Image Credits

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Good news & Change Blog

March 2019

  • Ayahuasca #4: Poison: “Funky Little Scrabble Box” flickr photo by HA! Designs – Artbyheather https://flickr.com/photos/hadesigns/6252311301 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
  • Karen Uhlenbeck becomes first woman ever to win prestigious Abel Prize for mathematics: Andrea Kane/Institute for Advanced Study
  • Researcher invents biodegradable Mardi Gras beads made of algae: By Infrogmation of New Orleans – photo by Infrogmation (talk), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6037496

February 2019

  • Costa Rica launches formal ‘National Decarbonization Plan 2018-2050’ to completely decarbonize: “Independence Day in Costa Rica – Flag March 1” flickr photo by thombo2 https://flickr.com/photos/brucethomson/246925742 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

  • United Nations lifts sanctions on ‘Africa’s North Korea’, Eritrea: “post card from Eritrea” flickr photo by ctsnow https://flickr.com/photos/ctsnow/203962387 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

October 2018

September 2018

August 2018

July 2018

June 2018

May 2018

  • Boko Haram has been routed from the 24 local areas in Nigeria they used to administer: “More Boko Haram Terrorist Attacks” flickr photo by ssoosay https://flickr.com/photos/ssoosay/13954329516 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • California becomes first state to order solar on new homes: “Solar panels” flickr photo by wallheater https://flickr.com/photos/86835498@N00/15014808403 shared into the public domain using (PDM)
  • EU bank to invest €300 million in Chinese climate projects: “EU Flag” flickr photo by EU Naval Force Media and Public Information Office https://flickr.com/photos/eunavfor/8250009574 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • Lloyds Bank launches £2bn green business lending drive: “lloyds-bank-building” flickr photo by jasonmountier https://flickr.com/photos/52852078@N02/13449655843 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Nine African cities commit to reaching zero carbon by 2050: Kwasiog (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Accra-Airport-City.jpg), „Accra-Airport-City“, Cropping by Peter Schulte, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode
  • Ohio voters approve gerrymandering reform for US House seats: Steven Nass (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:How_to_Steal_an_Election_-_Gerrymandering.svg)
  • Small minimum wage rises don’t cause job losses, Reserve Bank of Australia study finds: “Protest march for a $15/hour minimum wage in the Dinkytown neighborhood” flickr photo by Fibonacci Blue https://flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/16543555173 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

April 2018

  • Afghanistan sets October date for much-delayed elections: “IMG_3645” flickr photo by philmofresh https://flickr.com/photos/phickmanfresh/10621978575 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Alaskans reject anti-transgender ‘bathroom bill’:
  • Costa Rica’s young president-elect Carlos Alvarado Quesada wins pitching progressive values: “Costa Rican Flag” flickr photo by kasthor https://flickr.com/photos/kasthor/79941814 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Decline in plastic bags on seabed near UK suggests measures to tackle waste are working: MichaelisScientists (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1682478-poster-1280-plasticbags.jpg), „1682478-poster-1280-plasticbags“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode
  • Iran raises minimum wage in concession to workers: “Pol-e Tabi’at, Tehran, 20170407” flickr photo by G · RTM https://flickr.com/photos/g-rtm/33840466662 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
  • The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, dedicated to victims of American white supremacy, opens in Montgomery, Alabama: “Monument to “Our Confederate Soldiers”, Wiess Park, Beaumont, Texas 1604281404bw” flickr photo by Patrick Feller https://flickr.com/photos/nakrnsm/26169007264 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • New Zealand bans new offshore drilling, citing climate change: “Amelia-A” flickr photo by Strocchi https://flickr.com/photos/strocchi/2057466280 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Trinidad & Tobago decriminalizes homosexuality in landmark court case: “Maracas, Trinidad” flickr photo by neiljs https://flickr.com/photos/neiljs/4500445157 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • UK department store Sel:fridges to stop selling single-use plastic bottles: “Selfridges” flickr photo by ell brown https://flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/3623340962 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • UK’s Costa Coffee to recycle equivalent of all its takeaway cups each year: “COSTA COFFEE” flickr photo by Richard, enjoy my life! https://flickr.com/photos/ladyous/8303332797 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • UK supermarket Waitrose to stop using disposable coffee cups: “waitrose cricket” flickr photo by osde8info https://flickr.com/photos/osde-info/14738419933 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Wells Fargo commits $200bn towards low carbon projects by 2030: “Wells Fargo Bank” flickr photo by JeepersMedia https://flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/13754128855 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

March 2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

October 2017

September 2017

  • Bernie Sanders to introduce single-payer bill with major support in Senate: “Bernie & Jane Sanders” flickr photo by Gage Skidmore https://flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/25826818705 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Cambodia and Laos wipe out trachoma—leading infectious cause of blindness: “IMG_6413” flickr photo by Pan American Health Organization PAHO https://flickr.com/photos/pahowho/14176342451 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • Duke to increase employee minimum wage to $15 by 2019: “Duke University” flickr photo by ilysewhitney https://flickr.com/photos/134348486@N05/35365922032 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Harvard pays students to host ‘brave spaces’ for social justice: “Harvard” flickr photo by angela n. https://flickr.com/photos/aon/6273971705 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

  • Mark Zuckerberg’s massive share sales will support prison reform and other progressive causes: “Alcatraz Prison” flickr photo by Alexander C. Kafka https://flickr.com/photos/alexanderkafka/14929841472 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license

  • Mars counters Trump’s climate stance with $1bn sustainability plan: “MANDM” flickr photo by Dominic Rooney https://flickr.com/photos/rooneydom/7298143350 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Minnesota’s clean energy jobs grew 3.8 times faster than overall job growth: “Downtown Minneapolis” flickr photo by m01229

  • New blockchain-based ‘carbon currency’ aims to make carbon pricing mainstream: “Bitcoin Chain IMG_9179” flickr photo by btckeychain https://flickr.com/photos/btckeychain/14861107819 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

  • Scotland to ‘phase out’ new petrol and diesel cars by 2032: “Edinburgh Prince’s Street” flickr photo by ddh Photos https://flickr.com/photos/16190595@N05/32312365752 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • Somalia gets first forensic center to deliver justice in sexual assault cases: “Feeding center” flickr photo by rjones0856 https://flickr.com/photos/91829349@N00/3222724232 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Target to raise its minimum wage to $11 per hour, promising $15 by 2020: “At Target again!” flickr photo by cote https://flickr.com/photos/cote/4902896335 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • UC Irvine aims to transform public health with record-breaking $200-million donation: “Love those Anteaters” flickr photo by cogdogblog https://flickr.com/photos/cogdog/10014174454 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • UN brokers deal to end use of children in Nigeria’s battle with Boko Haram: “More Boko Haram Terrorist Attacks 3” flickr photo by ssoosay https://flickr.com/photos/ssoosay/13979209164 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • A “world first” fusion reactor just created its first plasma: “Nuclear Fusion Reactor” flickr photo by jurvetson https://flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/4844626925 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

July 2017

  • 46 Republicans buck party to help Democrats take down anti-climate military action amendment: “U.S. Capitol Building detail” flickr photo by Kevin Burkett https://flickr.com/photos/kevinwburkett/3415364650 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Cameroon fights pollution by turning used plastic into jobs: “Plastics” flickr photo by EdinburghGreens https://flickr.com/photos/edinburghgreens/5326907987 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Court finds that approval of Dakota Access Pipeline violated the law: “Standing Rock 4” flickr photo by unitedchurchofchrist https://flickr.com/photos/7724093@N05/30205885184 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Court rules it’s reasonable consumers wouldn’t consider glyphosate-containing Nature Valley Granola Bars ‘natural’: “Chafer -43” flickr photo by Chafer Machinery https://flickr.com/photos/chafermachinery/15412945324 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • The good news of haters: “Haters” flickr photo by Johnny Silvercloud https://flickr.com/photos/johnnysilvercloud/24011761923 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Human Rights Campaign announces largest grassroots expansion in its history: “Human Rights Campaign 2791” flickr photo by tedeytan https://flickr.com/photos/taedc/5824691944 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Kenya is first in Africa to get latest generic AIDS drug: “kenya” flickr photo by kevinzim https://flickr.com/photos/86624586@N00/112509725 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Microsoft and Puget Sound Energy get OK for clean-energy deal to help power software giant’s campus: “Microsoft” flickr photo by bfishadow https://flickr.com/photos/bfishadow/4405446485 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Reimagining Progress: “Abstract” flickr photo by EuroSlice https://flickr.com/photos/104021946@N05/15436324094 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Scientists report a rare case of H.I.V. remission: “Virus” flickr photo by Dominic’s pics https://flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/5425951169 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license, cropping by Peter Schulte
  • Should Radiohead perform in Israel?: “Radiohead” flickr photo by angela n. https://flickr.com/photos/aon/2488538303 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Target tackles “branded trash” with new recycling initiatives: “At Target again!” flickr photo by cote https://flickr.com/photos/cote/4902896335 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Washington State will now alert survivors when domestic abusers try to buy a gun: “handgun” flickr photo by robertnelson https://flickr.com/photos/robertnelson/439618310 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • World’s first malaria vaccine will be given to thousands of babies in Africa: “Mosquito” flickr photo by turkletom https://flickr.com/photos/turkletom/4584117897 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

  • 43 brands will fix or replace anything you buy from them — forever: “Patagonia Wood Sign” flickr photo by Dave Dugdale https://flickr.com/photos/davedugdale/4959660085 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Berkeley becomes first city to divest from U.S.-Mexico border wall companies: “Berkeley, California (1959)” flickr photo by roger4336 https://flickr.com/photos/24736216@N07/4071052000 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Breckinridge Capital adopts Social Progress Index to reward cities for “inclusiveness.”: Matt Mechtley from Heidelberg, Deutschland (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Inclusive_community_(citation_needed)_(2205859730).jpg), „Inclusive community (citation needed) (2205859730)“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
  • Lithium-ion battery inventor introduces new technology for fast-charging, noncombustible batteries: “New electric car charging station at Kahala Mall” flickr photo by coconut wireless https://flickr.com/photos/frikitiki/6784128074 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • Maryland House votes to ban fracking by veto-proof margin: “Fracking” flickr photo by SFU – University Communications https://flickr.com/photos/sfupamr/14601885300 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Rikers Island prison to close, New York mayor says: “2012_03_14_aus-iah-bos_402” flickr photo by dsearls https://flickr.com/photos/docsearls/7042515751 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

  • Duke University launches program for men to consider their toxic masculinities: “Duke University Library” flickr photo by fw_gadget https://flickr.com/photos/26240579@N05/3926497441 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • The first Latina senator ever is coming to Washington: “Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada Attorney General” flickr photo by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Right https://flickr.com/photos/lccr/6777894706 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license
  • George Soros pledges $10 million to fight hate crimes: “George Soros, Rebecca Harms” flickr photo by boellstiftung https://flickr.com/photos/boellstiftung/13307595893 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Hillary Clinton: The next systems candidate: “Hillary Clinton” flickr photo by Nrbelex https://flickr.com/photos/nrbelex/2232632457 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Progressive champion Pramila Jayapal became the first ever Indian-American woman elected to congress: “Pramila Jayapal” flickr photo by javacolleen https://flickr.com/photos/javacolleen/5682448787 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

February 2016

Timeline of Human Genius

Prehistory (250,000 - 10,000 B.C.)

Agricultural revolution (10,000 - 3,000 B.C.)

  • Ancient Egyptians begin practice of mummification (~3,500 B.C.): “MUMMY!” flickr photo by silver marquis https://flickr.com/photos/silvermarquis/2609447874 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • The Bronze Age begins, first in Greece and China (~3,500 B.C.): “Bronze age bread oven” flickr photo by hans s https://flickr.com/photos/archeon/33958310 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • The Cairn of Barnenez – prehistoric mausoleum – is constructed in Brittany, France (~4,800 B.C.): “Side view, tunnel entrances” flickr photo by Simon Bramwell https://flickr.com/photos/sbramwell/4972140735 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
  • Çatalhöyük, a large Neolithic and Chalcolithic proto-city settlement in modern-day Turkey, flourishes (~7,000 B.C.): “6204” flickr photo by Panegyrics of Granovetter https://flickr.com/photos/sarah_c_murray/4884063946 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • Copper smelting invented in ancient Serbia (~5,500 B.C.): “Copper crystal in copper mass (Mesoproterozoic, 1.05-1.06 Ga; Ahmeek, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA) 3” flickr photo by James St. John https://flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/17110448199 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Damascus – perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world – is founded in modern-day Syria (~3,500 B.C. ???): “Damascus, Umayyad Mosque” flickr photo by Arian Zwegers https://flickr.com/photos/azwegers/6368698875 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Eridu, perhaps the world’s first city, is founded in modern-day Iraq (5,400 B.C.): Ltybcc1 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Руины_Эриду.jpg), „Руины Эриду“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode
  • First paved roads built in cities of Ur and Babylon (~4,000 B.C.): “processional street – شارع الموكب” flickr photo by MohammadAliHuzam https://flickr.com/photos/150744296@N08/33943692924 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • The first settlement at the site of modern-day Jericho are founded (~9,000 B.C ???): “” flickr photo by Michele Benericetti https://flickr.com/photos/benericetti/5638942164 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license
  • First systems of writing begin to emerge in Sumeria (~3500 B.C.): “Cuneiform script” flickr photo by auxesis https://flickr.com/photos/auxesis/3920533954 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • The first year of the ancient Egyptian calendar commences (4,242 B.C.): “Detail of heiroglyphics” flickr photo by dustinpsmith https://flickr.com/photos/dustinpsmith/510240241 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Feng shui developed in ancient China (~4,000 B.C.): “Feng Shui Designs 005” flickr photo by IDEAleemade https://flickr.com/photos/idealeemade/6281674419 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • First human settlements are constructed at Ain Ghazal in modern-day Jordan (~9,200 B.C ???): “Ain Ghazal” flickr photo by alazaat https://flickr.com/photos/alazaat/32438535252 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • The Funnelbeaker culture flourishes in north-central Europe (~4,000 B.C.):
  • Gobekli Tepe – perhaps the world’s first temple – constructed in modern-day Turkey (~9,000 B.C.): “12,000-Year-Old Concrete Pavement/Blocks”: flickr photo by lin440315 https://flickr.com/photos/fossil_lin/14717628009 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license “12,000-Year-Old Concrete Pavement/Blocks”
  • Humans create “Cave of the Hands” in modern-day Argentina (~7,300 B.C. ???): By Mariano – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=265811
  • Humans in ancient China invent lacquer (~7,000 B.C. ???):
  • Humans in the Indian subcontinent domesticate sesame for the first time (~5,500 B.C. ???): 
  • Humans invent lost-wax casting, perhaps in modern-day Pakistan (~4,000 B.C. ???): “P7112361-Small-lost-wax-cast-Amulets-from-Burkina-Faso-and-Mali” flickr photo by ann porteus, Sidewalk Tribal Gallery https://flickr.com/photos/sidewalk_tribal_galleries/7654837656 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Humans of ancient Persia invent the comb (~3,250 B.C. ???):
  • Humans, probably in modern-day New Guinea, domesticate sugarcane for the first time (~8,000 B.C. ???): Rufino Uribe (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cut_sugarcane.jpg), „Cut sugarcane“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
  • Peiligang culture begins in ancient China (~7,000 B.C.): “Red Pottery Pot – Peiligang Culture 6000-5200BC” flickr photo by mifl68 https://flickr.com/photos/mifl68/8213781981 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) license
  • The Plains Indians begin their purification ceremonies held in sweat lodges (~800 A.D. ???): “Sacred Sites” flickr photo by baldeaglebluff https://flickr.com/photos/baldeaglebluff/2342662572 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
  • The Sweet Track and Post Track causeways are built in Somerset Levels in modern-day England (~3,800 B.C.): Geof Sheppard (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sweet_Track_replica.jpg), „Sweet Track replica“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode
  • Uruk, in Mesopotamia, becomes first city in the history of humanity (~4,500 B.C.): “Ur, Iraq” flickr photo by u07ch https://flickr.com/photos/u07ch/25001512830 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • Use of the healing Iboga plant emerges in Western African spiritual ceremonies (????): Marco Schmidt[1], Tabernanthe iboga MS 4098, Cropping by Peter Schulte, CC BY-SA 2.5
  • The Varna Necropolis in modern-day Bulgaria becomes perhaps the world’s first major gold hoard (~4,550 B.C.): “Grave offerings (Varna Necropolis)” flickr photo by www.ontravelwriting.com https://flickr.com/photos/150476964@N04/35947337093 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
  • The Vinča culture in modern-day Southeastern Europe creates the “Vinča symbols” (~5400 B.C. ???): Nikola Smolenski (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vinca_”M”.jpg), „Vinca “M”“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/rs/deed.en

Ancient civilizations (3,000 B.C. - 500 A.D.)

Postclassical era (500 - 1500 A.D.)

Modern era (1500 - 1945 A.D.)

Post-modern era (1945 - 2016 A.D.)

Next Systems

New economy 101

New economy 101

Systems thinking 101

  • “I need a rock this size…”: Lee Sauer
  • “Tools of a systems think”: Emma Segal

Food forests 101

Outside articles