Lifestyle
Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.
Fair Trade - A people based solution to poverty and exploitation
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Chocolate once reigned supreme in Central America: The Mayans considered it the food of the gods, and they used cocoa beans as a form of currency. But the birthplace of chocolate has benefitted little from the chocolate boom — despite that this is where most of Read More...
How impact investors can better serve communities: ask them what they need
Amid the decline of the coal economy in West Virginia, the city of Williamson has not fared well. Nestled in the heart of coal country in Mingo County, Williamson has lost more than 2,000 jobs–25 percent of its workforce–in the last four Read More...
Blockchain after bitcoin
The world is changing at a breathtaking pace. Blink once, and you will have missed yet another disruption, another tech-driven Read More...
This is what a great book does to your brain
Books can make us smarter, more informed, even more intellectually humble. But one of the most powerful benefits of regular reading is greater Read More...
Why Bill Gates expects a huge wave of poverty reduction in Africa
While the pictures we see of Africa in the media or in donation campaigns show stark poverty and despair, these images don’t show the whole picture. In fact, when it comes to many important indicators such as literacy rates and childhood deaths, life in Africa has improved dramatically over the Read More...
The doughnut may hold the key to a sustainable economy
For economists, the biggest economic conundrum in the world right now is the following: how do we fast-track economic development while leaving a livable planet for future generations? According to Oxford University economist Kate Raworth, the answer may lie in the humble Read More...
An Ode to Laughter
By Kristy Jansen Have you ever been in a situation brimming with tense anxiety that evaporates the instant one person makes a joke or self-deprecating comment and everyone chuckles together? That’s the magic of laughter. It eases tension and relaxes us - physiologically, psychologically and Read More...
Could this medical kit help smokers quit their habit?
Even though about half of smokers try to quit every year, only about 3 to 5 percent succeed after six months. That’s why a company has created a no-smoking kit that includes medication, gum, and an app to help smokers stop the habit. Although the kit isn't necessarily cheap, it’s supposed to Read More...
Why the quest to eliminate extreme poverty requires a concentrated effort
Just 9 percent of the world is living on less than $1.90 a day, but we’re still far away from reducing that number to zero. While India and China have quickly reduced poverty over the last few decades, sub-Saharan Africa's rate of poverty is decreasing at a slower rate. This is a worrying Read More...
Community Microgrids for Disaster Resilience: A follow-up to “True Grid”
By Kristy Jansen California is suffering through a brutal fire season, Europe has faced a nasty heatwave all summer, and Japan recently experienced its worst typhoon in 25 years. 2017 was the costliest year for natural disasters in U.S. history with losses exceeding $1 billion, at a total Read More...