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Working towards the ultimate source of clean energy
Andrea Kritcher has done something that seemed an impossible dream: Conducted a successful laboratory test that showed that fusion energy could work.
From caviar to conservation: Saving the Atlantic sturgeon
To bring a fish from the brink of extinction, people must push for protection over pollution.
Rethinking the economy for the planet
In the fifth of six monthly conversations, three experts ask: can a more equitable global economy help bring about the change needed to cool the Earth?
Shoring up snow where the mountains touch the sky
We’re seeing decreasing snow in mountain regions around the world. But there is more at stake than a photographic background or the perfect ski run.
Italy, land of mystery and conspiracy
As Italian authorities reinvestigate the disappearance of a teenage girl from the Vatican 40 years ago we have to ask: Why is Italy so ripe for conspiracies?
Faculty in the Spotlight: Carrie Simpson
Carrie Simpson of The Tatnall School centers global awareness, activism and inquiry in her teaching. She wins this month’s Faculty Spotlight award.
From refuse to reuse: Removing plastic from the table
To keep plastics out of the waste system, Ved Krishna decided to change the way food service products were made.
Speed bumps on the human trafficking highway
When you take a close look at the global problem of human trafficking, it turns out to be a lot closer to home than you might expect.
One Afghan woman’s 3,100-mile journey to safety
For one Afghan woman, staying alive after the Taliban came to power meant leaving journalism. But that wasn’t enough.
Decoder: Don’t expect technology to save the planet
In the movies, the solution for global disasters comes at the nail-biting end. Not so in real life. It won’t be the Rock that saves this rock we live on.
Children to leaders: here’s what to do next on climate
Children across the globe were invited to tell the world, through art, what needs to be done to save our planet from climate change. These are their messages.
We need space weathermen to know which way solar winds blow
The sun might be 93 million miles away, but its flares cause blackouts and GPS to break down here on earth. Get ready. We are approaching the solar maximum.
In celebration of outgoing News Decoder Trustee Janet Hartwell
As Hartwell’s term on News Decoder’s board concludes, we recognize her enduring contributions to our nonprofit and the world of education at large.
Balancing the right to privacy with the right to know
The Indian government has proposed strengthening privacy protection, but at the cost of transparency. Is this about protection or repression?
Afghanistan: Where free expression costs reporters their freedom
For 20 years Afghan journalists could report without fear or favor. With the Taliban in control they are out of favor and under intense fear. Many have fled.
Protecting the planet one outfit at a time
Matea Benedetti was vexed by the dreadful impact of “fast” fashion on the environment. So she started her own clothing line.
Decoder: What has happened to Sudan and why you should care
Sudan is surrounded by unstable nations. A humanitarian crisis could result in refugees flooding into countries ill equipped to handle the crisis.
Of health risks and inequity: Our story contest winners
Dogs abused, refugees who struggle, unequal abortion access, menstrual products too costly and unsafe medical implants. These stories topped the competition.
With the 2024 election in sight, it’s here we go again!
The upcoming U.S. presidential election might already seem like déjà vu, but in many ways it will be unprecedented. What’s in it for the rest of the world?
Decoder Podcast: A conversation with student Clover Choi
For one American student in France, writing for publication is about processing the world around her — and stepping out of her comfort zone.
Fourth climate talk asks, how to feed the world?
Half of the world’s habitable land is used to produce our food, while the other large areas are contaminated by fertilizers, pesticides and sewage. How can we feed the world without causing harm to the planet?
Decoder: Can we live with climate change?
There are all kinds of dangers associated with climate change. Can we ensure future generations will have healthy lives amid rising seas and extreme weather?
By refusing to pay, Sicilians keep the Mafia away
In Palermo, paying “pizzo” or protection money used to be common practice. But now businesses say to the Mafia: Addiopizzo!
One man’s quest to protect Romania’s virgin forests for all
Florin Stoican tirelessly worked to create Romania’s first citizen-led national park in a country that’s home to 65% of Europe’s virgin forests.
A pop-up museum inspires people to take climate action
In New York’s Soho neighborhood, a small museum hopes to stimulate dialogue and spur the public to push for change across the globe.
Protesting becomes the new lingua franca in France
Weekly protests in France are now about more than pensions. For French citizens it is about democratic ideals and a government that represents its people.
Teens show us that you can find climate heroes across the globe
News Decoder and Global Youth & News Media challenged teens to find and profile people working on systems-level solutions to climate change. They stepped up.
Decoder: One day to celebrate a planet, 53 times
More than half a century ago, the world began devoting one day a year to celebrate the earth. For Kathleen Rogers, that turned into a decades-long mission.
Living in a post-truth world
When the business model for news corporations depends on blurring the lines between fact and opinion, how can we move from partisanship to problem solving?
Britain works to rebuild relationships Brexit severed
Brexit gave the British people independence from Europe. But can the value of national sovereignty be quantified and is it worth more than economic stability?
Helping students discover their own big story
We ask young people what they want to be in life. But do we allow them to become the best person they can be? This can’t be done in a single class lesson.
A worldwide movement to protect the Spanish Greyhound
The galgo is a popular hunting dog in Spain. But a worldwide network of dog lovers march each year to stop a practice they believe is inhumane.
Decoder: Can the world see China as the top peace broker?
Even as the U.S. and China stare each other down, China is bridging conflicts in regions the U.S. once dominated. Are we looking at a new world order?
Paving the way for period poverty reform
Women and girls across the world are lobbying to make menstrual products free or at least tax-free.
Decoder: Seeing the forest for the trees
Redwood forests exist only in the Pacific Northwest. But these carbon suckers will grow just about anywhere if you give them a little land and a lot of love.
Decoder: 25 years of a peace many thought impossible
Both sides of the Irish border mark a quarter century since the Good Friday Agreement. But can a divide that lasted generations be permanently bridged?
Energy as the key to the climate crisis: Our third Ecologue
Four experts exchanged perspectives on how to tackle the energy sector and its 40 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Ukrainians displaced by war struggle in exile
France has spent hundred of millions to help Ukrainian refugees with housing, schooling and jobs. But for those who aren’t fluent in French, life remains difficult.
Award to honor those who teach the value of a free press
Journalists are in danger in many parts of the world. Young people must be taught why we should protect and support the news media.
Decoder: Can Indonesia bid farewell to coal?
Billions in international funds has gone to weaning the populous nation off coal. But the country continues to build coal plants despite its pledge to go green.
Faculty in the Spotlight: Daniele Gatti
Daniele Gatti of School Year Abroad in Italy wins this month’s Faculty Spotlight award for his commitment to youth literacy and News Decoder’s local-global mission.
Deforestation in Sierra Leone: Hills slide and people die
Overdevelopment has caused so much destruction. It is time to replant the trees we have cut down and be better stewards of our land.
Decoder: The world thirsts for clean, safe water
Some 785 million people worldwide lack a basic drinking water supply. Experts came together at the UN to find solutions to our planet’s worsening water crisis.
Student athletes face added pressure to succeed
Extracurricular activities and sports can help students gain admission to university. But is the need to ace exams and win one for the team too much pressure?
A new forum for climate change discussions
With an emphasis on solutions to the environmental crisis, Ecologues creates a much-needed space to debate and educate.
Decoder: World Bank is key to averting climate catastrophe
We need to mitigate climate change for developing countries who have done comparatively little to harm the planet. Is there cash in the bank for that?
Trans rights becomes a life and death issue in Peru
With the killing of six trans women in Lima this year already, people are calling on the government to address the unequal treatment of trans people.
The City of Light is momentarily the City of Trash
Think of Paris and your mind brings up the scent of fresh baked baguettes, not the reek of rubbish on the Rue de Rivoli.
To empower high school students, don’t censor them
To much of the world the U.S. is a beacon of free speech. But how much freedom teens have depends on where they live and what school they attend.
The chaotic new world of abortion access
If you are in need of an abortion in the United States, you might have to travel cross the country to get one. Or a clinic could be just blocks away.