Mangroves roots inspire scientists to develop efficient water purifier
While solar stills have been around for some time already, there’s plenty of room for efficiency improvements. In a bid to do exactly that, scientists from Virginia Tech have developed a mangrove-inspired “synthetic tree” that mimics the natural process of transporting water from the roots to Read More...
Beyond seawalls: How oysters can more sustainably protect our coastlines
We’ve written at length about using natural materials to restore degraded coastlines. The strong natural composition of oysters makes them a popular choice for these projects and in Southern California, one scientist is combining native oysters with the power of seagrass to promote coastline Read More...
June 24, 2021
Today we're covering how to improve teacher diversity in schools, and how a grassroots team is promoting harm reduction by training bartenders on how to treat overdoses. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
June 24, 2021
Today we're covering how to improve teacher diversity in schools, and how a grassroots team is promoting harm reduction by training bartenders on how to treat overdoses. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
Grassroots group provides bartenders with drug-related harm reduction training
Overdose deaths in Texas rose by 35 percent in the first eight months of the pandemic, and as the state reopens, a group of citizen volunteers is working to implement harm reduction training in common drug use sites: bars. Called Harm Redux HTX, the collection of activists is an informal Read More...
Drones help protect biodiversity on Galápagos Islands by ridding them of rats
The biodiversity of Seymour Norte and Mosquera, two Galápagos Islands, has been threatened for generations by a commonly abhorred pest: rats. Two rat species (the black rat and the Norweigan rat) have disrupted the ecosystems on the islands of Seymour Norte and Mosquera since they arrived on Read More...
How to improve teacher diversity in public schools
Research has shown that students of color score higher on standardized tests, are more likely to graduate, and are more likely to seek out advanced coursework when they have teachers of color. Unfortunately, while students of color make up about half of US schoolchildren, teachers of color account Read More...
Ghana takes on ambitious reforestation effort to plant at least 5 million trees
Just over a week ago, people in Ghana decided to take on the impressive initiative of planting at least five million trees under the “Green Ghana” program. The launch of the project follows the expansion of mining and agriculture that, according to environmentalists, has led to an Read More...
Avoid these 7 common mistakes for a better summer barbecue
We’re soaking up the last of summer and for many of us, that means sneaking in some end-of-season barbecues and cookouts. Grilling isn’t the healthiest way to prepare food, but avoiding these common pitfalls can help make your grilled meal as healthy as possible. Not cleaning your grill Is Read More...
Oregon is the third state in the US to legalize human composting
Life and death are part of the circle of life, but in modern times we have taken on environmentally unfriendly burial practices that interfere with nature’s cycle. For instance, embalming a body before it gets buried takes about three gallons of embalming chemicals such as formaldehyde, Read More...