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.
Minneapolis nonprofit creates first-of-its-kind village for the homeless
While homeless shelters can be pivotal in providing short-term housing and protection from the elements, there are tradeoffs to staying in a shelter. Many shelters feature communal sleeping arrangements, with dozens of beds packed into a room. This can make homeless shelters particularly Read More...
Help tackle marine plastic pollution with this trivia quiz
If you’re looking for an easy way to make a dent in the plastic pollution crisis, the nonprofit Free the Ocean now has an option for you: a daily ocean-related trivia that removes one piece of plastic from the ocean with every question that’s answered. Funded by advertisers who have placed Read More...
Scientists design underwater elevator that boosts kelp growth four fold
As the production of biofuel continues to increase, so does the need for sustainable feedstocks. Corn, canola, and sugarcane have all been used to produce biofuels, but the problem is that these feedstocks require land to grow on as well as a lot of resources such as water and fertilizers. Kelp Read More...
Meet Wisdom, the 70 year old albatross that just hatched another chick
When biologist Chandler Robbins first tagged Wisdom the Laysan albatross in 1956, he probably had no idea that the oceanic bird would long outlive him. But here we are in the year 2021, and Wisdom is still alive and mating. In fact, Wisdom has just hatched another chick at the tender age of 70. Read More...
It’s easy to make old buildings more efficient with this modular system
Many of the new buildings being constructed today are designed with the planet in mind, and while that may help humanity shrink its carbon footprint, the reality is that the number of old buildings will continue to outnumber new buildings well into the future. Keeping an old building up and running Read More...
This sustainable concrete alternative helps coastal ecosystems thrive
While necessary to support human settlements, the development of infrastructure in coastal areas is often harmful to surrounding natural ecosystems. That's because most of this construction is made of concrete — a material whose chemical composition and flat surface fails to act as a viable Read More...
The UK plans to test a new fleet of zero-emission buses on its roads
Cities across the world are making efforts to cut air pollution and reduce the number of combustion engine vehicles on their streets. Low- and zero-emission vehicles are starting to play an increasingly bigger role in achieving these goals. With that said, the UK has announced that its public Read More...
Green School students spend most of their time studying outdoors
Integrating sustainability into children’s education early on is key to ensuring future generations have a thorough understanding of the relationship between humans and their natural environment. This is the philosophy behind Green School International — an unconventional approach to schooling Read More...
Beauty giant to make perfumes with ethanol made of recycled CO2 emissions
The world’s largest fragrance company, Coty, will soon start making perfumes with alcohol made from recycled carbon emissions. Producing the fragrance lines for luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, and Calvin Klein, Coty has recently partnered with biotech company LanzaTech to use its Read More...
This retro milk truck is now delivering zero-waste products to Londoners
Ella Shone’s ‘Topup Truck’ started out 20 years ago delivering morning milk to bleary-eyed Londoners. Now, the vehicle’s got a new lease on life as an electric-powered zero-waste goods delivery truck. After being furloughed from her sales job as a result of the coronavirus pandemic last Read More...