July 10, 2020
The Optimist Daily Update with Summers McKay & Kristy Jansen - Your weekday update from The Optimist Daily featuring discussions of our top positive news solutions from independent, reader-funded, journalists. In addition to top "brain candy" reading recommendations, today we cover all things Read More...
Evian introduces a label-free, 100% recycled plastic bottle
When a plastic bottle ends up in a recycling plant, the label attached to it usually isn’t recycled. This is because the labels are made from a different type of plastic than the PET used in bottles. And while they’re technically recyclable, most recycling facilities don’t have the adequate Read More...
The City of Sydney is now powered by 100% renewable electricity
The City of Sydney, the central borough of the larger Australian metropolis, will now be powered using 100 percent renewable energy, a switch expected to save it $500,000 and 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere over the next 10 years. Two solar farms and one wind farm Read More...
Federal court decision protects grizzly bears in Yellowstone
In good news for grizzly bears and conservationists, a federal court has upheld a reversal of a policy that would eliminate protections for grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. The reversed policy would have removed grizzly bears from the list of threatened species and opened Read More...
How spreading rock dust on farmland could remove massive amounts of CO2
Researchers are clear that cutting the fossil fuel burning that releases carbon dioxide is the most important action needed to tackle the climate emergency. But climate scientists also agree that, in addition, massive amounts of CO2 need to be removed from the air to meet the Paris Agreement goals Read More...
E-waste: The ultimate guide to buying tech that actually lasts
Isn’t it strange that when we buy highly advanced gadgets like a smartphone, we only expect them to last a couple of years? At some point, we feel that we must upgrade. We must have the latest and greatest camera. We must-have apps that run faster. But here’s the thing: This is all the doing Read More...
New photos of world’s rarest great apes with babies raises hopes
The Cross River gorilla is the most endangered subspecies of gorilla, with only 300 of them known to live in the wild. But the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has raised hopes that these animals at risk of extinction are actually reproducing after many photos of the rare gorillas were captured Read More...
UK passes updated and improved domestic abuse legislation
The pandemic has increased cases of domestic abuse around the world. In response to the crisis and outdated domestic abuse laws, the UK has passed progressive new domestic abuse legislation to save lives and protect vulnerable individuals. The new bill signed into law this week has a Read More...
Oregon will officially vote on legalizing psychedelic psilocybin therapy
Back in August 2019, we published a small story about activists in Oregon working to decriminalize the use of magic mushrooms (psilocybin). Today, we’re here to tell you that these activists have taken a big step towards achieving their legalization goal. After more than a year of work and Read More...
Link between physics and neurodegenerative diseases offers hope for new treatments
Phase transition allows water vapor to condense into dew drops. This process is also what allows brain cells to constantly reorganize their inner machinery. In people with ALS and Alzheimer’s, this process is interrupted. This connection between physics and disease could provide vital clues for Read More...