The Optimist Today
These floating wetlands harness nature’s power to clean up pollution
Wetlands are a crucial part of our ecosystems. In addition to providing habitats for aquatic species, wetlands pull greenhouse gasses from the air, protect areas from flooding, and purify water. That’s why it’s an absolute shame that the planet has lost up to 71 percent of its global wetlands Read More...
Start your Monday smiling by watching these elderly NBA dancers in action
Go to almost any professional basketball game in America, and you’ll see young female cheerleaders in revealing outfits dancing on the court during breaks in the action. But go to Washington Wizards game, and you’ll be in for a real surprise. Instead of scantily clad cheerleaders, the fans are Read More...
Lessons from a German neighborhood that got rid of parking spaces 20 years ago
You don’t need a car to live your daily life. Don’t believe us? Just ask the residents of Vauban, a neighborhood in the German city of Freiburg. In Vauban, cars are allowed, but only if they crawl along at the pace of a pedestrian (the speed limit is three miles an hour), give priority to Read More...
Here’s how to get better at the art of simply being
Given that we are all breathing, it’s safe to say that we’re all pretty good at being. All day, every day, we exist—our hearts beat, our bodies function more or less—without us having to do too much to ensure these processes continue. Yet we suspect that there is some other level of Read More...
Nature is our most valuable ally in the fight against climate change
There is a wonderful but largely overlooked approach to averting the worst case scenario of climate change while defending the living world: natural climate solutions. By defending, restoring, and re-establishing sea beds and other crucial ecosystems, large amounts of carbon can be removed from the Read More...
A Swiss startup claims to have made a battery with more than 600 miles of range
City dwellers tend to make up the great proportion of electric car buyers, but if the range of EVs were to improve, those of us living in more rural areas would be more tempted to buy one. The good news is a Swiss startup by the name of Innolith says it has developed new high-density lithium-ion Read More...
This aid agency is helping women in refugee camps thrive through permaculture
Although aid agencies have come to Sub-Saharan Africa with good intentions to help refugees, very few have made their desired impact. But one agency by the name of African Women Rising (AWR) is having startling success. The organization educates women and girls in Northern Uganda, schooling them in Read More...
Scientists are gene-hacking bacteria to produce bullet-proof spider silk
Pound for pound, spider silk is much stronger than steel, and can be used in a variety of applications from bullet-proof clothing and biodegradable bottles to surgical thread and artificial tendons. The only problem is when you put enough spiders together to farm silk, they tend to eat each other. Read More...
Feeling stuck? These four daily habits will help spur new personal growth
You probably hear the term personal growth all the time, but what does it really mean? For us, personal growth is all about activities, practices, rituals, or observances performed in the name of enhancing your quality of life, allowing you to know yourself more deeply, and improving your awareness Read More...
Volkswagen’s electric self-driving cars are hitting the streets of Hamburg
Anyone who truly cares about the environment probably shudders a little at the mention of Volkswagen. Nonetheless, Volkswagen has a goal of making automated driving a practical reality by 2025, and is hustling to make that happen. The German Automaker is now testing self-driving versions of its Read More...