Circularity
Understanding the value of a circular economy and identifying circular solutions are essential to changing our world for good. Circularity, or the zero-waste principle of keeping materials in a closed loop and away from landfills and incinerators, is the future. Find out about the latest innovations and solutions accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the articles here from The Optimist Daily.
Pee could help feed the world
Humans create a lot of waste. Whether that’s electronic, agricultural, medical, or fuel waste, we have a lot to dispose of. Coming up with creative ideas to use this waste to our advantage could be what saves the Earth and everything that lives on it from the climate crisis. An idea catching Read More...
Ole-Kristian Sivertsen: revitalizing deserts with nano clay
Climate change is drastically changing global weather patterns. Wet places are getting wetter, and dry places are getting drier. The human-caused degradation of dry land known as desertification is growing across farmlands, such as in California. The state is one of the country's largest producers Read More...
UN experts and analysts plan to reinvigorate the “Great Green Wall”
The African Great Green Wall is a titanic ambition to restore an 8,000 square kilometer expanse across the continent, from Djibouti in the East to Senegal in the West. In the face of increasing desertification from climate change, the initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares (386,000 square Read More...
This Louisiana startup turns glass into sand and increases climate resiliency
There is seemingly no end to the variety and ingenuity scientists and researchers have when it comes to recycling. They have taken plastic waste and treated it to absorb CO2. They have taken human waste and turned it into viable renewable energy. Louisiana startup Glass Half Full is turning Read More...
US announces $3 billion electric vehicle battery production
We at The Optimist Daily are enormous electric vehicle fans, and we’re not the only ones. Demand for electric vehicles has risen so sharply around the world that manufacturers and supply chains are struggling to keep up. To help things along, state and federal governments are stepping up to Read More...
This “extreme” plant could be the beginning of climate-resistant crops
We tend to think of crops as delicate and temperamental, that they require a lot of care and particular conditions to grow in. While this is certainly true for, say, avocados, which require incredible amounts of water naturally found in tropical rainforests, some crops evolved to live and thrive in Read More...
This floating neighborhood will protect residents from sea level rise
As urban population density is only expected to increase in the next few decades, coastal cities vulnerable to rising sea levels need to urgently adapt to these changes to safeguard the wellbeing of their residents. That’s exactly what the South Korean city of Busan is planning with the Read More...
Last month, wind and solar made up 18 percent of US energy
With the War in Ukraine and unfair demands from Russia for its gas, many western nations are feeling the need to switch to renewable energy now more so than ever. The good news is that nations are getting closer to 100 percent renewables and energy independence every day. Wind and solar have Read More...
MIT develops desalination system no bigger than a suitcase
One of the great opportunities in desalination research is developing a new way to bring drinkable water to disadvantaged people with limited resources. Engineers and researchers make this possible in many ways, such as innovating less expensive parts or powering their systems with renewable Read More...
The Table to Farm Movement: Anthony Myint on Regenerative Agriculture
Shifting the world’s food production to a regenerative system has been a frequent solution we’ve written about here at The Optimist Daily. In May 2021, Kristy and Summers sat down with award-winning chef Anthony Myint to discuss Zero Foodprint, his project to expand regenerative Read More...