March 29, 2021
We're kicking off the week with news that New Zealand has approved paid leave for pregnant individuals and their partners who experience miscarriage as well as positive clean air results from California's diesel regulations. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Read More...
March 29, 2021
We're kicking off the week with news that New Zealand has approved paid leave for pregnant individuals and their partners who experience miscarriage as well as positive clean air results from California's diesel regulations. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Read More...
Cadence creates stylish and convenient reusable travel capsules
As the end of the pandemic slowly draws nearer, it’s hard to not get excited about the prospect of traveling again. All the adventures we put on hold because of the health crisis are sneaking back into our minds with the hope that things will return to something that resembles normal again Read More...
This startup is cleaning up the Ganges by recycling discarded flowers
As part of religious celebrations in India, Hindu worshippers leave collections of flowers at temples every day. Once these flowers start to wilt, the vast majority of them are disposed of in sacred bodies of water such as the river Ganges. Every year, about eight million tons of this floral waste Read More...
New Yorkers delighted by rare sight of dolphins swimming in the East River
New Yorkers gazing at the East River last week were treated with a surprising and delightful sight: a group of dolphins swimming through the water. Captured on camera by a sightseer near WNYC Transmitter Park in Brooklyn, the dolphins can be see seen swimming in New York’s once famously polluted Read More...
Bioplastic made from wood waste breaks down in three months
Finding alternative materials to plastic is a key step towards achieving a circular economy, where no harmful waste ever makes its way into the environment. In this pursuit, scientists have been using all sorts of biomass types to produce more eco-friendly bioplastics, and one of the latest Read More...
Novel mRNA technology could yield an effective malaria vaccine
This past weekend we shared an Optimist View highlighting the positive innovations that have come from the pandemic. Among these is the development of mRNA vaccines which are expected to revolutionize immunization. mRNA technology is already being experimented with to create an HIV vaccine and now, Read More...
DC Chefs unite to stop hate against AAPI community
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have experienced a surge in violence and hate crimes committed against them. Social justice organization Stop AAPI Hate reported 3795 incidents of harassment against AAPIs last year alone. Their Read More...
Riley the chatbot trains volunteers to respond to LGBTQ youth in crisis
The pandemic has exacerbated mental health struggles for many and for vulnerable communities, such as LGBTQ youth, lockdown has taken away valuable social connections such as time with friends and supportive adults. The Trevor Project, the largest LGBTQ crisis intervention nonprofit in the Read More...
Study links early heart health with cognitive function later in life
It turns out that taking steps to keep your heart healthy as a young adult could pay off in the form of cognitive benefits down the road. According to a new study from the University of California, San Francisco, heart-healthy habits in your 20s yield brain health benefits as you age. In the Read More...