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.
How this NGO helps clean up Cambodian kitchens and curb deforestation
The Dutch development organization Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (SNV) has been on a mission to promote safe, clean cooking methods in Cambodia since 2015. The effort has proven difficult, as traditional charcoal and wood stoves are ingrained in Cambodian culture, and many believe that food Read More...
This toilet turns South Korean students’ poop into cryptocurrency
We live in a world driven by consumerism. So, it’s fitting that Cho Jae-weon, an urban and environmental engineering professor and researcher at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), has invented a toilet that turns what’s been literally consumed into green energy, Read More...
Report: Renewable energy transition would save 317,500 US lives
The US has a new set goal of boosting renewable energy production to reach 80 percent of energy needs by the end of the decade. While this is great news for the planet, it turns out it's also great news for human health. A new study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Georgia Read More...
True green fashion means just using less
Clothing rental and exchange companies certainly have their time and place; for example, if you need a dress for a special occasion or if your kids are growing out of their clothes faster than you can buy new ones. However, a new study published in Environmental Research Letters reminds us that Read More...
Montreal’s eco-grazing program raises the “baa” in urban agriculture
We at The Optimist Daily have written quite a lot about the importance of green space and urban farming… so why not add urban livestock for eco-grazing, too? Inspired by a similar project in France, professional sheepherders in the French-Canadian city of Montreal made a deal with officials Read More...
This clever lamp indicates outdoor air pollution levels
When a body of water is too dirty to get into, the evidence is generally right before your eyes. You can see the swirls of oil on the surface of the water, as well as plastic waste or other rubbish floating along, so you know to search for another place to go in for a dip. This is not Read More...
Two conservationists create a “Google Translate” for endangered elephants
It’s known that elephants are highly intelligent and social creatures, and scientists have spent years trying to understand how these magnificent beings communicate. However, scientific publications have proven insufficient in cataloging the constant stream of new discoveries being made about Read More...
Sustainable Building in a Changing Climate
“Our house is still on fire. Your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour.” – Greta Thunberg Our house is on fire, so how do we build in the face of disaster? Climate change is both an immediate and impending crisis: Under current conditions, we’re bound for 1000-year floods and Read More...
What this small Dutch city can teach us about smart urban mobility
Urbanists across the world often look to the Netherlands for teachings on how to do urban planning the right way, especially when it comes to mobility. So, it’s no surprise that the authors of a new book called Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives turn to Dutch cities to Read More...
Skip the waste: 6 kitchen essentials that are easy to make from scratch
We all want to use less plastic in our lives, but visit any grocery store and you will quickly realize that even the simple act of feeding our families is difficult to do without plastic. To help you in your sustainability endeavors, we’ve got a guide to making kitchen staples at home and avoid Read More...