New York climate plan sets 30-year goal for 100% renewable energy
A new law signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sets the nation’s most aggressive targets for reducing carbon emissions.
North & Central America
This archive covers progress stories from North and Central America, spanning the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the nations of Central America. Readers will find reporting on health, environment, community resilience, and policy advances across the region.
California condor births mark soaring comeback after numbers dwindled to 22
Biologists estimate that the 1,000th and 1,001st chicks hatched in May this year, and they confirmed their existence this week.
Overdose deaths in the United States drop for first time in two decades
Overdose deaths in the United States finally reversed course in 2018, ending nearly two decades of almost unbroken annual increases — a sign that the coordinated public health response is starting to work. Expanded naloxone access, medication-assisted treatment, and community outreach all appear to have contributed, though no single intervention gets the credit. The picture inside the data is mixed: while opioid deaths fell, deaths involving cocaine and methamphetamine rose, suggesting the epidemic shifted rather than ended. Still, experts say this is evidence that scaling up treatment saves lives — and that doing so remains the central, unfinished challenge.
Oglala Sioux Tribe legalizes same-sex marriage
The tribal council last week approved a same-gender marriage ordinance in a 12-3 vote with one abstention.
University of Texas promises full scholarships to low-income students
The UT Board of Regents voted to establish a $160 million endowment to offer full scholarships to in-state students with family incomes under $65K by 2020.
California becomes first state in the U.S. to ban racial discrimination against natural hair
The CROWN Act updates the state’s anti-discrimination law so that “race” includes “traits historically associated with race,” such as afros and braids.
Rare sea turtles smash nesting records in Georgia, Carolinas
Researchers and volunteers have cataloged more than 12,200 nests left by loggerheads, a threatened species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Hawaii becomes 26th U.S. state to decriminalize marijuana
The new law removes the possibility of jail time as a penalty for up to three grams of marijuana, but maintains a $130 fine.
Minnesota Methodists resolve to allow officiating of same-sex unions, LGBT ordination
Members of Minnesota’s United Methodist Church voted to commit to full inclusion of LGBT people.
New York City begins enforcing Styrofoam ban
The city banned Styrofoam because the material can’t be “recycled in a manner that is economically feasible” or “environmentally effective.”