Policy Making
Strong public policy leads to more cohesive, resilient, and sustainable societies. In this section, find out about the latest legislations from around the world aimed at making our world a better place.
New York is the sixth state to ban child marriage
Just over a week ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that officially raises the legal age of marriage consent to 18 and makes New York the sixth state to ban child marriage. “This administration fought hard to successfully end child marriage in New York and I’m proud to sign this Read More...
EU launches climate resiliency checklist for new infrastructure projects
In addition to reducing emissions in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, we must also ensure that we are protecting communities by building infrastructure that can withstand the results of climate change we are already experiencing. To address this issue, the EU has created guidelines Read More...
This Washington state county is the first in US to ban fossil fuel infrastructure
Whatcom county’s city council has approved a landmark environmental measure banning all new fossil fuel infrastructure including refineries and coal-fired power plants. The climate action policy was unanimously approved by the council and also requires existing fossil fuel companies to offset any Read More...
Argentina is first Latin American country to introduce non-binary national IDs
Argentina makes history as the first South American country to roll out identification cards for non-binary citizens by allowing them to use “x” on their official national identification document and passports in the field pertaining to gender. The International Civil Aviation Organization Read More...
California’s Bay Area is cracking down on refinery pollution
San Francisco is known as the city by the bay, but just across that bay sit two petrochemical refineries that spew harmful particulate matter and contribute to severe lung and heart disease in nearby communities. Fortunately, after years of advocacy by environmental justice groups, the Bay Area Air Read More...
France will ban the culling of unwanted male chicks by 2022
Each year, about 50 million male chicks — not wanted for meat or eggs — are culled in France, usually by shredding or gassing. That number, however, will soon become zero, thanks to a new law passed by the government, which will ban the killing of male chicks from next year. Billions of male Read More...
US Paralympians will finally receive equal compensation in Tokyo
In previous Olympics, US Olympians won $37,500 for gold medals, while US Paralympic athletes won just $7,500 for each gold medal. This year, the playing field is finally being evened with the announcement that Paralympic athletes will be paid as much per medal as their Olympic counterparts. The Read More...
Collaboration and Creativity: Housing for the unsheltered in Dallas
North Texas is making a big commitment to ending inner-city homelessness. Last month, the city of Dallas announced a multimillion-dollar partnership projected to provide housing to over half of its four thousand unsheltered inhabitants. The collaboration will be the largest one in North Texas Read More...
Michigan school district to introduce universal preschool this fall
Universal preschool makes education more equitable and improves overall student performance, but the US has been slower than other countries to offer preschool for all. Fortunately, one school district in Michigan is taking matters into its own hands and introducing universal preschool this Read More...
California now offers free school meals to all students
We’ve written about how nutritious and affordable school lunches can drastically reduce childhood hunger. Realizing the public health benefits of school lunches, the state of California will now make school meals free for all public school students. During the 2019-2020 school year, 60 percent Read More...