England plans to ban on plastic straws and cotton buds
The U.K. Government is planning to ban plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-tipped cotton buds in a further acceleration of its war on the waste material.
Today (2017 C.E. - 2025 C.E.)
This archive spans one of the most eventful periods in recent history, from 2017 through 2025. Browse more than 4,100 articles documenting scientific breakthroughs, policy wins, social progress, and human ingenuity from the present era. Each story highlights what people and communities around the world are building, solving, and achieving right now.
Google’s new Africa app aims to beat slow internet speeds, high data costs
Google is releasing an app in Africa that will help internet users overcome obstacles such as the lack of high-speed connectivity and the cost of data on the continent.
Irish minimum wage rise in 2016 did not increase joblessness, study finds
“Our analysis revealed no negative employment effects because of the 2016 increase.”
Scientists test revolutionary plastic-eating enzyme in bid to fight pollution
It is a world first in an effort to find a solution for the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced every year.
U.K.’s Costa Coffee to recycle equivalent of all its takeaway cups each year
U.K.’s largest coffee shop chain has pledged to recycle up to 500m cups a year by 2020 — a fifth of the total used in the country
World shipping industry agrees to halve carbon emissions by 2050
Members of the UN International Maritime Organisation on Friday struck a deal to halve carbon dioxide emissions from shipping by 2050 in a deal that will force the industry to redesign fleets.
Trinidad & Tobago decriminalizes homosexuality In landmark court case
A judge ruled that the country’s buggery laws were “not reasonably justified” in regards to adult consensual acts.
New Zealand bans new offshore drilling, citing climate change
“When it comes to climate change, our plan is clear,” said Ms. Ardern, a member of the center-left Labor Party. “We are committed to the goal of becoming a net zero emissions economy by 2050.”
NY City Council passes workplace anti-harassment bills
The New York City Council has passed 11 bills designed to strengthen workplace sexual harassment protections.
Decline in plastic bags on seabed near U.K. suggests measures to tackle waste are working
The number of plastic bags found on the seabed has plummeted, suggesting efforts to combat plastic pollution are working.