How a Worker-Owned Tech Startup Found Investors—and Kept Its Values
As cooperative culture spreads into the tech world, Loomio is part of a new wave of entrepreneurs figuring out how to finance a more democratic, values-centered online economy.
Economy
Retrofitting Suburbia: Communities Innovate Their Way Out of Sprawl
The future for suburbanites, who now have twice the carbon footprint of city dwellers, seems to be pointing backward to pre-automobile, train-based living.
This Earth Day, Listen Up: Mother Earth Is Calling Us Back
Those of us who succumbed to the false promises of Western consumerism at great cost to the planet and to ourselves are Earth’s prodigal children now returning home.
Want to Hire a Worker-Owned Co-op? There’s an App for That
Coopify wants to bring a sense of community to the app-based booking world by connecting worker-owned cooperatives and other low-income task workers directly with consumers.
We Can Have a Living Earth Economy—But It Won’t Be Easy
Humanity has been acting like a willful child, demanding everything and leaving messes everywhere. It is time for our species to take the step to maturity, to acknowledge that care and cooperation are key to happiness—and even survival.
How a Health Clinic Made a Local Grocery Store Part of Its Prescription
A partnership between a Boston health clinic and a local grocery shows what economic development can do when it makes community health a priority.
The Future of Libraries Is Bigger Than Books
Modern libraries are essential in underserved communities as places where everyone is welcome to gather, work, borrow materials, or just spend time.
How to Talk With Your Kids about Donald Trump
The success of Trump’s candidacy isn’t just a political problem. It’s also a psychological and cultural one that needs to be addressed by parents.
You Know What’s Really Gross? Not Periods, But Taxes on Periods
Class action lawsuits point out the irrationality of sales-tax exemptions for items such as Rogaine, foot powder, and Viagra—but not menstrual products.
What I Learned From My March With Democracy Spring
The political march is a tool for social transformation in itself. This one gave me a taste of the connected, empowered society I’m working to create.
No Fossil Fuel? No Problem—7 Ways We’re Already Living More Locally
From affordable transit to local food for school lunches, many people across America are already on their way to living a life without oil.
In a Surprise Win for Democracy Over Corporate Power, GMO Labeling Has Arrived
Those predicting an easy Senate defeat for mandatory labeling saw corporations fold one by one in the face of a strong food movement.
Meet the Jeans-Wearing, Nature-Loving Nuns Who Helped Stop a Kentucky Pipeline
As fewer women enter the convent, what will become of Kentucky’s tradition of socially and environmentally engaged religious women?
Capitalism or Socialism? There’s an Even Better Option
Bernie Sanders’ popular campaign suggests that many Americans aren't afraid of socialism anymore. But real democracy is an even better alternative to capitalism.
The Seas Will Save Us: How an Army of Ocean Farmers Is Starting an Economic Revolution
Ocean farming isn’t just about food, it’s about transforming a workforce and restoring the sea.
Meet the Organizers Planning the Biggest Sit-In in a Generation
If Congress hasn't taken action to help get money out of politics by April 10, 3,000 people have pledged to risk arrest in a week-long series of sit-ins.
Why Fixing Climate Change Is Women’s Work
Natural resource scarcity and unpredictable weather affect women first, yet they’re often the last to be heard on how to combat it. That’s slowly changing.
I Was a Fourth-Generation Coal Miner. Here’s Why I Quit
“I quit the mines, not entirely sure what I was going to do. I just knew that I could do something different.”
New Jersey Divests from Payday Lending
Payday loans are illegal in New Jersey. So when a payday lender showed up in its portfolio of investments, state leaders took action.
69 Hired, Thousands to Go: Under Pressure, Berkeley Takes First Steps to End UC Labor Abuses
Boycotts and sit-ins force UC Berkeley to hire outsourced custodians and parking lot attendants, giving them higher wages and better benefits.
The Thing Sanders, Trump, and Clinton Agree On. It’s That Bad
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is slated for an up-or-down vote in Congress. Proponents say it’s about free trade. But it looks more like corporate colonization.
Austin’s Unique Policy Shift to Create Jobs for Everyone, Not Just Techies
How the city is promoting local economic growth that goes beyond deals for big companies.
More Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: This Time, They’re Coming for Your Democracy
Twelve years ago, John Perkins published his book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.” Today, he says “things have just gotten so much worse.”
Frances Moore Lappé: Why I’m Facing Arrest to Get Money Out of Politics
On April 11, thousands of marchers with Democracy Spring will arrive in the nation’s capital. It’s expected to be the largest civil disobedience action in decades.
Why Teaming Up with Unions Might be the Best Way to Build the Co-Op Movement
Growing numbers of unions are successfully turning to the cooperative model to fight for workers’ rights.
Our Vision to Create the Best Stories Imaginable
Our monthly newsletter uplifts relevant pieces from our archives and new solutions journalism from other publications.
LEARN MOREHelp Fund Powerful Stories to Light the Way Forward
Donate to YES! today.