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.
EU launches climate resiliency checklist for new infrastructure projects
In addition to reducing emissions in order to mitigate the effects of climate change, we must also ensure that we are protecting communities by building infrastructure that can withstand the results of climate change we are already experiencing. To address this issue, the EU has created guidelines Read More...
How cities can brace themselves for the rising risk of cyberattacks
Cyber threats are a growing concern among both national and local governments, and unfortunately, old systems with multiple points of entry make most municipalities an easy target. The good news is that some preventative measures can vastly improve the security of both private and public systems, Read More...
Germany gymnasts reject sexualization by ditching bikini-cut uniforms
Professional female athletes have been subjected to sexualization for far too long, and they are starting to fight back. We recently wrote about how the Norwegian women’s beach handball team wore shorts instead of bikini bottoms during the 2021 European Beach Handball Championships to protest the Read More...
This Washington state county is the first in US to ban fossil fuel infrastructure
Whatcom county’s city council has approved a landmark environmental measure banning all new fossil fuel infrastructure including refineries and coal-fired power plants. The climate action policy was unanimously approved by the council and also requires existing fossil fuel companies to offset any Read More...
THE OPTIMIST VIEW: Invoking the Pause 一 Funding environmental changemakers
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead We’re all familiar with major names in philanthropic giving like MacArthur, Rockefeller or Ford, but there are hundreds of lesser known Read More...
Argentina is first Latin American country to introduce non-binary national IDs
Argentina makes history as the first South American country to roll out identification cards for non-binary citizens by allowing them to use “x” on their official national identification document and passports in the field pertaining to gender. The International Civil Aviation Organization Read More...
California’s Bay Area is cracking down on refinery pollution
San Francisco is known as the city by the bay, but just across that bay sit two petrochemical refineries that spew harmful particulate matter and contribute to severe lung and heart disease in nearby communities. Fortunately, after years of advocacy by environmental justice groups, the Bay Area Air Read More...
White Mountain Apache Nation shows efficacy of community public health
Back in March, we shared how Native American Nations were improving Covid-19 vaccination rates across Oklahoma, but that isn’t the only state where Native American communities are taking pandemic management into their own hands. In Arizona, the White Mountain Apache Tribe has proved to be a model Read More...
France will ban the culling of unwanted male chicks by 2022
Each year, about 50 million male chicks — not wanted for meat or eggs — are culled in France, usually by shredding or gassing. That number, however, will soon become zero, thanks to a new law passed by the government, which will ban the killing of male chicks from next year. Billions of male Read More...
US Paralympians will finally receive equal compensation in Tokyo
In previous Olympics, US Olympians won $37,500 for gold medals, while US Paralympic athletes won just $7,500 for each gold medal. This year, the playing field is finally being evened with the announcement that Paralympic athletes will be paid as much per medal as their Olympic counterparts. The Read More...