This story is one in a series about the confluence of capitalism, conservation and cultural identity in the Mississippi River Basin. It is part of Waterline and is sponsored by the Walton Family ...

On a blue-skied summer morning, Place Pasteur in the historic center of Besançon is abuzz with colorful market stalls selling trinkets and antiques. But it’s also here that residents bring a different ...

See what stories caught our attention this week, including exercise with a twist and a celebration of the surprising ways animals and plants protect human health.

When Reasons to be Cheerful launched, a small group of generous individuals who believed in its mission helped to get it up and running. We called them the Founders Club. Today, the Founders Club ...

An initiative connecting African donors living in Europe with small businesses in their home countries is a boon for entrepreneurs.

Plug it in and switch it on — this simple renewables technology could open up the market to huge numbers of new citizens, including renters. Geothermal greenhouses are delivering what climate-minded ...

A process that heals trauma while taking guns out of circulation is producing beautiful tools that cultivate life rather than destroy it.

‘Climate doulas’ prepare pregnant people for any curveball Mother Nature might throw their way, from flooding to storms to extreme heat. At the heart of this success story is a determined shift from a ...

Greater Besançon has cut organic waste by more than 40 percent thanks to diverse policies — and a good dash of persistence.

Peter Yeung is a Contributing Editor at Reasons to be Cheerful. A Paris-based journalist, he also writes for publications including the Guardian, the LA Times and the BBC. He’s filed stories from ...

Living Paradigms is a series about what we can learn from the customs and cultural practices of others when it comes to solving problems. It is sponsored by Wonderstruck. When Michael Kotutwa Johnson ...

Every morning, about 50 to 100 people gather in line in front of a center owned by the municipality of Aarhus, the second-largest city in Denmark. Here, they can give — and take — all sorts of ...