Vietnam to phase out coal, invest in gas and renewables
Vietnam’s prime minister says the country will stop building coal power plants and look to gas and renewables to power its electricity grid. In a statement on the government website, Nguyen Tan Dung said new energy plans should protect the environment and strictly follow “international Read More...
The health benefits of knitting
About 15 years ago, I was invited to join a knitting group. My reluctant response — “When would I do that?” — was rejoined with “Monday afternoons at 4,” at a friend’s home not three minutes’ walk from my own. I agreed to give it a try. My mother had Read More...
How to live compassionately: Forgive yourself, forgive others
According to the dictionary, to forgive is to stop feeling Read More...
Microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus on how to change the world
At The Optimist, we've always kept a close watch on Muhammad Yunus. We interviewed him in his office in Dhaka, Bangladesh, before the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his groundbreaking work with microcredit pioneer Grameen Bank made him famous. So when Yunus speaks out about the new goals he's Read More...
Kudzu: the Chinese herb that can help you stop drinking so much
Cutting back on alcohol consumption can prove to be difficult when you’re having a night with friends. Many struggle with drinking less, but an ancient Chinese herbal remedy called kudzu may be helpful in reducing the amount you drink without going entirely dry. In a randomized Read More...
Tackling food waste, brewery transforms unwanted bread into beer
A British brewery has found a way to transform unwanted bread into beer. The idea hit Tristram Stuart, founder of charity Feedback, when he read that UK households waste at least 24 million slices of bread a year. The Toast Ale brew, launching today, uses one slice of fresh surplus bread from Read More...
What's the idea that will disrupt the healthcare industry?
Healthcare, one of the world's biggest industries, has yet to face a disruptor like Uber and Airbnb. But what if a smart start-up in the sharing business would join? Business Insider talked with industry leaders to ask them what could disrupt healthcare in the same way. Their answers are revealing. Read More...
Feeling down? Here are 7 ways to get over a winter slump
With a lack of sunshine and warmth, the first couple months of the year can drain you of your energy and put you in a winter slump. But even as winter roars on, it’s essential to keep yourself moving forward until the sun comes back to give you some vitamin D. To help rekindle your energy and Read More...
The quest to build the world’s first ethical smartphone
For many people, smartphones are the first thing we see in the morning and the last thing we see at night. Yet despite our intimate relationship with these devices, we tend to know very little about how they are made—which is ironic, considering they put the world’s knowledge at our Read More...
Farms in the sky: Fewer food miles, less waste, more jobs
Urban farming on rooftops has been gaining traction in cities around the world. Its rise can originally be traced to consumers’ increasing awareness of the carbon emissions that result when our food travels hundreds, if not thousands, of miles from the farm to our table. As an experienced Read More...