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.
US announces measures to expand offshore wind energy production
We recently shared how the US is making progress towards its first utility-scale offshore wind farm in Massachusetts. Now, the country is ramping up wind power even further with the announcement of a New Wind Energy Area between Long Island and the New Jersey coast. The new project is part Read More...
High school student develops infection-detecting suture thread
In low and middle-income countries, 11 percent of surgical wounds develop an infection. The problem is particularly severe among women in some African nations where 20 percent of those who deliver via cesarean section experience infection at surgical sites. Realizing the scope of this problem, Read More...
New study shows that California’s diesel regulations are paying off
California has some of the most comprehensive air pollution prevention measures in the US and although cities like Los Angeles are still infamous for their smog, a new report shows that the state’s policies have been highly effective at improving air quality. Researchers from the University Read More...
This new partnership is mapping out gas leaks in American cities
As major methane emitters, gas leaks are dangerous for human health and the environment, but detecting them is not always easy. This is why the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Google Earth have teamed up to seek out leaks more efficiently. EDF and the Google Earth Outreach Team joined Read More...
Oakland, CA to launch large-scale UBI experiment
After encouraging preliminary results from Stockton's universal basic income (UBI) experiment, another California city is testing out guaranteed income as a strategy for economic empowerment for marginalized groups. The City of Oakland announced this week that it will provide $500 a month to 600 Read More...
The Optimist View: Knocking down the negative news bias
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” - Victor Frankel The old news mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads” has long steered traditional media outlets towards the violent, the Read More...
Move for Hunger makes it easy to donate unwanted food when you move
Adam Lowy grew up working for his family’s moving company and noticed that a large amount of food, including nonperishables, gets left behind and thrown away during the process. Lowy saw this as an opportunity to boost moving efficiency while reducing food waste and in 2009, he launched Move for Read More...
Virginia becomes fourth state to ban cosmetic animal testing
California became the first state to ban cosmetic animal testing in 2018, followed by Nevada and Illinois in 2019. Now, Virginia will follow suit thanks to the efforts of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and other dedicated animal rights advocates. Starting on the first of January 2022, animal Read More...
FEMA aims to make disaster response more equitable
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages the federal response to large-scale emergencies, but the agency has received criticism in the past for discriminatory aid programs as well as instituting disaster recovery initiatives that unfairly burden low-income and minority populations. Read More...
CityLoops is a grand experiment on the scalability of circularity
If you sit on a bench in the city of Musicon, about 30 kilometers from Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen, you’ll likely be sitting on a slab of concrete recycled from a nearby demolition site. Musicon is one of seven cities around Europe selected for experimentation by CityLoops, a project Read More...