Raise your kids to be spatially aware by letting them roam far and free
Children have a lot less freedom to roam and play unsupervised than they did 50 years ago. A lot of this has to do with parents’ concern over safety, especially in urban areas. Now, the Covid-19 pandemic has further restricted children’s freedoms, which may have a detrimental impact on their Read More...
How NASA technology is helping firefighters tackle wildfires on the ground
From the United States to the Mediterranean coastlines, wildfires have been breaking records this summer, with places in Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, and Italy seeing some of the worst fires in decades. As climate change-induced drought and severe heatwaves complicate the painstaking efforts of Read More...
This new metric assesses road safety before any accidents ever happen
The way urban planners currently assess the safety of a road involves counting the number of accidents on that particular road. Essentially, this means that there’s a "literal human cost" to measuring how safe a street is, says Megan Ryerson, a transportation engineer and urban planner at the Read More...
Cooperation beats contracting for affordable homeless housing
A developer, homeless service providers, local church leaders, and a social impact investment manager have teamed up to demonstrate that cooperation between the private sector and non-profits can beat our traditional contractors when it comes to building housing for the unsheltered. They’ve Read More...
5 anti-inflammatory spices that aren’t turmeric
Turmeric tends to get all the attention when it comes to anti-inflammatory spices, but don’t overlook these five other spices that functional food expert Kanchan Koya Ph.D. touts as her favorites for fighting off inflammation. Cayenne Cayenne is a great choice for spicy food lovers, as it will Read More...
Cheaper and Cleaner: Europe’s renewable energy success story
Europe made history over the last six months when it generated more electricity from renewable sources than it did from fossil fuels. Over 40 percent of the electricity used by the EU’s 27 member states came from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy. In contrast, fossil Read More...
August 4, 2021
Today we're talking about how longer breaks between learning helps our brains absorb information and how porous pavement could save water and prevent flooding. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
August 4, 2021
Today we're talking about how longer breaks between learning helps our brains absorb information and how porous pavement could save water and prevent flooding. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
The Optimist View: ITP Small grants change the world
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead The Optimist View is our long-form edition weekend publication which dives deeper on the critical solutions we cover on The Optimist Daily. Read More...
Scottish distillery unveils transport fleet that runs on whiskey waste
Like an increasing number of businesses around the world, whiskey giant Glenfiddich recently pledged to reduce its footprint on the environment. With that goal in mind, the company started adapting its delivery trucks to run on low-emission biofuel created from its own whiskey waste. Adopting a Read More...