Why it’s never too late to safeguard your mind against age-related decline
Think your brain is too old to learn new tricks, let alone keep cognitive decline at bay? That’s faulty reasoning: Brand-new research featured in the journal Cell: Stem Cell reveals that neurons continue to form in the part of the brain where memories are processed in your 40s, 50s, and even Read More...
Costa Rica is giving Styrofoam containers the boot
From making incredible progress in curbing deforestation to setting some of the most ambitious carbon goals, Costa Rica has long been on the forefront in the fight against climate change. Now, the country has made yet another bold step towards protecting the environment by passing legislation Read More...
Ireland is on the verge of banning the sale of carbon-emitting vehicles by 2030
In an attempt to rid itself of its dependency on fossil fuels, Ireland has announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The ban is a part of Ireland's new climate change plan in which the government hope to see 950,000 electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, supported Read More...
Vermont just passed the most comprehensive ban on single-use plastics in the US
If $7,500 isn’t enough to motivate you to move to Vermont (see yesterday’s main story), then maybe this will: Vermont just joined the growing list of states swearing off single-use plastics by adopting the nation’s broadest restrictions yet on shopping bags, straws, drink stirrers, and foam Read More...
Transformation and Turbulence: Dr. Nick Haddad on his quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature
“We should care about butterflies because they are a part of the web of life…and they are the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ of ecosystem health.” - Nick Haddad By Kristy Jansen & Amelia Buckley Chaos theory implies that if a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, it can cause a Read More...
This brewery is working with Kellogg’s to turn bad cereal into beer
Turning food waste into something valuable. That’s something we love at the Optimist Daily. Just last week, we wrote about a brewery in Brooklyn turning old bagels into delicious craft beer. Today, we present to you a brewery in England that is turning another wasted breakfast ingredient into Read More...
Want a change of scenery? Vermont will pay you $7,500 to move there
If you’ve been priced out of living in cities like San Francisco or New York, Vermont wants you to consider an alternative. In a new program that will begin next year, the state will pay relocation costs for workers who get jobs at Vermont companies. It’s a variation on another program, Read More...
How to keep your home cool without using air conditioning
We all want a cool home when the hot summer months arrive, but using the air-conditioning wastes a lot of energy. Not to mention it can cost a fortune to keep the air-conditioning on. To save yourself some money and the planet, here are a few ways to keep your home chill without flipping on the Read More...
Restoring native prairies is becoming profitable for farmers in the Great Plains
Often agricultural and environmental interests can be at odds. On the northern Great Plains, though, ranchers increasingly find that restoring native grasslands can benefit cattle and wildlife alike—simultaneously boosting profit and the environment. What we’re seeing in the Great Plains is Read More...
Congress bill pushes for renewables to have same tax incentives as fossil fuels
In a move that is set to smooth out America’s transition towards greener sources of energy, US lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would give clean energy projects access to a tax advantage currently available only to fossil fuel projects. The bill, called Financing Our Read More...