Biden administration to buy 500 million Pfizer coronavirus vaccine doses to donate to the world
The first 200 million doses will be distributed this year, with the subsequent 300 million shared in the first half of next year.
Nations
El Salvador to use energy from volcanoes for bitcoin mining
Hours after becoming the first nation to authorize bitcoin as a legal tender, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele instructed a state-owned geothermal electric company to plan to use renewable geothermal energy from the country’s volcanoes for mining for the cryptocurrency.
Gambia eradicates trachoma
Gambia has eliminated trachoma, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, the government has announced, after almost four decades of work to counter the disease.
Cuba is the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child HIV and syphilis transmission
The country’s efforts include prenatal care, HIV and syphilis testing for pregnant women and their partners, treatment for women who test positive and their babies, cesarean deliveries and breastfeeding substitution.
Biden administration makes $1 billion in grants available for broadband on tribal lands
The funds will be made to eligible Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment, to support digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning.
South Korea to plant 3 billion trees to help reach carbon neutrality by 2050
The South Korean Forest Service is planning to make a massive contribution to World Economic Forum’s global initiative the Tree Trillion campaign that aims to plant one trillion trees by 2030.
Maldives is building a floating city to adapt to climate change
The floating city’s sustainable design goes beyond climate adaptation, with renewable energy powering the city through a smart grid.
Vietnam sees a 100-fold increase in solar capacity over the last two years
In 2020, the only countries that installed more solar than Vietnam were the U.S. and China.
Biden suspends oil leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The suspension includes 10-year leases that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued on Jan. 6, 2021, which span more than 430,000 acres of the refuge.
Chile becomes first country in the world to have a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men
“This is a global milestone, and it’s the result of a struggle that shows that the feminist coalition is a successful example of political mobilisation,” comments Constanza Núñez Donald, a human rights lawyer based in capital city Santiago.