Environmentalists just won big in France’s municipal elections
The municipal elections just took place in France, and the results show there is one big thing that voters have in mind: the environment. Several major cities across the country saw victories for environmentalists. The unprecedented showing for Europe Écologie Les Verts, a once minor political Read More...
Staring into deep red light can improve eyesight in people over 40
While we’re typically cautioned against staring at bright lights if we want to keep our eyesight healthy, a recent study suggests that staring at a deep red light for a few minutes a day can improve vision in those over 40. According to the research conducted at University College London Read More...
Germany will say goodbye to single-use plastic as early as 2021
No more single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers for Germany. Starting next summer, the European country will end the sale of plastics including disposable cutlery, plates, stirring sticks and balloon holders, as well as polystyrene cups and boxes. The ban will mean the country Read More...
Researchers discover key biomarker present in nearly 50% of diagnosed cancers
One of the most difficult aspects of treating cancer is understanding its progression and relapse, which is often unpredictable. Fortunately, researchers at Duke National University of Singapore have discovered a biomarker protein that helps predict the behavior of many cancers. The MBNL1 Read More...
NSW buys large piece of land to protect over 25 threatened animal species
In a major win for threatened species and habitats, the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has recently taken under refuge a massive piece of the country’s outback by purchasing it from a private owner. Called the Narriearra, the new national park covers an area of 1,534 sq km (392 sq Read More...
NASA just released a decade-long time lapse of the sun
At the Optimist Daily, we’re always excited when NASA releases new images of our solar system and beyond. This week, NASA marked the 10th anniversary of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite, which has been photographing the sun from its orbit around the Earth since 2010. In Read More...
Museum in Bilbao uses advertising banners to help purify the city’s air
Advertising banners rarely add any value to the aesthetic of urban areas, and even less so to residents’ health. But that doesn’t necessarily stand for the Spanish city of Bilbao, where a museum has recently unveiled a project that wants to help purify the city’s air through its outdoor Read More...
Amazon India ditches all single-use plastic in packaging to curb waste
Amazon has often been criticized – and rightfully so – for using too much plastic and thermocol to wrap its billions of package shipments, all leading to massive amounts of plastic waste ending up in landfills and leaking into the environment. But a recent move by the company’s Indian unit Read More...
Meet the woman who has saved 72,000 human trafficking victims
Meet Hasina Kharbhih. When she was just a schoolgirl in Shillong, India, she started supporting the social development of vulnerable communities in the northeast of the country. Now at the age of 49, Kharbhih and her Impulse NGO Network have rescued 72,000 women and children trafficked across Read More...
This NBA team will turn its arena into a polling station to attract voters
Citizens in cities across America have lamented the lack of polling stations in predominately African American precincts, and Atlanta is no different. The June 9 primary elections were beset by logistical problems, with many Georgians enduring waits of several hours to vote. In an effort to help Read More...