Climate Action
What is Climate Action? Climate Action is humanity's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our planet's resilience against climate change. From adaptation to mitigation, at The Optimist Daily you will learn about the most recent positive news stories and solutions targeting climate change and other environmental issues.
Snakes assist scientists in studying areas affected by nuclear disasters
In 2011, a 15-meter tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling at Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, damaging three nuclear reactors in the process. The accident was rated a seven, which is the highest level on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. Now, a decade later, Read More...
Meet Pattie Gonia, the environmentalist drag queen fighting for inclusivity
The climate movement could use all the help it can get, and environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia is determined to make sure it can by pushing for it to be more inclusive. Pattie uses her Instagram account, which has more than 300,000 followers, to challenge what a conventional climate Read More...
How cooling chips are revolutionizing the refrigeration industry
It goes without saying, cooling technologies like air conditioners, freezers, and refrigerators have significantly improved our lives over the last few decades. But the chemicals underlying these technologies have also proved to be very detrimental to the environment, harming the ozone layer and Read More...
World’s second largest steel producer is going green
The amount of carbon dioxide emissions from steel manufacturing is almost double the amount of steel created, which stands at 1.8 billion tons per year. It is thus paramount to clean up the steel industry if the world is to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. In a bid to help us get closer to Read More...
“Mount Recyclemore” brings attention to the dangerous issue of e-waste
The leaders of the world’s leading democracies who attended the G7 Summit in Cornwall last month were welcomed by a statement art installation called “Mount Recyclemore.” The piece featured the likeness of each of the seven world leaders in attendance, all made from discarded electronics. To Read More...
Study: Renewable energy jobs were more resilient during pandemic
According to a Department of Energy report, jobs in the renewable energy sector were far more resilient to the economic turmoil of the pandemic than those in the oil and gas industries. In 2020, one in ten energy workers lost their job, but the wind energy sector grew by two percent, Jobs in the Read More...
The Optimist View: Down to EarthーStorytelling as a solutions journalism medium
“Long-term survival on this planet for us and for all generations after us is a pretty good idea. Remember, the earth will probably always be here. We just may not be able to live on it for too long.” - Zac Efron BY Amelia Buckley and Arielle Tiango Little was known about the world of Read More...
Scientists develop a disintegrating natural plastic
The plastic problem that we face today is a serious issue that is inspiring many scientists and researchers to find alternatives or modify the plastic manufacturing process so that the material can safely and quickly degrade. Researchers in China have done just that by creating a new kind of Read More...
California forest managers are rethinking reforestation patterns to tackle wildfires
When a wildfire tears through a region, the first priority for conservationists is to begin replanting some of the habitat destroyed by the blazes, but in the face of climate change, some forest mangers are rethinking what this planting should look like. In Eldorado National Forest, researchers and Read More...
Austin neighborhood to be transformed into self-sufficient solar town
An Austin neighborhood is getting a green upgrade in an attempt to become a self-sufficient solar-powered town. Through partnering with Tesla and developer Dacra and Brookfield Asset Management, the town plans to equip houses with V3 solar roof tiles, Tesla chargers, and Powerwall Read More...