The Optimist Today
A battery-swapping scheme is electrifying rickshaws in India
In India, where fewer than four million cars are sold annually, auto rickshaws (called tuk-tuks in other Asian countries) are one of the dominant modes of transportation. As India attempts to clean up the country’s troublesome air pollution, some manufacturers are now, for the first time, Read More...
Burger King is now offering Whoppers made from meatless patties
There used to be a great stigma surrounding plant-based burgers, but now it seems those days are long gone after fast food giant Burger King announced plans to offer vegetarian Whoppers made using meatless patties from Impossible Foods. At 59 locations in and around St. Louis, customers will be Read More...
These scientists are using seaweed extract to make human-like tissue
Throughout history, cultures around the globe have enjoyed the nutritional and medical merits of seaweed. In more modern times, these macroalgal plants’ diverse ecological properties have captured scientists’ attention. What makes seaweed so special is that it has special fibers made of Read More...
Five strategies to help you get through extremely busy times at work
While we’d all like to take some time off work when life gets overly busy, sometimes it’s simply not possible. At times like this, when having a full weekend off seems like a distant dream, you need to follow some practical tips for surviving and thriving when you have to be fully committed. Read More...
Judge restores drilling ban in Arctic
Recent decisions to reverse bans on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic Ocean and dozens of canyons in the Atlantic Ocean, were received by a US District Court Judge with ‘not so fast’. Last Friday, Judge Sharon Gleason decided to throw out the recent executive order that overturned Read More...
The EU has banned one of agriculture’s most-used pesticides to save the bees
Although you may not be a big fan of bugs, it’s bad news for everyone that insect populations are rapidly dwindling around the world. Insects are the foundation of nature’s ecosystems, and without them, we would run the risk of a ‘catastrophic collapse’ of those ecosystems. Still, if we Read More...
New scheme pays Greek fishermen to clean up plastic debris from the sea
Bans on single-use plastics will surely prove to be important for protecting our oceans from further pollution, but the reality is there’s still a huge need to remove the plastic that currently sits in our waterways if we want to save oceans from further damage. This means everyone will have to Read More...
How a climate change activist became Slovakia’s first female president
As an anti-corruption lawyer and climate activist, Zuzana Caputova already had an impressive record in Slovakia. But now she has reached the peak of Slovakian politics after becoming the first woman to be elected president in the nation’s history. For the past year, Caputova has been the most Read More...
Avoid the nightmare that is shin splints with these easy stretches
If you’re an avid runner, you’ve probably experienced shin splints at one point or the other.The term "shin splints" refers to lower leg pain below the knee, either on the front part of the leg or on the inside. Shin splints often feel like a casual stabbing pain piercing through your muscles Read More...