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.
Throwing food waste in the trash is now illegal in Vermont
Vermont has long been praised as one of the greenest states in the US, and rightfully so. In 2019, the Green Mountain State passed into law the most comprehensive ban on single-use plastics in the US, setting a commendable standard for other states to follow. In 2020 a bid to further their Read More...
Why a think tank believes the world could end poverty by 2030
As you’ve probably inferred by now – given the current state of the world – forecasting future events is a rather challenging undertaking. But there are rare instances when some experts get it right. Take for example Silicon Valley entrepreneur Tony Seba, who a decade ago was among the few Read More...
The Optimist View: How consumers, companies, and our furry companions scored a win
"Cruelty-free is becoming the standard. Not just in California, in general." - Katie Mukai BY LAUREN GOODMAN A couple of weeks ago, you may have seen an Optimist Daily story in your inbox about a proposed California bill that would ban the use of twelve ingredients in cosmetics. This Toxic-Free Read More...
Mud stoves are helping Ugandans solve their country’s deforestation crisis
With only 10 percent of Uganda’s rural population connected to the power grid, people have no other choice but to use firewood as the main source of fuel to cook, leading to one of the worst deforestation rates in the world. In fact, every year, 2.6 percent of the country’s forests are cut Read More...
Germany will say goodbye to single-use plastic as early as 2021
No more single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers for Germany. Starting next summer, the European country will end the sale of plastics including disposable cutlery, plates, stirring sticks and balloon holders, as well as polystyrene cups and boxes. The ban will mean the country Read More...
Meet the woman who has saved 72,000 human trafficking victims
Meet Hasina Kharbhih. When she was just a schoolgirl in Shillong, India, she started supporting the social development of vulnerable communities in the northeast of the country. Now at the age of 49, Kharbhih and her Impulse NGO Network have rescued 72,000 women and children trafficked across Read More...
How public works projects could help the US rebound from the pandemic
During the Great Depression, the federal government enacted the Civilian Conservation Corps to employ millions of young Americans and improve federal land by planting trees, building ranger stations, and creating trails. Today, as we face an economic downturn potentially worse than the 1930s, some Read More...
Competition aims to find solutions to training the post-pandemic workforce
The pandemic has radically altered the employment landscape. Most jobs will be very different when regular work resumes and many jobs will not come back at all. In order to induct a large workforce into new roles, effective and rapid training techniques will need to happen across all sectors. A new Read More...
Thought Leader Series: Rethinking the virus and the future
Millions of species on Earth, from tiny microorganisms to the blue whale, all work together to maintain a stable biodiverse ecosystem everywhere on the planet. However, somewhere along the line, humans developed a humans-as-supreme, not life-as-supreme, attitude about our role in nature. In Read More...
Rhode Island governor signs order to change state name over slavery ties
The official full name of Rhode Island is “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” but this is set to change after the governor signed an executive order to shorten the name to just “Rhode Island", detaching any official ties to slavery. Many people are not even aware of Read More...