Six ways to celebrate Juneteenth this year
Juneteenth now an official federal holiday in the US, but what exactly does the holiday signify and how should we be celebrating it in our communities? Juneteenth specifically celebrates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas as a response Read More...
Canada finally allows Indigenous peoples to officially reclaim their names
Canada is coming to grips with the horrific discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential schools that contain the remains of children—some as young as three years old. The exposure of these mass graves puts a spotlight on the country’s terrible colonial past and has Read More...
Researchers identify lightning as huge source of air-purifying chemicals
Lightning is an incredible display of the power of nature, but a new study shows this natural phenomenon has more benefits for our world than previously thought. Researchers from Penn State University analyzed atmospheric measurements from a NASA jet and found that lightning appears to be an Read More...
June 18, 2021
Today we're commemorating the designation of Juneteenth as a federal holiday with some ideas on how you can celebrate the day. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
June 18, 2021
Today we're commemorating the designation of Juneteenth as a federal holiday with some ideas on how you can celebrate the day. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
Paris’ outdoor pandemic dining is here to stay
After over a year of dining outdoors, many people have come to love the experience of enjoying a meal in what would otherwise be a busy street or parking lane. Closed streets and dining terraces have made our cities more human-friendly and in the city of lights, the change is here to Read More...
WomBot is helping scientists explore wombat burrows in Australia
Wombat burrows in Australia can be 10 to 100 feet long and 11.5 feet deep. This makes it quite challenging for scientists to gain a full understanding of how a deadly disease affecting wombats spreads through these complex tunnels. To overcome this hurdle, robotics researchers at La Trobe Read More...
This 71-year-old Mexican man builds solar stoves made from reused materials
If you walk near Mexico City’s primary wholesale food market, Central Abasto de Ecatepec, you’re likely to run into 71-year-old Maximino Antonio Piedad, who’s often there demonstrating his homemade solar cooker built out of reused materials. His aim is to support people who have limited Read More...
How to shop for sustainable jewelry
Jewelry offers us an opportunity to express ourselves and makes a great gift for a loved one, but unfortunately, jewelry can have a negative impact on the planet and the people who produce it. So how can you ensure your jewelry is sustainable? Today we bring you a guide to help narrow in on jewelry Read More...
Ancient "mini-Pompeii" discovered beneath abandoned Italian cinema
During an excavation of a former cinema in the northern Italian city of Verona, the renovation team made a valuable and surprising discovery. Beneath the abandoned Astra Teatro, which is currently undergoing renovation after lying unused for more than two decades, was the hiding place of an Read More...