Episode Description:

In this episode, Karissa and Arielle explore two uplifting stories of transformation. First, they look at how Southern California communities are rebuilding sustainably after the Eaton Fire—repurposing concrete, steel, and trees into roads, buildings, and soil. Then, they dive into groundbreaking canine cancer research showing how dogs are helping scientists detect and treat cancer faster—for both pets and people. Learn how our furry companions are becoming environmental sentinels, and how shared biology could unlock longer, healthier lives for us all.

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Transcript:

Theme music

Karissa:

Hello and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Roundup. I’m Karissa.

Arielle:

And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in motion.

Karissa:

Welcome back! We are here with another episode of the pod to share the solutions from Optimist Daily this week. And if you didn’t get your solutions straight to your inbox, you can—starting tomorrow—if you sign up for our newsletter. You’ll get all of our solutions straight to your inbox.

Arielle:

Yes! And it’s really fun because we only get to talk about two solutions in depth on the pod, but you’ll get all the others that we don’t have time for in your inbox. If you’re more of a social media person, you can also follow us on socials. We’re @optimistdaily on everything—Pinterest, Bluesky, Instagram—but we’re @OdeToOptimism on X. That’s the only one that’s a bit different.

Karissa:

We are a small team working to give you all these solutions for free. If you’d like to financially support us, we could really use your help. You can check out how to do that in our show notes and become an Emissary.

Arielle:

Yes—thank you to everyone who already is an Emissary! And also a really big thank you to everyone who just tunes in, shares the podcast with a friend, or puts a story up on their socials. All of that is still a huge help for us. We really appreciate you.

Karissa:

Mm-hmm. Well, Arielle, how are you doing today?

Arielle:

I’m doing well. It’s going to be Pride Weekend here in Amsterdam, so I don’t know if I’m going to venture out into the city—it gets really busy, and sometimes in crowds I just don’t feel great.

Karissa:

Right.

Arielle:

Yeah. But I’m still excited to celebrate Pride with a few friends, and yeah, I don’t really have too much to complain about. How about you?

Karissa:

I’m doing well over here. I just got back this week from a trip to San Diego. It was a lot of fun—celebrated one of my best friend’s birthdays. So it’s been a nice week. And I guess that brings me to: do you have anything for our segment, I’m an Optimist, But…?

Arielle:

Well, personally, everything in my life is going pretty well. I’m an optimist, but I do feel guilty about that, because there’s so much going on in the world. If I just browse the news for five minutes, I’m already in a bit of a downward spiral. I know we mention this a lot, but it is overwhelming—and you don’t always know what to do when you feel like the weight of the world’s problems is on your shoulders.

Karissa:

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Arielle:

I don’t have anything specific, but I do have that feeling of guilt, even kind of shame, for living in this phase of my life where I don’t have too many issues personally. It’s just… the rest of the world. I don’t know if that resonates with you, Karissa.

Karissa:

Yeah, absolutely. And I think two things can coexist. Things can be really bad out there—there have always been issues and there always will be—but there are also a lot of people working to make a difference. I think it’s important to stay optimistic and have that kind of hope. Things can be bad, and we should always have a hand in helping out, especially locally in our communities, because that’s where you can see the most difference. The work is never really done, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Arielle:

Mm-hmm. And also, when you’re being active within your community, you feel like your life is more meaningful. That can help mitigate stress, anxiety, and the overall negative feelings that come with the weight of the world’s problems. So yeah, it’s really important to focus on your circle of influence.

Karissa:

What you can change. And I guess that kind of brings me to my solution—because it’s something close to me.

Arielle:

Yeah, go for it.

Karissa:

My solution is called From Rubble to Renewal: How Recycling Fire Debris Helps Rebuild California—and the Planet.

I chose this solution because it’s kind of in my backyard—down in Southern California. Earlier this year, when the Eaton Fire happened—the one that reduced entire neighborhoods to skeletal remains—it was a really scary time in California. But one effort is turning charred debris into the foundation for rebuilding. Some great changemakers are extracting steel, concrete, and trees from the burn scars to give these materials another run at life.

Arielle:

This sounds like another great circular solution to share this week. We’ve been really on a roll with circular concepts lately!

Karissa:

Yeah, exactly. I loved talking about Poppins last week. I just love circular concepts, and we love to share them at Optimist Daily. For this solution, the main material that’s very valuable in these burned areas is steel. It’s really getting a second chance at life—maybe even a third—because steel is recyclable.

Arielle:

Yeah, steel is a crucial material for buildings and appliances, so I can imagine there’s a lot of it floating around.

Karissa:

And it’s a pretty sturdy material, too. Steel collected from fire-ravaged properties is being compacted and shipped to recycling facilities where it’s melted down and reborn into everything from beams to car doors. And as Adina Renee Adler, executive director of the Global Steel Climate Council, says—steel is infinitely recyclable. It’s actually the most recycled material we have. In the U.S., we’re the fourth-largest steel producer, and we recycle about 60 to 80 million tons of scrap steel annually, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Even something as commonplace as a recycled refrigerator can prevent 215 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Arielle:

That is really significant. And I didn’t know that steel is infinitely recyclable—so that’s a cool fact to have.

Karissa:

And for those who lost their homes, knowing that this metal can live on elsewhere—or even come back to help rebuild a new version of their home—offers a small sense of comfort.

Arielle:

Yeah, that’s definitely a reassuring thought.

Karissa:

Besides the steel, heaps of pulverized concrete that once made up walls and foundations are stacked ten feet high in Altadena. This crushed material is trucked to local companies and transformed into base layers for roads, elevation fill for construction sites, or even new concrete. And while making concrete is responsible for about 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions—which is pretty significant—recycling it reduces the need for extracting fresh raw materials like gravel and sand.

Arielle:

Yeah, and I can imagine that it keeps tons of rubble out of landfills as well.

Karissa:

Yeah, nailed it! Steel and concrete are easier to imagine as recyclable, but it turns out that trees are also part of this circular process. The same winds that fanned the flames of the Eaton Fire also toppled trees across Altadena’s streets and yards. Some trees were turned to ash and sent to landfills, but others were repurposed. Usable logs are shipped to mills to be cut into lumber for rebuilding, while less usable wood is mulched and sold as organic soil amendment.

Arielle:

I guess when I picture fire scars, I just imagine scorched trees or trees reduced to ash, but it makes sense that a lot of trees would still be usable—with minor burn scars or just toppled over from the force of nature.

Karissa:

In addition to restoring materials back into circulation, the Army Corps of Engineers emphasizes that this process also speeds up recovery and limits environmental tolls. By recycling instead of dumping, the number of trucks on the road is reduced and landfill overflow is avoided.

Arielle:

Yeah, that’s great. I never even thought about that aspect of it. But how have residents reacted to this process?

Karissa:

Well, many residents are optimistic about all of this, but some have raised concerns about dust and air quality. The Corps insists that they’re taking precautions by continually watering the sites and monitoring air pollution levels to protect nearby communities. But all in all, through fire, destruction, and loss, a cycle of renewal that brings steel, concrete, and wood full circle is underway—and I think it’s great.

Arielle:

It’s really uplifting to know that even with destruction, you can rebuild and recreate.

Karissa:

It made me feel a little optimistic this week.

Arielle:

And as you said, it’s local to you—so maybe there’s a way to get involved somehow… Well, I don’t know. (laughs) I think Northern California is actually quite far from L.A.

Karissa:

As I can attest from my eight-hour drive this week—yeah! It’s kind of uplifting to think that maybe these materials will be used in something nearby, but just in general, I’m glad to see that an area in my state is recovering.

Arielle:

All right, well, my solution is really different from yours, actually, Karissa.

Karissa:

Mm-hmm?

Arielle:

Obviously, we are both animal lovers, and we both have dogs. You have even more pets, I think?

Karissa:

Yeah, I have a dog and a cat, so…

Arielle:

Both worlds?

Karissa:

Yes.

Arielle:

Do you ever feel like your dog knows exactly how you’re feeling at times?

Karissa:

Well, he used to. He’s a little bit older now and has a lot of issues going on, but over the almost 16 years we’ve had him, I definitely feel like he can see when I’m upset and will offer lots of licks and cuddles. I’ve even talked to him about my problems sometimes—I like to think he understands.

Arielle:

Yeah, I mean, I do that with my dog as well. Sixteen—that’s pretty old! That’s good! But yeah, dogs are so intuitive. They’re loyal, and they love us no matter what. But according to scientists, they’re also unexpectedly helpful in another extremely important way—they’re helping us in the fight against cancer.

Karissa:

Oh, really? Are we talking about emotional support dogs for cancer patients, or something more scientific?

Arielle:

Yeah, definitely something more scientific—though I’m sure the emotional support is priceless, too. The title of the article I’m drawing from this week is How Canine Cancer Research Is Helping Both Pets and People Live Longer, Healthier Lives. And it’s a solution that shows us dogs aren’t just our companions—they’re becoming central to cancer research. It’s a field called comparative oncology, and it’s changing how we understand and treat cancer, both for pets and people.

Karissa:

Oh, this sounds huge. And actually, my dog Andy has cancer as well. He’s old—he’s still hanging in there. It’s been like a year of this, so yeah, I’m really interested in the solution. I want to know: how exactly are dogs helping?

Arielle:

Well, it starts with their biology. Like us, dogs naturally develop cancer, but unlike humans, their cancers often progress faster. That makes them ideal for clinical studies because researchers can see how diseases unfold and respond to treatments over a much shorter time frame.

Karissa:

So I guess you’d get quicker results, but in a way that’s still biologically relevant.

Arielle:

Yes, exactly. In fact, after the 2023 chemical train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, scientists started tracking the health not just of the people exposed to potential carcinogens—but of their dogs, too. Because of that faster disease progression, dogs may offer early insight into long-term risks for both species.

Karissa:

Oh, okay. So it seems like dogs are kind of like our living early warning system.

Arielle:

Yeah, that’s one way to think of it. Geneticist Matthew Breen called them “mobile biosentinels” because they share our air, our water, even our chemically treated lawns. When something in the environment poses a threat, dogs may show signs first.

Karissa:

But I mean—are canine cancers really that similar to ours on a genetic level?

Arielle:

I had the same question. So, according to a major study by Elinor Karlsson and her team at UMass Chan Medical School—yes, apparently yes. They analyzed over 15,000 human tumors and more than 400 canine tumors, and the results were pretty stunning: near-identical patterns of mutation in key cancer-driving genes, often in the exact same regions.

Karissa:

Ohh, okay. Well, that’s pretty fascinating. Are we talking about the same underlying genetic errors?

Arielle:

Yeah, exactly. And that’s a game changer. It means that the treatments being tested in dogs aren’t just relevant—they’re potentially prep work. FidoCure, a company based in California—so again, near you—looked at more than 1,000 cases and found that dogs with specific mutations actually lived longer when treated with targeted human cancer drugs.

Karissa:

Oh, okay. So both dogs and humans benefit.

Arielle:

Absolutely. Douglas Thamm, a veterinary oncologist at Colorado State University, made it clear: we are not experimenting on these animals to their detriment. He said, “We’re trying to help those individuals.”

Karissa:

Yeah, I mean, that’s pretty reassuring—and it kind of reframes the whole idea of animal research, I guess.

Arielle:

Yeah, it does. These aren’t lab animals. These are pets receiving cutting-edge care and helping advance medicine in the process. Thamm and his team even conducted a clinical trial for a preventative cancer vaccine in over 800 dogs. It would be too costly and time-consuming to run the same study in humans, but with dogs, we might see results by the end of 2025—so this year.

Karissa:

Wow, yeah. And that could be a totally huge breakthrough. But I guess—what about cancer detection? Is that part of the picture too?

Arielle:

Yes, especially in breeds like golden retrievers, which are prone to hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels. Researchers are working on liquid biopsies to detect relapse early using simple blood tests. According to Cheryl London at Tufts, the goal is to adjust treatment sooner—something that’s still very hard to do in human medicine.

Karissa:

Yeah. And I mean, I love that these discoveries are not just theoretical. They’re practical, real-world solutions for vets and doctors.

Arielle:

And it goes beyond medicine. Dogs are also environmental sentinels. Breen and his colleagues created a silicone tag that dogs wear like a collar. After just five days, dogs with known cancer-related mutations had higher levels of 25 environmental chemicals on their tags, including plasticizers and flame retardants.

Karissa:

Ohh, yeah—and I mean, those chemicals were also found in their homes, right?

Arielle:

Yes, and on silicone wristbands worn by their owners. It’s a tangible way to see how shared environments can impact health. Researchers are now using similar tags in East Palestine, Ohio, to monitor canine exposure after the derailment.

Karissa:

Yeah, I mean, the data from dogs could help prevent cancer in their human families too, I would assume.

Arielle:

That’s the hope. And all of this points to a deeper insight: the more we understand the biological and environmental overlaps between people and their pets, the more we can do to protect both.

Karissa:

That’s really interesting to think about. My own dog’s cancer—I think he also has melanoma, which makes sense because we spend a lot of time around the pool, including him, in his 16 years. I mean, I really like this because it’s not just about extending our pets’ lives—it’s about giving everyone more birthdays, more tail wags, and more time together.

Arielle:

I know. So heartwarming. I really hope my dog doesn’t get cancer, obviously, but…

Karissa:

Mmhmm.

Arielle:

This at least has a glimmer of hope to it.

Karissa:

Yeah. And it’s very fascinating.

Arielle:

Great solutions this week, Karissa!

Karissa:

I’m really optimistic from these two solutions—and some of the other solutions we shared on Optimist Daily.

Arielle:

Yes! They include How to Keep Pollinators Buzzing into Fall: 8 Late-Summer Flowers Your Garden Needs, New Techniques Preserve Donor Hearts After Death—and Could Reshape Transplant Medicine, Feel Better by Doing Less: How Subtracting Stress Can Boost Your Mental Health, and How to Keep Bananas Fresh Longer: 3 Easy Tricks That Really Work. What else do we have, Karissa?

Karissa:

We have Trading Detention for the Trail: How One Maine School Is Helping Students Heal in Nature, 6 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy While Flying, According to Doctors, UK Scans 100,000 People to Uncover Hidden Signs of Disease Before Symptoms Strike, and Loose-Leaf vs. Tea Bags: Which Brew Is Best for Your Routine?

Arielle:

All right, well, thank you so much for tuning in and listening to us talk about our favorite solutions of the week.

Karissa:

Yeah, and we’re looking forward to being back next week with even more solutions and more optimism for everyone. So until then…

Arielle:

Bye!

Karissa:

Bye.