City dwellers are going hyper-local to experience nature
Most shelter-at-home orders allowed for people to visit national parks or nature preserves, but when too many people starting visiting these places, governments started restricting access to them as well. And although it’s frustrating to be separated from the great outdoors, staying home has Read More...
Insects to become a common food item on European menus
When it comes to food, in Western societies insects don’t necessarily bear the most savory connotations. But in Europe, such perceptions may soon become a thing of the past as the EU’s Food Safety Authority is expected to make insects a common dish choice on restaurant menus. Within weeks the Read More...
Apple’s latest product is designed to help frontline workers stay safe
In these times of turmoil, it is delightful to see giant retailers make the best out of their manufacturing capabilities and convert their operations towards products that can be of much help in the fight against COVID-19. Apple’s latest product, for example, is not an iPhone or iPad, but a new Read More...
Improving soil carbon storage is a win for the planet and our food systems
Feeding a growing population on a planet with finite resources will require getting more creative and sustainable with how we operate our food systems. A new study has found that one key to protecting the future of our planet and people is carbon storage in soil. Plants pull carbon out of our Read More...
Working remotely? Here’s how to stay virtually connected on your own terms
When Chuck Swoboda retired from the Cree after 16 years as CEO, he realized he had a problem: he had become addicted to connectivity. He had always embraced the constant flow of communication afforded by new technologies, but was starting to realize that he didn’t have control of the Read More...
Spain is on the verge of implementing a basic income program
The coronavirus has prompted governments around the world to think of ways to pandemic-proof the world. One of the main ideas that is gaining traction is universal basic income (UBI), something we’ve written quite a few stories about (see here and here). If you’re not familiar with UBI, Read More...
These water-soluble cubes are helping hotels reduce plastic waste
When it comes to tackling the ubiquitous problem of plastic waste, the only solutions actually able to put a dent in this urgent environmental crisis are the ones that encourage reducing and reusing plastic in the first place. That’s why here at The Optimist Daily we are always happy to share Read More...
How to use stress hormones to your advantage
When we are stressed, our bodies’ natural response is to create stress hormones. This is the feeling you get when you enter a big interview, before you give an important speech, or have to have a difficult conversation with your boss. People in high stakes jobs, like professional athletes and Read More...
This tannery turns discarded billy goat hides into biodegradable leather
While the Optimist Daily is staunchly against killing animals for the sole purpose of harvesting fur or making leather, we do believe that if an animal is killed in the livestock industry, then all of its parts should be put to use instead of wasted. In the UK, commercial goat-milking is growing Read More...
Critically endangered turtles hatch undisturbed on people-free beaches
At the start of each April, people on the northeastern shorelines of Brazil can witness the critically-endangered hawksbill sea turtles emerge from their eggs and make their first steps into the waters of the Atlantic. But as people have been advised to stay indoors to slow the spread of the Read More...