Panama enacts landmark legislation giving Nature rights
Panama is among the 25 most megadiverse countries in the world. It is home to big cats like jaguars and ocelots, 6 distinct monkey species like capuchins, myriad marine and bird life, and many kinds of sloth like the pygmy sloth, who is endangered. Its mystifying array of creatures shoulders Panama Read More...
New California law greatly curbs plastic waste
We have written a lot about plastic alternatives you can use and consumer-focused options for reducing plastic waste. Indeed, this is often the focus of efforts to reduce plastic waste. Not enough pressure is put on manufacturers to reduce how much plastic they produce. A new California law, Read More...
US unveils plan to ban single-use plastic in national parks
Plastic pollution is so prevalent that harmful plastic particles can even be found in drinking water. Robust action on a national scale is needed to stop the flood of plastics into natural environments. Wednesday, on World Oceans Day, the White House announced its plans to phase out single-use Read More...
Indian court rules in favor of “mother nature’s” rights
It’s hard to describe the growth of an environmental movement without an inappropriate natural disaster metaphor: a wave of legislation, laws spreading like wildfire, or a mighty wind of change. None of those feel quite right, but the wave — darn it — for nature’s rights is moving fast and Read More...
Bill before California State Assembly for a four-day workweek
If we can get as much done in a shorter amount of time, with a clear head and minimal stress levels, why shouldn’t we? We should all love our jobs, and many of us luckily do, but we still need to live full and active lives outside of the office. Many believe that the trick to living a rounded and Read More...
Chile joins the legislation green wave
A beautiful thing about democracy is that it is inherently self-correcting. Democratic constitutions survive because they change with the times. They adapt to new environments. That’s why they’re called “amendments” to the constitution. Chile is joining a wave of constitutional change in Read More...
Administration unveils plan to fix bias in home appraisal industry
Three weeks ago, The Optimist Daily wrote a piece about Congress' aims to fix bias and inequality in the home appraisal industry. This is a much-needed change to a systemic problem that has furthered the wealth gap over years and kept families from building intergenerational wealth. On Read More...
House passes bill promoting hair tolerance
Free expression is not just something we value at The Optimist Daily, it is an inalienable right. One big way in which we all express ourselves is through our individual hairstyles. Last week, Congress passed a bill that forbids discrimination based on hair. The discrimination Black Hair Read More...
New Mexico makes a major investment in education
Education is vital for the continued prosperity of our society, and we believe it’s important that those educating our future citizens should be compensated fairly. At an elementary school in Santa Fe on Monday, surrounded by teachers and schoolchildren, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of Read More...
Italy’s passes new law that makes its constitution greener
Italy’s natural beauty is iconic. Indeed, its rolling green hills, lush forests, and fertile river valleys have made it not only one of the most agriculturally prosperous lands in Europe but also a popular tourist destination. That being the case, environmental groups have long voiced their Read More...