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This Boston-based nonprofit pays former gang members to go to college
Founded in 2009, College Bound Dorchester is a Boston-based nonprofit that supports formerly incarcerated, gang-involved, or otherwise at-risk residents as they get an education, whether high school equivalency or a college degree. In 2016, the nonprofit launched Boston Uncornered, a program that Read More...
New excavations show that the Romans were avid recyclers
The ancient Romans are credited with many of our modern-day amenities including indoor heating, sewer systems, urban planning, and concrete. New evidence shows that they were even pioneers of recycling. A team of researchers at Pompeii discovered piles of trash outside the city walls. What Read More...
Deaths from air pollution are plummeting as coronavirus lockdowns clean air
Although coronavirus has taken thousands of lives, the improved air quality that has come as a result of the lockdowns has led to 11,000 fewer deaths from pollution in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, a new study has revealed. Sharp falls in road traffic and industrial emissions have also Read More...
The number of critically endangered orange-bellied parrots has soared
There has been little good to say about the recent history of the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot. Numbers of the small migratory bird, which makes a return trip from Tasmania’s south-west wilderness to the mainland’s coastal scrubland each year, have fallen so sharply scientists Read More...
How the capital of Lithuania is turning itself into a vast open-air cafe
For many cities around the world, the need for social distancing has motivated cities to experiment with different urban planning schemes. Recently, we published a story about how Paris is creating 650 kilometers of pop-up “corona cycleways” to be ready for May 11 when the lockdown is eased in Read More...
COVID-19 has been eliminated in New Zealand as country eases restrictions
It was just a couple of days ago that we published a story in praise of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Guiding a country through a pandemic is a high-stress task for any political leader, but Ardern has shown the world how to stay calm with her clear, personable style of leading, which Read More...
Sweden closes last coal plant two years ahead of schedule
Sweden celebrated the closure of its last coal plant this month and even did so two years ahead of schedule. Swedish utility company Stockholm Exergi announced the closure of the KVV6 plant on April 16. The plant first opened in 1989 and was projected to be in use until 2022, but after the Read More...
Builders are back on site to rebuild Notre Dame
After a fire engulfed Notre Dame last year, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the 850 year old cathedral within five years. COVID-19 put a slight dent in those plans, but now the workers are back on site this week to continue the effort. The rebuilding challenges have not been Read More...
Robots are already making contact-free deliveries in some American cities
You might not see many people walking down the sidewalk in downtown Fairfax, Virginia, during the pandemic, but it’s possible that you’ll see a robot. The city is the latest to partner with Starship Technologies, a company that makes small delivery robots and now operates a fleet of 20 in Read More...
These birds are helping endangered rhinos avoid trouble
Red-billed oxpeckers hitching rides on the backs of black rhinos are a common sight in the African bush. The birds are best known for feeding on pesky parasites found on a rhino’s skin. Now, new research suggests the birds may also serve as sentinels that help the endangered animals avoid humans, Read More...