The Optimist Daily's Weekly Roundup

Happy Friday! We have some wheel-y good solutions on The Optimist Daily Update today. Summers and Kristy are chatting about good transportation news ahead of a big travel weekend for Memorial Day in the United States. Germany just reduced public transportation fees to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and old recycled rubber tires are improving the lifespan of our roads.  Listen to The Optimist Dai...

Summers and Kristy begin today's episode by sharing their shock and sadness about yet another mass shooting at yet another school.  Then, they turn their discussion to the uplifting news that we all need, especially when the world feels like a dark place. Summers speaks about the benefits of summer employment for young people and Kristy gets into why we should try to limit our daily TV time to an...

Today, Kristy and Arielle address a hot topic: heatstroke. As the temperatures continue to climb, experts are predicting an incredibly hot summer this year, especially across the western and central areas in the US and Canada. Heatstroke is a serious condition that can even lead to death, so this episode is all about how to identify heatstroke, what to do about it, and how it can be prevented. If...

Today's inspirational nature news: Arielle and Summers talk about the remarkable Redwoods and how they're adapting to climate change, and also an exciting conservation project around the Belize Barrier Reef led by non-profit Fragments of Hope. If you'd like to nominate someone you know who's doing good in this world, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Upda...

Today's good news: Arielle and Kristy discuss the exciting med-tech advancement involving contact lenses that release glaucoma treatments, then they celebrate how US Soccer and both the men's and women's national teams have come to a historic collective bargaining agreement to  finally  close the gender pay gap. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: edito...

Today we're chatting about some positive labor news! US trucking shortages might be at an end, and architects are redesigning their industry labor model.    Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers and Kristy -- Making Solutions the News!

Today's good news: Here's a positive reality check about how the job market is actually doing much better than we think it is! Then, Arielle and Summers talk about the MET gala and what we can do to drown out toxic messaging about diet culture. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Sum...

Today's mental health news: Today Karissa gives helpful tips for supporting a loved one with bipolar disorder, and Summers shares advice on what to do when faced with a personal or a professional fork in the road. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solution...

Today's good news: Summers and Arielle dive into alternative energy stories with a new method that rescues lithium from wastewater and a basic computer that's been powered by algae for over half a year! If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the News!

Happy Monday! Summers and Kristy start the week off with spacey solutions: Summers talks about the Orbex rocket prototype and how it could make space travel greener. Kristy then highlights a robot that's smashed records to become the highest jumper to date, engineered or biological.  If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . List...

Woohoo! It's Friday! We've got some great forward-thinking stories on The Optimist Daily today. Karissa is talking about how medicinal tattoos are tracking a patient's oxygen levels and more, and Summers is telling us how Europe's largest solar park will open this summer in Portugal (and how she gets to see her puppy today!).  Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers and Kristy -- Making S...

Today's good news: Prestigious Stanford University opens the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, a school dedicated solely to studying the climate crisis. Plus, backgammon offers surprising health benefits.  If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions...

Today's tech-savvy solutions: Summers and Kristy talk about a new ultra-thin material that might be a gamechanger for batteries, storage, and other electronics. They also dive into the potential of a microwave network that could make the internet not just more climate-resilient, but faster and cheaper. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optim...

Today's good news: Tasmania joins Suriname and Bhutan as one of the world's only carbon-negative places. Plus, Germany makes renewable energy cheaper for households and businesses. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the News!

Happy Monday! In today's episode, Summers and Karissa discuss uplifting stories in person for the first time ever. Together, they talk about pandemic lessons and a particularly inspiring woman who completed 104 marathons in 104 days. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kris...

Today we're welcoming Jen Knight from the Wands for Wildlife onto the podcast! Jen joins us to chat about the great work over at Wands for Wildlife, which is a non-profit inspiring people to help wildlife and the planet through repurposing used mascara wands for use in wildlife care, art, and education.  Learn more about Wands for Wildlife and how you can support at wandsforwildlife.org.  

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Today Kristy talks about how the EU is proposing the largest ban on toxic chemicals to date, and Summers discusses why nations should work together to establish ocean reservations to protect our precious coral reefs. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers &...

May the fourth be with you! Today, Summers and Kristy get personal while talking about reproductive rights and access to women's healthcare. They then commend Connecticut lawmakers, who are reacting to the surge of anti-abortion legislation with a bill that expands the kinds of medical practitioners who can offer abortion services within the state.  They also talk about an ancient enzyme that can...

Today's good news: Washington State becomes the first state to mandate all-electric heating for new buildings and Captain Fanplastic teaches young pirates in South Africa and the Netherlands about plastic pollution and the five "ARRRs": refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Liste...

It's May! Summers and Kristy talk about two warm-weather activities that will help you step into May in a positive way: cycling and archery! Learn about the physical and mental health benefits of hopping on a bike or picking up a bow and arrow. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Sum...

Today we're welcoming Nadine Young to the show, who is the communications lead at Elders Climate Action (ECA). ECA is an organization working to unite all generations, especially elders, in the fight against climate change. We're chatting about climate action, climate activism, and more in this wonderful multigenerational discussion.  To learn more about ECA and get involved, visit eldersclimateac...

Today's good news: Five cities around the world celebrated Earth Day by "plogging," the Swedish trend of combining picking up trash and physical exercise. Plus, Kristy explains what adaptogens are and why are they good for us. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Ma...

Happy Wednesday! Today's good news is all about the birds and the bees as Summers and Kristy explore why understanding how pregnant individuals make decisions around birth settings, and follow this discussion up with some helpful tips on how to encourage pollinators through the spring and summer months. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@opti...

Today's global solutions news: Fukushima transforms itself from a nuclear disaster site to a renewable energy hub, and a million African children have been inoculated against malaria. If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the News!

Today's solutions news: Make air travel as green as you can with these 7 tips, and LA County trades in disposable dining ware for compostable and recyclable alternatives! If you'd like to lend your voice to the Optimist Daily Update, send an email to: editorial@optimistdaily.com . Listen to the Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the News!