Reasons to be Cheerful
Reasons to Be Cheerful is an online magazine founded by musician and activist David Byrne. It shares inspiring, solutions-oriented stories highlighting positive developments and innovative approaches to global challenges. The platform covers a wide range of topics, including environmental sustainability, social justice, urban design, health, and culture, emphasizing practical, replicable solutions that are making a difference. Reasons to Be Cheerful aims to counterbalance the often negative news cycle by showcasing stories of progress, resilience, and creativity. The website encourages readers to engage with and support these initiatives, fostering a sense of hope and empowerment. It also offers a newsletter to deliver uplifting content directly to its audience.
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Who’s Afraid of ‘The Night of Controversies’?
“Borders have led to mass deaths, sexual violence and human trafficking — we must abolish them,” said Catherine Wihtol De Wenden, casting a stern glance out at the packed audience, assembled on chairs, benches and even sitting on the floor. The French political scientist cited numerous examples and statistics to...
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What We’re Reading: Lessons From the ‘Grandmother Cacao’
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. Branching out On average, cacao trees live around 25 years. But at a regenerative farm in India, a 65-year-old tree is still...
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Scratchy Throat or TB? Your Phone Can Tell You
In Behror, a hot, dusty town in Rajasthan, people queue outside a free mobile medical van. Most have come with minor complaints, but every now and then, there’s a patient who complains of a persistent mysterious cough and unexplained weight loss, or has been in contact with someone who has...
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San Francisco’s Revamped Seawall Will Teem With Life
Last July, a crew gathered along the San Francisco Embarcadero to watch as SF Port personnel detached a series of concrete tiles from the waterfront wall they’d been attached to for three years and hoisted them to the bay’s surface.
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Can a Legendary Tree Keep Louisiana’s Coastal Lands From Slipping Away?
Bald cypress trees have loomed over Louisiana’s landscape for thousands of years, their feathery leaves offering shade from on high. In a state that contains 40 percent of the wetlands in the Lower 48, the cypress has always been a natural companion for residents. It thrives in soggy bottoms that...
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A Record Number of Americans Can Access Paid Leave
This story was originally reported by Chabeli Carrazana of The 19th. Meet Chabeli and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. A third of American workers now have access to some form of government-issued paid leave — the biggest share ever. The United States is one of...
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What We’re Reading: Paris Is More Bike-Friendly Than Ever
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. Curbing cars Back in 2022, RTBC Contributing Editor Peter Yeung reported on Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s war on cars. According to a...
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The Native Seed Farm Safeguarding California’s Future
On a stretch of prime agricultural land in California’s Sacramento Valley, native grasses, milkweed and wildflowers grow in tight rows under the state’s wide blue sky. Orange poppies, purple lupines and golden tidy tips create a living palette against the backdrop of the Sutter Buttes.
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Can Disposable Diapers Go Sustainable?
As an eco-conscious parent, Carrie Pollak’s idea of sustainability was to forego diapers entirely. Instead, she opted for elimination communication, which relies on timing and cues to recognize when a baby needs to use the toilet, aiming to reduce or even eliminate the need for diapers from a very young...
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How the Netherlands Bent Bureaucracy Into Something Beautiful
When Harry Kruiter first met Eric, the man could barely sit still. Tax bills were scattered across the kitchen table. His hands were shaking. Two years earlier, Eric’s wife had died unexpectedly, leaving him alone with their two young daughters and a pile of modest but mounting debt. By then,...
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