Politics
Having a difficult time finding positive news about national and global politics? Search no further! From public policy to positive leadership to democracy efforts, find the latest good news stories in the world of politics at The Optimist Daily.
Climate justice is intrinsic to COP27’s success. Here’s how to address it
The Conference of the Parties (COP) in Egypt this year is crucial. In Glasgow last year, countries pledged increased climate financing and committed to raising their goals, but in the end, fell short of the 1.5 degree Celsius global warming limit. COP27 is an opportunity to fix that problem Read More...
Words matter: US finally drops racist slur from the names of federal sites
A racist and misogynist slur used to refer to Native American women will be removed from the names of hundreds of islands, lakes, rivers, mountains, and other geographic features throughout the United States. Words matter After a ten-month-long process, the United States Department of Interior Read More...
Slovenia legalizes same-sex marriage and adoption, a first in Eastern Europe
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Slovenia made history on Tuesday, Oct 4, by becoming the first country in Eastern Europe to equalize its marriage and adoption rules for same-sex couples after the modification was approved by the country's parliament. The ruling is made as Slovenia's Read More...
In India, all women have the right to safe and legal abortions
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Women's rights advocates applauded the Supreme Court of India's judgment, which stated that a woman's lack of marital status could not restrict her ability to choose to terminate a pregnancy at any time up to 24 weeks. The historic Roe v. Wade ruling, Read More...
Parking reform: a win for housing and climate in California
Assembly Bill 2097, signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, eliminates parking mandates for residential and commercial developments located within half a mile of major transit stops. Minimum parking requirements raise housing costs, use up valuable land, and make Read More...
Denmark pledges millions to nations disproportionately affected by climate change
Last week, Denmark made a historic move for climate justice by pledging 100 million Danish crowns ($12.9 million) to developing nations damaged by the climate crisis. This makes it the first United Nations member state to offer “loss and damage” compensation. Denmark joins Scotland and the Read More...
Dutch city is the first in the world to ban meat ads in public spaces
The undeniable environmental cost of keeping livestock and producing meat (along with the many health benefits of a plant-based diet) are compelling reasons for many to cut out or at least reduce their meat consumption. However, the average meat-lover's resolve to go veggie is probably Read More...
What is degrowth and how can it help tackle climate change in an inclusive way?
We are indeed finding ourselves in a geological epoch – aka the Anthropocene – when human activity has become so earth-shaking it is throwing entire ecosystems and the planet’s climate out of balance. As the science behind global warming is becoming ever harder to dismiss, humanity is facing 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...
These are just some of the new job opportunities in a zero-emissions world
There is tremendous economic potential in the transition to a renewable energy future, but detailed descriptions of what these green jobs will look like aren’t always available. We’ve talked about the job potential for renovating old oil and gas fields, but today we share a guide from Grist on Read More...