for the illicit drug as well as their levels of anxiety.
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Morrisons to become first UK supermarket to offer plastic-free fruit and vegetables
The British supermarket will offer 127 loose fruit and veg varieties over the next year. The fruit and veg will either be sold in recyclable paper bags or loose.
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India projected to surpass Paris Agreement clean energy commitment
According to a new report from Moody’s, India will likely see the share of non-fossil fuel power generation capacity to 45% by 2022 against a commitment of 40% by the same year.
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World Data Lab projects Kenya to eradicate extreme poverty by 2032
A global data enterprise suggested in a post published last week by a US think tank that the share of abjectly poor Kenyans will drop from nearly 21 percent to 4.3 percent in 2030.
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Germany tests its first ‘electric highway’ for trucks
Germany is testing a eHighway system with a hybrid truck receiving power from cables to keep it from using its combustion engine.
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Scientists claim to have created an environmentally friendly alternative to Styrofoam
Scientists at Washington State University say they have developed an experimental foam made primarily from nanocrystals of cellulose €” the most abundant plant material on earth.
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Residential solar booming in Australia: Q1 installations up 46% from 2018
A record amount of new solar capacity has been fitted to Australia’s households and businesses in the first three months of this year, an increase of 46% on the same period last year.
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Scientists invent 100% recyclable plastic
Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a recyclable plastic that can be disassembled into its constituent parts and reassembled without loss of performance or quality.
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Ghana marks 10 years of polio-free status
The Ghana National PolioPlus Committee on Wednesday has marked 10 years of the country’s polio-free status.
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America’s renewable energy set to surpass coal for the first month ever in April 2019
America’s clean energy revolution is on the verge of a tipping point. The renewable energy sector is projected to generate more electricity than coal during the month of April.
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China reassigns 60,000 soldiers to plant trees in bid to fight pollution
China has reassigned over 60,000 soldiers to plant at least 32,400 square miles of trees by the end of the year, which is roughly equivalent to the size of Ireland.
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U.S. wind development pipeline grew by 6 gigawatts in first quarter of 2019
The surge in first-quarter development brings the US construction and advanced development pipeline to a record-breaking 39,161 MW €” an 11% increase over the previous quarter.
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Seaweed pouches will replace thousands of plastic bottles at the London marathon
The Ooho seaweed capsules are made by a London-based startup called Skipping Rocks Lab. They want to cut the number of plastic bottles used by 200,000.
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Canada bans deep-sea mining, oil and gas drilling in marine protected areas
The decision, which also prevents waste dumping and bottom trawling, helps inch Canada closer to its international commitment to protect 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020.
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UK breaks coal-free power record over bank holiday weekend
The UK had a coal free weekend over Easter, breaking the previous record which was set in April 2018. The coal free period lasted for 90 hours and 45 minutes.
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World Surf League will now award equal pay to men and women athletes
17-year-old Caroline Marks became the first woman to win the same $100,000 prize as her male counterparts earlier this week when she won the first competition of the 2019 World Surf League’s Championship Tour.
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Canada iZEV electric car incentive program begins May 1
Canada will provide a $5,000 rebate to electric and plug-in hybrid car buyers called iZEV and goes into effect on May 1.
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New research suggests MDMA lets PTSD victims form new bonds and memories to overcome trauma
Research from Johns Hopkins University finds that MDMA seems to re-open a window of opportunity for social bonding and rewiring trauma-related faulty connections in the brain.
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Inexpensive ‘first-of-its-kind’ device can generate electricity from snowfall
UCLA researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind device that can generate electricity from falling snow. The inexpensive device scientists is small, thin, and flexible like a sheet of plastic.
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Morehouse College, the nation’s only black all-male college, will begin admitting transgender students in 2020
“In a rapidly changing world that includes a better understanding of gender identity, we’re proud to expand our admissions policy to consider trans men who want to be part of an institution that has produced some of the greatest leaders in social justice, politics, business, and the arts for more than 150 years,”
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China’s electric vehicle sales grow 118% year on year and fossil sales fall 13% in Q1 2019
The China passenger car association’s first quarter figures are in, and electric vehicle sales continue their rapid rise, up 118% year on year, to over 254,000.
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Sikhs aim to plant million trees as ‘gift to the planet’
The project aims to reverse environmental decline and help people reconnect with nature as part of celebrations marking 550 years since the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak.
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Last fur farm in Germany shuts down
The country introduced a ban on all fur farming in 2017, with a deadline for closures required by 2022 to allow farmers to transition into new, less cruel industries.
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World’s first’ Ultra Low Emission Zone comes into force in London
The introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone will result in motorists who drive into the zone in a vehicle that does not meet the new emission standard having to pay a daily charge.
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China to ban all variants of fentanyl
China announced it will ban all variants of fentanyl, the powerful opioid responsible for many of the deaths in America’s opioid crisis.
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Sydney announces 100% renewable energy by 2050 target
Sydney will purchase only 100% renewable energy that’s generated by wind or solar starting next year.
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Sanitation coverage in India hits 99%, up 60% in 5 years
Three infants die every two minutes in India due to lack of access to adequate water and sanitation services. The Swachh Bharat Mission aims to achieve 100% sanitation by October 2019.
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Germany awards 505 MW in first ever large-scale solar PV tender
Germany’s Federal Network Agency has announced the winners of its first special tender for large-scale solar PV, in which 121 contracts were awarded totaling 505 megawatts (MW) of capacity at an average price of ‚¬0.065 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
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UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3% in 2018
Greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 3 per cent in the UK, finds provisional statistics released by the Government.
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Saudi Arabia planning 2.6 gigawatt solar project near Mecca
Middle Eastern oil giant Saudi Arabia is set to develop a mammoth 2.6 gigawatt (GW) solar park in the Makkah Region, providing enough energy for nearly 2 million homes.
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74% of U.S. coal production is now more expensive than renewables
211 gigawatts of current US coal capacity, 74% of the coal fleet, is providing electricity that’s more expensive than wind or solar. By 2025, nearly the entire US coal system will be out-competed on cost by renewables.
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UV-LED water purification partnership to save 6 billion water bottles from landfills in the Philippines
Acuva Technologies, based out of British Columbia, Canada, has announced its partnership with Quezon City-based Kooler Industries, in an effort to make a significant difference in the war against plastic waste in the Philippines.
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UK Government announces end of fossil fuel heating systems in new houses from 2025
To ensure homes are better for the environment, they will introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025, so that new build homes are future-proofed with low-carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency.
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Prices of nearly 400 anti-cancer drugs in India slashed by up to 87%
Hundreds of lifesaving cancer medications will now be available to Indian patients at a much cheaper cost, according to the government’s pharmaceutical department.
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Australia adding one mega-solar project per month
Australia is adding one mega-solar project equivalent per month, with the current installed base of 10 gigawatts projected to double by the end of 2020. The latest mega-solar project is a 333 MW project in Griffith, New South Wales.
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Researcher invents biodegradable Mardi Gras beads made of algae
Hundreds of pounds of plastic beads of Mardi Gras beads end up in the New Orleans’s water system every year. Thankfully, a biologist from Louisiana State University has developed several formulas for biodegradable Mardi Gras beads made of algae.
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New offshore wind deal to triple number of ‘green collar jobs’ in UK by 2030
The new deal plans to increase the workforce within the sector to 27,000 by 2030, tripling the current 7,200 jobs today. The deal is in line with the strategy’s Clean Growth Grand Challenge to maximize the advantages for UK industry from the global shift to clean growth.
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H.I.V. is reported cured in a second patient, a milestone in the global AIDS epidemic
Scientists have long tried to duplicate the procedure that led to the first long-term remission 12 years ago. With the so-called London patient, they seem to have succeeded.
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Electric vehicle sales in Europe jump 67% year over year in January 2019
Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) have been flourishing. In the first month of 2019, all-electrics jumped 67% year over year (YoY), to almost 21,000 deliveries.
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Spain approves target of 120 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030
The Spanish government approved the plan proposing that renewables make up 42% of the final energy consumption in 2030.
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Asia Pacific region installed 25 GW of onshore wind in 2018
The Asia Pacific region installed a total of 24.9 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind in 2018, bringing the region’s cumulative capacity up to an impressive 256 GW. 145 GW of new onshore capacity are expected to be brought online by 2023.
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Indian Railways pushes towards goal of full electrification by 2022 with new $42 million deal
Electrified rail technologies clean up the air around the rail lines and eliminate the point-of-use emissions stemming from rail altogether.
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Australia is planting a billion trees to fight climate change
The government estimates that the project, which will run until 2050, will eventually remove 18 million tons of greenhouse gases per years.
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New ‘Trojan Horse’ cancer drug successfully treats patients with 6 different kinds of lethal tumors
A brand new type of cancer drug that acts as a €œTrojan horse€ to get inside tumor cells has shown promise in patients with advanced, drug-resistant cancers. Patients with six different cancer types have responded positively to the new treatment.
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More than 8 million UK students to strike over climate change
Following in the footsteps of Greta Thunberg, school children across the UK have gone on strike for climate change. A new initiative called ‘Fridays for Future’ has been introduced, this will mean that students will strike every Friday until the government respond with an appropriate action.
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Beijing will implement Stage 6 emissions rules in 2019 – reducing CO2 and NO2 emissions by 50%
Currently, Stage V rules €” based primarily on regulations promulgated by the European Union €” are in force. Stage VI rules will slash carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 50% below those already strict Stage V level.
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24-year old Kazakhstani man becomes first to use wirelessly-charged bionic heart
Tursunov’s bionic heart (or VAD) doesn’t need a power cord thanks to a charging system created by Israeli tech company Leviticus Cardio, eliminating one of the biggest points of failure in a device that cannot afford to fail.
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Scientists are using AI to find hotel rooms being used for child sex trafficking
Washington University engineers developed AI that recognizes features of a hotel room from a photo and identify where it may have been taken €” offering new leads to fight child trafficking.
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11.9 GW of wind capacity installed in the Americas in 2018
Total installed wind capacity in North, Central, and South America increased to 135 gigawatts (GW) in 2018 with the addition of 11.9 GW of new wind capacity, an increase of 12% on 2017.
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Pro-LGBTQ laws in the United States outpaced anti-LGBTQ laws in 2018, report finds
Last year, 21 of the 201 pro-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures became law, while just two of the 110 anti-LGBTQ bills did, according to HRC’s recently released 2018 State Equality Index.
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Researchers use healthy stem cells for future Type 1 diabetes cure for the first time
For the first time ever, researchers have successfully transformed human stem cells into mature insulin-producing cells, a major breakthrough in the effort to develop a cure for type 1 (T1) diabetes.
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Grid-scale solar power tripled in Australia in 2018 as renewables met 20% of energy output
€œ2018 will go down as the year that fossil fuels began an inexorable decline in Australia’s electricity supply.€
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UK carbon emissions down 37% since 1990
A final report of the UK’s carbon emissions from 1990-2017 has found that CO2 levels have fallen again.
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The US Postal Service begins piloting its first ever all-electric vans
The first vehicle in the 1-year pilot is already running parcels around in Fresno, California, with 3 of the remaining vehicles planned for deployment in Fresno and the 3 remaining vehicles being deployed in Stockton later this year.
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Plug-in electric car sales skyrocket in China
2018 PEV sales in China ended at over a million units. For some context, 2017 was the first year that plug-ins reached 1 million sales globally.
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New chemistry technique turns waste plastic into clean fuel
Researchers at Purdue University are excited about a new chemical technique technique that uses super-heated water to convert plastic into a gasoline-like fuel that could be used to fuel conventional vehicles.
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Indian soap opera called “I, A Woman, Can Achieve Anything” becomes world’s most watched TV show
The show designed by an NGO to promote sexual health and family planning. It now has over 400 million viewers from over 50 countries.
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Florida Power & Light plans for 30 million solar panels by 2030
The €œ30 by 30€³ expansion will change the dynamics and make Florida a real leader of solar in the world.
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Majority of Americans say transgender people should be allowed in military
70% of respondents in the Quinnipiac University poll said transgender people should be allowed to serve, while only 22 percent said they should not.
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Germany to close all 84 of its coal-fired power plants by 2038
Germany, one of the world’s biggest consumers of coal, will shut down all 84 of its coal-fired power plants over the next 19 years to meet its international commitments in the fight against climate change, a government commission said.
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Scientists report that coral reefs in West Hawaii are now recovering from bleaching
€œWe surveyed over 14,000 coral colonies at 20 sites along the West Hawaii coast from Kawaihae to Keauhou and were thrilled to see that many of the area’s reefs have stabilized, which is the first step toward recovery.€
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Bali to impose ‘tourist tax’ for plastic pollution
Bali is facing a plastic pollution crisis, producing over 3,800 tonnes of waste every day and has now drafted a bylaw on tourist contributions for the environment and cultural preservation. The ‘tourist tax’ will involve a fee of $10 for overseas visitors to the island.
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Renewables in Britain to overtake fossil fuels by 2020
The renewable energy sector in Britain saw levels of generation increase by 12.7 TWh (15%) in 2018, subsequently impacting levels of conventional power generation fell by 7% from 140.3 TWh in 2017.
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Indian state of Sikkim is launching the largest basic income experiment in history
Sikkim will provide cash payments to each of its 610,000 citizens €” the largest basic income experiment in history.
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USC researchers find new culprit and potential treatment target for Alzheimer’s
Brain changes associated with leaky capillaries suggest new, potential drug targets as well as a way to diagnose the disease sooner.
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Microsoft pledges $500 million for affordable housing in Seattle area
Microsoft’s money represents the most ambitious effort by a tech company to directly address the inequality that has spread in areas where the industry is concentrated. It will fund construction for homes affordable not only to the company’s own non-tech workers, but also for teachers, firefighters, and other middle- and low-income residents.
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India plans to add 500 GW of renewable energy capacity within 10 years
India will auction off 40 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind capacity every year until 2028, part of the country’s goal to produce 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
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Renewables overtake coal as Germany’s main energy source
Green energy’s share of Germany’s power production has risen to over 40% from 38% percent in 2017 and just 19% percent in 2010.
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U.S. cancer death rate hits milestone of 25 years of decline
Lower smoking rates are translating into fewer deaths. Advances in early detection and treatment also are having a positive impact, experts say.
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Swachh Bharat Mission on track to declare India open defecation free by October 2019
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), over 500,000 villages and 585 districts in India have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).
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UK trains will run on hydrogen power within three years and produce zero emissions
For the first time ever, hydrogen-fueled trains will soon be running on UK railways.
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5 million Indian women just made a 385-mile human chain for gender equality
The wall was a statement of gender equality, and a call to end violent protests against women trying to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, a pilgrimage site for Hindus.
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UK electricity generation drops to its lowest since 1994
A new analysis shows that in 2018 UK electricity generation dropped to its lowest since 1994. The amount of electricity generated per person in the UK has fallen 24% since 2005.
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Canada’s new coin celebrates day gay sex was legalized
Canada is designing a new €œloonie,€ or one-dollar coin, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in the country.
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One millionth electric vehicle in the United States hits the road
With a new generation of EVs beginning to hit the market, and massive numbers of public chargers under construction from coast to coast, the electric future is beginning to take shape.
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Nearly 2 million people sign petition to sue France over climate inaction
More than 1.8 million people worldwide have signed a petition from environmental groups to sue the French government for failing to take sufficient action on the matter.
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World-leading ivory ban becomes law in the UK
The act will introduce a total ban on dealing in items containing elephant ivory, regardless of their age, within the UK, including export from or import to the UK.
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Coca-Cola supports Ioniqa to accelerate recycled PET development
The investment will help Coca-Cola to support its world without waste initiative, which is designed to develop packaging with around 50% recycled material by 2030.
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Australia just cut 80% of its plastic bag use in 3 months
When Australia’s two largest supermarket chains banned plastic bags three months ago, it led to an 80 percent reduction in the country’s overall consumption of plastic bags.
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UK Government invests £100 million in renewable energy projects in Africa
The projects funded by the new investment could help cut carbon emissions equivalent to those created by 800,000 cars a year.
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Biggest coral reseeding project launches on Great Barrier Reef
Scientists have launched the largest-ever attempt to regenerate coral on the endangered Great Barrier Reef by harvesting millions of the creatures’ eggs and sperm during their annual spawning.
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Spain to produce all electricity from renewables by 2050 and cut emissions by 90%
Spain’s proposals, set to be adopted by the cabinet in coming weeks, spell out an ambitious target to draw 100 per cent of the country’s electricity from renewables by 2050.
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Cost of carbon capture plummets thanks to two new techniques
A new study says the latest technology is 67% less expensive that it was just a few years ago and can remove 97% of carbon dioxide emissions at one third the cost of similar technology in 2014.
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The U.S. establishes its first cybersecurity defense agency
President Donald Trump signed into law the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Act of 2018, thereby establishing the first agency devoted to defending U.S. infrastructure from both cyber and physical attacks.
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UK pledges £50m to help end female genital mutilation across Africa by 2030
The British government is to invest £50m in an attempt to end female genital mutilation by 2030, claiming it is the single biggest investment to tackle the issue by an international donor.
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The Prince of Wales launches ‘Waste to Wealth’ commitment
The commitment will ensure that these companies work collectively to help double the nation’s resource productivity and reduce avoidable waste by 2030. They are required to set targets to improve the productivity that are key for business.
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China postpones plan to lift the 25-year ban on endangered animals
Environmentalists said that lifting the ban could have devastating effects for rhinoceros and tiger populations. Yesterday, the Chinese Government postponed plans to lift this ban.
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New peanut allergy drug shows ‘lifesaving’ potential
The results of a new study may lead to approval of what could be the first oral medication that ameliorates reactions in children with severe peanut allergies.
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New Caribbean alliance drives $6 billion clean energy funds to replace diesel
A new Caribbean coalition, led by some of the world’s clean energy heavyweights and bankrolled, in part, by international lending institutions will channel $6 billion to transition the region to renewable energy.
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Gun control groups eclipse NRA in U.S. election spending
Amid a numbing succession of mass shootings, gun control groups outspent the National Rifle Association in the midterm election cycle.
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Spain will switch to 100% renewable energy by 2050
The country will install at least 3,000 megawatts of wind and solar power capacity every year for the next ten years. This will result in greenhouse gas emissions being cut by 90 per cent compared to 1990 levels by the middle of the century.
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France announces plans to ban deforestation imports
Five French Government departments have announced the adoption of a new nation strategy to end deforestation caused by the import of unsustainable forest or agricultural products, including palm oil, beef, wood, and soy.
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Special bacteria is found to be a ‘battery’ that turns sewage waste into clean hydrogen energy
A new study has found that purple phototrophic bacteria when supplied with an electric current can recover near to 100% of carbon from any type of organic waste, while generating hydrogen gas for electricity production.
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Massachusetts voters uphold transgender rights law
The Yes on 3 campaign described Massachusetts as the first state in the nation “to successfully defend transgender rights by popular vote.”
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JPMorgan Chase commits to $18 an hour minimum wage in D.C.
JPMorgan Chase bank has committed to paying its newly hired tellers, bankers and branch managers in the Washington area a minimum of $18 an hour.
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BBC announces new Greener Broadcasting strategy
The broadcaster has set a number of sustainability goals to be completed by 2022. They aim to reduce carbon emissions by 24 per cent as well as operating a zero waste to landfill policy.
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U.S. Supreme Court lets youths’ case demanding climate action proceed
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to halt the trial in a lawsuit brought by 21 young people seeking to force the federal government to take action to address climate change.
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Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota become the first Muslim women elected to U.S. Congress
Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota became the first Muslim women elected to Congress.
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New study finds U.K. public in favor of cigarette-style plastic warnings
A new independent study, carried out by Sky Ocean Rescue, has found that there has been a shift in the public’s perception of plastic.
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New Mexico Democrat Debra Haaland and Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids become the first Native American women elected to U.S. Congress
Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Native American women elected to Congress.
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MDMA therapy eliminated PTSD symptoms in 76% of patients
A small clinical trial published last week in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that therapeutic doses of MDMA, in concert with psychotherapy, reduced the severity of most participants’ PTSD symptoms.
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In ‘rainbow wave,’ LGBT candidates are elected in record numbers in U.S.
More openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were elected Tuesday night than in any previous U.S. election. The results are still rolling in, but at least 153 have won so far.
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U.S. FDA grants ‘breakthrough’ status to psilocybin mushroom therapy for untreatable depression
The US Food and Drug Administration has just granted a €œBreakthrough Therapy€ designation to a treatment that uses psychedelic mushrooms as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression.
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UK Government announces new plastic tax
The UK Government has announced a world-leading new tax on plastic packaging in the autumn Budget.
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Pakistan releases Christian woman sentenced to die for blasphemy
Pakistan’s highest court on Wednesday ordered the release of a Christian woman who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy.
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Majority of Americans now want energy from renewable sources
€œThe American public expresses overwhelming majority support for the twin goals of greater reliance on cleaner and renewable energy sources,€ says Shannon Baker-Branstetter, senior policy counsel for Consumers Reports.
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Local watershed non-profits in the United States have improved water quality, study shows
“We determined that the presence of water groups in a watershed resulted in improved water quality and higher proportions of swimmable and fishable water bodies.”
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First-of-its-kind study finds cannabis oil ‘significantly’ improves the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease
In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, researchers from Israel have shown that cannabis can produce clinical remission in up to 65% of individuals after 8 weeks of treatment.
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Dyson to build new electric car in Singapore
The huge plant will be ready from 2020 ahead of the project launch of the new car in 2021, Dyson said.
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