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.
2021 C.E.
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.
Nissan electrifies Philippine car market with the LEAF
Nissan introduced the LEAF to the Philippines on May 9, officially plugging the country into the electric vehicle era.
Thousands of New York drivers create worker-owned version of Uber
The Drivers Cooperative’s founders see their new project as a way for drivers to escape what they describe as exploitation on the part of Uber and Lyft.
Miss South Africa pageant opens its doors to transgender women
For the first time in South Africa’s beauty pageant history, transgender women are allowed to compete.
Alabama governor signs medical marijuana legalization bill
Late last month, the governor signed another bill that expands expungement eligibility for certain convictions, including misdemeanor marijuana possession.
New blood test detects tuberculosis bacteria in infants a year before disease
Each year, nearly a million children develop TB and 205,000 die of TB-related causes. More than 80% of childhood TB deaths occur in those under the age of 5.
Oakland to launch alternative response program for nonviolent 911 calls
Following successful alternative policing programs in Denver and Newark, Oakland, California is the latest city to adopt such a program with an initiative to redirect nonviolent, noncriminal calls to mobile teams of civilians.
Landmark asthma vaccine looks to human trials
In a recently study published in Nature Communications, researchers from France’s Institut Pasteur describe several successful preclinical tests of this asthma vaccine in mice.