Amanda Gorman’s words offer the perfect mix of reflection and hope
Anyone who watched the US presidential inauguration this week was introduced to the poet Amanda Gorman, who has received great praise for the words she delivered. Not only is she the youngest inaugural poet ever, but her words also deeply moved a nation at a time of great division. Among her Read More...
US to rejoin Paris climate accord
In a victory for climate activists and environmental action, the United States has committed to rejoining the 2015 Paris climate accord. Although this is the easiest step in a long road of climate action ahead, the re-entry demonstrates to the US and the world that climate change is once again a Read More...
Pink seesaws at US-Mexico border wins Design of the Year 2020
We all know how deeply politicized the US-Mexico border wall has been during the past four years, but for a brief moment of time, designers from architecture studio Rael San Fratello were able to foster a sense of unity at a section of the wall. This happened through a project called the Read More...
AI-powered robot that rapidly sorts through recyclables is going global
Before plastic can become recycled products, that plastic needs to be manually sorted by workers at a recycling center. The problem is that recycling centers can’t afford to hire the number of people needed to sort through all the plastic they receive each day, and even if they could afford it, Read More...
Bowhead whale populations have rebounded after near extinction
We shared a story in November about the remarkable return of Antarctic Blue Whales in the waters around South Georgia after a decades-long hiatus. In more good news for whales, marine scientists are reporting that bowhead whale populations have rebounded to near pre-commercial whaling numbers in US Read More...
How the retro drive-in is being reimagined in the coronavirus era
The drive-in theater: It’s a nostalgic relic of America’s past that we typically only see on screen rather in real life. At least, that was the case last year. In October 2019, there were only 305 drive-in theaters in the US—and hardly any outside America. But with the pandemic demanding us Read More...
Uber users can now opt for green rides in the US and Canada
An Uber feature that allows riders in European cities to opt for a “green” car is now coming to the US and Canada. Uber Green, as it’s known, is part of the ride-hailing giant’s renewed commitment to become zero-carbon by 2040. Basically, how it works is when you select a ride, a card Read More...
The grieving orca Tahlequah has given birth to a healthy calf!
At the end of July, we shared the news that Tahlequah, the grieving orca, was pregnant once more. Now, thanks to satellite images, we know she has successfully given birth to a health calf. The southern resident killer whale first came into the news back in 2018 when she carried her dead calf for Read More...
To vote or not to vote? 7 Facts on why you should
We recently published an article on how to vote during a pandemic, but let's take a step back and talk about why you should vote at all. If you’re on the fence about exercising your civil liberties or even if you’re a passionate advocate for democratic participation, here’s seven facts that Read More...
Coating seeds with microbes boosts plants’ carbon capture abilities
We need to capture more carbon from the atmosphere to slow climate change. While carbon capture technology is a possibility, one startup in Australia believes we can capture more carbon by planting seeds that are coated in microbial fungi and bacteria, which improve the plant’s carbon-capturing Read More...