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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- Tomorrow (2025 C.E. - ???)
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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.)
- Agriculture (10000 - 3000 B.C.E.)
- Prehistory (250000 - 10000 B.C.E.)
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2017 C.E. November 13
Over 150 organisations back call to ban oxo-degradable plastic packaging
Oxo-degradable plastics are being produced and sold in many countries, with society being led to believe they safely biodegrade in nature
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2017 C.E. November 13
E.U. reaches deal to overhaul world’s largest emissions market
European Union negotiators agreed to overhaul the region's cap-and-trade program, approving a plan to bolster carbon prices and adjust the emissions market to more ambitious climate goals in the next decade.
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2017 C.E. November 10
Danica Roem of Virginia to be first openly transgender person elected, seated in a U.S. statehouse
The race focused on traffic and other local issues in suburban Prince William County but also exposed the nation's fault lines over gender identity.
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2017 C.E. November 10
Mass transit wins big in ballot initiatives
Smart Growth America, the pro-transit and urbanism advocacy group, compiled a list of the biggest transit initiatives on Tuesday's ballots. Of the 27 measures tracked, 19 passed.
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2017 C.E. November 10
Andrea Jenkins from Minneapolis becomes the first openly transgender black woman elected to public office in the U.S.
Jenkins, who has been elected to the Minneapolis City Council, became the second openly transgender candidate to win a race Tuesday night.
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2017 C.E. November 9
Maine voters approve expanding Medicaid under Obamacare
The vote makes Maine the 32nd state to agree to expand Medicaid to thousands of low-income adults who qualify for coverage.
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2017 C.E. November 8
Syria signs Paris climate agreement
Syria's decision brings to 197 the number of nations signed up to the landmark 2015 pact on global warming, the first in more than 20 years of UN negotiations to bind both developed and developing countries to a clear limit on temperature rises.
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2017 C.E. November 8
South Dakota voters approve interest rate cap on payday loans
The Associated Press declared a win for Initiated Measure 21 around 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, with around 75 percent of voters approving the measure. It caps interest rates on payday and car title loans at 36 percent. Under current laws, there is no limit on how much interest lenders can charge on these loans.
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2017 C.E. November 8
Progressive champion Pramila Jayapal became the first ever Indian-American woman elected to U.S. Congress
On Tuesday night, Pramila Jayapal became the first ever Indian-American woman to be elected to Congress, winning a seat in Seattle's 7th Congressional District.
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2017 C.E. November 8
Nevada passes measure to expand background checks for gun sales
The Yes vote on Question 1, which would require in-person background checks for all guns sold among friends, online and at gun shows, was approved by a 50.45 percent to 49.55 percent margin.
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2017 C.E. December 28
China to create “forest city” to fight air pollution
Stefano Boeri, the architect famous for his plant-covered skyscrapers, has designs to create entire new green settlements in a nation plagued by dirty air
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2017 C.E. December 28
China’s carbon emissions have dropped for the last two years
China's coal use and carbon emissions have dropped for the last two years. In 2015, China cut its coal use 3.7 percent and its emissions declined an estimated 12 percent, following similar decreases in 2014.
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2017 C.E. December 22
U.N. votes overwhelmingly to condemn U.S. decision on Jerusalem
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly rejected the Trump administration's decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
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2017 C.E. December 22
United Kingdom vows to make access to broadband speed internet a legal right for its citizens
Earlier this year, the passage of the Digital Economy Act ensured that by 2020, all residents of the U.K. will have the right to demand broadband service at speeds of at least 10 Mbps (compromised down from 30 Mbps) through a provision in the law called the Universal Service Obligation.
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2017 C.E. December 21
China launches ambitious five-year plan to convert homes to clean heating
If successful, China's clean heating plan could decrease the amount of coal burned by the nation by 74 million tonnes (81 millions tons) by 2019 and 150 million tonnes (165 million tons) by 2021.
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2017 C.E. December 20
Belgium appoints world’s first-ever female ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Belgium made the announcement this week revealing that Dominique Mineur, who currently serves as the European nation's ambassador to the UAE, will transfer to Riyadh next summer.
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2017 C.E. December 20
Scotland is on the cusp of electric car ‘revolution’
The use of electric vehicle charge points in Scotland has increased by 43 per cent in a year.
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2017 C.E. December 19
France is awarding ‘Make Our Planet Great Again’ grants to U.S.-based climate scientists
Macron unveiled the Make our Planet Great Again grants after President Donald Trump in June said he was pulling the United States out of an international accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that was brokered in Paris in 2015.
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2017 C.E. December 19
The National Australia Bank will no longer lend to new thermal coal projects
The National Australia Bank (NAB) is officially the country's first bank to begin to phase out coal support.
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2017 C.E. December 18
Australia’s Newcastle Port, the world’s biggest coal export port, announces shift away from coal
The new chair of Newcastle Ports in Australia says there's an urgent need to diversify the regional economy and the port's business.