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Archive of Human Genius
The world’s largest database of good news and social change milestones from throughout human history
A Timeline of Human History
We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history.
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Actor All Activists Artists & philosophers Athletes Business Cities Citizens Civil society Consumers Courts Early humans Engineers Finance Government Humanity Humankind Indigenous groups International organizations Inventors Kingdoms & empires Media & Journalists Military Nations Non-humans Regions Religious groups Science & academia Scientists & mathematicians Settlers & explorers States & provinces Utilities Workers World leaders
2018 C.E.
January 1 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.
2017 C.E.
December 28 The two-story Smog Free Tower is an extra-large air purifier that acts as a vacuum, cleaning almost 40,000 cubic yards of air each hour and leaving a more breathable zone in the space around the tower, according to the design studio.
2017 C.E.
December 28 The United States and China, the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, have announced they will formally ratify the Paris climate change agreement in a move campaigners immediately hailed as a significant advance in the battle against global warming.
2017 C.E.
December 28 China announced on Friday that it was banning all commerce in ivory by the end of 2017, a move that would shut down the world's largest ivory market and could deal a critical blow to the practice of elephant poaching in Africa.
2017 C.E.
December 28 The good news is that China will stick with its pledge to peak greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 or sooner, according to Chen Zhihua of the NDRC, China's Chief Climate Negotiator.
2017 C.E.
December 28 Stefano Boeri, the architect famous for his plant-covered skyscrapers, has designs to create entire new green settlements in a nation plagued by dirty air
2017 C.E.
December 28 China's coal use and carbon emissions have dropped for the last two years. In 2015, China cut its coal use 3.7 percent and its emissions declined an estimated 12 percent, following similar decreases in 2014.
2017 C.E.
December 22 The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly rejected the Trump administration's decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
2017 C.E.
December 22 Earlier this year, the passage of the Digital Economy Act ensured that by 2020, all residents of the U.K. will have the right to demand broadband service at speeds of at least 10 Mbps (compromised down from 30 Mbps) through a provision in the law called the Universal Service Obligation.
2017 C.E.
December 21 If successful, China's clean heating plan could decrease the amount of coal burned by the nation by 74 million tonnes (81 millions tons) by 2019 and 150 million tonnes (165 million tons) by 2021.
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