Belize ends oil operations in its ocean waters
The legislation marks the first time that a developing country has taken such a major step to protect its oceansand all the from oil exploration and extraction.
Nations
Brazil announces end to Amazon mega-dam building policy
The Temer government claims the decision is a response to intense resistance from environmentalists and indigenous groups
Iceland becomes first country to legalize equal pay
The legislation, which came into force on Monday, the first day of 2018, makes Iceland the first country in the world to legalise equal pay between men and women.
The cancer death rate in the United States drops again
The nation’s overall cancer death rate declined 1.7 percent in 2015, the latest indication of steady, long-term progress against the disease, according to a new report by the American Cancer Society.
Germany begins to enforce new social media hate speech law
Last year, Germany passed a sweeping anti-hate speech law requiring websites to promptly investigate reports of posts illegal under German law and delete them.
Thousands in the U.S. were saved between 1990 and 2012 as air pollution declined
Between 1990 and 2012, particulate matter and organic aerosols significantly declined in the United States, saving thousands of lives.
U.K. scientists claim they found a drug that significantly reverses memory loss
A team at Lancaster University in the U.K. has discovered that a drug designed to treat type 2 diabetes may hold the key to fighting the memory loss that accompanies Alzheimer’s disease.
Indian Government launches the world’s first floating solar power program
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), which is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India (MNRE) has invited expressions of interest to build 10,000 MW of floating solar PV over the next three years.
Transgender individuals may now openly join the U.S. military
Starting today, transgender individuals may openly join the U.S. military, this despite stiff opposition from President Trump.
China institutes unprecedented ban on the import of plastic waste
China’s “National Sword” policy banned the import of most plastics and other materials headed for that nation’s recycling processors, which had handled nearly half of the world’s recyclable waste. The move was an effort to halt a deluge of soiled and contaminated materials that was overwhelming Chinese processing facilities and causing environmental havoc. Within one year, China’s plastics imports plummeted by 99%, leading to a major global shift in where and how materials are being processed and incentivizing less wasteful behavior around the world.