New homes in Wales will be powered by renewable energy by 2025
The building and housing sector are one of today’s major contributors to global warming and the climate crisis. Acknowledging the urgent need to find a solution to this problem, the Welsh government has recently issued plans requiring all new homes in the country to be heated and powered by clean Read More...
Packaging as a service could eliminate unnecessary cardboard and plastic waste
With nearly 700 million trees being cut each year to make the shipping boxes used in e-commerce, and nearly 8 million tons of plastic in tape, bubble wrap and foam, it’s high time the industry rethinks its wasteful practices. Enter THE BOX - a revolutionary, sustainable and trackable shipping Read More...
Architects have created a replicable self-sustaining surgical center in Uganda
Roughly 5 billion people lack any form of safe or affordable surgery, leading to millions of deaths annually worldwide. In response, architects have created a modular, easily replicable surgical facility to provide ambulatory surgical procedures for underserved populations in resource-poor Read More...
China to ban single-use plastic bags and food containers by the end of 2020
As plastic pollution becomes ever more ubiquitous each year, China - one of the biggest contributors to the problem - is set to introduce a ban on all non-degradable plastic bags and single-use straws in its major cities. By the end of the year, the country is expected to ban the production and Read More...
Rooftop ‘hydropanels’ generate clean drinking water out of thin air
Globally, around 2.1 billion people don’t have clean drinking water at home, either because water infrastructure doesn’t exist or because the water flowing through pipes is contaminated. Enter Zero Mass Water, an Arizona-based startup aiming to become part of the solution of tackling the Read More...
40 fantastic photos from last weekend's fourth annual Women's March
This past Saturday marked the fourth annual Women’s March and nowhere was the march bigger than in Washington DC. In the nation's capital, an estimated 10,000 protesters gathered in solidarity over women’s rights and voter empowerment. Marchers traveled from all around the country to Read More...
Why you need more vitamin D in the winter and how to get it
Most of us know that vitamin D is an essential vitamin we get from sunshine, but what exactly does it do for us and how do we know if we’re getting enough? Vitamin D is made in the skin after sun exposure, but we can also get it from dietary sources such as oily fish (mackerel, tuna, and Read More...
This is how Harvard students confronted Exxon’s law firm
With this weekend's Optimist View in mind, we bring you another fantastic case of civil disobedience. Last week, more than 100 first-year Harvard law students gathered at a restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a reception hosted by the corporate law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Read More...
Scientists have managed to extract breathable oxygen from moondust
The Moon has no breathable oxygen – which obviously presents a hurdle for astronauts. There’s only so much we can take with us, so figuring out how to produce it there is crucial. Now, researchers from the European Space Agency (ESA) have created a prototype device that can make oxygen out of Read More...
This trio of clothing companies empowers young girls with more diverse styles
Children pick up on gender queues from a very young age. Toys, movies, books, and clothing play a big role in reinforcing what it means to be a girl and what you can achieve. Fortunately, there are girls’ clothing brands that are stepping up to tell young women that they can be anything they want Read More...