Today’s Solutions: January 10, 2025

Business

Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.

Trucking

US trucking shortages might be at an end

Right now, economists, workers, and consumers alike are all holding their breath with the looming potential of a recession. It’s a lot to mentally wrangle with while we all look at various economic indicators and hope for the best. One major indicator of the US economy, though, is trucking, a Read More...

Architects

Architects redesign their industry labor model

The architecture profession is often glamorized as a creative and lucrative job where individual designers get their names tied to monumental construction projects. The truth is that an individual’s effort, even their whole team’s collaborative work, is attributed uniformly to the firm.  A Read More...

Menopause word on wooden block, flat lay view on light pink background.

Menopause education in the workplace (part 2)

Earlier this week we published an article explaining the importance of menopause education in the workplace. This life-changing period is still a taboo topic for employers and employees to openly discuss, however, breaking this bias could make the workplace a more inclusive and productive place for Read More...

Infrastructure

The Local Infrastructure Hub: helping US cities get infrastructure funding

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill was signed into law six months ago and has the potential to transform the United States in essential ways that address climate change and wealth inequality. Before that happens, though, states and cities need to submit persuasive aid applications.  To sift Read More...

A newspaper with the headline

Turns out the job market isn’t all doom and gloom after all

Life is a surprising adventure, experiencing ups and downs when we least expect it, so, of course, just as we come out of a global pandemic there looms the possibility of an economic recession. Amid surging inflation and fears of slowing growth, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Read More...

Traffic reduction

MIT system uses machine-learning to reduce traffic and car emissions

As if idling in a line of cars at a red light forever wasn’t bothersome enough, vehicles emit greenhouse gasses while they’re stopped in traffic. Not only that, exposure to excess vehicle emissions while idling in traffic can be a major health risk.  What if drivers could time their trips Read More...

New Zealand

New Zealand passes landmark climate legislation, helping switch to EVs

New Zealand has one of the highest per capita carbon emissions rates in the world, but it still has a strong reputation for environmentally responsible behavior. In the spirit of the latter, it plans to help with the former and has just passed landmark legislation that may set a standard for other Read More...

Illinois Wetlands

Wetlands, the super carbon sink, and rewilding the Illinois River

After forests, wetlands are the greatest terrestrial carbon sink. These boggy and busy pools of life used to be thought of as a nuisance for people and communities, drained of their water or dug up for peat fuel. Now, we understand the quiet service that wetlands provide us and the Read More...

Greece

Greece bans harmful conversion therapy

Joining France, New Zealand, and Canada, Greece announced last Wednesday that it is officially banning conversion therapy, the harmful practice of attempting to suppress the sexual orientation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans community members.  Parliament approved the bill, which states Read More...

Fork in the Road

What to do at a personal or professional fork in the road

Whether it’s in our home life, academic life, or career, we all eventually come to an inflection point. This can be a fork in the road where we have a personal-professional dilemma of choosing between home and work. It can be the culmination of our frustration with a current job and a decision to Read More...