Today (2017 C.E. - 2024 C.E.)

Elderly Indian man

For the first time, India’s elderly and disabled are able to vote from home

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India’s election commission now allows and facilitates home voting for the elderly and persons with disabilities in the 2024 national elections. Voters at or above the age of 85 and those with 40% disability have been given the option to vote from home. More than 17 million such voters have registered across the country, the commission said.

For the first time, India’s elderly and disabled are able to vote from home Read more

Silhouette of person holding fun

Crime in England and Wales has plummeted 80% in 30 years

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As of 2024, violence, burglary, and car crime have been declining for 30 years and by close to 90%, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). The drop in violence includes domestic violence and other violence against women. Anti-social behavior has similarly declined. While increased fraud and computer misuse now make up half of crime, this mainly reflects how far the rates of other crimes have fallen.

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Whale tail

Sei whales reappear in Argentine waters after nearly 100 years

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News from Argentina shows that the benefits of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling are still compounding, with sei whales returning to the South American nation’s coastal waters for the first time in nearly a decade. Overhunting during the 1920s and 1930s led these massive blue-grey giants to abandon their ancestral waters in Argentina.

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A tiny olive ridley sea turtle crawling on sand

Bangladesh achieves major victory in olive ridley turtles conservation

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This year, Bangladesh has seen its highest number of olive ridley turtle eggs, thanks to extensive conservation actions, including building awareness among local people and the vigilance of local conservation groups to ensure favorable conditions for the species. The number of eggs has increased by almost 53% compared with the previous year, from 8,096 to 12,425. Those tallies represent a significant jump from the 4,713 eggs recorded in 2020-2021 and 5,763 in 2022-23. The olive ridley is listed as an endangered turtle on the IUCN Red List.

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Coal

Coal’s share of power capacity in India drops below 50% for first time since 1960s

| By | -, Change Milestones

India is rapidly emerging as a renewable energy powerhouse on the world stage with a surge in both capacity addition and tendering to add more plants, according to new research. Renewable energy accounted for 71.5% of the record 13,669 MW power generation capacity added by India in the first quarter of 2024, while coal’s share of total power capacity dropped below 50% for the first time since the 1960s.

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Young saplings

Microsoft signs another reforestation-based carbon removal megadeal

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Microsoft and nature-based climate solutions startup re.green have announced one of the largest-ever carbon removal agreements, with Microsoft purchasing 3 million tons of carbon removal credits over a 15-year period, generated through re.green’s reforestation projects in Brazil. The deal marks the second large-scale Brazil reforestation-focused carbon removal agreement for Microsoft, following a 1.5 million ton offtake deal with Brazil-based Mombak in December 2023, forming part of the tech giant’s initiative to become carbon negative by 2030.

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Wooden wind turbine

World’s first wooden wind turbine blades installed in Germany

| By | -, Change Milestones

Wooden wind turbines promise to significantly reduce CO2 emissions during construction and production costs compared to current turbine blades. Designed and manufactured by Voodin Blade Technology, a German pioneer in wind turbine blade manufacturing, the laminated veneer lumber blades are a more sustainable construction material than current materials and allow for easier recycling of decommissioned blades.

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Shipping liner

Global sulfur dioxide emissions from shipping dropped sharply with the introduction of new rules in 2020

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In 2020, the International Maritime Organization introduced strict limits on marine fuels: the maximum percentage of sulfur allowed in fuels fell from 3.5% to 0.5%. All ships worldwide had to comply. As a result, there was a dramatic fall in global sulfur dioxide emissions from over 10 million tonnes a year in 2019 to 3 million tonnes a year later, helping abate local air pollution and acid rain.

Global sulfur dioxide emissions from shipping dropped sharply with the introduction of new rules in 2020 Read more

Howler monkey

Brazil takes pioneering action to rewild howler monkeys

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Brown howler monkeys, endemic to the Atlantic Forest in Brazil and Argentina, became one of the 25 most threatened primate species following a yellow fever outbreak in late 2016.
In response, Brazilian government agencies and other conservation organizations launched a nationwide population management plan, the first of its kind in the country, focused on coordinating captive facilities with experts who could relocate animals to areas where populations have vanished or declined.

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