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.
With limited cemetery space, tree burials are gaining popularity
Many people expect to be buried after their passing, but what happens when cities begin to run out of burial space? Cemetery space is an increasingly hot commodity in many places around the world, but rather than limiting plot leases to 15 years like Singapore and other regions (after which the Read More...
Scientists develop innovative process that extracts lithium out of seawater
While most electronics, including autonomous vehicles, power themselves with batteries made of lithium, the growing demand for this element is expected to exhaust our planet’s land-based reserves by 2080. Future shortages could cause battery prices to skyrocket and hinder the growth of electric Read More...
This UK initiative will pay you to recycle flexible plastic
Flexibility is considered an all-around positive thing, but when you put the words “flexible” and “plastic” together, the meaning has a far more negative connotation. Flexible plastic, also called soft plastic, is what most plastic bags, wrappers, pouches, packets, and sachets are made of. Read More...
New climate calculator aims to help ranchers reduce emissions
Cattle are a huge source of methane emissions, but strategic livestock management can help ranchers use their land to offset their emissions with carbon capture and regenerative practices. Taking these sustainable livestock management steps just got a bit easier as food sustainability company DSM Read More...
Genome study maps out optimistic future for California condors
Once driven to near extinction by hunting and habitat loss, the California condor appears to be making an impressive recovery. Numbers dwindled to just 22 animals in the wild 40 years ago, but today their number has grown to about 500. What’s more, a new study from UC Berkeley finds that the Read More...
This startup is spreading crushed rock in forests to tackle climate change
Increased urgency to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases has led to a rise in the number of reforestation projects aimed at cutting carbon emissions while greening up our planet. However, with limited land available to restore forests, these projects alone won’t be sufficient to pull excess CO2 Read More...
Help bolster the UK's beetle populations after a cold and rainy spring
If you’ve ever been to the UK in early June, you’re likely to remember the lovely, temperate weather, high tea in the garden, and perhaps the presence of beetles on the prowl for a mate. June is known as peak beetle season as many species are looking to reproduce. Stag beetles in particular put Read More...
These algae curtains combat air pollution in urban environments
Here at The Optimist Daily, we're highly interested in the expansion of algae as an eco-friendly component of a variety of products that protect the environment and reinforce the value of sustainable, eco-conscious living. Algae has been used to make biodegradable sequins and more sustainable Read More...
NASA research identifies key site for US methane emissions reductions
Back in April, we shared how a NASA project was using satellites to identify sites of extreme emissions generation, also known as “super emitters.” Now, preliminary results from the satellite imagery have already identified areas where a few fixes could go a long way in terms of reducing Read More...
The argument for standardized sustainability labels in fashion
Shopping responsibly is hard. On top of navigating the various certifications and researching brand labor policies and manufacturing practices, there’s the whole greenwashing trend that can make products seem more sustainable than they actually are. All these factors make the whole process so Read More...