One key to getting work done is buy-in. In this weekâs spotlight on positive global news we feature Ecuador, where municipalities started a successful conservation program by asking people how much they would be willing to pay for their water. 1. United States The entire West Coast now has access to early earthquake warnings after Washington state was added to the mobile alert system. First launched in Los Angeles, the system began notifying cellphone users in 2018. Because modern telecom systems can send messages faster than shock waves move through the ground, the alerts offer users crucial seconds to prepare for the shaking â enough time to find shelter or to drop, cover, and hold on.