Thought Leader Series: Julian Spector on Hawaii's renewable future
This Thought Leader Series piece was originally published in Canary Media's August 19, 2021 Newsletter. BY Julian Spector Last week I visited Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island, which is currently girding itself for the closure of the state's last coal plant. My mission: to figure out how Read More...
Write a self-compassion letter to boost your happiness
You might be aware of the mental health benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. But there’s also another, bite-sized practice that you can take up to improve your wellbeing: writing a self-compassion letter. According to Kristin Neff, an associate professor in human development at the Read More...
Solar power in Australia overtakes coal for the first time
Coal plants are some of the largest contributors to the energy sector’s hefty environmental footprint. Transitioning the sector away from these dirty fossil fuels can go a long way in helping us become a carbon-neutral world. While Australia still has a considerable number of coal plants, Read More...
EPA announces ban on harmful pesticide chlorpyrifos
Even if you’ve never heard of chlorpyrifos, you’ve probably come in contact with it on your food. This common pesticide has been on the market since 1965 and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 5.1 million pounds of the chemical have been used on American crops like Read More...
August 26, 2021
We've got lifestyle tips on the Update today. Listen to learn why you should journal about setbacks and how swearing might actually be good for you. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
August 26, 2021
We've got lifestyle tips on the Update today. Listen to learn why you should journal about setbacks and how swearing might actually be good for you. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
Good news: Climate reporting accuracy improving in news media
With floods, fires, droughts, and storms flashing across the headlines every week, the realities of human-driven climate change have become impossible to ignore. Fortunately, it seems like the mainstream media is catching up to this realization as well with a recent report detailing that 90 percent Read More...
This zombie escape room prepared clinicians for the pandemic
Back in 2019, the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System began running escape room simulations to teach clinicians about the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection-halting measures in a highly infectious medical setting. Organizers Kristy Causey and Grace Boseman created Read More...
Why your gratitude journal should also include setbacks
As a growing body of research shows that the simple daily practice of keeping a gratitude journal can significantly improve your wellbeing. But while it’s tempting to only write down the good things you enjoy in life, it's important to remind yourself of the more challenging stuff, too, by Read More...
The Optimist View: Fighting Fire with FireーRethinking wildfires with Indigenous wisdom
“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.” - Mourning Dove BY Amelia Buckley As wildfires continue to rage around the Western United States, Greece, Turkey, and more, I reached out to my Read More...