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Total number of posts: 23764
Designers use discarded life jackets to make mattresses for refugees arriving in Greece
All refugees traveling from Syria, via Turkey to Greece by boat wear life jackets that they discard once on shore. So the Greek islands that they arrive at have become huge cemeteries of life jackets. At the same time there’s a shortage of places to sleep on the islands and most refuges are Read More...
Turning coffee grounds into sustainable road construction material
Researchers of the Swinburne University in Melbourne have found a way to turn coffee grounds into a sustainable material that can be used to pave roads. The research team has calculated that with the coffee grounds from all the cafes in the city, 3 miles of roads per year could be build. The Read More...
Omega-3 lowers childhood aggression and anti-social behavior
Adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diets of children with extreme aggression reduces their anti-social behavior. A new study confirms the same “you are what you eat” findings that The Optimist has regularly reported on. The study shows how modern convenience food has a negative impact on brain Read More...
Young forests suck up huge amounts carbon and play great role in mitigating climate change
Forests that regrow after fires, logging operations, or other disturbances can sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide and they play an unexpectedly valuable role in mitigating climate change. This is the conclusion of a study by 60 scientists from across the globe. It is the first time Read More...
Acupuncture fights inflammation, study shows
Acupuncture stimulates anti-inflammatory biochemical responses in the body, according to a new study. As a result of the treatment swelling associated with arthritis decreases. Acupuncture also prevents postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions. Inflammation as a result of stress, bad diets, and Read More...
More governments around the world are moving to accept natural medicine: Could this be the beginning of a healthy future?
In Switzerland, health insurance plans are on the cusp of covering homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, holistic care and traditional Chinese medicine. In 2009, two-thirds of the Swiss spoke out in favor of incorporating these important and long suppressed healthcare strategies into their Read More...
Shell prepares for the world after oil with new clean energy division
Oil companies face the tremendous challenge that their core business is phasing out. And, if history is any guide, the leaders of one industrial revolution—fossil fuels—are seldom the leaders of the next industrial revolution—renewable energy. However, every step towards more clean, renewable Read More...
Using solar power to turn saltwater into drinkable water
Fresh drinking water is increasingly precious. That’s why worldwide hundreds of desalination plants are planned or under way. However, most of them are powered by fossil fuels. At the giant Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park under construction near Dubai, a desalination facility goes Read More...
The real value of urban farming is about more than food
During World War II, millions of Americans grew food in their backyards, eventually supplying a hungry nation with 40 percent of its fruits and vegetables. Urban farming is making a comeback today. It is proposed as the solution for "food deserts" in poor neighborhoods and cities have set up Read More...
Key climate solutions advance considerably faster than anyone expected
This is music to the ears of readers of The Optimist Daily. An analysis by a long-time renewable energy expert argues with detailed data that key climate solutions have been advancing considerably faster than anyone expected just a few years ago. Just last week, as we reported, a Saudi-backed Read More...