Archive of Human Genius

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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  • Charging an EV
    2024 C.E. March 20

    Biden administration rolls out new tailpipe rules that will boost EVs and hybrids

    In 2023, EVs made up just 7.6% of new car sales in the U.S., according to Kelley Blue Book. The new rule is targeting 35% to 56% for EVs in 2032, and 13% to 36% for plug-in hybrids. By 2032, the new rule is expected to slash passenger car pollution nearly in half from 2026 levels.


  • Aerial photography of solar photovoltaic power plants in sunny weather
    2024 C.E. March 20

    The world’s largest clean energy plant is now under construction in the Indian state of Gujarat

    Situated just 12 miles from one of the world’s most dangerous borders separating India and Pakistan, Adani Green Energy Ltd.'s gargantuan new park will cover more than 200 square miles once completed. At a cost of about $20 billion USD, it will likely be the world’s biggest renewable park when it is finished in about five years, and should generate enough clean electricity to power 16 million Indian homes.


  • German flag in front of building
    2024 C.E. March 19

    Renewables provide a majority of energy consumption in Germany for first time ever

    The share of renewable energy sources in Germany’s total energy consumption grew to 52% in 2023 thanks to the steady expansion of solar and wind power installations in electricity production and an increase in the uptake of renewable heating systems, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has said. Investments in renewable energy jumped markedly, from 22.3 billion euros in 2022 to 36.6 billion euros in the following year.


  • Old asbestos roof
    2024 C.E. March 18

    U.S. bans last type of asbestos still in use

    The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the U.S. will join 50 others nations worldwide enacting a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads, and other products. The final rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture.


  • Mushrooms
    2024 C.E. March 18

    Nearly 9 in 10 Americans now think using psilocybin is ‘morally positive,’ in dramatic shift in public opinion

    Researchers—representing institutions such as the universities of Oxford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Grenada—surveyed 795 people on the issue, asking about supervised use specifically for treatment and for well-being enhancement. Participants, the report says, “rated the individual’s decision as morally positive in both contexts.” The study is of note because although psilocybin “has shown promise both as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and as a means of improving well-being in healthy individuals,” authors wrote.


  • Car being assembled in factory
    2024 C.E. March 15

    Chinese fossil car production plunges amid surging EV demand

    A Financial Times story reports that the asset value of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle factories has plummeted as legacy carmakers scale back production because of the growing popularity of electric vehicles. China’s 2023 ICE vehicle production is down a staggering 37% from its peak of 17.7 million in 2017, in a major win for climate action.


  • Silhouette of person looking at stars
    2024 C.E. March 15

    Oregon area named world’s largest dark sky sanctuary

    The Oregon outback is now home to the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary, offering pristine views of the night sky across 2.5 million acres. The Oregon outback international dark sky sanctuary received the certification this week, becoming the largest of 19 sites around the world with the same designation. The sanctuary covers Lake County in south-eastern Oregon, a remote area roughly half the size of New Jersey, and could eventually expand to include more than 11 million acres.


  • Offshore wind turbines with paddler in foreground
    2024 C.E. March 14

    America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm is now delivering energy to the grid

    New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completion of South Fork Wind, a 132-megawatt project by Danish energy giant Ørsted and Boston-based utility Eversource. All 12 of the wind farm’s towering turbines are now in place and producing enough clean electricity to power roughly 70,000 homes in Long Island, New York.


  • Woman receiving mammogram
    2024 C.E. March 14

    Cancer deaths in middle-aged people in the U.K. have plummeted since the 1990s

    Fewer middle-aged people are dying from cancer in the U.K. than at any point over the last 25 years, a new study from Cancer Research UK has revealed. The study showed that overall, mortality rates have dropped by 37% in men and by 33% in women over that span.


  • Lgbt pride rainbow flag during parade in the city .
    2024 C.E. March 14

    Japanese high court rules same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional

    Japan’s march toward marriage equality took a giant leap when a high court ruled the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Civil code rules limiting marriage to couples of the opposite sex, the high court in Sapporo ruled, are “unconstitutional” and “discriminatory.” Existing law, the justices wrote, should be revised or rewritten to include other types of unions in addition to those between a man and a woman.


  • Charging an EV
    2024 C.E. March 20

    Biden administration rolls out new tailpipe rules that will boost EVs and hybrids

    In 2023, EVs made up just 7.6% of new car sales in the U.S., according to Kelley Blue Book. The new rule is targeting 35% to 56% for EVs in 2032, and 13% to 36% for plug-in hybrids. By 2032, the new rule is expected to slash passenger car pollution nearly in half from 2026 levels.


  • Aerial photography of solar photovoltaic power plants in sunny weather
    2024 C.E. March 20

    The world’s largest clean energy plant is now under construction in the Indian state of Gujarat

    Situated just 12 miles from one of the world’s most dangerous borders separating India and Pakistan, Adani Green Energy Ltd.'s gargantuan new park will cover more than 200 square miles once completed. At a cost of about $20 billion USD, it will likely be the world’s biggest renewable park when it is finished in about five years, and should generate enough clean electricity to power 16 million Indian homes.


  • German flag in front of building
    2024 C.E. March 19

    Renewables provide a majority of energy consumption in Germany for first time ever

    The share of renewable energy sources in Germany’s total energy consumption grew to 52% in 2023 thanks to the steady expansion of solar and wind power installations in electricity production and an increase in the uptake of renewable heating systems, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has said. Investments in renewable energy jumped markedly, from 22.3 billion euros in 2022 to 36.6 billion euros in the following year.


  • Old asbestos roof
    2024 C.E. March 18

    U.S. bans last type of asbestos still in use

    The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the U.S. will join 50 others nations worldwide enacting a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads, and other products. The final rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture.


  • Mushrooms
    2024 C.E. March 18

    Nearly 9 in 10 Americans now think using psilocybin is ‘morally positive,’ in dramatic shift in public opinion

    Researchers—representing institutions such as the universities of Oxford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Grenada—surveyed 795 people on the issue, asking about supervised use specifically for treatment and for well-being enhancement. Participants, the report says, “rated the individual’s decision as morally positive in both contexts.” The study is of note because although psilocybin “has shown promise both as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and as a means of improving well-being in healthy individuals,” authors wrote.


  • Car being assembled in factory
    2024 C.E. March 15

    Chinese fossil car production plunges amid surging EV demand

    A Financial Times story reports that the asset value of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle factories has plummeted as legacy carmakers scale back production because of the growing popularity of electric vehicles. China’s 2023 ICE vehicle production is down a staggering 37% from its peak of 17.7 million in 2017, in a major win for climate action.


  • Silhouette of person looking at stars
    2024 C.E. March 15

    Oregon area named world’s largest dark sky sanctuary

    The Oregon outback is now home to the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary, offering pristine views of the night sky across 2.5 million acres. The Oregon outback international dark sky sanctuary received the certification this week, becoming the largest of 19 sites around the world with the same designation. The sanctuary covers Lake County in south-eastern Oregon, a remote area roughly half the size of New Jersey, and could eventually expand to include more than 11 million acres.


  • Offshore wind turbines with paddler in foreground
    2024 C.E. March 14

    America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm is now delivering energy to the grid

    New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completion of South Fork Wind, a 132-megawatt project by Danish energy giant Ørsted and Boston-based utility Eversource. All 12 of the wind farm’s towering turbines are now in place and producing enough clean electricity to power roughly 70,000 homes in Long Island, New York.


  • Woman receiving mammogram
    2024 C.E. March 14

    Cancer deaths in middle-aged people in the U.K. have plummeted since the 1990s

    Fewer middle-aged people are dying from cancer in the U.K. than at any point over the last 25 years, a new study from Cancer Research UK has revealed. The study showed that overall, mortality rates have dropped by 37% in men and by 33% in women over that span.


  • Lgbt pride rainbow flag during parade in the city .
    2024 C.E. March 14

    Japanese high court rules same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional

    Japan’s march toward marriage equality took a giant leap when a high court ruled the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Civil code rules limiting marriage to couples of the opposite sex, the high court in Sapporo ruled, are “unconstitutional” and “discriminatory.” Existing law, the justices wrote, should be revised or rewritten to include other types of unions in addition to those between a man and a woman.



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