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.
This skyscraper in Taipei features a carbon-absorbing vertical forest
According to the World Green Building Council, our built environment is responsible for almost 40 percent of the world’s carbon footprint. Facing a dire need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, architects and urban planners must ensure that our future buildings have the smallest negative Read More...
LEGO is ditching plastic bags to reach its sustainability goals
LEGO has been a building block of many happy childhood memories since the 1930s, but as the world reforms its views on sustainability and works toward a more eco-friendly future, LEGO is shifting its operations to meet new environmental expectations. LEGO’s signature building blocks rely on Read More...
UK joins the EU in passing “right to repair” mandates for appliances
Right to repair has been a hot topic lately as France and the broader EU implement sustainable policies to make fixing old electronics more feasible. Starting this summer, consumers in the UK can feel more confident in their appliance purchases as well as a new law mandates that producers make Read More...
GM’s new Li-metal batteries nearly double the capacity of lithium-ion cells
Back in January 2021, General Motors (GM) announced that it will only produce electric vehicles by 2035. If such an announcement from America’s biggest automaker wasn’t encouraging enough for the transition to electric vehicles in the US, GM has followed it up with another big announcement Read More...
Architects in Scotland plan to transform former coal mine into eco-resort
With the green energy revolution making headway and the end of coal coming into view, it seems that we’ll soon be left with many out-of-use coal mines in need of a new purpose. Providing an idea of what we could do with these barren pits, architecture firm Scott Brownrigg has put forward its Read More...
Green sidewalk barriers could help protect pedestrians from air pollution
Reducing air pollution from vehicle exhaust is key, especially when it comes to pedestrians. A new study suggests that redirecting that exhaust away from pedestrians could be one way to prevent them from being exposed to these noxious types of gases. While air pollution associated with Read More...
First 3D printed homes in US set to hit the market
A couple of weeks ago, we shared how the world’s first 3D printed school was being built in Madagascar. Now, anyone can take part in the 3D dwelling as the first printed US houses hit the market. The houses, constructed by printing firm Icon, are located in a housing development in Austin, Read More...
Conservationists release 36 endangered tortoises on Galapagos island
Following the introduction of predators, competitors, and vegetation change on the Galapagos’ San Cristobal island, the population of the endemic Chelonoidis chathamensis giant tortoise was reduced from 24,000 animals to about 600 in the early 1970s, pushing the species to the brink of Read More...
Hayek Hospital in Beirut is the first to go vegan
What comes to mind when you think of an average hospital meal? Likely something bland and processed and, if you’re lucky, a dessert resembling Jell-o. Food is critical to health and recovery, yet many medical facilities fall short when it comes to nutritious options. The personnel at Read More...
Scientists observe sea slugs self-decapitate and regenerate their body
Planet Earth is home to many incredible creatures, some of which, like lizards and whale sharks, can regrow detached parts of their bodies. But Elysia marginata, a particular species of sea slugs, is one-upping these animals with their remarkable regenerative abilities. Sakaya Mitoh, a Ph.D. Read More...