All Perspectives
Difference MakerThese turtles are endangered. Young scientists have stepped up to help.Students in Hardwick, Massachusetts, are playing a crucial role in a long-running conservation program.
From the EditorsAn invitation to reflectDespite being responsible for the deaths of nearly 1 million people, the pandemic has聽yet to inspire U.S. politicians to rebuild trust with the public. The Monitor examines how gentle reckonings inspire positive change.
Difference MakerDisaster relief volunteers in Japan are helping to entrench a culture of compassionNonprofit groups and throngs of volunteers acting on their own have played a key role in aiding disaster victims in this temblor-prone country.聽
Points of ProgressIn California and in Poland, new laws for who belongs whereProgress roundup: A $56 million purchase doubles the Yurok tribe鈥檚 holdings along the Klamath River, and Shanghai bus riders create new routes.
Difference MakerKashmiris leverage social media to revive a language on the brink of extinctionThe efforts of two Kashmiri content creators represent a quiet resurgence for the Kashmiri language.
From the EditorsThe benefits of vigilanceIn Finland, preparation 鈥� in this case, preparation for the possibility of war with Russia 鈥� is not just sensible policy, but somewhat of an antidote to the spiraling hyperpolarization seen in many other countries.
Difference Maker鈥楪reen time鈥� over screen time: The Greenagers group gets youths to love the outdoorsA transformative program in western Massachusetts helps young people learn the value of stewarding the land, while also taking joy in conservation.
From the EditorsHow research dollars power breakthroughsScientific research has fueled American innovation for decades. Now, funding for that research is caught in the crosshairs of a political fight, with colleges and universities on the front lines.
Points of ProgressProtecting homes from hurricanes, rice crops from heat, and seas from trawlingProgress roundup: Science reveals how rice crops can resist heat for better yields and quality, and how building codes work against hurricanes.
From the EditorsA transformative moment in American journalismThe nation鈥檚 first 鈥渢rial of the century鈥� was not just a conflict between science and religion.
Difference MakerReporting child abuse can bring shame in Pakistan. This group is transcending taboos.The nonprofit Rozan聽was set up in 1998 with the goal of eradicating domestic violence from Pakistani society.
Points of ProgressHelpful microbes: For cleaning up oil spills and helping crops growProgress roundup: Science enables Brazil to transform its economy, German researchers to find a microbe that makes detergent, and California to filter PFAS.
From the EditorsWhere cracks of light emerge in violent placesAn armed rebel group鈥檚 takeover of Goma is just the latest chapter in decadeslong instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But this moment could blaze a path to effective governance long-awaited by the Congolese people.
Difference MakerA 6-cents-a-day school in Nigeria turns students into strivers and problem-solversThe Knowledge, Solutions, Skills, and Kreativity school on the outskirts of Nigeria鈥檚 capital provides six years of learning for students who would otherwise be unable to afford it.
Points of ProgressCitizen projects tear up pavement for plants, and keep solar panels goingChina, the largest producer and consumer of seafood, signs a safeguard against illegal fishing. And in Colombia,聽a program eases adoption of renewables.聽 聽
From the EditorsThe voices that didn鈥檛 make it into the storyGeopolitics never exist in a vacuum. The regular people who live near the results of international deals 鈥� like the Peruvian fishermen whose coastline has been overtaken by port construction 鈥� often best describe the real impacts of those deals.
Points of ProgressThe surprising resilience of a smiling salamander and some old buried seedsProgress roundup: Captive-bred salamander can survive in the wild, and old fynbos seeds will germinate, sowing science鈥檚 hope for habitat restoration.
Difference MakerThis judge grew up with nothing. Now he makes sure that children have books.Judge Omar Weslati helped start a library for students in Bir El Euch, Tunisia. Other libraries soon followed.
From the EditorsCultivating self-reliance and cooperationIn New England, the push-pull between independence and interdependence makes for fertile soil for an emerging local food system.
Points of ProgressThe benefits of living with bears and letting nature take its courseProgress roundup: Antarctica鈥檚 newest research base lowers fossil fuel use, a medieval Italian village welcomes its bears, and more.
