Puerto Rico passes historic 100% renewable energy legislation
After Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico in 2017, the island was without energy for months, making it an incredibly pain-staking process to deal with the aftermath of the tropical storm. To make sure that never happens again, Puerto Rico has passed a bill that sets the island on a path to Read More...
Oslo is installing the world’s first wireless electric car charging stations
When it comes to electric vehicles, no one is further ahead of the game than Norway. The Nordic country has the highest percentage of residents driving electric cars, and the government is even mandating that all new cars sold in the country be all-electric by 2025. Now Norway is taking it one Read More...
Instead of plastic, this supermarket is wrapping produce in banana leaves
While most supermarkets are taking their sweet time to find good alternatives to plastic packaging, a supermarket in Thailand has come up with a surprisingly simple way to reduce plastic packaging by wrapping its produce in banana leaves. The use of banana leaves instead of plastic for packaging Read More...
How to shop for healthy food without spending loads of money
At The Optimist Daily, we care deeply about food. We believe food is medicine, and we’re incredibly concerned with how our food is grown and how it affects our bodies. Sunday’s Optimist View was a testament to our desire to create discussion around food as we explored the potentially damaging Read More...
This Polish company uses waste wheat bran to make biodegradable bowls and plates
Isn’t it ridiculous that disposable plastic plates are still being used even though they can take up to 500 years to break down? An innovative Polish company by the name of Biotrem thinks so, which is why they’ve created biodegradable tableware made from compressed wheat bran, a by-product of Read More...
Finland is offering lessons in happiness with free trips to its wonderful nature
For the past two years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world. Its citizens are relaxed and cheerful, enjoying life in a progressive, technologically advanced society, without becoming overly stressed. The Finns themselves attribute this to their connection with nature and Read More...
Gibraltar bans release of helium balloons in bid to save marine life
For years, Gibraltar used to release 30,000 balloons each year on the 10th of September to celebrate its National Day. After realizing that most of these balloons ended up polluting the sea and seriously threatening marine life, the government decided to put an end to this tradition two years Read More...
This Japanese mending technique turns old clothes into art you can wear
These days, the way you dress can be a stark environment statement. In response to the ubiquity of fast fashion and a growing consciousness about the ‘true cost’ of the garment industry, people are beginning to come up with fashionable, innovative ways to rebel against today’s consumerist Read More...
How gender quotas could lead to more land conservation
The key to boosting environmental conservation around the world could be gender quotas. While it seems like an unlikely tool to inspire more conservation, a new study conducted in three developing countries showed that when more women are involved in group decisions about land management, the group Read More...
Researchers develop nifty device that can use waste CO2 to purify wastewater
Access to clean water is something that many of us take for granted, but it's a serious problem across much of the world. Now researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra have tested a new method for sterilizing water using hot bubbles of carbon dioxide, which they've found to Read More...