The Weekly Theme
Each week, we feature a new theme of solutions for those passionate about learning in-depth on how we are building a better world!
5 Ways to cultivate a healthier microbiome this year
Conversations in health food circles often talk about the microbiome, but what exactly is the microbiome and why does it matter? The microbiome includes the microbes that live within the human gut and it is vital to both digestive and overall health. These bacteria affect digestion, mood, and Read More...
Four predictions that will make you more optimistic about the future of the fashion industry
We at the Optimist Daily are big advocates of fashion products that challenge or ameliorate the industry’s large and wasteful ecological footprint. While it’s true that the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of all global climate impacts, companies such as Patagonia are raising awareness Read More...
Feeling lonely? Here are 3 doctor-approved ways to deal with loneliness
What can we do when we feel lonely and utterly disconnected from the rest of the world? As it turns out, the antidote for loneliness is all around us. It’s in our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our schools, and our broader community. Decades of public health research show that if we Read More...
There's a lot of buzz surrounding Internet of Things technology
Using Internet of Things (IoT) technology can help us better understand the health of bee hives in order to cater to the needs of bees more effectively. These days, IoT technology can allow us to monitor beehives with remote sensors as a way of keeping beekeepers updated on the status of the bees. Read More...
How this LA community kicked an oil drilling facility out of their backyards
Los Angeles is a city pockmarked with oil facilities. There are about 1,000 active wells in the city, and in some places, the oil facilities are so close to people’s homes that you can put one hand on a bedroom window and the other on the facility wall. The oil site on Jefferson Boulevard, Read More...
A community-designed solution: restorative justice arrives in Oakland
The United States has the largest prison population in the world and the highest per capita rate of incarceration. The punitive justice that lands people behind bars often hits communities of color and poverty much harder than other groups. In Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in Read More...
Football is reuniting the Paradise community one year after fatal Camp Fire
Few things can invigorate a community like sport. A true testament to the community-building power of sport comes from Paradise, California, where firefighters finally extinguished the Camp Fire that all but destroyed the town one year ago. Although hardly anything in Paradise has been rebuilt, Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: Circles of Compassion, an exclusive look at The Way of the Rose
“We as a species have got to learn how to surrender to the miraculous and the magical.” - Perdita Finn INTERVIEW By Kristy Jansen I was raised by parents who had rejected their childhood faiths long before I was born, so I never did receive much in the way of religious education. If Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: An Emissary Conversation – Understanding what matters to our community
By The Optimist Daily Team “Ideas of every kind are constantly galloping toward us, constantly pass through us, constantly trying to get our attention.” - Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic In today’s Optimist Emissary conversation we covered the top four stories from the last month, Read More...
4 magnificent mushrooms to boost your immune system
We at the Optimist Daily have long shared our love of mushrooms. They have been used for health purposes for thousands of years, both mentally and physically. Today, we take a look at four varieties of mushrooms which can boost your immune system to keep you healthy this cold and flu Read More...