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.
Germany gets ahead of winter with its huge heating tower
Germany has set to work on an enormous thermos to help heat its citizen’s homes this winter while stepping away from its reliance on Russia’s fossil fuel industry. Germany’s huge heat tower The thermos tower, which stands at almost 150 feet and can store an astounding 15 million gallons Read More...
Seville becomes first city to name and classify heatwaves
When a tropical storm or hurricane gets bestowed a name, people know to take weather warnings seriously and to prepare their households accordingly. Now, the southern Spanish city of Seville is taking the same approach to heatwaves, becoming the first in the world to name and classify these Read More...
Artificial photosynthesis helps plants grow with no sunlight required
Plants use a special natural process called photosynthesis to grow, mature, flower, and produce fruit. Photosynthesis is the way in which plants absorb energy from sunlight and use it to make their own food out of carbon dioxide and water. For years, scientists have been investigating this Read More...
Lego to set up a factory in Virginia... and it comes with its own solar park
Danish company the Lego Group has established itself as one of The Optimist Daily’s favorite toymakers for its many efforts and initiatives that make this world a more inclusive, accessible, greener, and all-around better place. Now, we’re happy to report that Lego is up to more Read More...
LA may ban the construction of new gas stations
In the face of the climate emergency, officials in Los Angeles are working on policies to stop the construction of new gas stations. Being the second-largest city in America, LA could become the largest city in the world to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure. “We are ending oil drilling Read More...
Fog nets from Chile to Morocco. And soon California?
Fog nets are screens of overlapping horizontal and vertical mesh that catch moisture from fog and collect it once gravity brings the droplets down. In remote villages in drought-stricken Morocco, these devices not only bring drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people but also let them Read More...
Get healthy, go to a green space
We decided to revamp a couple of stories on the benefits of green spaces, for which there is an ever-growing body of evidence. NPR’s Aaron Scott recently spoke with environmental psychologist Ming Kuo on green spaces and why we all seem to feel better walking down a city street lined with Read More...
Be intentional about respecting wildlife by keeping these 4 things in mind
This year, if you are striving to be more considerate of wildlife while on your summer travels and hikes, but still want to enjoy, observe, and photograph the wonder and beauty our planet has to offer, there are some important things to think about. When we humans get too close to wild animals Read More...
5 lesser-known innovations for a more sustainable home
One of the big questions for environmentally-minded homeowners is how to make their homes more sustainable and energy-efficient. There are some more obvious switches one can invest in, like installing small wind energy systems or household hydropower systems, however, there are also many Read More...
Barcelona plans to limit docking of cruise ships
You’d think thousands of travelers disembarking from cruise ships in Barcelona would be a good thing for the city. However, these tourists coming in from the many yearly cruise liners don’t book accommodation, don’t spend as much as you’d think, and contribute to city congestion. The huge Read More...