Policy Making
Strong public policy leads to more cohesive, resilient, and sustainable societies. In this section, find out about the latest legislations from around the world aimed at making our world a better place.
Congress approves $350 million for wildlife crossings
Funding was finally secured in January for the construction of a wildlife crossing over the 101-freeway in Southern California, which cuts through the Santa Monica Mountains and the habitats of many native animals. The Optimist Daily has been closely following stories of wildlife crossings like Read More...
To make citizens safer, France extended its abortion limit
In a win for the reproductive rights of French people, the deadline for having an abortion has been extended from 12 to 14 weeks. This limit now aligns with those of Spain and Austria, and its purpose is to increase safety and freedom for the country's citizens. France has seen a nationwide Read More...
Reproductive justice: Colombia decriminalizes abortion
Following in the footsteps of Latin American countries such as Mexico and Argentina, Colombia’s constitutional court ruled five against four to decriminalize abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, as reported by The Guardian. Prior to this motion, abortion in Colombia was only Read More...
3 inspiring Black LBGTQ+ pioneers
Part of the cultural reassessment that's been occurring over these last few years has been the recognition that many contributions of both the Black and LBGTQ+ communities have been pushed under the rug for too long. In honor of Black History month, we wanted to shed light on three incredible Read More...
A victory against rent-hikes for Tenderloin residents
At The Optimist Daily, we're happy to see solutions to the housing crisis. While we enjoy innovative solutions, we also love to see communities coming together to help their members hold onto their homes in the face of increasing rent prices. In 2016, when a new owner took over 285 Turk Street, Read More...
France and New Zealand criminalize "conversion therapy"
Conversion therapy is the damaging and degrading practice that attempts to change a person’s sexual identity or gender identity, based on the idea that an individual’s sexual orientation is something that needs to be “cured.” Late last year, we shared an article celebrating Canada’s Read More...
Protections for endangered gray wolves renewed across much of US
Last Thursday, a howl of gratitude sounded from the endangered gray wolves of the US, after Federal protections were reinstated after being removed by the former administration. In a trend of environmentally positive action, Judge Jeffrey White of the US district court of Oakland, California Read More...
Thailand’s pristine Maya Bay reopens with eco-restrictions after tourism ban
If you haven’t been there yourself or seen it in tourism ads, you may recognize the iconic Maya Bay from the 2000 film The Beach, by Danny Boyle starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In the movie, Maya Bay is the setting of a jealously guarded secret beach, whose location cannot be exposed to the public Read More...
New Justice Department rule seeks to reduce recidivism
Many of the 153,316 individuals currently incarcerated in federal and private facilities in the United States face lengthy sentences for nonviolent crimes. Upon release, most of these inmates will have significant difficulty finding work or a stable living, increasing their risk of returning to Read More...
The Bronzeville microgrid: One part of a bigger, safer future
Unpredictable and impactful weather events like wildfires, snowstorms, and tornadoes present a particular problem for large areas with large unifying power grids. In one wild day, a whole city’s power and essential services can be shut off. It’s for this reason that researchers and utilities Read More...