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.
Giant wild otter seen in the Bermejo River for first time in over a century
The Bermejo River flows through Impenetrable National Park in Argentina’s Chaco province. The secluded region had a special and surprising visitor last week in the form of a wild giant river otter. The otter, which was believed to be extinct in the country because of hunting and habitat loss, Read More...
Dutch court orders Shell to slash CO2 emissions
In a landmark ruling for the environment, a Dutch court has ordered Royal Dutch Shell to significantly reduce its emissions. In a judgement delivered by a district court in The Hague this week, the oil company must cut its CO2 emissions by 45 percent of 2019 levels by 2030. The case was Read More...
Kenya is conducting it’s first nation-wide wild animal census
Throughout the pandemic, Kenya has experienced an elephant baby boom with over 200 calves born over the last year. Although the lack of tourists has been beneficial for some animal populations, the lack of funding from visitors has also hindered conservation efforts. To better protect wild animals, Read More...
Angelina Jolie covers herself in bees to raise awareness about pollinators
Although bees and other pollinators are essential for propagating more than 75 percent of food crops, there is still not enough awareness about the extinction risk that these insects are currently facing as a result of human activities. In a bid to bring this urgent issue under the spotlight, on Read More...
Chile's single-use plastic ban will cut over 23,000 tons of waste annually
In a major win for environmentalists and marine ecosystems, Chile has passed a plastic regulation bill that would cut the country’s plastic waste by over 23,000 tons per year. Among other things, the new law will take aim at reducing plastic waste in the food industry and will also introduce a Read More...
These circular eco-friendly companies are inspired by nature
What is good design? Iconic works of architecture and technology, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s homes or an iPhone might come to mind first, but when it comes down to it, nothing can beat the evolutionary process of nature that has been refined for millennia. In nature, energy and materials Read More...
Comic strip competition helps children see spiders in a more positive light
Spiders are incredible creatures that play an important part in our eco-systems, however, they are often linked to feelings of dread and disgust, resulting in them being prematurely squashed for no reason other than irrational fear. Author Jane McGee believes that spiders need to go through some Read More...
Sea squirts can help address our oceans' growing microplastic problem
In the past, The Optimist Daily has written about unassuming sea creatures such as sea cucumbers, which, despite their humble appearances, play a vital role in maintaining the health of the entire underwater ecosystem and can reveal important information about how human activity impacts marine Read More...
Denver will be home to North America’s largest sewer heat-recovery project
Did you know that the hot water you send down the drain can be used to regulate the temperature of buildings? Called sewer heat recovery, the process essentially captures warm water from showers, washing machines, and dishwashing and stores it in a heat-consistent pit. This stored water is then Read More...
How can we solve our plastic waste problem? Make an island out of it.
Visionary architect and psychologist Margot Krasojevic is working on an outlandish concept that may just help us deal with the concerning plastic waste problem plaguing the world’s oceans: building a plastic island. Krasojevic and her team at Margo Krasojevic Architecture started with Read More...