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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In Barcelona, a Little Energy Advice Goes a Long Way
Back in 2018, Roman Tresens Gallard received the most dreaded surprise, the kind that happens only when you open up your energy bills. The monthly rate in his new apartment, the letter revealed, was now rising to over €100 a month. “It was scandalous,” says Gallard, scarcely masking his fury...
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Nebraska’s Special Ed Students Are Learning Right Alongside Their Peers
This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet focused on education. When Bethany Jolliffe started teaching kindergarten 15 years ago, she picked up on what seemed like a long-standing pattern: Teachers mostly stayed in their lane, with general education teachers focusing on “their” students, and special education...
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What We’re Reading: The Tiny, Dual-Purpose ‘Microlibraries’ of Indonesia
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at info@reasonstobecheerful.world. Small wonders According to a story in the Guardian found by Contributing Editor Michaela Haas, Indonesia is building a network of “microlibraries” across the country. Launched in 2012, the initiative’s...
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The Older Adults Conquering Loneliness Through Storytelling
In just minutes, the Life Story Club in New York City springs to life. On Zoom, a mosaic of faces — each with decades of lived experience — leans in as Bernd, a retired urban planner for the Bronx and Manhattan, recalls how the pandemic nudged him into new passions:...
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Preserving Natural Quiet in an Ever-Louder World
In 2020, when a global pandemic silenced the drone of aircraft and drum of traffic, a new soundtrack of birdsong, rain falling and the buzz of bees traveling from plant to plant emerged. This lack of man-made noise is what natural silence sounds like. “It was a turning point for...
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How Shared Electric Cargo Bikes Are Changing Cities
This story has been co-published by Reasons to be Cheerful and the Outrider Foundation. Last December, Tim Reardon zipped through the busy holiday traffic of his Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, transporting gallons of eggs, milk and heavy cream for his yearly Christmas eggnog extravaganza, all on just two wheels. Reardon, an...
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What We’re Reading: Another Chance to Bring Back Sea Otters
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Let us know what you think at info@reasonstobecheerful.world. Furry friends In 2023, RTBC Contributing Editor Michaela Haas wrote for us about how ongoing efforts to bring back sea otters to California and Oregon could revive struggling ocean...
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Welcome to Our New Newsletter: The Spark!
Welcome to The Spark, a brand-new monthly newsletter from Reasons to be Cheerful that’s all about how people just like you are creating positive change, one meaningful step at a time. This month’s theme: immigration and refugees. We created this newsletter in response to the number one question we hear...
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Reasons to be Cheerful Presents: Rocking the Boat
Reasons to be Cheerful’s second annual variety show, Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things, nearly blew the roof off The Town Hall in New York City on May 29. David Byrne, Ramy Youssef, Reggie Watts, Annie and the Caldwells, Nina Conti and many other incredible acts had the crowd laughing, cheering...
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Reasons to be Cheerful Presents: Free to Be Youth Project
Reasons to be Cheerful’s second annual variety show, Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things, nearly blew the roof off The Town Hall in New York City on May 29. David Byrne, Ramy Youssef, Reggie Watts, Annie and the Caldwells, Nina Conti and many other incredible acts had the crowd laughing, cheering...
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