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.
How Japan operates the world’s most effective lost and found system
Have you ever lost a cell phone, umbrella, or jacket and wondered where it ended up in the world? Well, if you live in Japan, you stand a much higher chance of reconnecting with your long lost item. The country’s elaborate lost and found system has efficiently mastered how to reconnect items with Read More...
How to make public meetings more productive
If you’re involved in local politics or have just seen the show Parks and Rec, you know that public meetings can be disastrous and unproductive. However, roughly 97 percent of local governments utilize some form of local meetings. So how can we take these collaborative spaces and get them back on Read More...
PETA is donating old fur coats to Afghan communities in need
With the growing awareness around animal cruelty in recent years, shoppers have increasingly turned away from fur products. But as people across the country continue to abandon the use of fur, what happens to the products that already exist? Every year, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Read More...
Chileans now consume a lot less sugar after landmark public health law
The world’s toughest controls over the promotion of sugary drinks, brought in by a nation beset by obesity, have cut purchases by nearly a quarter in two years, research has shown. Four years ago, the people of Chile were consuming more sugary drinks per head than any other country in the Read More...
Should we switch gas stoves for electric ones to fight climate change?
With climate change being a recurrent topic of conversation, legislators and organizations are looking into all aspects that can be optimized to reduce our current climate impact. The answer, legislators propose, is to push for electrification of our homes. This consists of changing the source Read More...
The Little Shell Tribe finally receives federal recognition after 125 years
Native Americans have routinely fought for land rights across the U.S. This past December, one small tribe won a land autonomy milestone, as Congress officially recognized the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The tribe has about 5,300 members and, after 125 years of waiting, they now Read More...
How New Jersey is taking extra steps to consider the climate in building plans
This week, New Jersey announced it will become the first state to require potential building projects to pass a climate change impact evaluation before being approved. As a part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s commitment to achieve 50 percent clean energy by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050, building projects Read More...
Have your food and support it too: SF’s new optional tax funds regenerative farming
If you live in California, you may begin to see an optional surcharge on your restaurant checks. The one percent tax is not mandatory, but it can make your meal more sustainable. The new surcharge profits are going to Restore California, a division of a non-profit which provides grants to Read More...
Pushing for ambitious sustainability has become the standard in Paris
Whatever you think of them, you can’t say the new promises from Paris’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo lack ambition. Seeking re-election at the municipal polls in March, Hidalgo unveiled proposals this week that include a referendum on the role of Airbnb, a plan to make the city center “100 percent Read More...
Titanic wreck gains further protection under new treaty between US and UK
Researchers, archeologists, and the famous DiCaprio-Winslet love saga have made the Titanic a fascinating piece of sea voyage history. Now, the ship’s wreck will be protected for generations to come under a new treaty between the U.S. and England which places stricter regulations on removing Read More...