Conservation
Nature relies on a rich diversity of organisms to keep it in balance. Conservation plays a key role in ensuring that environmental equilibrium is preserved. Learn about the solutions spearheading our efforts to promote biodiversity, safeguard vital ecosystems, and protect endangered species.
Okra and fenugreek extracts remove up to 90 percent of microplastics from water
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The slimy and sticky qualities that make okra divisive on dinner plates might just help clean our water. Researchers have found that natural polymers from common plants like okra and fenugreek are surprisingly effective at capturing and removing Read More...
Texas startup pairs diapers and fungi to fight plastic waste, one baby change at a time
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Diapers and fungi don’t exactly scream dream team. Not unless you’re the founders of Hiro Technologies, a startup in Austin, Texas that believes baby poop and mushrooms might hold the key to tackling one of the world’s stinkiest environmental problems: Read More...
25 easy and effective ways to help protect insects—starting today
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Insects are facing a crisis. Their populations are dropping at alarming rates, even in pristine nature reserves. That’s bad news not only for bugs but also for the birds, bats, amphibians, and ecosystems that depend on them. The good news is that you can Read More...
Could a flight tax help fix the climate finance gap?
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Air travel is often seen as a symbol of freedom and prosperity. But while it represents convenience for some, for the planet’s climate, it comes at a steep price. Aviation accounts for more than two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions—and that Read More...
Steering toward the future: how solar-powered canoes are transforming life in the Amazon
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the dense, green arteries of Ecuador’s Amazon, something remarkable is gliding across the water without a sound. These aren’t ordinary boats. They’re solar-powered canoes, and they’re ushering in a transformative way for Indigenous Achuar Read More...
Turning ashes into action: how memorial reefs could restore Britain’s seabeds
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Funerals are surprisingly polluting. A single burial emits around 833 kilograms of CO2, while a typical cremation releases about 400. Add in the environmental toll of concrete, steel, and embalming chemicals, and the traditional funeral industry starts to Read More...
Hawaii's new 'Green Fee' sets precedent for climate funding through tourism
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Hawaii made history by becoming the first U.S. state to implement a climate impact fee aimed at funding environmental stewardship and climate resilience. Officially signed into law as Act 96, the so-called "Green Fee" will increase the state's transient Read More...
Kyrgyzstan builds 800,000-hectare ecological corridor to protect mountain biodiversity
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a bold and optimistic move for biodiversity, the Kyrgyz Republic has established a sweeping 800,000-hectare ecological corridor that connects Khan-Tengri National Park and the Naryn Nature Reserve. This new corridor expands the nation’s protected Read More...
A jelly with a scent of hope: how a nanoparticle gel could help save coral reefs
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When the ocean gets too warm, coral reefs bleach, weaken, and sometimes die. And right now, they’re in serious trouble. Over 80 percent of the world’s reef area has experienced heat stress since early 2023, leading to what researchers are calling the Read More...
How DNA in the air could help track life on Earth
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the lush forests of northern Belize, surrounded by hibiscus blooms, kingfishers overhead, and the busy trails of leaf-cutter ants below, biodiversity scientist Elizabeth Clare reflects on a question as profound as it is urgent: how do we measure all of Read More...