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.
Climate cafes offer a safe space to discuss climate change
Let’s face it—climate change is scary. It brings up feelings of uncertainty, stress, anxiety, and even guilt, which are all hard emotions to go through alone. Many of us are struggling to process our feelings and thoughts about climate change, but because it’s such a multi-faceted issue that Read More...
In South Korea, one oil company is shifting its focus to offshore wind
In a bid to perhaps make up for decades of fueling climate change, the Shell corporation began the development of a massive floating wind farm off the coast of South Korea. It owns an 80 percent share in the proposed project, with the remainder split between South Korean interests and a Swedish Read More...
People don’t understand climate jargonーscience communication could help
There are many hurdles ahead as we adjust our world towards a carbon neutral future, but one of the biggest may perhaps just be communicating to the everyday citizen what climate change is and how we address it. A recent study found that some of the most common terms used to discuss the climate Read More...
Costa Rica isn’t letting Covid stand in the way of sustainable progress
One small Central American country is making big moves when it comes to combating climate change. Famous for its environmental policy, Costa Rica is making headway against the destruction of its fragile habitats even in the face of budget cuts and setbacks due to the pandemic. Costa Rica is Read More...
Understanding fish fins could yield more efficient airplane wings
Last week we wrote about how studying elephant trunks is helping scientists build more versatile robotics. Now, a group of researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder has cracked the code on fish fins in the hopes that it will inspire similar design innovations. Fin structure Fish fins Read More...
Berlin university canteens expand plant-based options
Adopting a more plant-based diet is one of the ways we help tackle climate change on an individual level. Universities in Berlin are well aware of that, which is why four of the city's biggest institutions have recently decided to transition their canteens’ meals towards more climate-friendly Read More...
How relocating urban highways is an act of racial justice
Many urban highways from the 1950s and 1960s were deliberately built through neighborhoods primarily occupied by people of color, effectively walling these families off from economic opportunity and disrupting their sense of community. Urban planning and public policy researchers Julian Agyeman and Read More...
Could migratory birds provide early tsunami detection?
If you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a tsunami, tornado, or major tropical storm, you may have noticed a curious trend: the lack of birds. Although not fully backed by scientific evidence yet, researchers are investigating the anecdotal evidence that birds seem to be able Read More...
First zero-emission crewless cargo ship to set sail in Norway
Norwegian chemical company Yara International has created the world’s first zero-emission autonomous cargo ship, the Yara Birkeland. The shipping industry accounts for between 2.5 and 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization. The aim of Read More...
Greece creates climate crisis ministry in the wake of summer fires
Following a summer of devastating fires and record temperatures, Greece’s government has created a new ministry to address the impact and risks of climate change. Led by former European Union commissioner Christos Stylianides, the ministry will be in charge of firefighting, disaster relief, Read More...