Robert E. Lee statue set to be removed from Richmond, VA
A colossal 21 foot tall Robert E. Lee statue has been removed from Virginia's capital, state officials said on Wednesday. The statue stood for over 130 years as a monument to the Confederacy. "Virginia's largest monument to the Confederate insurrection will come down this week," Governor Ralph Read More...
How relocating urban highways is an act of racial justice
Many urban highways from the 1950s and 1960s were deliberately built through neighborhoods primarily occupied by people of color, effectively walling these families off from economic opportunity and disrupting their sense of community. Urban planning and public policy researchers Julian Agyeman and Read More...
September 8, 2021
Summers, Kristy, and Amelia do a brief recap of their weekend challenge! Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
September 8, 2021
Summers, Kristy, and Amelia do a brief recap of their weekend challenge! Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
Could migratory birds provide early tsunami detection?
If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a tsunami, tornado, or major tropical storm, you may have noticed a curious trend: the lack of birds. Although not fully backed by scientific evidence yet, researchers are investigating the anecdotal evidence that birds seem to be able Read More...
Statue of Olmec woman to replace that of Columbus in Mexico City
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that a statue of Christopher Columbus which stands on one of the city’s major avenues will be replaced with a statue of an Indigenous Olmec woman. The Columbus statue, which was removed from its location last year due to public pressure, will Read More...
Greece creates climate crisis ministry in the wake of summer fires
Following a summer of devastating fires and record temperatures, Greece’s government has created a new ministry to address the impact and risks of climate change. Led by former European Union commissioner Christos Stylianides, the ministry will be in charge of firefighting, disaster relief, Read More...
First zero-emission crewless cargo ship to set sail in Norway
Norwegian chemical company Yara International has created the world’s first zero-emission autonomous cargo ship, the Yara Birkeland. The shipping industry accounts for between 2.5 and 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization. The aim of Read More...
The Optimist View: How to support someone through grief
“We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world一the company of those who have known suffering.” - Helen Keller Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States. For many 9/11 victims, a voicemail was the only way to communicate Read More...
Neuroscientist shares her top 6 resilience-building exercises
Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist and professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University, as well as the author of Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion. She has spent years researching anxiety in her lab, and Read More...