Greta Thunberg effect: How carbon offsetting has spiked in the past 18 months
She is 16-years-old, and she already has a phenomenon named after her called the “Greta Thunberg effect”. It refers to the huge increase in individuals and businesses choosing to offset their emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects in developing countries. Ever since Thunberg’s Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: An Emissary Conversation - The Business of Doing Good
By The Optimist Daily Team “If you want to predict the future, the best way is to create it.” - Rinaldo Brutoco This weekend we began to create our future as Optimist Daily readers and Emissaries by hosting our inaugural Optimist Daily Emissary Conversation. We know as Optimists that Read More...
Bravo! Italy becomes first country to mandate climate change education in school
As much as climate change is a threat to us, it’s an even bigger threat to our children. That’s why it’s a bit shocking that no country has made courses on climate change a mandatory part of the education curriculum. That is, until now. This week, Italy announced that it will become the Read More...
This beach in Finland is completely covered in rare ‘ice eggs’
For years the Optimist Daily has been writing about natural phenomenons, and yet, we continue to be surprised that they happen in our awe-inspiring world. This week, something very rare happened in Finland that we bet you have never seen before. Walking along a beach on the Hailuoto island of Read More...
Coffee pods finally have a biodegradable alternative
The coffee pod is a nemesis to environmentalists, overflowing landfills across Europe and America by the millions. These pods, which are made from aluminum and plastic, are an especially frustrating source of waste because there are simply much greener ways of making coffee that require just as Read More...
Amsterdam is pushing hard to become a car-free city
Aside from its beautiful canals and delicious Stroopwafels, Amsterdam is perhaps most famous for the masses of bikes that voyage through the city. To make life easier for bikers and pedestrians, Amsterdam has been instituting policies towards its ultimate goal of becoming a car-free city. In Read More...
Turning to nature for help may be key to tackle air pollution
Dealing with air pollution that plagues cities across the United States doesn’t necessarily require fancy, expensive technology. In fact, new research suggests it may be easier, cheaper, and more effective to simply let nature do the work. Researchers from Ohio State University studied Read More...
Brazil is rolling out a full-on basic income program for over 50,000 people
Can basic income programs help people achieve a better standard of living and rise out of poverty? The jury is still out, mainly because we don’t have enough data to inform the jury. That’s why it’s great news that a massive basic income program featuring more than 50,000 participants is Read More...
Teenager finds low-tech solutions to blindspot problem in cars
As every cyclist knows, the blind spots of the rear-view window of a car can be extremely dangerous. Although companies are working on various high-tech solutions for this problem, a 14-year-old from Pennsylvania has taken a more low-tech approach to create an ingenious fix for the issue. Alaina Read More...
California has returned a sacred island back to an indigenous tribe
The Wiyot Tribe held sacred rituals on Duluwat Island for generations before it was seized by the state of California in 1860. Now, in a historic accord between the City of Eureka and the Wiyot people, the island has been returned to its original owners. In 2014, the Wiyot tribe raised $100,000 Read More...