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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Near Philadelphia’s New Green Spaces, a Dramatic Reduction in Crime
Linda Lloyd has lived in West Philadelphia her whole life. The 67-year-old, a retired municipal employee, has always taken pride in her community and tried to keep her neighborhood in good shape. But it hasn’t always been an easy task. “Before, it was pretty bad here,” says Lloyd, who moved...
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The Spark: Building Community One Meal at a Time
Welcome back to The Spark, our monthly celebration of how people just like you are creating positive change, one meaningful step at a time. The Spark is generously supported by Laura Rice. Sign up to Reasons to be Cheerful’s weekly newsletter here and you’ll get The Spark in your inbox...
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What We’re Reading: Will Chicago Do Congestion Pricing Next?
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. Street smarts In the year and change since New York City implemented congestion pricing, we’ve been closely following its myriad positive impacts,...
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How Art Is Making People Healthier
When Jamie Schuler teaches her Friday dance classes, some of her students stay seated. They follow her movements, some using just their upper or lower limbs, others syncing their hands and feet to the beat. Occasionally, the choreography leads to impromptu singalongs — one class spontaneously began belting the chorus...
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Schools Are Saving Big By Going Green
This story about green schools was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s climate change newsletter. In Warren County, Kentucky, the school district saved more than $2 million in utility costs since retrofitting five schools with...
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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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