Sustainable Urban Development
With cities expected to host about 70 percent of the world's population, sustainable urban development is key to making communities worldwide more resilient against the growing threat of climate change. Find out about the latest urban practices from across the world aiming to make our cities more sustainable and inclusive in these good-news stories from The Optimist Daily.
Study shows: if we biked like the Dutch, global emissions would drop dramatically
A new study from researchers at the University of Southern Denmark has determined what we already knew— cycling is much better for the environment than driving conventional internal combustion vehicles. The study took a look at the bike-loving Dutch, and quantified just how much global carbon Read More...
Queens is soon to rule in the world of composting!
Starting in early October of this year, Queens, New York will proudly be running the nation’s grandest composting program. The 2.2 million New Yorkers living in Queens will have a weekly pickup service for organic waste. This means that yard debris and food scraps, and food-soiled paper Read More...
Are hydrogen fuel cell cars a better choice than plug-in EVs?
There is no doubt that The Optimist Daily is excited about the increasing number of electric vehicles on the roads. In the US, infrastructure for plug-in EVs has been fleshed out in many regions, easing drivers’ range anxiety. With new tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, we can expect Read More...
Mathematicians can make traffic jams history—all we have to do is listen to them
It may be difficult to find things that we all agree on—but we’re confident that everyone will agree on this: traffic jams suck! What makes traffic even more irritating is that, according to traffic flow experts, most of the congestion on the road is completely unnecessary. According to Read More...
Chicago pledges to run all city operations with clean energy
As countries large and small struggle with the undeniable impacts of climate change, more and more cities are taking a lead in mapping out strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One particularly fruitful avenue to follow involves stamping out the excessive burning of fossil fuels. Well, the Read More...
Being human together
The African equivalent to Rene Descartes’s famous dictum, “I think, therefore I am,” which is the foundation of much modern Western culture, is called ubuntu and goes something like this: “We are, therefore I am.” Or: “I exist to the extent that others acknowledge and respect Read More...
Clever sustainable living tips for renters
When it comes to making the world a greener, more sustainable place, homeowners have a lot of power. In the US, 40 percent of total energy consumption per year comes from buildings. This means when property owners decide to make changes to their buildings to reduce how their property affects the Read More...
Panama enacts landmark legislation giving Nature rights
Panama is among the 25 most megadiverse countries in the world. It is home to big cats like jaguars and ocelots, 6 distinct monkey species like capuchins, myriad marine and bird life, and many kinds of sloth like the pygmy sloth, who is endangered. Its mystifying array of creatures shoulders Panama Read More...
Cooling bamboo system is a green alternative to air conditioning
As is happening all over the planet, the number of sweltering days affecting people each year in Vietnam has grown significantly in recent years as a result of climate change. Using air conditioning may help reduce people’s exposure to life-threatening hot temperatures. The problem is, always Read More...
Spain responds to the cost of living crisis by making train journeys free of charge
As the cost of living continues to climb ever higher, some governments are taking their time as they draw up and execute plans that will help support their citizens. Spain’s governing bodies, on the other hand, are charging full steam ahead to relieve their people of at least some financial Read More...