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.
EPA announces plan to cut back hydrofluorocarbon emissions
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a lesser-known pollutant used in air conditioners and refrigerators. Despite being less emphasized than CO2 in the effort to slow climate change, HFCs are actually more effective at trapping heat. Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this Read More...
The traveler urging Airbnb to adopt a "green" filter for accommodations
Airbnb has revolutionized the way the modern traveler moves through the world. Whether you’re a digital nomad who needs a tranquil spot and a fiberoptic internet connection or a casual sightseer on the lookout for a cozy room in a central location, Airbnb allows you to select from a long list of Read More...
South Africa will end the breeding of lions in captivity
Following a two-year study on the effects of raising and breeding wild animals in captivity, South Africa has announced that it will ban the breeding of lions in captivity for hunting, cub petting, and for the commercial lion-bone trade. Many tourists take photos with lion cubs bred in Read More...
This yacht will fuel itself with the trash it sucks up from our oceans
Professional yacht racer Yves Bourgnon was irritated at the sight of floating plastic trash in seawater and decided to turn that anger into the inspiration he needed to create the concept for the Manta, a water-cleaning sailboat that is powered by the litter it picks up. The Manta will be an Read More...
ActionAid initiative trains Cambodian women to adapt to climate change
We recently wrote about how farmers in Bangladesh are using floating gardens to survive when floods and monsoons raise water levels. Now, the ActionAid campaign She is the Answer is harnessing these same farming tactics to empower women in Cambodia whose livelihoods are increasingly threatened by Read More...
E-waste: Scientists develop the world’s first fully recyclable transistor
One of the main reasons why so many electronics end up as e-waste instead of getting recycled at the end of their life is the fact that it’s really difficult to separate and recover the valuable materials that make them up. Now, a new technique developed by scientists at Duke University may help Read More...
The Optimist View: Zero Foodprint and the table-to-farm regenerative movement
“Since the goal is to truly change many acres of farmland, then we must not only try to source well, but specifically ask our existing supply chains to change. In fact, we should help pay for the transition.” - Anthony Myint, Zero Foodprint BY Amelia Buckley If you visit the famous Chez Read More...
Florida is cracking down on the exotic pet trade
Reports of pythons eating local cats have become more and more common in Florida as exotic pet ownership has gone off the rails. Snakes, iguanas, and other reptiles are posing a serious ecological threat in the state where many people adopt exotic pets only to realize how difficult they are to care Read More...
Byway Travel wants to make your next vacation more sustainable
Excited to return to travel, but concerned about doing so sustainably? New travel company Byway Travel could hold the solution to your problems. Founded in March of last year by Cat Jones, the company organizes what they call “slow travel” itineraries that guide travelers to fascinating Read More...
The EU signs historic deal that makes its climate goals legally binding
The European Union has signed a major climate deal with ambitious new targets to curb climate change, pledging to make them legally binding. Under the new law, an agreement between member states and the European Parliament, the bloc will cut carbon emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, Read More...