most-important
World Peace Requires Access to Safe Water
In drought-ravaged East Africa, the cracks in the plains echo the fault lines splitting tribes. Across the globe, the devastation of deadly brawls is being exacerbated by tensions over access to water. Water crises, often worsened by governance failures, can…
Norway Becomes World’s First Country to Ban Deforestation
Norway has become the first country to ban deforestation. The Norwegian Parliament pledged May 26 that the government’s public procurement policy will be deforestation-free. Any product that contributes to deforestation will not be used in the Scandinavian country. The pledge…
California Becomes First State to Regulate Plastic Straws
California became the first state in the U.S. to ban plastic straws in dine-in restaurants Thursday when Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to that effect, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The law, which will enter into force Jan. 1, prohibits restaurants from providing…
A Wind Farm to Be Built in South Dakota Will Provide Renewable Energy Starting in 2020
Boston University (BU) has announced plans to buy wind energy to meet 100% of its electricity consumption. It has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy company ENGIE North America, which will provide renewable electricity from a wind farm in South Dakota…
World’s Largest River Floods Five Times More Often Than It Used to
Extreme floods have become more frequent in the Amazon Basin in just the last two to three decades, according to a new study. After analyzing 113 years of Amazon River levels in Port of Manaus, Brazil, researchers found that severe…
Cities Around the World Lay the Groundwork for a Zero-Waste Future
Cities around the world are pledging to reduce waste over the next 12 years in an effort to curb global warming and eventually become zero-waste cities. During the Global Climate Action Summit, the C40 announced a new initiative that encourages…
Solar to Become Europe’s Most Competitive Energy by 2030
Solar will become the continent’s most competitive source of energy by 2020. That’s the verdict from Sun Investment Group, which suggests the elimination of the Minimum Import Price (MIP) allowing solar modules to become up to 30% cheaper. It says…