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.
Seismologists use whale calls to map out the seafloor
Whales are famous for their deep, loud calls that travel for miles in the ocean. In fact, the bellows of fin whales can be heard from 600 miles away. Researchers are now looking to those whale calls to help them map out elusive sections of the deep seafloor. Seafloor imaging is used to study Read More...
This robot could help our efforts of planting 1 trillion trees
From helping us sort waste to monitoring endangered species, robots have been increasingly supporting our efforts to safeguard a better future for our environment. Now, some of them are looking to help us combat climate change by accelerating our reforestation efforts. An Estonian company, called Read More...
Dirty Labs is removing water-polluting chemicals from laundry detergents
Considering that almost everyone has to do laundry, it’s pretty shocking that we use laundry detergents that contain chemicals that harm the environment and can’t even be removed by standard water treatment plants. Fortunately, a biotech startup by the name of Dirty Labs has come up with a Read More...
Coca-Cola to test fully recyclable paper bottle in Hungary
Coca-Cola has partnered with Danish startup Paboco (“Paper Bottle Company”) as one of many strategies to reduce the three million metric tons of plastic packaging it goes through per year. The company is already developing ways to use more recycled material, increase recycling rates, and test Read More...
How communities in Pakistan are protecting the rare Indus dolphin
The Indus River in Pakistan is home to the Indus dolphin, one of the rarest dolphin species in the world. These dolphins were facing near extinction in 2001 when their numbers had dropped to 1,200, but relatively recent conservation campaigns involving local and global partners have managed to Read More...
The ozone hole is on track to close within 50 years
The Montreal Protocol banned the use of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) in 1987 after CFCs were linked to ozone depletion. New atmospheric data shows that the protocol has been effective and the hole in the ozone is on schedule to close within the next 50 years. Researchers were concerned Read More...
Could mushroom bricks replace cement bricks?
A tenth of global carbon emissions is made up of building materials and construction. That’s why engineers are in search of better alternatives to polluting materials such as cement bricks, which require a whole lot of energy to produce and winds up in the landfill at the end of their lifecycle. Read More...
7 empowering personal actions to combat climate anxiety
A few months ago we hosted a webinar on managing emotional inflammation, specifically in the context of climate anxiety. In a world where climate news can be overwhelming, if not downright depressing, it can be hard to find the motivation to pursue climate action. If you feel like your own Read More...
Ikea is turning this Swedish city into a hub for green-minded projects
Last month, Ikea made it into the Optimist Daily after purchasing nearly 11,000 acres of forest in Georgia to protect it from being developed. Today, we bring you a whole new initiative from the furniture giant that involves turning the Swedish city of Helsingborg into a sustainable community. In Read More...
Breaking down the real meaning of “biodegradable” and “compostable”
“Biodegradable” and “compostable” are terms that pop up frequently in our search to make our day to day purchases more sustainable, but what do they actually mean and what is the difference between the two? That’s exactly the question we’re tackling today. Let’s start with Read More...