March 5, 2021
We're talking flying creatures today with a wind company investing money to protect and breed California condors and good news for bees in the UK. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
This retro milk truck is now delivering zero-waste products to Londoners
Ella Shone’s ‘Topup Truck’ started out 20 years ago delivering morning milk to bleary-eyed Londoners. Now, the vehicle’s got a new lease on life as an electric-powered zero-waste goods delivery truck. After being furloughed from her sales job as a result of the coronavirus pandemic last Read More...
Wind farm funds condor breeding program to offset potential species harm
Wind turbines are a great source of renewable energy, but they also pose a hazard to local bird populations. Some wind farms have started painting turbines black to prevent this, but wind company Avangrid Renewables has gone one step further and launched a condor breeding program to compensate for Read More...
A first for invertebrates: Cuttlefish can delay gratification
Have you ever heard of the “marshmallow test?” It’s a type of experiment designed at Stanford in the 1960s by Walter Mischel to test whether human children have the self-control to wait for a better reward. In essence, the children were given a choice between having one marshmallow now or Read More...
Research: The success of San Francisco’s pandemic hotel housing program
When the pandemic hit, San Francisco was one of the cities that took advantage of empty hotel rooms to safely house the unsheltered and slow the spread of Covid-19. Now, almost a year down the line, researchers are understandably curious about the impact this public health move had on the city’s Read More...
National Parks are leading the transition to all-electric federal fleets
The US government has announced plans to transition all federal fleet vehicles to electric models and what better place to start than the country’s most valuable natural spaces: National Parks. Zion National Park has officially received a federal grant to transition all of its shuttle buses Read More...
Bird missing for 170 years rediscovered in Indonesian rainforest
More than 170 years after it was first reported around 1850, one of Indonesia’s most elusive birds has recently been rediscovered on the island of Borneo, to the excitement of conservationists and ornithologists. The black-browed babbler, featuring deep scarlet eyes, gray legs, and black, gray, Read More...
This lamp uses ultraviolet light to sanitize public spaces in minutes
Back in January, we wrote about a new 20,000 square meter outdoor light installation from the Rotterdam-based Studio Roosegaarde that is meant to make outdoor agriculture even more sustainable while dually turning crop fields into a work of art. Today, we bring you the latest design from Studio Read More...
Pollution-eating, electricity-breathing bacteria may save our water
It’s no secret that humans have had an enormous impact on the world’s water supply. If we look at lakes, rivers, or shores that humans live near, chances are we will find a significant quantity of litter scattered in the area. According to Clean Water Action, these water pollutants have Read More...
Have a task that bores you? Here are 3 ways to focus and get it done
As much as we want to dedicate our lives solely to the things we’re passionate about, sometimes we have to focus on tasks that are boring to us. And that in itself is no easy task. If you find yourself having trouble focusing on something you’re not excited about, here are three tips that can Read More...