All Points of Progress
First LookActivists and fishermen team up to address record whale entanglementPast efforts have pitted the wildlife experts and fishermen against each other and offered little additional protection for whales. This year, the two camps are trying something different: cooperation.
Why small farms may answer big problemsAs different case studies continue to prove, small-scale urban farming could help ensure food and financial security in local communities.
How solar is turning American energy on its headIt's early days, but solar power is beginning to show how it could recast the entire American power grid. Some power companies are worried. But in Vermont, they're giddy with excitement.聽
Juvenile incarceration rate has dropped in half. Is trend sustainable?The number of juveniles committed to prison or other facilities dropped by 53 percent between 2001 and 2013, a new study found.
Soil health improving in US and Canada, due to acid rain declineThanks to pollution regulations, acid rain levels in the northeastern US and eastern Canada are significantly lower today than they were a few decades ago.聽
Calling out catcalls in Costa Rica: Why one video has stirred debateStreet harassment isn't just uncomfortable, it can influence whether a woman continues her education or works outside the home. Some Costa Ricans are pushing to criminalize the behavior.
Progress WatchGlobal rate of deforestation has been halved since the 1990sBetween 2010 and 2015, an average of 0.08 percent of the world鈥檚 forests was lost each year, down from 0.18 percent each year in the 1990s, according to a report from the聽United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization鈥檚 Global Forest Resources Assessment.
Who's narcissistic? Millennials outdo parents in volunteering and charityThe 2015 Money Mindset Report overturns assumptions about selfish, 'me-obsessed' Millennials, adding to growing studies that say this is a generation of givers.聽
Progress WatchWhy US high school graduation rates are on the riseThe latest data suggests more American high school students are graduating than ever before. Some experts say new federal requirements are behind the improvement.
Progress WatchExtreme poverty could cease to exist in 15 yearsThe number of people living in extreme poverty will dip below 10 percent of the global population before the year is over, according to the World Bank, and if the world continues on its fast track of economic progress, extreme poverty will be eradicated in 15 years.
First LookWorld Food Day: Can we make hunger history?The United Nations wants to eliminate global hunger by 2030. That may not be as daunting a task as it sounds.
How Brazil curbed Amazon deforestation by 90 percent in 10 yearsBrazil has been successfully working since 2004 to slow deforestation of the Amazon, mostly by enforcing laws, but also by designating parts of the rainforest as national park land.聽
After three decades, is Chernobyl now a haven for wildlife?Nearly 30 years after the Ukraine nuclear disaster that forced thousands of people from their homes researchers find the animals are back - and thriving.聽
Americans are learning more about food, and eating betterConsumers鈥� calls for lower-impact 鈥榝ood with integrity鈥� have surged recently, and a set of recommendations from the聽US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee took food's role in the environment into account for the first time.
Progress WatchNew initiatives aim to prevent poachingNew actions at the supply and demand ends of the ivory trade could help save elephants.
Progress WatchIn 2014, economies grew, emissions did notPrevious years of CO2聽'flatlining' came with economic contraction, but that wasn't the case last year. That kind of聽carbon-stable expansion of wealth hasn鈥檛 happened in four decades, says the International Energy Agency.
Progress WatchGender equality in politics? Check back in 50 years, says UN officialOnly 19 women currently serve as heads of state or government, but there are signs of progress. March 8 is International Women's Day.
Progress WatchSomalia: Majority of capital residents surveyed feel safer than in 2013In a recent study by the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, a majority of 1,600 residents surveyed in the capital city of Mogadishu said they witness less conflict between clans and fewer attacks by rebel groups.
Progress WatchOrganic farming continues to rise across the globe2 million of the world鈥檚 1.5 billion farmers are now producing organically, with nearly 80 percent based in developing countries. India boasts the most certified organic producers, followed by Uganda and Mexico.
Progress WatchHIV/AIDS: What's behind the decline in new infectionsThe amount of newly infected individuals worldwide is down 38 percent since 2001 and investment in prevention and better access to care are credited.
