By now, it's hardly news when a city bans plastic bags at checkout counters -- but an entire state? That's happened in Hawaii, where Honolulu County has joined the state's three other counties to give Hawaii a first-in-the-nation title after a two-year campaign.
A German company has installed its first clean energy kiosk in rural Ethiopia powered by rooftop solar panels. The self-contained SolarKiosk functions as a small-scale power company for surrounding villages that have no electricity. The large metal roadside booth, which can hold 6-8 people inside, is expected to provide enough power for villagers to charge their mobile phones and car batteries, run a computer, and power its own solar fridge, which might offer the only refrigeration for miles.
What happens if you give a thousand small PCs to Ethiopian kids who have never even seen a printed word? Within five months, they'll start teaching themselves English while circumventing the security on your OS to customize settings and activate disabled hardware. All, without instruction.
A Dutch study has found that offshore wind turbines have hardly any negative effects on wildlife, and may even benefit animals living beneath the waves.
Winter journeys are made safer and more attractive for Dutch cyclists. Reflective crystals make lines in the road visible without electric lights, while other roads are getting underground geothermal heating for natural de-icing.
Tina Brown, editor in chief of Newsweek, kicked off her first annual Hero Summit last week in Washington to bring together military heroes and exceptional civilians for meaningful dialogues and information-sharing.
Many of the 11 million Cubans have been eagerly awaiting this day since the government announced the change in October. Starting Monday, a new kind of migration commences as the communist government eliminates a long-standing restriction on Cubans' ability to leave the country.
Chicago's overall crime rate fell last year to a level not seen since 1972, and the number of shooting incidents involving victims 16 and younger dropped 40 percent in 12 months, city officials say.
11 white-furred rats are in the final stages of a training program to find landmines that kill or injure hundreds of people each year in conflict-wracked Colombia.
The Colombian city of Medellin has opened a giant outdoor escalator for residents of one of its poorest shanty towns. The escalator is divided into six sections that transform a 35 minute climb into a 6 minute ride.
In an unprecedented concession, Colombian rebels have pledged to end their practice of kidnapping for ransom and release the hostages they hold, hoping to re-open the doors to dialogue as the civil conflict enters its 48th year.
According to the Afghanistan education minister, the Taliban's leadership is prepared to drop its ban on girls' schools, since having undergone an attitudinal and cultural change.
A remote control toy truck sent to Sgt. Chris Fessenden in Afghanistan by his brother helped to trigger a bomb meant to kill U.S. soldiers. In 2007, Ernie Fessenden teamed up with a hobby store owner to create a radio-controlled model truck outfitted with a wireless video camera to help his brother check for bombs under trucks. That souped-up toy ended up preventing the potential deaths of six soldiers two weeks ago.
In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that her countrymen could use a little fun. She started the country's first bowling alley and it has become a symbol of hope.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan dropped 15 percent in the first six months of the year, with deaths blamed on NATO-led troops and Afghan forces declining sharply, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Hidden cameras have revealed the existence of a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of northeastern Afghanistan, according to a new study. The wonderful discovery gives hope to the world's most elusive big cat
The government of Japan has pledged $17 million dollars to Afghanistan to provide more people with clean drinking water. Small dams will also be built for creating electricity and water canals to boost agriculture.
In the midst of Staff Sgt. Jesse Knott's lowest moment in Afghanistan, following a suicide bombing, a feral cat climbed into his lap and restored his faith and his humanity. To return the favor, Knott vowed to save Koshka from his pitiful life.
After five years of delay, the federal government today finally proposed to more than 739 miles of critical habitat for threatened loggerhead sea turtles on their nesting beaches along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
When Walmart accidentally destroyed a businesswoman's delivery truck, a car dealership came to the rescue, outshining the mega-store with generosity.
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