All Points of Progress
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.
Progress WatchAfghanistan: Women's rights make big gainsA record amount of girls are in school in Afghanistan and the Constitution guarantees equality before the law. Can a decade-plus of success withstand Western withdrawal?
Too young to be a bride? More countries aim to curb child marriage.The world is making steady progress toward reducing child marriage, which is closely linked to chronic poverty and health problems.
Progress WatchMore than half a million square miles of land have come under protection since 2012More than 15 percent of terrestrial and聽inland water areas around the globe are now under protection. The United Nations established a target of 17 percent by 2020.
Progress WatchChild labor: Number of children involved is shrinking every yearEleven percent of the world's children 鈥� about 168 million 鈥� are currently subjected to child labor, but between 2000 and 2012, the number of children involved was cut by one-third.
Progress WatchGender gap has narrowed in more than 100 countriesIn recent years, many nations have reduced wage gaps, increased female college enrollment, and expanded the role of women in government. But there's still work to be done 鈥� a recent report estimates that complete gender equality in economic participation and opportunity remains decades away.
Progress WatchFish in American waters are experiencing population reboundsNearly two dozen species of Pacific groundfish, including snapper, Dover sole, and dogfish, and Atlantic haddock, among others, are all making a comeback. The rebounds can be attributed to the passing of the聽Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the US management system.
Progress WatchUS worker deaths have declined steadily for past two decadesThe rate of fatal workplace injuries in the US is 25 percent lower than it was in 2006 and it's been trending downward for the past two decades, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The decline in certain dangerous occupations, as well as better regulations, have contributed.
Report: Fewer people in the world are malnourishedAccording to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the number of chronically undernourished dropped from 18.7 percent of the total population to 11.3 between 1990 and 2014. More than 60 developing nations have halved the number of undernourished people in their populations since 1990.