An Optimist's Guide to the End of the World

How youth climate activists pushed through the pandemic
By Vanessa Taylor
Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic…
The skyscrapers of the future will be made of wood
By Rima Sabina Aouf
Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic…
When the pandemic hit, Black Americans embraced a sacred tradition of food sustainability
By Vanessa Taylor
Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic…
Are electric cars actually better for the environment?
By AJ Dellinger
Mic is celebrating Earth Day with an entire week of stories. Over the next few days we’ll be rolling out pieces on hyper-urban farming, the future of construction, the catastrophic environmental costs of the dreaded gender reveal, an optimistic…
The environmental toll of Juuling
By Mike Sheffield
This article is part of 'An Optimist's Guide to the End of the World,' a collection of stories aimed at disproving the idea that humanity is doomed. As a long-term smoker who has tried unsuccessfully to quit cold turkey, one of my biggest victories…
Living a zero waste lifestyle isn't as unattainable as it seems
By AJ Dellinger
This article is part of 'An Optimist's Guide to the End of the World,' a collection of stories aimed at disproving the idea that humanity is doomed. The idea of a "zero waste" lifestyle is a growing trend, particularly online, where YouTubers,…
How Burning Man taught me to party sustainably
By Rula Al-Nasrawi
This article is part of 'An Optimist's Guide to the End of the World,' a collection of stories aimed at disproving the idea that humanity is doomed. When most people think of Burning Man, they picture tornados of dust flying into every orifice, wild…
Meet the bots documenting our existential dread, one tweet at a time
By Jay Castello
This article is part of 'An Optimist's Guide to the End of the World,' a collection of stories aimed at disproving the idea that humanity is doomed. It will be at least 3000 years until radiation returns to safe levels around Chernobyl. In the…