Madison becomes first in America to make its bike share program 100% electric
The city of Madison in Wisconsin is set to become the first city in America to go 100 percent electric for its bike star program. The reason: E-bikes are simply easier for people to ride and will motivate more people to ditch their cars. The extra push from a motor makes previously unconquerable Read More...
Five strategies that will help you do less laundry
If it feels like you constantly have a load of laundry to do, then your approach to laundry might be all wrong. The truth is running your clothes through the washing machine shortens the lifespan of your clothes, and beyond this, running the washing machine is an energy-intensive process that uses Read More...
Wow. Pope Francis convinced a room full of big oil CEOs to act on climate change
Say what you will about the Vatican, but it has become an advocate of some incredibly progressive ideas since Pope Francis became head of the papal state. Most importantly, though, Francis is using his immense influence to make the world more environmentally-conscious. Just this week, the Pope Read More...
Stuck in a funk? Here are 3 ways to get out
You don’t know what it is, but it seems as if nothing you do is going the right way. Your motivation is gone, your sense of purpose lost, and you feel disconnected from everything around you. In short, you’re in a funk. But it’s important to realize that we all go through these low points. Read More...
How a dying Swedish town went from industrial powerhouse to recycling empire
The city of Eskilstuna in Sweden was once a steel-producing powerhouse, but as the industry declined rapidly throughout the 1970s, so did the town. It now has an unemployment rate that is almost double the national average of 8%. But the town has come up with an answer: recycling! Far from the Read More...
Why it’s never too late to safeguard your mind against age-related decline
Think your brain is too old to learn new tricks, let alone keep cognitive decline at bay? That’s faulty reasoning: Brand-new research featured in the journal Cell: Stem Cell reveals that neurons continue to form in the part of the brain where memories are processed in your 40s, 50s, and even Read More...
Costa Rica is giving Styrofoam containers the boot
From making incredible progress in curbing deforestation to setting some of the most ambitious carbon goals, Costa Rica has long been on the forefront in the fight against climate change. Now, the country has made yet another bold step towards protecting the environment by passing legislation Read More...
Ireland is on the verge of banning the sale of carbon-emitting vehicles by 2030
In an attempt to rid itself of its dependency on fossil fuels, Ireland has announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The ban is a part of Ireland's new climate change plan in which the government hope to see 950,000 electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, supported Read More...
Vermont just passed the most comprehensive ban on single-use plastics in the US
If $7,500 isn’t enough to motivate you to move to Vermont (see yesterday’s main story), then maybe this will: Vermont just joined the growing list of states swearing off single-use plastics by adopting the nation’s broadest restrictions yet on shopping bags, straws, drink stirrers, and foam Read More...
This brewery is working with Kellogg’s to turn bad cereal into beer
Turning food waste into something valuable. That’s something we love at the Optimist Daily. Just last week, we wrote about a brewery in Brooklyn turning old bagels into delicious craft beer. Today, we present to you a brewery in England that is turning another wasted breakfast ingredient into Read More...