Today’s Solutions: April 27, 2024

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.

Ancient tree / Woodland walk at Allen Banks in Northumberland past ancient trees

This UK-based project maps England’s hidden ancient trees

An impressive project taken up by researchers at the University of Nottingham is revealing the secret hiding places of England’s ancient and veteran trees—and it turns out that the country is hosting ten times as many as experts had thought. Conservationists compare the researcher’s Read More...

European common toad (bufo bufo) looking out of in shallow water.

To ecologists’ surprise, toads can climb trees

Toads were always known as terrestrial creatures, spending their time on both land and in water… until now. To ecologists’ surprise, a group of volunteers surveying dormice and bats in trees made the accidental and unexpected discovery that toads also dwell in trees. How did they discover Read More...

Clone mice

Scientists clone first mice from freeze-dried skin cells

Even before Jurassic Park, many have fantasized about cloning endangered animals. Science fiction made this seem too simple, easily copying a complex creature from recovered DNA. Now, that fantastical process is not so far off.  Researchers have cloned the world’s first mice from freeze-dried Read More...

Humpback whales

Humpback whales share songs from different regions

Humans aren’t the only species that trade music and songs. Other intelligent animals can communicate complicated messages, like ravens and ants relaying to each other that there’s food or danger and where to find it. As it turns out, though, some species can also communicate, and share like Read More...

Closeup of bees on honeycomb.

These microbes could help honey bees thrive

As we like to remind our readers a lot at The Optimist Daily, honeybees are essential for our planet's ecosystem. Humans rely on these little pollinators for food security as they basically pollinate everything! Not to mention the countless other species that rely on plants to feed and for Read More...

Pineapple leaves

3 amazing environmentally friendly leather alternatives

The global demand for leather takes a lot of cattle which are cruelly treated and contribute a great deal of greenhouse gasses. Not only that but the processes of tanning and crusting leather actually produce carcinogenic chemical runoff of dangerous heavy metals like chromium. These get into the Read More...

Drone show

Lake Tahoe town opts for environmentally friendly drone show this 4th

While it is a stunning tradition to launch fireworks every 4th of July for America’s Independence Day, we can’t deny it’s a bit of a risk these days. Climate-change-fueled drought in regions like the American west incurs the risk of wildfires with this tradition.  One town in the Read More...

A snowy winter day in the old historic harbor of Berlin, Germany

Germany gets ahead of winter with its huge heating tower

Germany has set to work on an enormous thermos to help heat its citizen’s homes this winter while stepping away from its reliance on Russia’s fossil fuel industry.  Germany’s huge heat tower The thermos tower, which stands at almost 150 feet and can store an astounding 15 million gallons Read More...

Woman Buying Cereals And Grains In Sustainable Plastic Free Grocery Store

7 tips to kickstart your Plastic Free July

The Plastic Free July initiative first began in 2011, and since then the campaign has grown so much that in 2017, the founder of the movement, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, set up the Plastic Free Foundation Ltd. This foundation is an independent non-profit charity striving for a future that is free of Read More...

Wedding rings on a beautiful leaf

How to throw an eco-friendly wedding

Many couples who had planned their weddings for 2020 and 2021 were forced by Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions to postpone their celebrations til this year. Now, it’s wedding season again and love is in the air. But you know what else is in the air? Planet-warming co2 emissions, smog, and Read More...