Environment
Need some good news about the environment? The Optimist Daily is your go-to herald of positive environmental news, highlighting eco-friendly solutions and scientific progress around climate action, circularity, conservation, and more. Learn about everything eco in our Environment section.
This gigantic vertical greenhouse uses 100% natural light
Vertical farming is an amazing solution that allows us to grow fresh produce using a fraction of the water and land that traditional agriculture requires. That said, most vertical farms need a lot of heating and artificial light. The use of 100 percent natural light is what sets Shockingly Read More...
Following shut offs and hurricanes, Puerto Ricans want a solar future
Puerto Ricans pay nearly twice as much for electricity as mainland Americans, yet random shut-offs and natural disasters like Hurricane Maria often leave many without power. In the wake of the hurricane, a social movement called Queremos Sol was born. Meaning “we want sun,” the movement Read More...
Residents of this small Spanish town pay less taxes the more they recycle
The small Spanish town of La Nucía is located just 10 kilometers away from the touristy seaside resorts of Benidorm. But compared to its skyscraper-dominant neighbor, La Nucía’s architecture ranks high in sustainability rather than height. For over 20 years, the municipality has followed a Read More...
France bids “adieu” to plastic packaging for fresh produce
Plastic pollution is strangling our planet. To combat the use of unnecessary plastics, France has announced that it will be banning plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables. Currently, an estimated 37 percent of fruit and vegetables are sold with plastic packaging in France, so the ban will Read More...
Help scientists locate walruses by becoming a walrus detective
The Arctic is under increasing threat due to climate change, and so is the biodiversity that it supports. That’s why the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and the British Antarctic Survey have decided to collaborate with space tech company Maxar Technologies to initiate the “Walrus from Space” Read More...
These are the inaugural winners of the Earthshot Prize
We have previously wrote about Earthshot Prize nominee Vinisha Umashankar, a clever 14-year-old student from Tamil Nadu who created a mobile ironing cart that runs off solar power. Although Umashankar didn’t win an Earthshot Prize, the five other recipients were recently announced. Here are the Read More...
EU is giving away 60,000 free Interrail tickets to European youth
The European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas realizes that the coronavirus pandemic forced young people to “[miss] valuable and formative moments of their youth.” As a recognition of their sacrifice in the name of public health and safety, and to “rekindle mobility in Europe,” Read More...
California opens its first solar-powered composting facility
Starting in 2022, most homes and businesses in California will be required to recycle all food and yard waste in their yard debris carts. The effort is part of new state regulation (SB 1383) which aims to divert 75 percent of organic waste from landfills below 2014 levels by 2025. In response to Read More...
Coldplay greens up their 2022 tour with the power of dancing fans
When music band Coldplay announced their 2022 Music of the Spheres World Tour, it was clear that the tour would look a little different than the ones of the past. The band laid out a 12-point plan to make their performances more sustainable, including harnessing the energy of eager Read More...
Mustard plant could be the solution to greener aviation fuel
Aviation accounts for about three percent of all global emissions, but coming up with more sustainable fuel sources would significantly gut down on the industry’s footprint. Researchers from the University of Georgia think they have a green fuel solution with the development of a fuel based on Read More...