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.
Civil society
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.