海角大神

China

Shanghai is not giving up on聽solving the city鈥檚 waste problem. In July, it introduced its first trash sorting program. The goal is to increase recycling and reduce waste that goes into landfills as it鈥檚 running out of room to dispose of trash. The city was part of a pilot municipal recycling program in 2000, but residents were unable to adapt. The stakes are higher this time around; the program has a grading system that gives redeemable points for successful sorting and fines for mistakes. Months prior to the program鈥檚 launch, millions of educational flyers were distributed, and choreographed dances with sorting bins promoted the shift. Experts say initiatives such as this can take a generation to accomplish. ()

U.S. Virgin Islands

Lawmakers in the U.S. Virgin Islands banned coral-damaging sunscreens, one of the first bans of its kind in the Caribbean. Effective in March, importing and using sunscreen with certain chemicals is prohibited. Hawaii enacted a similar ban that will take effect January 2021. The Caribbean has already lost 80% of its coral reefs, and studies show that common chemicals in sunscreen that wash off in the water make coral susceptible to bleaching. Lawmakers hope the ban will lead to cleaner waters, promote coral growth, and support other ecological conservation efforts. ()

Worldwide

A study shows that human rights have economic value. Countries that support women鈥檚 economic and social rights are healthier and develop more sustainably. Data examined from 162 countries show a correlation between a woman鈥檚 economic and social rights and the country鈥檚 ranking on the United Nations Human Development Index and its people鈥檚 health. The study revealed that women with limited access to financial capital, skill training, and social communities are not as able to contribute to a country鈥檚 development. Meanwhile promotion of women鈥檚 rights improves a country鈥檚 life expectancy and disease prevention. ()

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is working to reverse deforestation. State officials say more than 350 million trees were planted on July 29, a record. A century of logging and land development has reduced the country鈥檚 forest cover from 33% to less than 4%, so Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spearheaded the campaign to promote reforestation nationwide. Mr. Abiy is taking a different approach from previous forest restoration efforts: The government is engaging communities to ensure that young trees survive. Meanwhile, organizations are working with locals to ensure less dependence on timber and to develop alternative trades such as beekeeping and the manufacturing of bamboo furniture. ()

Reuters/File

A woman walks past an Odaa tree in central Ethiopia last November. Ethiopia recently planted a record 350 million trees in 12 hours.

Estonia

The oldest town in the Baltic nations is upgrading its Soviet-era housing. Located in southern Estonia, Tartu has 17 apartment blocks that are being transformed into more sustainable residences. The project is part of a larger European Union-led initiative for sustainable cities. Apartments were quickly built to cope with a postwar housing shortage in the 1950s, and have poor energy efficiency. With updates to insulation, ventilation, and heating, each unit is expected to save two-thirds of the energy it currently consumes. ()