In the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia, Adam Bushell has saved about $10 a month in waste collection fees since his local council swapped flat fees for a “pay-as-you-throw” system four years ago. While recycling is collected free of charge, microchipped bins for general waste are weighed, and households receive... The post ‘Pay-As-You-Throw’ Helps Cities Cut Waste And Citizens Save Cash appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Just over an hour’s drive from the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík, the greenhouses of Friðheimar farm emit a warm glow that cuts through the dark, cold landscape of a sub-arctic winter. Inside the greenhouses, rows of bright red, juicy tomatoes await their harvest, all thanks to water drawn from a... The post Behold! The Guilt-Free December Tomato appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here. Snack on a story Vending machines are generally considered a health hazard. But head to the entrance of Western Market in downtown... The post What We’re Reading: A Vending Machine… for Books! appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
This article was originally published by KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. On a Saturday evening in June, people of Pennington Gap, Virginia, gathered at the historic Lee Theatre to celebrate the founding of Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence. Author Barbara Kingsolver opened the facility in... The post ‘Demon Copperhead’ Author Lays Foundation for Women in Appalachia To Beat Addiction appeared first on Reasons to be Che...| Reasons to be Cheerful
In late August, Donna Washington picked a couple pawpaws from the half dozen trees growing in the orchard down the street from her home in north St. Louis, Missouri. The trees were planted half a decade ago, when Jubilee Community Church expanded a small garden in the adjacent 1.5 acre... The post Harvesting Hope: The Urban Farms Helping Save a City’s Aging Sewer System appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
The village of Volintiri is about as remote as you can get in Europe. Set in the rural southeast of Moldova, one of the poorest and least visited countries on the continent, it is only a couple of miles away from a little-used border with Ukraine. Yet Volintiri, which is... The post How One Country’s Russian Gas Crisis Became a Green Energy Boom appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at info@reasonstobecheerful.world and we just might feature it here. The kids are back A decade ago, 21 young Americans filed a lawsuit alleging that the United States violated their constitutional rights... The post What We’re Reading: U.S. Youth Take Climate Lawsuit to the Global Stage appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
It was a hot, sticky September afternoon in New Delhi, the kind of heat that clings to your skin. After navigating congested traffic and rough roads, we reached the city of Faridabad, 60 kilometers from the capital. There, Soumya Jain greeted us in her newly renovated home, a three-bedroom apartment... The post Inside the Mud-Walled High-Rise That Cools Itself appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Ten years ago, I climbed into a canoe and paddled onto the Mississippi River. This was a magazine assignment, one of the first big adventures in my then-new career as a freelance journalist. The story was simple; I was meant to profile a river guide who took tourists out on... The post The Fundamental Power of The Mississippi River appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.| Reasons to be Cheerful
A trailblazing attempt to repopulate the ocean with sharks born of surplus aquarium eggs is expanding the boundaries of marine conservation.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Mothers across the world have long massaged their babies to improve their health. Now, medical researchers are refining these practices to maximize the benefits.| Reasons to be Cheerful
The Scandinavian nation has significantly reduced the number of people experiencing homelessness. What could other countries learn from its example?| Reasons to be Cheerful
A popular form of community building in Europe, intercultural gardens are now flourishing across the U.S.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Coppicing — cutting trees back — to support nature may seem counterintuitive. But it can help make the most of a limited landscape.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.| Reasons to be Cheerful
As the Natural State works to keep the carp out of the Great Lakes at all costs, can it convince consumers that these fish are delicious?| Reasons to be Cheerful
See what stories caught our attention this week, from the Danish capital’s plan for a wetter future to a new and improved mosquito net.| Reasons to be Cheerful
For remote communities where electricity is scarce or unreliable, an age-old natural refrigeration method remains as valuable as ever.| Reasons to be Cheerful
In the growing field of "ecoacoustics,” scientists use the ocean's natural sounds to monitor the health of marine ecosystems -- and even restore them.| Reasons to be Cheerful
From photovoltaic pavement to bus stops that charge EVs from below, the next generation of clean energy infrastructure is right under our feet.| Reasons to be Cheerful
“Gravity batteries” give former mines a second life — while offering an economic and environmental boost to communities once reliant on coal.| Reasons to be Cheerful
Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Your tax-deductible financial contribution supports our daily operations today and expands the boundaries of what we can do in the future.| Reasons to be Cheerful
At a rural retreat, a handful of the country’s 1.5 million hikikomori cook, farm and, after years of isolation, gingerly step back into the world.| Reasons to be Cheerful