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.
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...
Maine passes groundbreaking law banning “forever chemicals”
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” are toxic chemicals found in a wide range of products we consume and use on a daily basis including packaging, cookware, cosmetics, and textiles. These chemicals are being increasingly linked to serious diseases Read More...
Illinois is first state to mandate Asian American history curriculum in schools
We’ve written frequently about Illinois’ progressive criminal justice policies, and today we bring you another new bill, this time focused on education. The state is now the first in the US to mandate that Asian American history be part of its public school curriculum. The legislation was Read More...
EU announces new climate action legislation
To reach their goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050, the EU has released a draft of new climate change legislation to further cut emissions. The new legislation, which must still be approved by the EU’s 27 member states and parliament, proposes laws such as increasing taxes on jet fuel and Read More...
IMO moves to make shipping companies pay a price for emissions
As the volume of goods traded across the world continues to increase, emissions from container ships are becoming a more prevalent source of pollution. In an effort to transition to industry towards a greener future, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has proposed a regulation that would Read More...