Citizens

Heat pumps

Carbon-friendly heat pumps now outselling gas furnaces in the U.S.

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Americans bought 37% more heat pumps than the next most popular heating appliance — gas furnaces — during the first 11 months of 2024. That’s a 21% increase over 2023. In addition to providing heated air in the winter and cool air in the summer, they are far more efficient than conventional heat sources — delivering three to four times more heat per dollar spent than oil- or gas-fired heating equipment or old-fashioned electric baseboard heat. To decarbonize the economy by 2050, heat pumps need to be 100% of heating system sales.

Damascus Cityscape

‘Disappeared’ Syrian dissidents emerge from Assad’s prisons after regime collapse

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As Syrian rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured city after city on the road to Damascus, forcing Bashar al-Assad to flee the country, they also opened the doors of the regime’s notorious prisons, into which upwards of 100,000 people disappeared during nearly 14 years of civil war. Many emerged frail and emaciated into the bright December sunlight, greeted by weeping family members who had no idea they were still alive.

Female politician at podium

Women have won 60 seats in the New Mexico Legislature to secure the largest female legislative majority in U.S. history

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New Mexico voters are sending 11 additional women to boost female representation in their state legislature. Women have made steady advances in statehouse representation across the country, with one notable surge in the 2018 election cycle almost entirely among Democrats in a trend associated with the #MeToo movement and political engagement linked to the election of Donald Trump. The share of women in all state legislatures across the United States combined roughly tripled from about 11% in 1980 to 33% in October 2024.

Sarah McBride

Sarah McBride makes history as first trans member of U.S. Congress

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Her recent election win makes McBride the first out transgender person to serve in Congress. She beat her Republican opponent, John Whalen III, who ran on an anti-immigration, anti-choice platform. At only 34, McBride has already made an impressive name for herself, with her seat in Congress adding yet another “first” to the list. After working for the Human Rights Campaign and interning in the Obama-Biden White House, the 2020 elections in her home state of Delaware made her the first trans person elected to a state senate.

Consumers embrace Ireland’s first bottle deposit return scheme

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After initial consumer confusion and irritation, Ireland’s first-ever deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans has finally been embraced by the public, with 111 million containers returned in August – up from 2 million in February when the scheme launched. In the eight months since its launch, 630 million containers have been deposited at reverse vending machines up and down the country.

Charging an EV

EV and plugin car sales are booming in China

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August saw plugin vehicles hit a record 54% market share in China. Full electrics (BEVs) alone accounted for 31% of the country’s auto sales. This pulled the 2024 share to 46%, and with the market with plenty of room for growth, the year should end at around 50%. At this pace, the Chinese market is projected to be fully electrified around 2030.

Person touching pregnant belly with hands forming a heart

Aetna to start covering IUI in the U.S.

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Medical insurance company Aetna just announced that it’s going to be providing additional fertility coverage, specifically offering intrauterine insemination (IUI), to all policyholders regardless of sexual orientation or whether they’re partnered. This comes after a settlement agreement from a lawsuit earlier this year which stated that Aetna has to provide such care for LGBTQ+ people. The case, Goidel et al. v. Aetna, was filed in September 2021 and only came to a resolution in May after years of waiting and legal battles.

South Korean flags

South Korean youth score historic climate victory

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A top court in South Korea has ruled the country’s measures to fight climate change insufficient for protecting the rights of its citizens in Asia’s first climate litigation ruling of its kind. Currently, South Korea does not have any legally binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions between 2031 and 2049. This absence means the government cannot guarantee the protection of future generations, a right engrained in its constitution, the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled.

Red pandas in a tree

Nepal opens first community-based red panda conservation area 

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Nepal’s first community-based red panda conservation area has been established in the Puwamajhuwa area of Ilam Municipality, covering 287 acres of temperate broad-leaved forests. The conservation area aims to protect the endangered red panda species, promote ecotourism, and contribute to local community livelihoods. This initiative demonstrates the increased authority of local governments in Nepal following the 2015 Constitution, allowing for community-driven conservation efforts.

Egyptian flag

Egypt recovers 3 ancient artifacts found in the Netherlands

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The items retrieved include a mummified head from the Hellenistic period, a ceramic funerary figurine dating to Egypt’s New Kingdom era (664-332 B.C.), and part of a wooden tomb bearing an inscription of the goddess Isis from 663-504 B.C., the Egyptian embassy in The Hague said in a statement. The head was found in good condition, showing remnants of teeth and hair. Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspection unit retrieved the figurines and parts of the tomb after determining that they were smuggled out of Egypt.

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