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.
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...
This new tool is a roadmap for safe renewable energy development in Maine
Maine has identified a new tool to proceed with renewable energy expansion more sustainably. The state’s new Renewable Energy Siting Tool is an interactive map that allows officials and energy developers to identify the safest places for renewable energy projects where they will have the least Read More...
Hamburg introduces energy-saving digitally automated tram
This year’s Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress is in Hamburg, Germany, and highlights mobility solutions and innovation. The congress opened alongside the exciting introduction of the country’s first fully automated “Digital S-Bahn Hamburg” tram. German rail company Read More...
California says goodbye to gas-powered gardening equipment
We recently wrote an article about why you should invest in all-electric gardening equipment. Recognizing the environmental and public health benefits of this transition, California has signed a bill into law that will ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf-blowers, lawnmowers, power washers, and Read More...
Celebrated landscape architect finds beauty in the margins of public space
The newly-established Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize honors advancements and innovation in landscape architecture. The inaugural winner of the award is Julie Bargmann, and when you look at the work she does, it’s no surprise that her work is being celebrated Read More...