Virgin set to cut ties with attractions that hold whales and dolphins captive
Removing dolphins and whales from their natural environment and confining them in cramped water tanks at amusement parks can seriously affect the physical and psychological well-being of these mammals. In a bid to discourage people from visiting such amusement parks, Virgin Holidays, one of the Read More...
British woodlands to see native bears and wolves for the first time in 1000 years
For more than 1000 years England's woodlands have been devoid of wild animals such as bears and wolves. Now, after a number of rewilding initiatives, native bears and wolves are coming snout to muzzle with each other among towering oaks and ashes in a slice of the country’s woodlands. European Read More...
The shipping industry will be forced to use cleaner fuels in less than 6 months
From the return of sails on cargo ships to shipping giant Maersk’s quest to drastically reduce emissions, the shipping industry has been in the spotlight this week at The Optimist Daily—and for good reason: as one of the highest polluting industries in the world, much has to change in order to Read More...
There will be no whaling season in Iceland this year
Hunting whales has long been a part of Iceland’s tradition, but that tradition is set to expire after the island nation suspended commercial whale hunting this year. Demand by tourists for “traditional” minke whale meat in Icelandic restaurants has partially driven the hunt for minke whales Read More...
New hydrogel could make bone marrow transplants more successful
Bone marrow transplants are a common treatment for certain conditions related to the blood, but the patient's immune system can often react badly to the foreign cells and attack them. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may help, but they too can be cleared out by immune cells. Now, a Harvard team has Read More...
The in’s and out’s of Maersk’s mission to stop emitting carbon by 2050
Maersk — the world's largest container shipping company — has an astonishing goal. By 2050, the company vows to send goods around the world with zero carbon emissions. The environmental logic behind such a promise is straightforward: Shipping contributes substantially to global climate Read More...
Scientists have now created lab-grown ice cream that requires nothing from cows
By now you’ve probably heard about lab-grown meat (if not, check out Monday’s daily), but have you heard about lab-grown ice cream? Apparently, lab-grown ice cream is here that is made from a whey protein that is produced by genetically modified yeast rather than cows. In fact, not a single cow Read More...
Wind has generated enough energy in Scotland to power all of its homes twice
Scotland is proving it's well underway when it comes to reaching its goal of having an “almost completely” decarbonized energy system by 2050. Between January and June this year, wind turbines in the highland country generated 9,831,320 megawatt-hours worth of energy. The numbers, which were Read More...
This new 3D microscope will solve one of cell biology’s biggest problems
There's a problem in cell biology research: to study what happens inside a cell, it has to be destroyed. When scientists use a traditional microscope to observe a cell, they use stains -- chemicals that color parts of the cell to make them visible. However, these stains cause damage and kill the Read More...
Give your body a boost with this tasty wheatgrass shot
Wheatgrass is known for its nutrient-dense and powerful antioxidant properties. Many of these purported benefits come from the fact that it’s made up of 70 percent chlorophyll. The idea is that by consuming wheatgrass, you will get many of chlorophyll’s benefits, including detoxification, Read More...