Today’s Solutions: September 21, 2024

Politics

Having a difficult time finding positive news about national and global politics? Search no further! From public policy to positive leadership to democracy efforts, find the latest good news stories in the world of politics at The Optimist Daily.

Same-sex couple in bedroom with their child.

Colorado law gives LBGTQ+ parents rightful custody over their children

The “Marlo Law” has just been signed by gay Colorado Governor Jared Polis to resolve an unfair legal issue that previously denied same-sex parents legal custody over their own children. The bill was named after Colorado House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar’s child. Esgar gave birth to Marlo Read More...

Dance Therapy

Dance the cough away: how Kyrgyzstan folk dance treats COPD

Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) is a very common and also treatable lung disease that can be caused by pollution and smoking. It is preventable, and there are many medications for it, but some medical professionals believe that this doesn’t go far enough to treat the Read More...

Reading on the train

San Francisco BART wants to get riders back with short stories

Many of us have whiled away the minutes on a bus or a train with a book. Now the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, the public transportation authority of San Francisco, is looking to attract riders back to public transportation by distributing short stories at select stations.  The BART will Read More...

industrial skyline at dusk or dawn with lots of carbon emissions in the air

US injects 3.5 billion into carbon removal technologies

The US has ambitious goals to reach and maintain a net-zero economy by 2050. To get the nation closer to this objective, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is accelerating its Carbon Negative Shot initiative to facilitate the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also driving down the Read More...

Solar panels installed on public school in the US

Pennsylvania schools doubled their solar power in the last two years

Renewable energy production is taking off in the Keystone State. A new report from the nonprofit Generation180 reveals that Pennsylvania schools doubled their solar power capacity over the last two years of the Pandemic. This helped not only the planet but also the schools' bottom line and Read More...

Berlin public transportation

Germany slashes public transportation costs to reduce fossil fuel dependence

In the energy standoff between Europe and Russia, Germany has taken many measures to accelerate the phasing out of oil and gas. It has resolved to make energy cheaper for homes and businesses. It has pushed plans to put solar panels on every public building by 2025.  Now, Germany has cut train, Read More...

Summer Jobs

Summer jobs do way more than just keeping kids busy

Nobody wants to see their kids spending the entire summer in front of a screen. While everyone can benefit from some time off, too much free time can be a detriment to everyone, especially youth and teens. Between ages 14 and 24, youth have formative experiences which affect the rest of their Read More...

Kyiv Opera House

Kyiv opera house holds first performance since start of Russian invasion

In the early hours of February 24, the cultural life of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities came to halt as the country braced to endure the invasion of Russian forces. After three months, Ukraine is still fighting the invaders, but a brief and melodic respite was enjoyed this Saturday when the Kyiv Read More...

Brazilian Indigenous Peoples

Mining companies decide against mining Brazil’s Indigenous areas

An important part of the growing movement for the rights of nature is empowering indigenous peoples to steward their lands. Indigenous forests sequester twice as much carbon as those on private or public lands, and these often have the highest levels of biodiversity.  The trend now includes 130 Read More...

Flow Battery

Flow batteries could help with renewable energy storage

The generation of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar is one thing, but there are many other factors to consider when delivering renewable energy to consumers. A big one is the issue of storage.  One Oregon startup, ESS Tech Inc. is fixing this problem with its flow Read More...