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.
Spain fights child obesity by outlawing unhealthy food ads directed at kids
In an effort to combat child obesity, Spain banned the advertising of unhealthy junk foods and beverages last month. “Our children are very vulnerable to advertising, and it is our obligation to protect them,” consumer affairs Minister Alberto Garzon published on Twitter. According to the Read More...
This elite group of countries is already carbon negative
As the COP26 climate conference continues this week, all eyes are on countries’ plans to achieve their net-zero emissions goals. For most nations, this accomplishment is slated for 2045 or 2050, but for a select few, carbon neutrality is not on their mindsーbecause they’re already carbon Read More...
Philadelphia will no longer pull drivers over for low-level infractions
Last week, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed the Driving Equity Act, making it the first major city in the US to ban low-level traffic stops. The law, which will go into effect in early 2022, will also require city police to collect and publicly release data on traffic stops. Multiple studies Read More...
Spain expands IVF access to single women and LGBTQ individuals
Spain has expanded their public health system to be more equitable with the announcement that single women, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people can have access to medically assisted reproduction, including IVF, making it available free of charge. Fertility treatment in Spain is already Read More...
COP26 announces $1.7 billion funding for Indigenous forest protection
Indigenous communities play a vital role in environmental preservation, and to bolster the power of Indigenous wisdom in conservation, the governments of the UK, US, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands have announced a $1.7 billion funding pledge to support Indigenous peoples in reversing forest Read More...
US to begin regulating methane emissions from oil and gas wells
Oil and gas wells, even abandoned ones, are a huge source of emissions. These sites are particularly known for their methane emissions, a greenhouse gas much more potent than carbon dioxide. A recent NASA project identified particularly problematic emissions sites, and now, for the first time ever, Read More...
Michelle Wu is Boston's first woman and person of color to be elected mayor
Boston’s Black, Latino, and Asian residents now make up more than half of the city’s population, and this increasing diversity is starting to be reflected in its municipal government as Councilor Michelle Wu becomes the city’s first woman and person of color to be elected as mayor. Wu’s Read More...
Benin becomes the first West African country to legalize abortion
On October 20, after a long and grueling parliamentary session, Benin became the first West African country to legally provide access to safe abortion. Before, abortion was only permitted if the pregnancy endangered the life of the pregnant woman, was the result of rape, or was conceived in an Read More...
COP26: Over 100 countries pledge to stop deforestation
The COP26 climate conference is in full swing and is celebrating its first big achievement: A pledge from more than 100 countries to end deforestation. The participating countries, which represent more than 85 percent of the world’s forests, have committed to ending and reversing deforestation Read More...
5 Optimistic predictions about the COP26 climate conference
The stakes (and tensions) are high this week as the COP26 climate summit kicks off in Glasgow. Big issues, like renewable energy and biodiversity, are being discussed on a global scale, and while there are huge issues to tackle, there are also reasons to be optimistic. Just the fact that world Read More...