Reasons to be Cheerful

Reasons to be Cheerful is a non-profit editorial initiative designed to uplift spirits during challenging times. We share stories that highlight the various reasons to feel optimistic. Many of these stories showcase effective and replicable solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges. Our mission is to inform you about these positive developments. Through insightful journalism, we offer a blend of healthy optimism and stringent reporting, providing reasons to hope for a brighter future. We function as a mix of a magazine, a supportive conversation, and a roadmap for positive change. Founded by artist and musician David Byrne, Reasons to be Cheerful promotes the idea of exploring the world with curiosity—whether in art, music, collaboration, or everyday life. Operated under Byrne's non-profit organization, Arbutus, this project embodies that spirit, focusing on the future of our planet. By sharing evidence-based stories of hope, Reasons to be Cheerful encourages everyone to be curious about how we can improve the world and consider how we can contribute to that transformation.

International

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#346317

United States

#120212

Arts and Entertainment/Music

#1545

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

American Lawn Care Is Going Electric

1 week ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Allison McNearney

Our Electrifying World is a series about how electrification is creating a more sustainable energy transition. It is sponsored by Rewiring America. For generations of Americans, the soundtrack to spring weekends has been a rise in bird song and the loud, constant “virrrrrr” of neighbors cutting their growing grass.
Crisis Survivors in Australia Are Rebuilding Their Wardrobes in Style

1 week ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | MaryLou Costa

Ross Mitchell is a traveling salesman of sorts. He spends up to two months a year on the road, driving a van thousands of miles across Australia, taking in the country’s changing landscapes, from its dry “outback” terrain to its lush tropical north. The van Mitchell drives is full of brand-new clothing, which he and his team deliver to people in crisis.
'Shark Tank' for Youth-Led Solutions

2 weeks ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Michaela Haas

Christelle Kwizera was still a teenager and hadn’t even graduated from her engineering studies when she decided to tackle an urgent problem in her home country: safe water sources for local villages in Eastern Rwanda. “Crocodiles had migrated into the local lakes, and their only source of food was people and animals,” Kwizera learned. She had a serious crush on MacGyver, the 1980s TV hero and genius problem solver who outsmarts his enemies with scientific knowledge.
Women Plumbers in Jordan Are Breaking Taboos

2 weeks ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Anna Patton

Humiliating. Not a woman’s job. Shame on the family. Such comments were frequently directed at Tahani Al Shati and Yusra Mohammad Nmour when they started training as plumbers. In Jordan, the proportion of women in paid work is among the lowest in the world, due in large part to social and cultural norms. Entering the workforce is already a challenge for many — never mind breaking into a field dominated by men.
A Burden Lifted: Why One County Wiped Out Millions in Jail Debt

3 weeks ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Alex Burness

This article was originally published by Bolts, a nonprofit publication that covers criminal justice and voting rights in local governments. On July 7, 2022, days after Chad LaVia was freed from a year of incarceration at the jail in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the county sent him a bill for $14,320 in “room and board” fees — $40 for each of the 358 days he’d spent inside.
Community Libraries Are Spreading Across Rural India

3 weeks ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Geetanjali Krishna

Every morning, Amit Sonkar sets up his little stall in a bustling vegetable market in Mirzapur, a small town on the banks of the Ganges in North India’s Uttar Pradesh. He piles up the tomatoes and carrots in inviting pyramids and lays out the beans, spring onions and green chili peppers in baskets. Once he is satisfied with the array, he sits behind the stall and waits. “Earlier, I’d have whipped out my phone and seen mindless reels on social media,” he says.
Ancient Himalayan Water Temples Are Meeting Modern Needs

1 month ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Geetanjali Krishna

In Uttarakhand’s prime fruit-growing region, a brightly clad woman carries a pitcher to what looks like a tiny temple set amid apricot orchards. This 400-year-old structure is one of the hundreds of water temples, locally called naulas, that dot the steep Himalayan slopes of Uttarakhand, a state in Northern India. Naulas were historically built over fresh water springs, which formed wherever groundwater managed to find its way to the surface.
The Bright Future of the All-Electric Neighborhood

1 month ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Elizabeth Hewitt

Our Electrifying World is a series about how electrification is creating a more sustainable energy transition. It is sponsored by Rewiring America. Susan Manners and her partner were looking to move to Vermont to be closer to their kids when they stumbled upon a chance to buy a townhouse in a new development in the northwestern city of South Burlington. The view — a vista of the Green Mountain range — was a huge selling point, Manners recalls.
Net Zero Banking Puts Your Money Where Your Values Are

1 month ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Hibah Ansari

This story was originally published by Next City, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on solutions for equitable and just cities. Get Next City’s stories in your inbox: nextcity.org/newsletter. Once an outdoor educator, Laura Wildenborg spent 10 years taking kids on field trips to go rock climbing or cross-country skiing across the region, all to inspire children to love and care for the environment. After receiving her MBA in 2020, she made a drastic career pivot — to banking.
Bringing 'Good Fire' Back to the Land

1 month ago | reasonstobecheerful.world | Michaela Haas

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. Maidu fire practitioner Danny Manning twirls a traditional fire stick made from an elderberry plant between his hands, rubbing it against a fire board until the first ember forms. He kindles it with a cottonwood bundle and gently blows on it until it turns into a flame.