Sustainable Urban Development
With cities expected to host about 70 percent of the world's population, sustainable urban development is key to making communities worldwide more resilient against the growing threat of climate change. Find out about the latest urban practices from across the world aiming to make our cities more sustainable and inclusive in these good-news stories from The Optimist Daily.
Sister Cities along Mexico-US border to construct a binational eco-park
The border towns of Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, also known as the “Sister Cities,” are working together on a bold project: a binational river park to be developed where there was going to be a concrete and steel border wall. The plan to construct the wall (which Read More...
Love and Action: Happy Earth Day!
“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” — Marshall McLuhan, philosopher As far as we know, Earth is the best place in the Universe. The search for life beyond our planet and even our solar system is ongoing, and one day we could very well make the Read More...
Greece is home to Europe’s largest double-sided solar farm
In April 2022, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis inaugurated an enormous two-sided 204-megawatt solar park—the biggest system in all of Europe. The installation of this bifacial solar farm is part of Greece’s aim to double its installed capacity from renewables to approximately 19 Read More...
These prefab facades could make old buildings carbon negative
Retrofitting buildings so that they consume less energy is key to meeting current climate targets. A company in Germany is working to accelerate that process by building tailored facades with built-in insulation that can fit like a glove onto old buildings to reduce their energy use. Prefab Read More...
Last month, the UK saw more EV sales than ever before
It’s no secret that if we are to prevent the most devastating effects of climate change, we have to make big changes to our consumption-driven lives. One change that will help drive down CO2 emissions is the large-scale abandonment of conventionally fueled vehicles in favor of electric Read More...
Nocturnal solar panels: not an oxymoron
While trying to do the impossible might seem like magical thinking, in many cases, it is simply science that hasn’t broken through yet. In the case of solar panels, it might seem counterintuitive to try to use them at night. This too, though, has been proven possible. An engineering team Read More...
In New York, 500 new moms will soon get monthly stipends
Everyone needs a helping hand every now and then. We’ve all been able to live and prosper because we live and cooperate as a community, and this means giving and getting help when necessary. We go farther together. In New York City, where the cost of living is expensive, new and expecting Read More...
Germany accelerates schedule to become carbon neutral
People are more animated than ever before for green energy and calling on their governments to aim bigger. And it seems like they're listening. With increasing gas prices from the war in Ukraine and scientists' warnings about climate change, governments realize the need for a speedier change to Read More...
This former coalmining town is revitalizing itself with eco-tourism
While coal is very harmful to the environment, phasing it out of use has left an economic hole in many communities. People used to rely on coal as a means of living. Now, communities are going green, energy sources are going renewable, and these formerly coal-powered communities are 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...