Good Governance
What does good governance look like? In this good news section, we share international examples of good governance, from efforts directed at the protection of civil rights to initiatives aimed at the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the environment.
The EU is going on a cleanse with the world’s biggest chemical ban
From what we now know, the fact that something is convenient doesn’t at all mean it’s safe. Chemical pollution from everyday products is considered responsible for a host of problems from the endangerment of marine life to declining human fertility rates and many other health Read More...
Could tidal energy be the new wave of renewables?
Time and tide wait for no man, so the saying goes. Sailors used to have to sail with the inevitable changing of the tides and were subject to the whims of the sea. Now, in Wales, humans will soon use the sea’s reliable indifference to us to generate energy. Construction has begun on the Read More...
US moves to protect old-growth forests
In the fight against climate change, some of our best assets are ones that we’ve had the longest time and cost nothing. They are big, green, grand, and have been here longer than the country itself. They are trees, and they are “our planet’s lungs,” which is how US President Joe Biden put Read More...
LA County mandates compostable and recyclable dining ware
As the largest economy in the country, and often an economic trendsetter, California has often been at the forefront of major changes in the United States. This has been the case with many of California’s green vehicle and driving regulations, and now it might be the same case with plastic Read More...
Three things to keep in mind when voting on climate issues this fall
Like anything else in a democratic country, making decisions on climate change doesn’t depend just on the sitting president. There needs to be a majority of elected representatives acting concertedly in the interest of the people and the planet. The November elections are as important as the Read More...
Calculating fairness: BU’s new software shows workers their wage gap
While we have made many strides in the journey toward equal pay, wage inequality does still exist in many parts of the country. Legislatures, citizens, and even universities strive and innovate efforts every day to make sure that women and people of color earn as much as their white male Read More...
How slum residents in India are redesigning their future homes
How do you successfully help residents of a slum move into housing that improves their quality of life while maintaining a strong sense of community? You let them in on the design process and hear them out. At least that is what is happening in an informal settlement in the Indian city of Read More...
Paid parental leave improves infants' brain development
The months after giving birth are significant for mothers, not just for the physical and emotional recovery from labor, but for the time to bond with the new child and to adjust to the major life change. There is an ongoing discussion in the United States for the implementation of national paid Read More...
Indonesia outlaws sexual abuse and forced marriage
Here at The Optimist Daily, we are passionate about proclaiming victories for human rights around the world. We have paid special attention to the globally shifting attitudes around child marriage and forced marriage practices. Now, we can joyfully report that Indonesia passed a bill that, for the Read More...
Carbon-cutting, high-speed train could run from So-Cal to Vegas
Understandably, there’s a particularly high commuter rate going from Southern California to Las Vegas. While people come from all over the world to party in Las Vegas, those coming from So-Cal have regular flights and even create notable traffic jams on their way, creating an unnecessary amount Read More...