Solar Power to Rule in 20 Years He predicted the fall of the Soviet Union. He predicted the explosive spread of the Internet and wireless access. Now futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil is part of distinguished panel of engineers that says solar power will scale up to produce all the energy needs of Earth's people in 20 years. There is 10,000 times more sunlight than we need to meet 100 percent of our energy needs, he says, and the technology needed for collecting and storing it is about to emerge as the field of solar energy is going to advance exponentially in accordance with Kurzweil's Law of Accelerating Returns. That law yields a doubling of price performance in information technologies every year. NYC Death Rate Hit All-Time Low in '06 Between 2005 and 2006, death from HIV fell almost 15 percent, from 1,419 to 1,209, reflecting the lowest numbers since 1984 when 952 deaths from AIDS were recorded citywide. Researchers attributed the decline to lower infection rates because of syringe exchange programs, expanded HIV testing, and slower disease progression. All smoking-related deaths dropped 11.2 percent between 2002 and 2006. Study Says Fewer Lack Food, Health Care The gap between rich and poor remains huge, but a survey of global health finds that significantly fewer people in poorer countries say they have had to go without food or health care because they lacked the money to pay for it. 20 Years of Peace Celebrated Presidents of five Central American nations met to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a peace agreement that ended decades of civil wars in the region, the Esquipulas II peace plan, which led to a Nobel prize for President Arias of Costa Rica. Honda to Build Zero Waste Plant in Indiana Honda just announced the construction of a $550 million automobile plant in Decatur County, Indiana, to build fuel-efficient vehicles. With a vision of sustainability, Honda wants to create a "zero waste-to-landfill" factory. Their goal is for the plant to have "the smallest environmental footprint of any Honda auto plant in North America." An Easy Way to Help Try connecting two people from opposite sides of the planet-one hoping for a small cash infusion, and one looking to do something productive with their disposable income. Chances are, good things will happen. At least that's the premise of Kiva—a pioneer microfinance website that Matt and Jessica Flannery launched in 2005—and so far it's working. Bacteria Turn Styrofoam into Biodegradable Plastic Biologists at the University College Dublin in Ireland have found that a strain of Pseudomonas putida can exist quite happily on a diet of pure styrene oil--the oil remnant of superheated Styrofoam--and, in the process, turn the environmental problem into a useful, biodegradable plastic. People are Doing Better Food production has outpaced population growth and food today is cheaper and more abundant than ever before. Since 1970, the amount of food per person globally has increased by 26 percent. Big Money for Health Care At field offices in the African bush and at medical schools and research labs worldwide, doctors and scientists funded by Bill Gates are starting to make a difference on a continent all too familiar with poverty, disease and early death. Greenhouse Pollution Drops in China and India The Three Country Energy Efficiency Project collaborated with Chinese, Brazilian, and Indian energy consulting firms to help owners of local mills, factories, and office parks cut their power use by as much as a third. These quick fixes resulted in prompt payoffs in terms of energy reduction. Breakthrough In Solar Cells "This is the photovoltaic equivalent of the four-minute mile," affirms Larry Kazmerski, director of the Department of Energy's National Center for Photovoltaics in Colorado. "This is a disruptive technology that eventually could provide us, at least in the Southwest, with cost-competitive electricity fairly quickly." Read more about it here. World's Largest Marine Reserve The U.S. plans to designate an island chain spanning nearly 1,400 miles of the Pacific northwest of Hawaii as a national monument, creating the largest protected marine reserve in the world. Earth is Doing Better Average vehicle emissions are dropping about 10 percent per year, as engines become increasingly clean and efficient. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that water quality is improving dramatically. And there has been a 55-percent decline in toxic chemical releases since 1988. Happiness has Consequences A new mega-study shows the positive practical benefits of feeling good more often. Slum No More Not for nothing do they call it Asia's largest slum. Situated in the heart of the city of Mumbai, India and home to about 52,000, Dharavi is truly a sea of humanity struggling against the odds to keep itself afloat. But this is set to change very soon.

U.S. Abortions at Lowest Rate Since 1974 The number of abortions in the United States fell to 1.2 million in 2005, down 25 percent from the all-time high of 1.6 million in 1990 and dropping the abortion rate to its lowest level since 1974, according to report issued Thursday. Fewer NY High School Students Smoke The number of public high school students who smoke has declined again to its lowest on record, 8.5 percent, city officials said Wednesday. Amazing Asian Poverty Reduction In 1990 there were 500 million people living in poverty in East Asia and the Pacific region. That number is now under 200 million, and the World Bank projects that by 2011 it will be under 20 million — a reduction of 95 percent. Domestic Violence Plummets in U.S. Domestic violence against spouses and intimate partners in the U.S. fell by nearly two-thirds in recent years, reaching a 30-year low. Government figures show the marked declines began in 1994. Discovery of Underground Lake May End Drought in the Sudan Egypt has already committed to sinking the first 20 wells free of charge, while the United Nations has sought help in selecting the best sites to sink the wells. Aging Makes People Happier An the Australian research team found that the amygdala — a deep brain center for processing raw feelings, especially fear — becomes less reactive to fearful stimuli between the middle and older years, while a higher brain center, the medial prefrontal cortex, which governs planning and judgment, gets more active during that same period. Global Poverty is Declining Between 1981 and 2001, the number of poor people fell to 1.1 billion from 1.5 billion or to 21 percent from 40 percent of global population, according to the bank's figures. Cancer Deaths are Falling The tide has turned in the battle against cancer. Cancer deaths dropped for the second year in a row, health officials reported Wednesday, confirming that the trend is real and becoming more pronounced, too. Peace is Breaking Out The chilling sights and sounds of war fill newspapers and television screens worldwide, but war itself is in decline, peace researchers report. Freedom Is Winning Democratic governments now outnumber nondemocratic governments worldwide, and the trend is all good. Deaths From Heart Attack Cut in Half In just six years, death rates and heart failure in hospitalized heart attack patients have fallen sharply, the largest international study of its kind suggests. Peace on Earth? Increasingly, Yes Seen through the eyes of the media, the world appears an evermore dangerous place. Iraq is sliding toward civil war, the slaughter in Darfur appears unending, violent insurgencies are brewing in Thailand and a dozen other countries, and terrorism strikes again in Bali. It is not surprising that most people believe global violence is increasing. However, most people, including many leading policymakers and scholars, are wrong. The reality is that, since the end of the Cold War, armed conflict and nearly all other forms of political violence have decreased. The world is far more peaceful than it was. Huge Marine Wetland Starts Life A 300m section of a sea wall has been breached to begin the creation of the UK's largest man-made marine wetland. Spray-on Solar Power Like paint, the composite can be sprayed onto other materials and used as portable electricity. A sweater coated in the material could power a cell phone or other wireless devices. A hydrogen-powered car painted with the film could potentially convert enough energy into electricity to continually recharge the car's battery. Huge New Protected Forest One of the largest and most intact privately owned forest lands in Guatemala is now protected from development. The Nature Conservancy purchased two pristine holdings totaling 77,000 acres in the heart of the Maya Biosphere Reserve last month. Lions Making a Comeback A Masai warrior who once proved his manhood by killing a lion, but the Masai have changed their ways and are now helping to protect lions. Optimism Prolongs Life Mounting research shows that optimism could extend your life. The latest study comes from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. For 999 elderly Dutch men and women, agreement with statements such as "I still have many goals to strive for" was highly predictive for longevity. When subjects were traced nine years after being surveyed, death rates of optimistic men were 63 percent lower than those of their pouty peers; for women, optimism reduced the rate by 35 percent. Flea's Giant Leap for Mankind Fleas use it to perform leaps that would make Olympic high jumpers green with envy. Bees use it to flap their wings without tiring. Now Australian scientists have achieved a world first by copying resilin, the "rubber" insects employ to accomplish such athletic feats. Future versions of the material could be used to make resilient spare parts, including spinal discs and artificial arteries. Non-Profit Drug Company Former executive quit her job to get needed drugs to Third World countries. Her efforts could save 200,000 lives a year. New Twist on CPR A new study changes how we should help someone in cardiac arrest. Read More Good News Check out the Good News Network.