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.
Okra and fenugreek extracts remove up to 90 percent of microplastics from water
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The slimy and sticky qualities that make okra divisive on dinner plates might just help clean our water. Researchers have found that natural polymers from common plants like okra and fenugreek are surprisingly effective at capturing and removing Read More...
This high-tech paint 'sweats' to cool your home naturally
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM What if your home could beat the heat by sweating, just like your skin? A team of scientists in Singapore may have just made that possible. In a promising new development, researchers at Nanyang Technological University have created a cement-based paint Read More...
Could a flight tax help fix the climate finance gap?
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Air travel is often seen as a symbol of freedom and prosperity. But while it represents convenience for some, for the planet’s climate, it comes at a steep price. Aviation accounts for more than two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions—and that Read More...
Researchers are turning outdated phones into eco-friendly mini data centres
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM That outdated phone sitting in your junk drawer could be doing a lot more than gathering dust. According to a new European study, it might just be the next tiny tech hero helping researchers monitor marine life or improve your local bus stop. The concept Read More...
How Finland's giant sand battery is storing clean energy (and cutting emissions by 70 percent)
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a small Finnish town with a big climate goal, an unassuming tower of sand is quietly storing solar and wind energy all while making a powerful statement about clean tech innovation. Pornainen, in southern Finland, is now home to the world’s largest Read More...
Young adults are the driving force behind hopeful future for a smoke-free America
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Smoking in America is steadily declining, and young adults are at the forefront of this health transformation. A recent study by scientists at the University of California San Diego shows that younger generations are quitting cigarettes faster than ever Read More...
Hawaii's new 'Green Fee' sets precedent for climate funding through tourism
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Hawaii made history by becoming the first U.S. state to implement a climate impact fee aimed at funding environmental stewardship and climate resilience. Officially signed into law as Act 96, the so-called "Green Fee" will increase the state's transient Read More...
Urban mining: how Europe is turning e-waste and concrete into circular gold
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Buried somewhere in your drawer, that outdated smartphone may be worth more than you think. Not because it's vintage, but because it holds slivers of lithium, cobalt, and rare earth metals… the very stuff Europe desperately needs. Urban mining, the Read More...
A new way to stack bricks could help clean Bangladesh’s air
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the cool, dry winters of Bangladesh, the country’s 8,000-plus brick kilns roar to life. Coal-fed and open-air, they bake nearly 30 million bricks annually, filling the skies with thick black smoke in the process. But a new study has found that a few Read More...
Breda becomes EU’s first National Park City, setting a hopeful path for greener urban living
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The Dutch city of Breda, with its cobblestone streets and centuries-old canals, has just added another charming distinction to its name: it is now the first National Park City in the European Union. Designated in May by the National Park City Foundation, Read More...