The world’s largest database of good news and social change milestones from throughout human history
We are building the world’s largest database of social change milestones, from the first fire to today’s good news. Change is not only possible, it has happened consistently throughout human history. Filter by era, country, topic, actor, source, and more.
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Era
- Tomorrow (2025 C.E. - ???)
- Today (2017 C.E. - 2024 C.E.)
- Post-modernity (1945 - 2016 C.E.)
- Modernity (1500 - 1945 C.E.)
- Post-classical (500 - 1500 C.E.)
- Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
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2020 C.E. May 22
Global coalition of faith institutions divests more than $1 billion from fossil fuels
The institutions represent a variety of faiths, including those from Catholic, Methodist, Buddhist, Quaker, Baptist, and Anglican traditions and over $1 billion in assets. The coalition is urging governments to focus on a just, low-carbon future following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2020 C.E. May 21
Critically endangered Hainan gibbons return from brink of extinction
“Even though the numbers are still small, you can see a future for this animal,” said senior conservation officer Philip Lo Yik-fui of Hong Kong-based Kadoorie Conservation China, which was driving efforts to protect the gibbons and expand their habitat.
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2020 C.E. May 21
Saudi Arabia abolishes “Ta’zir flogging” as punishment
The Saudi Human Rights Commission welcomed the decision, and said: "This decision ensures that those who were once sentenced with floggings, will now receive fines or prison sentences instead."
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2020 C.E. May 20
21 African countries are joining together to build a 4,750-mile wall of trees
The initiative, known as the Great Green Wall, aims to reclaim 247 million acres of land by the year 2030 and create hundreds of thousands of jobs, while warding off the spread of the Sahara and combating the climate crisis.
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2020 C.E. May 20
University of California becomes U.S.’s largest university to divest fully from fossil fuels
The UC milestone capped a five-year effort to move the public research university system’s $126-billion portfolio into more environmentally sustainable investments. UC officials say their strategy is grounded in concerns about the planet’s future and in what makes financial sense.
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2020 C.E. May 19
Japan suicides decline as COVID-19 lockdown causes shift in stress factors
April’s 20% drop compared with a year earlier may be the result of delays to start of school year, less commuting and more time with family
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2020 C.E. May 19
23,000 adults and counting volunteer to contract COVID-19 in order to accelerate research
The “1 Day Sooner” campaign is rallying for healthy, low-risk adults to participate in a “human challenge trial” for developing a coronavirus vaccine. Now, almost 24,000 adults and counting across 102 countries have expressed interested.
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2020 C.E. May 18
New plant-based bottles can degrade in one year
The plans, devised by renewable chemicals company Avantium, have already won the support of beer-maker Carlsberg, which hopes to sell its pilsner in a cardboard bottle lined with an inner layer of plant plastic.
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2020 C.E. May 18
Slovenia becomes first European country to declare end of COVID-19 epidemic
Despite the announcement, many measures implemented to slow the virus from spreading will remain. Some of those restrictions will continue through the end of the month.
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2020 C.E. May 15
Intel aims to reach 100 percent renewable energy use, zero waste by 2030
The company also hit many of the targets it had set for 2020. It’s now recycling more than 90 percent of its trash and sending almost no hazardous waste to landfills. IT's GHG emissions have dropped roughly 30% since 2010.
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2020 C.E. June 29
Los Angeles, Atlanta among cities joining coalition to test universal basic income
The mayors of Los Angeles, Oakland, Atlanta, Georgia, Tacoma, Newark, Saint Paul, Jackson, Compton, Shreveport, and Stockton have joined Mayors For A Guaranteed Income, a coalition advocating for UBI policies, or the idea of giving out recurring cash payments to all individuals without any strings attached.
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2020 C.E. June 27
Black-owned bookstores in the U.S. are flooded with orders for anti-racism titles
Black booksellers around the United States were worried about coronavirus shutdowns hurting their business. Now they’re being deluged with orders of anti-racist titles following protests against police brutality around the world.
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2020 C.E. June 27
Minnesota sues ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, & American Petroleum Institute over climate deceptions
The lawsuit, filed in state court, alleges violations of state laws pertaining to consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, and false advertising. Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison says the companies devised plans to deceive the public about climate change science.
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2020 C.E. June 27
Starbucks adds plant-based meat to its U.S. menu
The Seattle-based coffee chain said a breakfast sandwich made with imitation sausage from Redwood City, California-based Impossible Foods is now available at a majority of its U.S. restaurants.
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2020 C.E. June 26
Growing list of major companies boycott Facebook ads over moderation practices
Ben & Jerry’s, Eddie Bauer, Magnolia Pictures, the North Face, Patagonia, REI, Verizon, and more have boycotted Facebook advertisements as the company declined to take action against misinformation from President Trump — the same ones that Twitter flagged as misleading or glorifying violence.
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2020 C.E. June 25
Impact-driven entrepreneurship is slashing plastic pollution in Indonesia
The Zero Waste Living Lab (ZWLL) program was established in 2019 by a Dutch non-profit organization called Enviu. It incubates existing Indonesian early stage business models, replicates successful zero-waste solutions from abroad, and ideates new disruptive models where needed.
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2020 C.E. June 25
98% of South Korean local governments have declared a climate emergency
226 local government leaders across South Korea have declared a climate emergency. Their declaration emphasizes the roles and responsibilities local governments have in tackling climate change, noting that local governments are the ones who often make the first move in response to climate change impacts.
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2020 C.E. June 25
More than 70% of Londoners have changed usual mode of transport due to Ultra Low Emission Zone
London's “Ultra Low Emissions Zone,” which was established on April 8, 2019, has led to major shifts in transportation patterns. Most of those now use public transportation or walk.
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2020 C.E. June 24
Telegram pledges to make anti-censorship tools for Iran and China
The encrypted instant messenger Telegram said on Monday it’s ramping up efforts to develop anti-censorship technologies serving users in countries where it is banned or partially blocked, including China and Iran.
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2020 C.E. June 24
Amazon is launching a $2 billion fund to invest in climate technologies
Amazon will launch a $2 billion venture capital fund to back companies developing “sustainable and decarbonizing technologies.” The fund is a part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge wherein the company committed to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement by 2040.